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The first thing I knew, when I was airborne, was that my rifle, kit and shovel had fallen away from me. I landed in a cornfield and lay quite still for a moment listening. In the distance I could hear the sound of battle and guessed it must be the D. I got rid of my chute and with my fighting knife in one hand and a grenade in the other, I made for the R. I had gone a considerable distance, when I suddenly saw three bent figures. I got up close and challenged them and heaved a sigh of relief to find they were our chaps. I was coming down into, what seemed to me, like a large wood containing many clearings.
Suddenly I was down I had landed in a small clearing, surrounded by, as far as I could see in the moonlight, apple orchards. I landed at the north end of the D. Everything was quiet and I thought I was miles away from Ranville, the Battalion's objective. As I moved towards the R.
I landed in a tree rising out of a bocage type hedge on the eastern edge of the D. Gingerly letting go, I dropped all of twelve inches to the bottom of the hedge and I then had to use my torch in order to locate the butt, body and barrel of the Sten which was threaded under the harness and had crashed to the ground when I twisted and banged the quick release box. Pulling the branches to one side to reach the open field, I was surprised to see, only a few yards away, a large white French cow, staring intently in my direction.
I set off in the general direction in which I believed the R. As I plodded on, suddenly from way ahead in the direction I was going, came a sound as welcome as any I had ever heard, a hunting horn. It was fainter and further away than I had expected it to be. I judged it to be a mile away and I eventually arrived. Battalion who had been dropped on the wrong D. But the hunting horns sounded clearly and when I reached the R.
I was missing one section and my Platoon Serjeant. Despite heavy mortaring and machine gun fire, the poles were removed and the ditches filled in by hours. The poles were, fortunately, not as large as expected. We had trained to remove telegraph poles and the so called Rommel's Asparagus proved much easier. With some funk holes dug to avoid being knocked down by a glider, we waited for them to arrive, bringing in General GALE, his staff and some much needed anti tank guns.
They appeared from all directions. It was a nightmare and extremely frightening. I would rather be shelled any day. Some landed well, others crashed into each other. The sparks from the skids, the sounds of splintering wood and the yells from the occupants, was like a scene from hell.
Some of our men were hit, and it seemed like a miracle seeing the occupants get out and even drive away with jeeps and anti tank guns. The task proved easier than I had planned for, all the holes had been dug but many of the posts were simply placed in the hole and not yet upright and firm. In many cases all we did was carry the pole away and fill in the hole. We finished the job with about 15 minutes to spare and were digging our funk holes when the gliders started to arrive.
As a result we had a ring side seat for the actual landings. Most of the Horsas made good landings and I was greatly impressed by the speed and efficiency shown by the passengers in unloading the jeeps and guns. Among the last to land was General Gale's glider, one of the few to make a really bad touch down just off the cleared path and as a result suffered damage from poles still standing.
But I Don't think he blamed us for that. The task of the Battalion was firstly to clear and hold Ranville, a small village which guarded the approaches to the Orne bridges from the east and secondly to clear a lane in the air landing obstacles north of the village so that the gliders bringing in General GALE and his Tac. Also the anti tank guns could land in the dark. Ranville was sleeping peacefully when the large airborne contingents crossed the coast of France.
Before it was fully awake and had rubbed the sleep out of its eyes, hundreds of aircraft were ejecting their human cargoes over the nearby fields. In the village was stationed a Company of Germans, most of them deployed away from their base on an anti invasion exercise, the reaction of the remainder was decisive if not commendable.
Some unfortunate machine gunners were posted, as the parachutes billowed in the sky, to oppose the landing, others fled hastily not even troubling to dress properly. The machine gun posts lasted only a few minutes, there were two minor skirmishes in the village with retreating Germans and at hours the first village in Normandy had been cleared, the great liberation of France had begun. As "A" Company, total strength of 60, with the assistance of County of Antrim Squadron, Royal Engineers, set about demolishing and removing the anti air landing poles, the task of clearing Ranville began.
Numbers 7 and 8 Platoons, swept down towards the chateau, which was attacked by Lieutenant Harry POLLAK, a fluent German speaker, who answering the sentries challenge in German, located the post and shot him dead. Major Ford entered the chateau where, with his face blackened for night operations and wearing his parachute helmet and smock, was mistaken by the Comteesse de Rohan Chabot for a German trying to trap her. Nor was she satisfied until morning and after that was kindness itself to all ranks.
When we left the R. The Battalion were under strict orders not to open fire until dawn, it would have been so easy in the dark to shoot friendly forces. Major FORD called me forward and instructed me to find a way round and I went along the street trying the door handles. At last I found one that opened. In the room was a still warm bed, a German uniform jacket draped over the back of a chair and a rifle propped up against the wall. In the yard at the back was another discarded jacket.
