L/Cpl Harry Covell 1/5 Bn Welch Regiment

24/12/2025

24 DEC 1945

The Bn Xmas card featured a humorous reflection on the Bn's exploits, including the liberation of s-Hertogenbosch.

This one was sent to Harry's daughter Pauline. I've had custody of the card for several decades but this year decided to send it back to Pauline.

26/10/2025

26 OCT 1945

The Bn war diary records that 1 officer and 6 other ranks returned to 's-Hertogenbosch to mark the 1st anniversary of the town's liberation.

GAUMONT BRITISH NEWSREEL (REUTERS)To license this film, visit https://www.britishpathe.com/video/VLVAA1RVXO17GU3N56DTECZUXST24-DUTCH-TOWN-OF-S-HERTOGENBOSCH-...

03/10/2025

3 OCT 1945

What's on the agenda?

12 mile route marches - and dances with the local populace.

03/09/2025

3 SEP 1945

Compulsory education classes started today.

03/08/2025

3 AUG 1945

Field Marshal Montgomery held an investiture at Divisional HQ where 6 members of the Bn received awards with 40 spectators in attendance.

The Imperial War Museum Website has dozens of images the day's events.

https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/search?query=INVESTITURE%20BY%20THE%20C-IN-C%20OF%2053RD%20WELSH%20DIVISION&pageSize=30&media-records=records-with-media&filters%5BwebCategory%5D%5BPhotographs%5D=on&filters%5BperiodString%5D%5BSecond%20World%20War%5D=on&style=image

11/06/2025

11 JUN 1945

The Bn moved to Duisburg which would be there last base during the NW Europe campaign.

08/06/2025

8 JUN 1945

The Bn moved to a staging post south of Osnabruck. During the month they had spent in Hamburg they had helped to repatriate more than 5000 displaced persons.

25/05/2025

25 MAY 1945

The Bn were largely involved in the management of displaced persons. Dutch, French, Polish & Russian.

18/05/2025

18 MAY 1945 - WELFARE BULLETIN

If you need anything just ask! We're expecting amongst other things: 3 million ci******es and 100 pianos. Much of this would be destined for the camps for Displaced Persons.

12/05/2025

12 MAY 1945

A memorial service was held for the late Lt Col J.S Morrison-Jones MC attended by the Brigadier and Divisional Commander. This must have been a poignant day for Harry as he was travelling in the jeep with the CO when it hit a mine causing fatal injuries.

Lt-Col Morrison-Jones had served in the Bn throughout the war starting out as a 2nd Lt. He had assumed command of the Bn in Sep 44 following the death of Lt Col. Jack Tremayne Gibson, great uncle of Philippa Picq who is following this story.

Around 250 members of the Bn lost their lives in NW Europe - only the officers are mentioned by name in the Bn war diary.

09/05/2025

9-10 MAY 1945

Bn busy dealing with POWs, displaced persons and slave workers trying to break into wine cellars.

08/05/2025

8 MAY 1945

Divisional HQ was set up in the most magnificent Atlantic Hotel. The memoires of a Frank Yates recount how the hotel was decorated to celebrate the end of hostilities:

"G1 sent for the two sappers, who had, since Normandy, lit up Div HQ with their diesel lighting set. They were ordered to deploy their lights across the façade of the hotel, facing the Alster, and to make a huge “W”, the Divisional sign. And so the citizens of Hamburg saw the Bardic Crown emblazoned across the night sky, as an impromptu firework display of tracer bullets and Very lights signalled the end of the war."

https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/73/a7404473.shtml