Wounded in Action (N.W. Europe 1944-45) -
1st Battalion Worcestershire Regiment
|
Lieut. Peter Wade
(307868)
(11 Platoon, ‘B’ Company)
Frederick Peter Wade originally joined the Queens Westminster Rifles T.A. in
1939. He was commissioned in to the Worcestershire Regiment on the 24th
January 1944 as a 2/Lieut. On the end of August 1944 he was posted with
officer reinforcements to the 1st Battalion. Eventually at Elst taking over
command of 11 platoon in ‘B’ Company from Sergeant Frank Nyland, who had
been commanding 11 platoon for the last month following the killing of
2/Lieut. Jack Booth at Mont Pinçon.
|
Lieut. Peter Wade
(later Captain)
|
Peter was wounded twice in
action. The first time at Rischden in November 1944 where he was wounded by
shrapnel. He returned to the battalion at the end of January 1945, this time
to ‘A’ Company, only to be wounded again in March 1945 during the Autobahn
attack at Vehlingen.
Peter recalls what happened:
After ‘B’ Company had captured the village of Rischden, Major John Ricketts
ordered 11 Platoon to advance and re-inforce ‘A’ and ‘D’ companies who were
holding Tripsrath. At the time we were continually been shelled by the
Germans, which lasted for some 3 days. It was during this shelling that I
was wounded in the arm from a stray piece of mortar shrapnel. After things
quietened down I was evacuated to a Military Hospital at Louvain near
Brussels on the 24th November 1944. It was here that I met up again with
Captain Wally Leadbeater who had been wounded in the foot but had the added
problem of undergoing an operation for appendicitis. After recovering we
both took the opportunity of enjoying 48 hours leave before rejoining the
battalion on the 30th January 1945 at the Belgium village of Beersse near
Turnhout. This time I was posted to ‘A’ Company.
Lieut. Peter Wade visiting the spot at Rischden (Aug. 1992) where he was
wounded
|
The second time I was
wounded was during the Autobahn attack at Vehlingen on the 27th March 1945.
As a platoon commander in ‘A’ Company I was hit by a machine gun bullet to
the thigh as I threw a smoke grenade in an attempt to provide a screen to
protect the men from punishing cross-fire.
After recuperating he returned back to Germany and spent a short period of
time processing Russian POW’s before they were repatriated. Finally, he
returned to the 1st Battalion at Goslar, Germany where he commanded H.Q.
Company (with the rank of Captain) until demobilization in 1946.
Peter died in Sussex on the 4th March 2000 at the age of 78.
|
Peter Wade visiting the spot at Rischden (August 1992) where he was
wounded
|
Area around the village of Rischden (November 1944)
|
Click here to return to Wounded in Action home page |
Click here to return to Home Page |
|
include "footer.inc" ?>