We quickly worked our way round to the chateau, the Germans having scarpered. I tried to tell him that it was the invasion, we were British soldiers and that they were to stay indoors. Back came a torrent of French which I did not understand but they clearly did not believe me.
Seeing the key in their bedroom door, I took it out and gave it to them saying in my best 4th. Form French "Lock the door, I'll talk to you in the morning". Mortar bombs started to explode, too close to be pleasant. I would have loved to go forward into the comparative shelter of Ranville village but orders said otherwise: Company Headquarters and 9 Platoon were to remain in the rendezvous as a reserve.
The only thing that had not gone more or less to plan, was that 9 Platoon were conspicuous by its absence. The signal was given by the C. I looked at my watch it was hours, only three hours ago we had been in England. More than a third of the Battalion's strength did not reach the R. One man was in his harness for twelve hours, before he was rescued using ropes. The Machine Gunners, rallying with the 12th. Battalion in the quarry alongside the Cabourg road, waited until Ranville was cleared and then moved to occupy the Bas de Ranville. By then 29 gunners out of 41 had reported in.
But had only two complete gun teams, with just three belts of rounds between them, since the ammunition carriers had failed to locate the containers. As they moved down towards their objective, out of the darkness above them, came whistling and wheeling, several great black bats, carrying Divisional H. I walked into the Mess tent and sat for a long time waiting for take off at the airfield. Serjeant came into the tent and asked about my injury. When I had finished telling him the story, he enquired if I was willing to risk going in by glider; explaining that one member of his team had been stood down on account of illness.
I "jumped" at the chance. I had never travelled in a glider before and in addition to three passengers, the Horsa carried a small bulldozer, plus Jerrycans of fuel. After the noisy crowdiness of parachuting aircraft the silence of the journey was a rare experience. There was the hissing of the slipstream and it was a bit bumpy, but nothing unusual. Up forward the copilot was silhouetted in the glow of the searchlights. He turned, pointed downwards, followed by the "thumbs up" signal. We banked, the nose of the glider dropped sharply, then we settled into a steady downwards glide Through the hole in the side made by flak, I saw the tower of Ranville church before we levelled off and the pilot touched down beautifully to the sound of the wheels rumbling through the crops on the Landing Zone.
The glider slowed and stopped with the cockpit no more than two feet from a stone wall at the far end of the L. I had made it. Indeed he had, but by a bizarre twist of fate, he was the only member of his original stick to do so. They were dropped miles away and most of them spent the rest of the war as prisoners.
Among the other gliders due to land in this phase of the operation, was the Battalion re-supply one, carrying replacement weapons and reserve ammunition. Vaast en Auge, some twelve miles east of their intended landing area. The pilot of one Horsa approached the Landing Zone from the wrong direction and instead of touching down facing the coast, he flew into a wall at the rear of the estaminet at Ranville cross roads.
They found the 1st. Pilot killed by the impact and the 2nd. Pilot with both legs broken and unconscious. He collected nine men and for a while he organised ambushes of German patrols in the area. German troops became more numerous and dangerous and they were forced to go into hiding.
It wasn't until daylight came that he met Corporal Len COX, another member of the stick as already reported, and also a member of the French under ground movement, who took the two of them to his house. I was challenged by a Scottish voice. After identifying myself, the C. I told him and he replied "You won't get much further if you don't do something about your bloody aiming mark". I then realised I had been walking about the battle area with my damaged shoulder in a large white sling.
Between us we got rid of the sling and I tucked my arm inside my denison smock. On seeing me, he asked 'What kept you and where are the rest? Ranville June 6th hours. Village of Ranville now cleared of enemy. Very few enemy were found, as from information received from inhabitants, it appears that the main body of the enemy were away and that the majority of those left behind, departed with all speed when they saw parachutists.
The first part of General Gale's stirring call "to seize by stealth and guile", having been accomplished in the still of the night. Now the second half "hold with guts and determination" was about to start in the cold light of dawn. Morale had never been higher. It had all been so easy, nothing like the hard fighting and bloody casualties we had prepared ourselves for. Surprise had been complete, the enemy routed and we were on top of the world. Gradually we were becoming filled with anger. The clearance for an immediate counter attack, taking advantage of the initial confusion among our opponents, had still not come.
