Chotie Darling

Onto 'The Island'

At Arnhem Colonel Frost and Major-General Urquhart at last had radio contact but the news was not good.  Frost’s troops were almost out of ammunition, medical supplies and water while Urquhart’s position was also besieged.  There was no recent news on XXX Corps.  After a night of savage fighting the Germans were gradually smoking out Frost’s troops from the buildings defending their position and by evening they were on the ramp to the bridge to the bridge.  Frost, badly wounded by a mortar bomb, handed command to Major Freddie Gough (Dick’s former commander in Airborne Reconnaissance) telling him to move out any fit to fight or able to walk (only one hundred of the 740 who’d made it to the bridge) and then arrange a truce, handing the 400 wounded over to the Germans. Frost removed his badges of rank before being taken prisoner with them.  

The remnants of Brigadier Lathbury’s 1^st Para Brigade, combined with 11^th Para battalion and now totaling less than 450 men, had retreated to Oosterbeek.  The rest of Brigadier Hackett’s 4^th Parachute Brigade, west of Oosterbeek, were almost surrounded and had a terrible fight to break out. Leaving their wounded behind only about 70 men reached the Hartenstein HQ area. 

German forces were now closing in around Oosterbeek and had taken the St Elisabeth hospital at the centre of the battle west of Arnhem.  Here wounded from both sides were being ably treated by the British, Dutch and German medical teams, even when the hospital was under fire.  Patients in Oosterbeek, at the makeshift Hotel Schoonoord hospital or the operating theatre in the Tafelberg, were in a worse position, under mortar and machine gun fire, despite their red crosses.

 

The 82nd Airborne sector was now under attack from the east, threatening not only their offensive at Nijmegen but also the XXX Corps supply line over the Heumen bridge through Mook.  Allied counter-attacks were eventually successful.

At Nijmegen the plan was for Major Julian Cook’s 3^rd Battalion of the 504^th Parachute Infantry Regiment to cross the Waal in small boats west of the road bridge and proceed to the north end of the bridge.  Then the tanks of the Grenadier Guards would charge across.  The Guards had to first fight their way through the town to the south end of the bridge, attacking the well-defended Valkhof fortress next to the road bridge.

Only 26 of the canvas wooden-framed boats made it intact along Hell’s Highway to Cook’s position further west on the south bank. This had been cleared by the 504^th with the Irish Guards that morning and their tanks provided a smokescreen for the assault. The first wave paddled across through incessant firing from the north bank, with 13 men in each open boat.  Only eleven boats remained intact to return and collect the second wave.  This small force fought their way heroically east to the north end of the bridge guarded by the moated fortress of the Hof van Holland.  Capturing this, they reached the bridge by dusk.

The Valkhof was at last taken and troops of Grenadier Guards rushed the bridge in their tanks.  The joy of the 82^nd US Airborne meeting up with them turned to dismay when the British refused to advance further to Arnhem without orders.  Their semi-suicidal boat crossing in daylight was intended to relieve their Airborne colleagues at Arnhem without delay.  They were only 8 miles from Arnhem but they were on ‘the Island’, low-lying land between the Lower Rhine (Nederrijn) and it’s distributary the River Waal. ‘The fields are too soft for tanks and the roads are on dikes that split the fields which make the tanks very easy targets since there is no room to manoeuvre and they can be spotted from miles.’ (See ‘Operation Market Garden, Netherlands 17th – 25th September 1944’ and  Market Garden 1944-2014.) 

Hearing the Allies had crossed the Waal Generalfeldmarschall Model was angry and embarrassed that he had refused requests to blow the Nijmegen road bridge. 

 

Soon to follow them were some of the men of 61st Recce but not all. The Germans were attacking Hell’s Highway north of Eindhoven in the 101^st Airborne sector, at Son (where a Bailey Bridge now crossed the Wilhelmina Canal) and Veghel, with artillery bombarding the recently liberated little town.

Colonel Brownrigg’s account of 61^st Recce has only a brief reference to Market Garden:

“Next we were involved in the dash towards Arnhem.  ‘A’ Squadron made early acquaintance with the Nijmegen Bridge while the rest of the Regiment was temporarily cut in two when German tanks cut the one road north.” (From ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lieutenant-Colonel P.H.A.Brownrigg D.S.O.)

Sandy Handley just says: “Our A Squadron was the first of the 61^st Recce to cross Nijmegen Bridge.  Our part of the convoy was cut off, held up by enemy tanks” (from Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished).

However, Don Aiken also appears to have crossed the River Waal over Nijmegen Bridge that day. 61^st Recce went through Nijmegen via Sint Annastraat and Keizer Karelplein in the centre and Max Murphy, Lt Jonny Heitman’s batman in B Squadron was wounded in the town.

