A few numbers

I am often asked: "How many soldiers were killed during The Battle of Reusel? "

It's difficult to get a concrete answer to this question. But through charts and statistics from the administration of the 53rd. Welch Division (1946), I figured out that during the period from 20 September 1944 (Witrijt) till 4 October 1944 (Reusel) approx. 168 British soldiers of the 160th. Brigade were killed:

- 6th. Bn. The Royal Welch Fusiliers +/- 85 KIA

- 4th. Bn. The Welch Regiment +/- 60 KIA

- 2nd. Bn. The Monmouthshire Regiment +/- 23 KIA

The 2nd. Mons. were involved in heavy fighting with II./Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 6 at Voorheide (Arendonk).

On German side a multitude of this figure, at least 450 / 500 KIA.

The 53rd. Welch Division took part on many major campaigns pushing across northern France, Belgium into the Netherlands.

Finally, they crossed the Rhine and advanced into Germany were they ended the war in Hamburg.

Troughout its ten months of almost continuous combat, the 53rd. Welch Division had suffered nearly 10.000 casualties:

-113 officers and 1.396 other ranks killed

-387 officers and 7.221 other ranks wounded

-33 officers and 1.255 other ranks missing

However, the division, throughout the entire campaign, had, according to Major-General Bobby Ross, "captured some 35.000 Prisoners of War and probably accounted for the same amount in dead and wounded." 53rd. Welch Division would become known by several nicknames; within the British press they were known as 'Monty's Darlings', and for propaganda purposes it was said that the Germans referred to them as 'Monty's Butchers'.