Samuel Albert Ledger

RHEINBERG WAR CEMETERY 12. L. 2.

During April 1945, the 2nd Battalion, Royal Ulster Rifles (2 RUR) was engaged in the final, brutal push into northwest Germany as part of the 9th Infantry Brigade, 3rd British Infantry Division. Having crossed the Rhine in late March, the battalion spent April fighting through stubborn German resistance en route to the key port city of Bremen.

Timeline of Operations: April 1945Early April (Approach to Lingen): The month began with the battalion moving inland from the Rhine towards the River Ems. They arrived near Lingen around 3–4 April, where they encountered fanatical resistance from local German Officer Cadet Training Units who defended every street and house. On 6 April, 2 RUR troops and Universal Carriers were heavily active clearing the area.Mid-April (The Advance North): After securing Lingen, the division pressed northwards toward Bremen.

The fighting remained highly hazardous; for example, on 13 April, the battalion suffered casualties while engaging German forces near the village of Harpstedt.24–25 April (The Assault on Kattenturm): The battalion was tasked with a major night-time operation starting at midnight on 24 April.

Their objective was to capture Kattenturm and seize the vital bridge over the Ochtum river on the southern approaches to Bremen.Late April (The Battle for Bremen): By 26 April, 2 RUR, operating alongside the South Lancashire Regiment, was engaged in intense, house-to-house street fighting to clear Bremen. They successfully reduced German defensive pockets just days before the city fell entirely.

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