Eric Postles recorded:

"The next objectives were at Grave, Nijmegen and Arnhem, which involved American and British Airborne Operations.  The operation was codenamed Market Garden.  82 American Airborne Division captured the Nijmegen Bridge and the Guards Armoured Division tanks crossed and helped them to hold it.  The tanks moved on to the Arnhem road towards Elst, trying to get to the Arnhem Bridge where British 1^st Airborne Division and the Poles had dropped to capture it.  Our squadron moved up with the tanks and infantry but progress was slow.  The Germans had reinforced the area, the road was above ground level with ditches and flooded ground on either side and the weather deteriorated preventing us getting air support.  I remember our Divisional heavy machine gunners (the Cheshires) lined up pouring fire from their steaming guns.  We were regularly getting cut off and some troops from the regiment had to help 101 US airborne keep our lines intact by counter attacks."  (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

 

Meanwhile Eric Brewer was:  “Still at base taking it easy, expect to move tomorrow. Went out in the village tonight and had tea in a girl’s house. Moving tomorrow.” 

His 20th September letter home reveals: “I have got two films which I found on a Gerry lorry and have borrowed one of the lads camera, and I am going to take some of the films tomorrow and today when I have taken them all I will send them home and if you take them to Boots or Jordan’s or somewhere else you will be able to get them developed for me….

                         Your loving son, Eric XXXX

*Cameras were strictly forbidden among the troops of north-west Europe.

 

Hell's Highway

19^th September 1944 – the Moscow Armistice is signed between the Soviet Union and Finland, ending the Second Soviet-Finnish War.

US First Army liberates the French city of Nancy in eastern France, near Germany.

 

In the Battle of Arnhem Major General Urquhart managed to escape from his hideout when the Germans briefly pulled back their blocking line by St Elisabeth Hospital.  Brigadier Lathbury had been wounded and was taken to the hospital, disguised as a Corporal. 

Back at HQ in Oosterbeek they’d found a BBC radio could send messages back to London.  This provided the only reliable radio contact with the outside world for the next two days.

1^st Para Brigade had been decimated trying to get through to the bridge and a new attack by 11^th Parachute Battalion was forced to retreat after savage encounters. The rest of 4^th Para Brigade tried to get round to Arnhem from the north but had to rapidly withdraw to avoid being trapped by German Wehrmacht (regular army) units assembled under General von Tettau and advancing from the west.  The landing zones were now battle sites and the third lift, with the Polish anti-tank squadron, arrived in the confusion of the fight, battered by flak.  The Airborne’s vital supply drop mainly landed in German positions.  Soon the last defending forces at the landing zones were also in retreat, heading for Oosterbeek.

Lt. Colonel Frost’ s men, at the north end of the Arnhem road bridge, are under increasing pressure. Low-flying RAF transport planes trying to support the airborne forces receive many casualties. The departure of the Polish Parachute Brigade, due to land near the south end of the bridge in the third lift, was delayed by weather in England and, in one of their few successful radio transmissions, the beleaguered forces on the bridge learnt that the Nijmegen bridge was yet to be captured, blocking their hoped for relief by XXX Corps.  Although they still fought savagely to maintain their position they were short of ammunition and bombs were raining down on the buildings they occupied, setting them on fire.  By midnight much of Arnhem city centre was ablaze.

 

The Grenadier Guards, now leading the XXX Corps column, passed over the Wilhelmina Canal at Son on the Bailey Bridge constructed overnight and made good progress to Grave, where they met up with Brigadier General Gavin of the US 82^nd Airborne and Lt. General Browning.  The Guards’ commander was shocked to hear they had not yet captured the Nijmegen bridge.  A plan was hastily put together with members of the Dutch underground and the tanks headed into the city, attempting to reach the bridge through the burning buildings where there was fierce hand-to-hand fighting.  The Guards also joined with the 82nd to defend their positions against heavy attacks from the east.

As XXX Corps advances the US Airborne Divisions come under General Horrocks'  command.   (See ‘Operation Market Garden, Netherlands 17th – 25th September 1944’.) 

 

The company of 101^st Airborne isolated by the blown bridge over the Wilhelmina Canal at Best were taken prisoner but then released when the Guards’ tanks were heard approaching. The battle at Best was dominated by the Allies’ tanks and some 2,600 prisoners were taken (although hundreds of Germans were killed before they could surrender).