It is my firm opinion that by exploiting this confused situation, we would have succeeded in pushing through to the coast and probably also in regaining possession of the two bridges over the River Orne at Benouville. As a result, while our opponents sat tight, fuming with indignation over the inactivity, the 13th. One of the M. Sections, digging in at a hedgerow junction east of "Lieu Harras" was approached by a patrol from the farm which opened fire at the work party and then withdrew. There were no casualties. Approximately two thirds of the Battalion 4oo all ranks had rallied to the sound of the Colonel's hunting horn.
All the key members of Battalion Headquarters were present and performing their tactical roles, but missing was Padre FOY and all the men of his Albermarle stick of nine. A full wireless network was manned and functioning satisfactorily. Other missing members, included C. Only two complete Vickers guns were landed in kit bags and nine men were un-accounted for. One section of the anti tank Platoon. While the rest of the Battalion were digging in, the members of "A" Company must have been wondering if they were fighting the war entirely on their own.
No sooner had the task of clearing the poles been accomplished, but they moved to the eastern end of Ranville, where they were to assist in the laying of an anti tank minefield. This would occupy them for several hours, but for the majority, a false calm descended upon the scene, as they awaited "H" hour the time of the seaborne landing, which on "Sword" beach, the most easterly one, was not until hours.
The Platoon was only at half strength due to casualties missing. In the process of laying a minefield east of the village the mines had to be brought from a glider some considerable distance away, so I went and got a wheel barrow from a house nearby. It took us the best part of the morning to lay the mines and all the time we were being sniped, causing one or two casualties. Eventually we discovered the sniping was coming from the house where I had borrowed the barrow A well directed grenade quickly brought forth four badly knocked about Germans. Once we were certain that the gliders had stopped flying in we formed up to move down into Ranville and take up our defensive responsibilities.
It was now beginning to come light and some of the villagers looked on as we entered the built up area in the centre of Ranville. I recall seeing in the windows of one small shop, croissants and Camembert cheese, unknown in England since the outbreak of war. I established my Headquarters in the grounds of the Chateau, which had also been the H.
One of the first messages which came over the wireless was to ask if we had any cooks in the Company our own A. During the confusion in the darkness, the German horse drawn ration cart had arrived and been taken to Battalion H. The open corn fields south of the village had formed the area where re-supply containers had been jettisoned and the Machine Gunners made an unsuccessful search for Mark VIIIZ ammunition among them. When it did come, the assault on the coastal defences, the noise was awesome and overwhelming.
It rose in a tremendous crescendo from absolute silence to all pervading uproar in a matter of seconds, as the fearful might of the guns of the Royal Navy fired their well orchestrated salvoes. We were left asking the question "How can anyone have survived such a pounding" and it also meant that wireless silence could now he broken. This was of paramount importance to some. Not only were we without ammunition but the location I had been briefed to occupy and told I was not to move from without Brigade authority was useless. The corn only yards in front of the single gun was three feet high and that was the limit of our field of observation and fire.
There was also the matter of an unknown number of Germans, only yards to our rear, and there was the problem of shortage of ammunition. In the end I went to Brigade and got permission to take all the members of the Platoon, not actually manning the guns, to go back to the D. Others were making desperate efforts just to join up with the main force. Captain Mike KERR swam ashore, gathered some of his stick together and during the night others of the Division who had been dropped astray. They formed a defensive position until daylight.
By morning, now some strong, their location was half a mile west of the Dives. I myself had dropped east of the river in the swamps. My batman was 40 yards away and I contacted him as soon as I was out of my harness. From then, hours until hours, we didn't see a single soul, we spent the whole of that miserable nigh, trying, without success, to find a way out of that wretched swamp.
For five hours we were never in less than 2 feet of water, very often in 3 and too often in 5! At daylight we picked up two more of the stick and together made our way westwards, and arrived on the east bank to find the bridge blown and men of the Canadian Battalion guarding the area. After discussion, it was decided that the Canadians should blow one of the trees standing on their bank, so that it would form a temporary bridge.
No sooner said than done and within a few minutes the tree was stretched between the two banks. It was partially submerged and we had to wade waist deep in order to get across. There was quite a body of us now and once over, were directed to a spot a mile away, where they said there was a small concentration of personnel dropped astray. We brewed some tea and then had to decide on the next move. The slogan "when in doubt, brew up", was very quickly adopted throughout the Battalion.
Battalion had moved from their R. Within yards of the village cross roads, a necklace of "Hawkins" grenades, laid by a section of the Brigade Defence Platoon blew, off one of the tracks. Perhaps the next move by the enemy was a serious attempt at a reconnaissance in force. Shortly after most of the Section went off searching for ammunition, the Brigadier came along the hedge, where we had dug in with a Platoon of the 12th. Battalion, looking for us. He had two anti tank 6 pounders with him and he took us all up the road and positioned the weapons below the crest of what they now call the "ring contour".
