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.

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
(later Captain)

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.

 

 

 

 



Area around the village of Rischden (November 1944)

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