Son and the new Bailey Bridge were also under attack and required strong defences, assisted by tanks that had found another crossing over the Dommel where it was separated from the Wilhlmina Canal in a culvert.  The Germans pincer movement failed to cut the line but Hell’s Highway ( as the Guards ‘Club Route’ was becoming known) was vulnerable, from both sides and above. VIII and XII Corps, which should have been flanking XXX Corps, were both delayed, the former by the fuel crisis and the latter by heavy resistance.

Eindhoven, rejoicing in its second day of liberation, was heavily bombed by the Luftwaffe that night, blasting the centre with explosions.  Apparently 107th Panzer-Brigade had reached the outskirts of Eindhoven but were deterred from crossing the river Dommel by a gardener who told them the bridge would not hold tanks.

(From ‘Arnhem – the Battle for the Bridges 1944’ by Antony Beevor, published by Penguin 2019)

 

‘A’ Squadron of 61st Reconnaissance Regiment, with the 50^th (Northumbrian) Division, were protecting the left flank of the Guards Armoured Division as far as the town of Grave, and were then with the 101^st Airborne. (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

‘B’ Squadron of 61st Recce appears to have been split; while Don Aiken reached Grave and linked up with the US 82nd Airborne, Eric Brewer (of the Assault troop) was

“Still in base and waiting for big push again. We have been sent a personal message from Dempsey* on the job  done at Vire, also for the 2000 prisoners taken in the Falaise gap.”  Eric wrote home on 19^th September saying he was “still taking it easy” with a “PS  Will be having some good news for you soon but then again you might hear some before me."  (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.

*Lt. General Sir Miles Dempsey, Montgomery’s deputy.

 

Anthony Rampling remembers:

The route up to Arnhem was terrible – the 101^st Airborne called it ‘Hell’s Highway’.

Hell's Highway

“When the paras landed at Arnhem it was soon realised that it was going to be a disaster and we were ordered to get up to Arnhem as soon as possible.

We went along a route from Antwerp to Arnhem, getting over bridges etc, which were being shelled by the Germans and this route is now called ‘Hell’s Highway’ because of the incessant fire from mortars and shells.  As we got to these bridges we had to go across very quickly and they had a break in between because the bridges were being shelled all the time.

As we got to Arnhem we managed to get to the landing zones which were littered with smashed up gliders, parachutes everywhere, on a place called Ginkel Heath (sic*) which was about a 3,000 acre area of shrub and gorseland – ideal landing zone.  Everybody jumped out of their armoured cars, cut bits out of the parachutes to put round their necks.  After having this coarse uniform it was some comfort to have a silk scarf.”   From Anthony Rampling’s account of 61^st Recce (pers comm).

*Tony may be referring to the Polish drop zones, south of the Neder Rijn.  Ginkel Heath, which is north of the Lower Rhine did not come into Allied hands until much later.   He says:  “I remember British equipment, and a huge expanse of land with broken gliders and parachutes.”

 

The ‘Hell’s Highway’ route was cut by the Germans several times.  The planned route, Highway 69, was two lanes wide, generally raised above the surrounding flat terrain of polder. The ground on either side of the highway was often too soft to support vehicles movement and there were numerous dykes and drainage ditches. Observation was seriously restricted because the dykes tended to be topped by trees or large bushes and roads and paths were lined with trees.  The single road caused enormous logistical difficulties and Allied intelligence was unaware of the crack German troops in the area. (From Market Garden 1944-2014 and Wikipedia).

Leading vehicles could be quickly taken out by enemy anti-tank weapons causing a complete standstill for about 40 minutes before they could start moving again.

The Siegfried Line

13^th September 1944 – US troops reach the Siegfried line in western Germany.

Romania signs an armistice with the Russians.

 

14^th September 1944 – Maastricht, in the south of the Netherlands, becomes the first Dutch city to be liberated.

The Russian Baltic offensive begins with an attack on Riga, the capital of Latvia.

Russia begins limited support, with humanitarian and military air drops, for the Polish Home Army in Warsaw where the Poles have been fighting the German occupiers since the Warsaw Uprising of 1^st August.

 

15^th September – US First Army reaches the Siegfried line east of the German town of Aachen.

Nancy, across the Moselle river in eastern France, is liberated by the US Third Army.

The German battleship, Tirpitz, is severely damaged by an RAF bomb attack.

The battle of Peleliu in the Pacific Islands begins.  After two months the US Marines had secured the island and airfield from the Japanes but suffered 10,000 casualties.