Here we looked back towards the village and to our right was St. It was in the cornfields near there, at about They were over yards away.
We didn't have very much ammunition, besides our orders were not to open fire before the anti tank guns. We waited and watched as the first group, which had disappeared behind some trees, now came in sight again and they too would pass across our position, but further away. Slowly they drove through the corn and still the anti tank gunners held their fire, suddenly "whomff' away went the first round, quickly followed by two more.
Serjeant KELLY was behind the Vickers, firing short bursts of 10 rounds or so, not the usual 25 rounds we were trained to fire he only had one belt of rounds. You could see the shells hit their target, a short pause and then they all went up in flames, with the crews scrambling out and dashing away into the corn out of sight. The rest of the German tanks just disappeared into Sainte Honnorine. The ammunition search party, having found what they were looking for and loaded up with two liners pre packed belts of rounds apiece, were at this moment approaching the area through 12th.
The 12th Battalion Platoon Commander told me the Brigadier had moved the Section up to the crest and we were about to cross the road when we first heard the approaching heavy armour. Before I got to the top a gun away to my left opened up, followed immediately by the regular rat-a-ta-tat of a single Vickers. More shots were fired and when I was in a position to see what was happening, three tanks no more than yards away were already stopped, one already blazing and the two others quickly followed suit.
Up the slope and further away, a fourth tank was also on fire. I later learnt that what I had regarded as tanks were in fact S. Before we set off to look for ammunition, I had found a position from where the other section would be able to carry out its task and led the carriers there. On the way we passed close to one of the 6 pounders responsible for knocking out the armour and I paused to congratulate them.
Not surprisingly they were as pleased as Punch with themselves. Moving up the final stretch of hedge, inexplainably, I took a 36 grenade from my pouch, carried it in the right hand and my left fore finger through the pull ring. I was looking to my left where the German armour had flattened the hedge. Alf was alongside, hissing in my ear, "Jerry's" up there".
A party of Germans had come along the track from the farm and were gazing intently at the burning vehicles. Out came the pin and away went the grenade. I grasped my Sten, released the safety catch and in true Boys Own Paper style, charged. Surprise was complete, the Germans took to their heels back towards "Lieu Harras". For once the Sten didn't let me down, a full magazine without a stoppage.
The Vickers had been stuffed under the hedge, I called to Alf to collect it, while I reloaded and got off another full magazine at the fleeing enemy, although they were well out of range by now, but I hit one of them, as he stopped clutching the back of his thigh and two of his companions came back and supported him as they staggered away. Alf hoisted the tripod across his shoulders and picked up the condenser can which left me with only the gun itself to carry. We then legged it as fast as we could back to safety. On reaching the track leading to where I had left the ammunition carriers, we slowed to a walk and noticing a rabbit sitting up in the hedge to my left, I halted, lowered the gun to the ground and drawing my.
Where upon much to my surprise, not twenty yards away in the corn, a German soldier rose up. We looked at each other in silence and then he took to his heels and ran off. Dropping the pistol dangling at the end of the lanyard, I got another full magazine load of Sten fire at the fleeing "Jerry". Air Landing Anti Tank Battery: They had a look out posted up a high tree overlooking the corn. If they keep coming, he thought, I might be able to get two of them, but all four is impossible. As the supporting infantry were crossing a path through the corn, the Officer leading them called out and pointed left towards the ridge.
The armour was now yards away. Both Serjeants fired, each hitting a different enemy S. Two other 6 pounders now joined in and soon all the enemy A. Battalion drop zone by Halifax aircraft operating out of R. A Horsa glider when fully loaded with the 6 pounder and the Jeep towing vehicle, could not also carry the full crew for the gun and so the glider pilots of such loads were trained to replace the missing men and as a consequence were present when the German Panzers attacked the Battalion position and were involved in the action. The glider pilots were relieved later in the day, when the main force of gliders landed.
They then made their own way back to "Sword" Beach and returned to England by landing craft. Once home, they filed their "after action" reports. Glider Chalk was flown by Staff Serjeant.
We dug into position and were not bothered by enemy activity until about hours, when enemy mechanised vehicles , 2 tanks and 2 self propelled and infantry appeared. Our 6 pounder scored a hit on one of the tanks with the first round, from about 6oo yards and the second blew it up. The infantry were repulsed mainly by the 13th. This gun, I think, must have been the one commanded by Serjeant. Right and yards forward of this gun, another was sited behind a low stone wall.
Copilot on lookout, reported enemy tank movement on our left flank. Our gun well concealed, but not very well sited. By this time the first S. In the meantime I had loaded a round and had a look along the sights myself. By this time the tank was almost dead ahead in front at yards and needed stopping. The first round missed so I immediately reloaded and this time I applied yards on the sights. The tank had stopped and I was expecting them to open fire on us any minute, so I quickly sighted the gun and fired.
This time it was a hit and the tank went up in flames. During this short time another tank had been bit by the gun on our left flank and also one, which was almost unobserved from our position, was put out of action by a gun on our right flank. From our position three tanks were seen to be blazing and ammo was exploding in each at various intervals. The infantry, who were escorting the tanks, were then engaged by small arms fire for the rest of the day. In the Battalion War Diary, the first sighting of the enemy by "A" Company is timed at hours and the final report of attack repulsed is at hours.
The first time they had just beaten off a German attack and at one of the nearby houses I was asked by a French woman, "Who is this General de Gaulle we hear so much about on the radio". I had to tell her that I did not know him personally, but doubtless she would hear a lot more of him in the future. Next time I had acquired one of the lightweight motor cycles and as I rode down the avenue of trees towards "Joe's" positions, a German 88 persisted in sniping me as I went along.
Padre FOY and his party were still lost in the swamps of the flooded Dives valley: Finally Captain KERR made the decision to take a round about route to Ranville, hoping that the Battalion was installed in the village. The trouble was that the route chosen involved a walk of several hours, through more swamps, as though we hadn't seen enough water already. By this time I was beginning to wonder if somehow, France and Holland hadn't got mixed up a bit. Again late in the afternoon another German attack was launched, but made no progress.
Unknown to us, by early afternoon, the complete 21st. Panzer Division were concentrated south of St. Honorine and the Divisional Commander's intention was to launch his entire force against Ranville and re capture the bridges. Fortunately the German Corps Commander over ruled his subordinate and ordered him to attack west of the Orne into the gap between the "Juno" and "Sword" invasion beaches. There had been very little air activity throughout the day although a Messerschmitt fighter crashed in flames in the Battalion sector. But shortly before hours, the sky was filled with Allied fighter planes and it wasn't long before the ever increasing roar of heavier aircraft engines reached our ears.
We knew from the plan that the Division's Air Landing Brigade were to fly in before nightfall, but we didn't realise what a magnificent demonstration of command of the skies we were about to witness. All eyes were turned upwards as the long glider train approached.
Those holding positions on the north side of Ranville, watched as the two streams of Albermarles, Dakotas, Stirlings and Halifaxes, with Horsas and Hamilcars trailing behind them approached from the coast, but then lost sight of them as they continued on their journey inland. Now those south of the village had their first sighting.
Only feet above and yards apart in two streams, the cavalcade sailed majestically towards Caen. Suddenly the leading tugs swung to the left swooping low as they did so. For a brief moment the following Horsas appeared motionless and then turned quickly through degrees and diving steeply overhead disappeared from sight. Now those who were watching the still oncoming flights, gazed in thankful amazement as the men of the Glider Pilot Regiment calmly put their motorless craft down on the open fields to their front.
The procession seemed never ending, as combination after combination passed effortlessly over head, in a little over half an hour glider loads of Infantry, Gunners, Sappers, Medics and finally the Tetrarch tanks of the Armoured Recce Regiment arrived to strengthen the Division's hold on this vital section of the air bridgehead. To begin with the enemy were in a state of shock, numbed into inactivity by the boldness of the operation. Eventually lie recovered and rushed some light flak guns to the "Lieu Harras" farm and they started to fire at the low flying tugs turning for home.
These guns in turn provided a target for the Battalion's mortars, a triumphant finale to a day of glory for the men of the Red Rose Battalion. There were some, to whom the glider assault was more than an exciting spectacle. We set off and immediately plunged into the water again and were in it until just before hours, but as we finally trudged out onto firm ground we had our reward, for there in the evening sky, away to the north, came streaming in a gigantic glider armada. We whooped with joy, because:.
On account of the magnificence of the spectacle, and 2. We knew that the gliders would not have been coming in had not the landing zone in Ranville been safe. In other words the Battalion was almost certainly installed there. We pressed forward with relieved minds. Brigade at Le Mesnil. There we were assured that we could move down to Ranville with safety and the Battalion was in possession of the village.
At about hours, 7th. Joyous greetings were exchanged, I stripped off my clothes, now stinking to high heaven and got between a couple of blankets, ignored the slit trenches and slept in a house close to Battalion Headquarters. After the pilot failed to take off, there was some confusion about what to do with us, but eventually transport was arranged to take us to some unknown port. Here we boarded a landing craft which landed us on the beach on D Plus 1 and from there we made our own way to join the Battalion in Ranville, where almost the first thing we saw were bodies lined up on the pavement awaiting burial.