 

Eric Brewer wrote home on13^th September 1944:

“I am pleased to hear that the blackout has been lifted and I expect it was very welcomed. What did it look like in the streets with the lights on? I expect a lot of young children were wondering what was happening…

……I still manage to go out for a walk to the local village and if you go in any of the cafes over here 10 to 1 they have got that record playing: ‘We’re going to hang out the washing on the Siegfreid line’.  They have had them since 1940 and they don’t seem to get tired of hearing it as, of every three records which go on, one is always that…

Your loving son

Eric XXXX

PS I’m still being treated well by the people out here, also being asked for tea or supper etc. In fact the people could not do anymore for us -a woman bought us out hot milk while we were on guard at two o’clock in the morning."

 

The Siegfried line was a defensive system of fortifications along the German western frontier.  Almost 400 miles long it ran from the border with the Netherlands to Switzerland.  The popular song ‘We’re going to hang out the washing on the Siegfried line' was first published in 1939.

 

On 14^th September Eric was “Still in same place, nothing doing today. Rained a lot but luckily we have some tents.”

(Extract from Eric Brewer’s letter and diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

From 14^th to 16^th September the 50th (Northumberland) Division underwent three days of re-organisation, near Beringen, to be ready for Operation Market Garden.

Eric Brewer in Brussels

On 6th September Eric Brewer's diary continued:  "Shifted at 7 o’clock to a place just outside Brussels. Went into town by train.  Had as much as we wanted of everything off the civvies.  Also met a girl named Yvonne.” 

The next day he “shifted to other side of Brussels. Went there again at night.  Still getting plenty to eat off the people, especially front ones.  Also have been asked into the houses.  Not much activity today.  Met girl named Laura.  Found out the Airborne* are being landed tonight.”

* German paratroopers arrived on 6^th and 7^th September, having been commissioned by Hitler on 4^th September ‘to build a new defence line along the Albert Canal and hold it indefinitely’.  There were a number of Allied plans drawn up for airborne landings prior to Market Garden. Operation Comet - which evolved into Market Garden - was planned by Montgomery to use the first Allied Airborne Army to seize the Rhine bridges between Arnhem in the Netherlands and Wesel, north of the Ruhr in West Germany, on 6^th or 7^th September but was postponed and then cancelled to be expanded to Market Garden.  (From ‘Arnhem’ by Anthony Beevor, Penguin Books 2018). 

He wrote home that day: "Things are still the same for me, plenty of shifting about to keep near where we can be at hand if needed.  I don’t think we shall ever be needed as Patton seems to be doing very well with his Corp  so God help Gerry when he feels the whole weight of the British Army…

These people out here are still treating us well; we are still being asked to dinner in the houses, for a drink and even being offered the houses to sleep in.  They can't get over it because we do not force our way into the houses as Gerry used to.  The most unusual thing they can't make out is that the officers don’t come to the houses and demand to sleep there but instead sleep in the fields with us which the German officers would never do…" (From Eric Brewer’s Diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

50^th Division re-assembled between Brussels and Antwerp on 7^th September to continue XXX Corps’ drive towards the Dutch border. The plan was for the Corps to force a crossing of the Albert Canal with the Division attacking towards Geel while the Guards Armoured Division advancing across the Canal to the south-east.  The Albert Canal is a broad waterway running from north of the port of Antwerp to Liège in eastern Belgium.

Between the Escaut and Albert Canals Trooper Harry Buxton and Max Murphy, an anti-tank gunner, waited a few hours in Nederzwalm (on the east side of the Escaut Canal/Scheldt)  for the rest of ‘B’ Squadron to catch up.  They were sitting on the steps of a pub next to a crossroads when one of the little girls in the village gave them a photo of herself and her sister.  He kept the photo as a souvenir and, visiting the pub many years, discovered the pub landlady was the same little girl.

 

On 6th September 1944 the 52nd (Lowland) Reconnaissance Regiment disembarked at Arromanches.  The regiment had been formed in 1941 from the brigade reconnaissance group of 52nd (Lowland) Division - ironically the Scottish lowlanders then trained in mountain warfare for fighting in Norway but plans for a campaign there were abandonned.  52nd Recce crossed the Seine at Les Andelys, drove to Lens on the Belgian border and then to Alost joining XXX Corps.

 

7th September 1944: Romania, having left the Axis, declares war on Hungary in collaboration with the Allies.

On 6th September Eric Brewer's diary continued:  "Shifted at 7 o’clock to a place just outside Brussels. Went into town by train.  Had as much as we wanted of everything off the civvies.  Also met a girl named Yvonne.” 

The next day he “shifted to other side of Brussels. Went there again at night.  Still getting plenty to eat off the people, especially front ones.  Also have been asked into the houses.  Not much activity today.  Met girl named Laura.  Found out the Airborne* are being landed tonight.”