Others too were trying to join up with the Battalion. He requested and was given, assistance to go back through no mans land and return with the rest of his party. When, however, they got back to St. Samson, they found the men had disappeared. In fact their hiding place had become very dangerous and they had been forced to move. There was no alternative but return to Ranville. Several times during the day I heard vehicles moving along the road outside and the noise of aircraft overhead with the sound of exploding bombs not too far away. All day the pistol was pointed at my head.
Later on there was a discussion between the three of them, all my possessions were returned and I was given a German rifle and ammunition pouches. We got ready to leave and I loaded the rifle. We moved slowly, stopping often to listen and always behind me was the gypsy with the pistol aimed at my head. A well used road was reached and we stopped to listen before crossing one at a time. Philippe went first and I followed the second man.
I was in the middle of the road when suddenly from nowhere appeared a German soldier riding a push bike. Without a moments hesitation I shot him dead. Quickly we hid the body and the bike in some long grass and then started running to get away from the place. We covered a fair distance before we stopped, where upon I was violently sick. Then the three of them set on me, punching and kicking me as hard as they could. I was totally confused by the way they were treating me, until Philippe explained that when they were moving from one hide out to another, they avoided the Germans never shot them.
Clearly I had a lot to learn. We kept moving until it was getting light and had reached the outskirts of Lisieux. That must have been where the bombing had been that I had heard. Fires were still burning and there were lots of German patrols in the town. We climbed up into an attic in a builders yard and hid there for several days, being fed by the local resistance. Ranville, 7th June hours. Shelling and mortaring from now on became an accepted fact of life. Those holding positions south of Ranville escaped the mortar bombs. It was guns only, firing from the St. Honorine area which caused the damage and casualties, but those on the other front suffered from both.
The task of the Battalion was firstly to clear and hold Ranville, a small village which guarded the approaches to the Orne bridges from the east and secondly to clear a lane in the air landing obstacles north of the village so that the gliders bringing in General GALE and his Tac. After being hooked up for a third time, I looked down through the hole and was surprised to note that we were flying over land. A few days later Neale called out "We're going to be shelled, sir". In January I received instructions from the C. Then came a sensation of flashes all around, the Albermarle swayed so that we had to cling on grimly in order to keep our feet so that's what flak is like, I thought but there were no hits.
For several days the Germans were still in possession of the Breville feature and from the high ground could observe all movement especially around the crossroads. It was on its west facing flank only that the Battalion were in direct contact with friendly forces. During the morning the 2nd. Over the next few days the strength of character of the Battalion would be subjected to a severe testing.
Missing as a result of aircraft failing to find the correct drop zone, in addition to Lieutenant George LEE, were several Serjeants and other senior N. Shells and bombs too, do not respect rank and casualties among all ranks drained away other leaders. As a result, new responsibilities had to be accepted. Platoon, when Captain F. By the end of the first week, more than half of the Rifle Platoons were led by Serjeants. The born fighting leaders, quickly revealed themselves and Lance Corporals and in some cases private soldiers, rose overnight to the rank of Serjeant.
We were dug in on the right of the road leading to Caen in a little orchard. He was in his slit with a dog and I said to him "That's not your dog" and he replied "No I lost him on the drop, this is one the Germans left behind" In all probability the missing dog was picked up by the Canadian Battalion in 3 Brigade. A few days later Neale called out "We're going to be shelled, sir".
I asked him how he knew, "Because the dog's trembling and he was like this last time" Sure enough, over came the shells, all airburst. I had warned the Platoon to keep away from the crossroads, immediately to our rear, since they were an obvious target and who was there on 9th. I still get Christmas cards advising me to keep off the crossroads. I came over with the transport personnel and we reached Ranville on 7th.
Platoon held their own part of the Battalion's defences north of the crossroads where we were shelled and mortared both by day and night. There was a Bren gun post which was manned all the time and each evening before "stand to" we would be told the time we were to be on guard there during the coming night. I had no such worries and so we swapped times of duty. My time on "stag" was uneventful and I settled down for the few hours kip we got during those short summer nights.
Men still missing from the drop had problems other than shelling and mortaring. We had dropped among units of two Panzer Divisions 21st. Even then the party got split up when we had to make a hurried getaway as the Germans approached the front of the farm building where we sheltered, we all dashed out of the back, losing the two Serjeants in the panic. No serious attempt at a large scale counter attack was made until the early evening 9th. June became a nightmare: That day was one of the hardest actions ever.