* German paratroopers arrived on 6^th and 7^th September, having been commissioned by Hitler on 4^th September ‘to build a new defence line along the Albert Canal and hold it indefinitely’.  There were a number of Allied plans drawn up for airborne landings prior to Market Garden. Operation Comet - which evolved into Market Garden - was planned by Montgomery to use the first Allied Airborne Army to seize the Rhine bridges between Arnhem in the Netherlands and Wesel, north of the Ruhr in West Germany, on 6^th or 7^th September but was postponed and then cancelled to be expanded to Market Garden.  (From ‘Arnhem’ by Anthony Beevor, Penguin Books 2018). 

He wrote home that day: "Things are still the same for me, plenty of shifting about to keep near where we can be at hand if needed.  I don’t think we shall ever be needed as Patton seems to be doing very well with his Corp  so God help Gerry when he feels the whole weight of the British Army…

These people out here are still treating us well; we are still being asked to dinner in the houses, for a drink and even being offered the houses to sleep in.  They can't get over it because we do not force our way into the houses as Gerry used to.  The most unusual thing they can't make out is that the officers don’t come to the houses and demand to sleep there but instead sleep in the fields with us which the German officers would never do…" (From Eric Brewer’s Diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

50^th Division re-assembled between Brussels and Antwerp on 7^th September to continue XXX Corps’ drive towards the Dutch border. The plan was for the Corps to force a crossing of the Albert Canal with the Division attacking towards Geel while the Guards Armoured Division advancing across the Canal to the south-east.  The Albert Canal is a broad waterway running from north of the port of Antwerp to Liège in eastern Belgium.

Between the Escaut and Albert Canals Trooper Harry Buxton and Max Murphy, an anti-tank gunner, waited a few hours in Nederzwalm (on the east side of the Escaut Canal/Scheldt)  for the rest of ‘B’ Squadron to catch up.  They were sitting on the steps of a pub next to a crossroads when one of the little girls in the village gave them a photo of herself and her sister.  He kept the photo as a souvenir and, visiting the pub many years, discovered the pub landlady was the same little girl.

 

On 6th September 1944 the 52nd (Lowland) Reconnaissance Regiment disembarked at Arromanches.  The regiment had been formed in 1941 from the brigade reconnaissance group of 52nd (Lowland) Division - ironically the Scottish lowlanders then trained in mountain warfare for fighting in Norway but plans for a campaign there were abandonned.  52nd Recce crossed the Seine at Les Andelys, drove to Lens on the Belgian border and then to Alost joining XXX Corps.

 

7th September 1944: Romania, having left the Axis, declares war on Hungary in collaboration with the Allies.

Flowers all the way - Tuesday 5th September 1944

Sept 5^th 1944

Chotie Darling,

                                    Must apologise for the long gap in my correspondence but it’s been virtually impossible to write as we’ve been moving too fast for the outgoing mail to be collected.

            It’s impossible to describe the last 10 days – it’s simply been a case of flowers all the way.

            I got the job to guard two bridges in the middle of a large town* – and we were the first Allies in the town!  The welcome we had was amazing – and quite impossible to relate in writing.  We were already covered in flowers – we were soon to be covered with fruit and wine.

            The girls here (and there are many) are all very smart, despite the fact that a pair of women’s brogues (they call them “Swing”) cost upwards of £10 (2000 francs).  They’ve been living very badly for four years, but they had hidden wine and food for us, as they knew we’d arrive eventually.  I’ve got hundreds of addresses to visit after the war – quite hopeless to accept them all.

            I’m afraid this is the only ‘writing’ paper** I have as I lost all my other stuff in a bit of a scramble we had some time ago, and I haven’t been able to replenish them yet.

            All the ‘best’ people here speak French so I’m still OK on that score, though I’ll be scuppered soon, I imagine.

            There are some very charming girls here – one of whom presented me with the complete works of Balzac***, after I’d expressed my admiration for him.

 

Well, Darling it’s now evening and getting too dark to write.

            Had a very happy time ‘on guard’ with scores of civilians around to ask the usual barrage of questions.  My French is improving immensely and I hope to achieve fluency before the war is finally ended.

Must close here Darling – my only wish is that you were here with me.  I should get less conversation from the local girls though…..

 

                                                            Goodnight, my Darling

                                                                        Dicker

 

*Oudenaarde/ Audenarde on the Scheldt / Escaut Canal south of Ghent, liberated on 5^th September.  Dick received many visiting cards from here including those left in his diary: Monsieur & Madame Louis van Eycken of 10, Jules Lacroixstraat; Gaston Gevaert of 6 Meerschpoort, Bevere; Walter van Lantschoot-Colpaert of 45 Baarstraat and Monsieur André Torrelle of 98 Rue de Tournai.