We assembled with about ten tanks, under the avenue of trees south of Escoville. Then everything happened very quickly, within a few minutes we had lost 4 tanks, knocked out by naval guns. The fire became more intense and we were forced to withdraw. On the evening of the 9th. June, we realised that we could no longer drive the British back into the sea. For an hour or more, the Battalion was subjected to the heaviest concentrations of artillery and mortar fire which it had so far experienced.
Gradually the sounds of battle from these two places grew louder as the Germans made steady progress towards the Platoons of "A" and "B" Companies, holding positions to the rear of the Ox. Next morning a far more determined attempt to drive through to the bridges was made by a battalion of German infantry, later identified as a unit of Division attacking through the gap in the Divisional perimeter at Breville. A patrol sent out at around hours by Captain KERR, who commanded 4 and 5 Platoons, manning weapon slits covering the ground facing Breville, confirmed that enemy troops were massing for an attack.
Shortly afterwards artillery ranging shots landed on Battalion positions, hence preparations were made to meet the expected assault It was hours before infantry emerged from the woods and began to infiltrate across the D. The men of "B" Company held their fire and by hours the unsuspecting Germans had closed to within yards.
But they got no nearer, 4 and 5 Platoon saw to that, as they poured a relentless hail of bullets into their targets at almost point blank range. Here they were engaged by the Mortars, a detachment of Vickers and also supporting guns of the Royal Artillery. Enemy reinforcements infiltrated through the corn and joined their comrades in the woods, but before they could attempt any further moves, the 7th.
Hussars appeared on the scene. These two units carried out a well prepared assault against each wood in turn and the few Germans still alive, surrendered, 73 only of a complete battalion. The Hussars too suffered casualties when discarded parachutes were caught up in the tank driving sprockets and the Shermans were "sitting ducks" for the crew of an S.
A total of six tanks were put out of action. In batches of 10 to 15, spread out over yards, the German infantrymen came on at a run. They plodded through the waving corn until they reached a glider. Then they fell on their faces and lay there. After a few minutes, they got up and ran forward before dropping down again. It went on like that for yards and still no one fired. Now the enemy was gaining in confidence from the stillness. Smelling no danger his lopin advances were longer and his periods on the ground of only a few seconds duration. He came on fast; and kept on coming until he was some yards away.
And then, at some prearranged signal, every automatic weapon and every rifle in the Paratroops line opened up. It was a roar that set your teeth chattering with shock. You suddenly saw Germans, grimacing, wildly clutching their bodies, throwing up their hands and then falling by the dozen into the corn. Then all of them flung themselves down. A rain of bullets surged across those yards of French farm land but the Germans were not beaten yet.
One of their Officers rose to his feet, called to his men and those still un-wounded, charged once more. This time the Paratroops held their fire even longer and it was from 25 to 30 yards now, when the small arms barrage hit the enemy. With cool, superb and absolute discipline, fingers squeezed the triggers almost simultaneously and down in writhing heaps went the Germans again. And now the remnants who remained alive turned and began to flee. Tanks have now arrived in the area of the bridge head held by 6th.
Airborne, in addition to the "secret weapon" announced by the B. The situation, thanks to the work of the Division in beating back German attacks, is announced as encouraging. German prisoners have been passing through for interrogation at a rapid rate in your bridge head area.
They are forlorn, dishevelled and dirty, tired and hungry, but retain a soldierly bearing. They cycled miles and were thrown into the battle after only two, hours rest. Which shows how much of a nasty surprise to the Germans, your arrival was. By now we were being fed at regular times and most of us carried a packet of "hard tack" biscuits and the daily bar of chocolate, always at hand, but for others it was very different. Six hours later, they had not returned and the two Serjeants decided to go looking for them. As they moved towards the barn door, they saw German soldiers closing in on them.
They shouted a warning to the others and all four jumped out of a rear window, splitting up as they raced for covering. In the late evening of the following day 11th. June , the 12th. Battalion finally closed the gap in the Divisions defences by driving the Germans from the village of Breville and this event. For the next four days bombs and shells continued to remind us that the enemy was still close at hand. Highland Division, the formation planned to relieve 6th. Airborne, thus freeing them for further operations was already in the area and most of us imagined that we would shortly be on the way home.
Now and again the Luftwaffe put in an appearance. After I caught up with the Battalion, we dug a position in the garden of the estaminet at Ranville crossroads, looking out over the D. I was by the wall when a German plane flew over very low and then turned towards the coast, before making another turn and flying back towards us. I had the P. Of course it was a futile shot, the speed of the plane and the P. The bomb flew up over the D. The officer casualties suffered by the 12th.
Battalion in their capture of the Breville feature resulted in promotion and transfer for three members of the Battalion. There were also changes in the 13th. Much to our surprise on the morning of the 17th. The Battalion were to see a lot of this hamlet during the next two months but it was never referred to by that name. Everyone called it "the brickworks" although that itself was a misnomer for the kilns at the large works on the site were used to manufacture roofing tiles.
Maps had been issued the previous day and we knew that the long fields of observation enjoyed at Ranville were a thing of the past. We were to see a lot of this little village during the two months that followed, for we had four spells in the line at this particular place. It was hard and nerve wracking work for our men, not only because of the constant mortaring of our positions, but also because of the interminable patrolling that had to be done.
On the crossroads we held at Le Mesnil there was a large notice, which read "Warning Enemy yards ahead". That was literally true. The Germans were on one side of the field and we were on the other. We had a communication trench running right along the front at one point. It was here that we learnt to respect German snipers, several men were to lose their lives because of their shooting ability.
Typical of the patrol activities are the reports for 19th. After mortar preparation they advanced, only to run into heavy machine gun fire, were pinned down and forced to withdraw. During this engagement one Officer and 14 O. Contact and Standing Patrols were also mounted day and night by all Companies along likely approaches into the Battalion area, but little was seen of the enemy.
The purpose of the Contact Patrols was, as the name implies, to maintain surveillance of known enemy locations and so give early information of any moves by the Germans. It was here at Le Mesnil that one of the war dogs was to prove his value to the Battalion. Of the three dogs dropped, one was missing and one wounded, but "BING", though slightly wounded by mortar fire survived.
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They were on duty all night in their own personal slit trench. Shortly after the Battalion occupied the Le Mesnil defences, events took a dramatic turn for the worse. In the early hours of the 19th. June our hide out was surrounded and we were all captured. During interrogation at the local H. Next day an attempt was made to escape and some of the guards were shot.
Extra guards were brought in and we were all lined up to be shot, but a change of orders and we were herded into covered trucks and driven away. On the road we ran into a convoy of Panzers that had been recently bombed and again we were threatened with shooting.
Eventually we arrived at a large P. We stayed in the attic at Lisieux until things had quietened down, then we moved on, always by night avoiding the roads and keeping to the open fields. By now I was accepted by them all and was one of their group. I was to stay with the gypsies for the next two months and was surprised when I thought about it later, how quickly I got used to the life of killing and stealing, for now there were Germans to be killed whenever we came across them.
It was mostly deserters we dealt with but linesmen repairing telephone wires also received the same treatment. We stripped the bodies of weapons and ammunition before burying them, and when we had a fair collection, Philippe would go off and sell them to the men of the Communist underground groups round Mesidon.
He always returned with a wad of money, which they split three ways, I never got a cent, but they did keep me fed. There were the odd occasion when something happened to re relieve the boredom. Life at the brickworks was dull and monotonous so to liven things up and have a bit of fun, we constructed a giant catapult out of timber and twisted ropes. This contraption we used to hurl bricks and stones at the German positions only the other side of the field. There was another occasion during the usual nightly mortaring, a haystack at the deserted farm between ourselves and the enemy, was hit and set on fire.
The flames were lighting up all our weapon slits and I decided that we must put out the fire. While we were doing so, I turned to give instructions to the soldier working alongside me who turned out to be a German. My opposite number on the other side of the field, had obviously the same thoughts about the blaze as I did. While some of us were busy fire fighting the Germans tried to infiltrate a patrol, but we could see them coming and put the whole lot in the bag, one at a time as they crawled through a gap in the hedge.
For some reason that never became apparent, the Germans began to shell and mortar our positions in the most devastating way, many of the bombs falling directly on the front line trenches. The hail of bombs was such as I had never experienced until then and indeed have rarely done since.
For several hours from hours onwards, the torrent of fire continued, as the whole area was literally plastered. Similarly, a piece described a minister who offered to marry free of charge any couple willing to take the matrimonial plunge on Friday the 13th:. These days, however, one is unlikely to get so much as a free latte out of the day. Sanguinity comes at a price. Opie, Iona and Moira Tatem. A Dictionary of Superstitions. Oxford University Press, The Encyclopedia of Superstitions. Simpson, J and S. Oxford Dictionary of English Folklore.
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Claim Friday the 13th is a day fraught with peril. Rating Legend About this rating. The Senator from Oklahoma is a Cherokee Indian, and he places the Indian sign on the ancient superstition. To-day he introduced thirteen public building bills, and by a queer coincidence the file numbers ran from 6, to 6,, inclusive.