**the letter is written on German Army accounting paper.

***a French novelist and playwright of the nineteenth century.

© Chotie Darling

 

Sandy Handley remembers Oudenaarde:

“The stretch of 35 miles where we held the line of the Escaut Canal, from Ghent to a bridge south of Oudenaarde, was bridges all along.  I remember our car was on one of these bridges in Oudenaarde and some of the residents here had got into a collaborator’s house and proceeded to smash up all the furniture.  As the enemy had almost left the town people went after the collaborators and smashed everything.  Earlier on we had seen some girls, who had been friendly with the Germans, having all their hair cut off. 

In some of the towns and villages the civilian population came out to cheer us on, they seemed really pleased to see us.  Several times a toddler was held up for us to kiss, it was quite moving some times.  It had to be seen to know what you felt like.  To see all those people clapping and cheering, I will always remember this.” (From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

 

Eric Brewer witnessed worse scenes:  "Still at Berchem. Saw the free Belgium people set a collaborator's house on fire, also cut their hair and took them away.  We took some SS back to RHQ and the villagers caught some more but before we knew it they had strung them up...Had tea in one of the local houses.  Also taken to dance by the people at night."

He wrote home: "I don’t think I shall Learn any more French or even see any more French people for a while as we have become all Belgian fans.  I don’t expect I shall have to tell you where I am but the buzz bombs are a decent way from us, I don’t mean in front but behind…

We have had a lot of offers to tea, dinner and supper or been asked to come in and have a drink. If we accepted a quarter of the offers I would always be drunk so what we generally do is say that 'we are full up or had plenty already' but sometimes they won't take that for an answer and we finish up being pulled in for a drink…

Your loving son

Eric XXXX"

(Extract from Eric Brewer’s letter and diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

50th Division was now centred on Brussels, while the Guards Armoured Division took a brief rest after their high speed advance to the city.

 

5^th September 1944: in France Lille, Poitiers and Saint Étienne are liberated.  Le Havre is heavily bombed by the Allies.

 Belgian, Dutch and Luxembourg governments in exile sign the London Customs Convention, the foundation of the Benelux economic union.

 Russia declares war on Bulgaria and Soviet forces enter the country.

A Bomb less for England

On the night of 29th August 61st Recce crossed the Seine at Vernon using the pontoon bridge built by the engineers.  Once across the Seine the Allied armies moved rapidly across France in what became known as the ‘great swan’. (From ‘The British Reconnaissance Corps in World War II’ by Richard Doherty, Osprey Publishing 2007)

Eric Brewer wrote in his diary for 30^th August : “Crossed the Seine last night and now about 20 miles inland. Plenty of prisoners coming in: about 100 taken today.  Pushing on to Elbeuf *.  We got to about 3 mile from there, harbouring the night. Had a whiskey...also rum.  Moving tomorrow at 4.30.  Monty said in a message to us to make every kilometre a bomb less for England.”

*Elbeuf is downstream along the Seine near Rouen. The town, on the other side of the river, had been liberated on 25th August by a mixed force of Americans (heading north-east along the south bank of the Seine, across XXX Corps' projected sector), Canadians and British and the Canadians had crossed the Seine near here on 26th and 27th August.

Eric's letter home that day included: "The Yanks seem to be doing very well at the moment, especially Patton’s men. I dare say the next I hear of him he will be in Germany or even Berlin. I am just beginning to catch on to this French language and hope to know enough to get me around by about two months' time, anyway I hope so. I don’t think I will have to ask you about the BB in a short while as the Yanks will soon be cutting that part of France off.  Then you will have no need to worry about them: that is how things seem to be or, or who knows the British might even make a dash forward."  *Buzz Bombs  (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

On 30^th and 31^st August 50^th Division were based east of Vernon. 61^st Recce HQ was also east of Vernon, following the Seine crossing, then moved to ‘St Denis’ – possibly St Denis-le-Ferment near Gisors – and then to ‘Tilloy’ – possibly Beauvais-Tillé just north of Beauvais? (From Library of Congress frontline maps and 61st Recce regimental dinner menu.)  

Eric Postles continues: "Once over the river opposition was patchy and we moved very quickly ahead of the Division accompanied by French Resistance fighters who tagged onto us.  I remember us passing through a big forest and prisoners giving themselves up from out of the trees.  We carried as many as we could but they became such a problem that we handed them to the French who took them out into the woods and shot them. 

We shot up a German horse drawn artillery party, which was trying to cross the line of advance. 

We were overwhelmed when we passed through villages and towns by the welcome from huge crowds who lined the roads.  They were kissing us, throwing flowers and we were given so many bottles of wine that the carrier bottom was lined with them."   (Extracts from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

 

Colonel Brownrigg's account of 61^st Recce records:

“So to the Seine and over, and the most exhilarating days of the campaign.  Our task was to protect the left flank of XXX Corps in their armoured dash to the Somme and beyond.  We were on our own on a virgin route, anything up to seventy miles ahead of Divisional Headquarters.  One beautiful morning we drove forty miles before breakfast.  There were several engagements, some of them quite sharp, and we collected an enormous number of prisoners.”  (From ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lieutenant-Colonel P.H.A.Brownrigg D.S.O.)

From the Seine to the Somme 61st Recce were covering the left flank of XXX Corps on a virgin route. B Squadron led the regiment for the greater part of the way in the advance from the Seine to Belgium (Major Harding's MC citation) and Don Aiken of B Squadron was in Beauvais (between Vernon and Amiens) on 30^th August, the day it was liberated by XXX Corps’ 8^th Armoured Division.

This was the beginning of the British ‘Race for Amiens’.  On the morning of 30^th August General Horrocks’ XXX Corps were 20 miles beyond the River Seine with 50 miles to go to Amiens on the next big river – the Somme.  2^nd Army needed to cross the Somme before the Germans could muster their defences along this natural barrier to the Allies’ advance.

11^th Armoured Division, now attached to XXX Corps, raced on to Amiens overnight, taking the town and its bridges at dawn.  Their prisoners included General Heinrich Eberbach, the commander of the beleaguered German Seventh Army.  At the same time the Guards Armoured Division crossed the Somme further south and succeeded in holding the bridgehead.  The German Army charged with holding the Somme was forced to withdraw.

 

The US 3^rd Army liberates Reims, east of Paris.  Rouen, the historic capital of Normandy east of Le Havre on the River Seine, is liberated by the 1^st Canadian Army now advancing along the north coast of France.

 

Eisenhower now set 21^st Army Group four main objectives – to cross the Somme, to occupy the Pas de Calais, to capture Belgian airfields for use by Allied forces and to take Antwerp.  Canadian First Army was tasked with taking the Channel ports while Second British Army, led by XXX Corps (including 50^th Division and the 61^st Recce) was to advance inland on the axis Amiens-Arras, able to cut off any German forces opposing the Canadians.  The right (southern) flank of the British was in turn protected by the 1^st US Army.    (From ‘The Advance from the Seine to Antwerp’.)

 

 

 

 

Big Battles to Come - Monday 28th and Tuesday 29th August 1944

28^th August 1944 – the ports of Toulon and Marseilles in the south of France are liberated by French forces who take more than 50,000 German prisoners after heavy fighting.  US 3^rd Army enters Épernay, the capital of champagne country, east of Paris and south of Reims.

 

On 28^th August Eric Brewer recorded that they “Moved to near Seine* getting ready for a push toward the Belgium border.  Think we shall move tomorrow.  Went down village along the Seine.  Got asked into a house by a man and his wife; had champagne cognac, and also a few eggs from her.  She told us to come and see her again - hope to go tomorrow.  Came across big German military barracks”.

*Regimental HQ was based at Bonnières-sur-Seine, a small industrial town upstream from Vernon, before 61st Recce crossed the river (Regimental HQ location list on re-union dinner menu 1946).  

The next day he: "Went to see the people near the Seine again; we had some champagne. They have a business in Paris. Told us to come and spend our leave there if we get any; also we could spend a holiday there after the war.  She gave me her address and wanted us to stay the night but could not as we are moving tonight across the Seine."

In his letter home on 28th August Eric wrote: "Today I have been in a French woman’s house and she woke her husband up to come and have something to drink with us.  We had a couple of nips of Cognac and a glass of cider, also she gave us an egg each and a souvenir which I am sending on.  The pattern is supposed to be the Eiffel Tower.  She was a very nice woman to speak to: she even wanted us to stay to dinner but we had to refuse as the French people don’t even get enough for themselves let alone anyone else.  She did not like the idea until we told her the reason, then she tried to tell us that she ha sufficient for all of us, but anyway we left and she asked us to return and see her which we hope to do tomorrow."  Writing again two days later he continued:  "The other day I went and saw that lady who gave me the souvenir.  She told me that her business was in Paris - they were in the clothes trade - and she told me we could come and see her whenever we want to.  As she could speak English we had a good talk with her.  Before we left her house she gave us a few eggs and while there we had two bottles of champagne between four of us.  We have been invited to come and stay for a while whenever we have the time off; she said that if it was not while the war was on she would like to see us after." (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

 

61^st Recce RAC,  BLA

Monday Aug. 28^th

Chotie Darling,

                                    Many thanks for your letter dated the 23^rd which I’ve just this moment received. 

            Glad to hear you’re home at last if only for six days, and the prospect of a month’s course is quite a pleasant one to look forward to.  Don’t do anything too strenuous will you?  The first course I had was a P.T one and they gave me a bending all right….

            I’ll send this to your home address and they can forward it as soon as they hear from you in Scotland.

            I imagine it’s pretty crowded at Parkstone at the moment now that the coastal ban has been lifted – mother says it’s pretty bad in Bognor.

            Sorry to hear about the pubs* – especially the Sloop.  It’s Dad’s pet grouse, of course, at present, though you’d better be in training for Scotland.

            Very sorry to hear about Adrian – I didn’t realise he was over here.

            I may have a chance to contact Ted in the next few weeks though it’s very difficult.  I spent over two hours trying to find Brinner today but without success.  Apparently he’s still at Base, Somewhere.  At any rate it’s safer there.

            I’ve had a fairly quiet time lately but can’t guarantee it will last.

            I’ve been in many villages first hand and have had a great welcome from the people.  We’re lucky this way of course – it’s one of the few compensations of being in front all the time.

            I’m very fit and still very happy here – I suppose the ability to chat with the people wherever you go helps a lot.

            I wish I could see you again, Darling, but I’d sooner get this business over, than go on leave and have to come back again.

            I think we’ve got the worst of it over but I can’t pretend there aren’t big battles to come.  We’ve beaten a complete army now, but we’ve had precious little time to rest on our laurels.  They still have armies left, but I think we can beat them also.

            I’ve just heard the good news of a day’s rest tomorrow so I’ll write some more then.

            Goodnight, my Darling.

 

Well, Precious, Tuesday has arrived after a wretched night.  I’ve never experienced such a storm as we had last night – simply torrents of rain with added accompaniment of thunder and lightning.  I got soaked through and haven’t yet dried out.

            It’s rather a pity as we’re in very fine country, as I heard it aptly expressed – country that was never meant to hear more than the song of the birds or the pop of a Champagne cork….

            Aren’t the radio programmes wretched?  We have a radio on all day (in harbour) and the stuff they pound out is chronic.  I get heartily sick of the whole thing.

            I’m writing this in a barn full of new-mown hay, very pleasant indeed.  The rain outside is pretty steady and doesn’t look like stopping today at any rate.

            I don’t suppose I can write another letter to reach you before the 6^th, so here’s wishing you all the very best for your 21^st.  As soon as you can give me the address of an account you can use I send on a cheque – ‘fraid it’s all I can do out here.

            Must close here but will try to write you again tomorrow

                                   All my love, Darling

                                                Dicker

           

P.T.O

P.S.  Found the enclosed mags. in Villers Bocage some long time ago.  The magazines were quite indifferent so I just cut out the best.  The rest of the stuff were third-rate patterns.  I thought the kiddies stuff the best.  Am I giving you ideas?                     

                                  R.

*Not sure what was happening to the pubs around this time but alcohol was at it’s scarcest in Christmas 1994/45 on the home front (see Christmas under Fire).

This letter was forwarded to:

W/242328, Pte Chalkley B.E.

Primary Course, No 2 T.J. Wing

New Battle Abbey, Dalkeith, Mid Lothian, Scotland.

 © Chotie Darling

Chotie attended a P.T. course at Newbattle Abbey from 30^th August 1944.

 

 

29^th August 1944 – Slovak resistance forces began an armed insurrection against the collaborationist government.  Initially successful the German counter-offensive in late September and October eliminated the rebel gains and perpetrated many atrocities.

 

Paris and the Seine

Chotie Darling

 

Dedicated to the memory of my mother

and all those who hold the forever young of war in their hearts.

 

Part 4        Only the Enemy in Front   

 

Chapter 12          Across France and into Belgium

 

25^th August 1944 – Paris is liberated by the Free French Forces, Leclerc's 2ème Division Blindée, and the US 4^th Infantry Division and General De Gaulle enters Paris.   The German Garrison Commander surrenders having disobeyed Hitler’s orders to burn the city.

De Gaulle makes a speech to unite France against the Germans at the Hôtel de Ville:

“Paris! Paris outraged! Paris broken! Paris martyred! But Paris liberated! Liberated by itself, liberated by its people with the help of the French armies, with the support and the help of all France, of the France that fights, of the only France, of the real France, of the eternal France!”

The next day the Free French parade down the Champs-Elysees led by General de Gaulle despite shots from German snipers.

 

Avignon is liberated by the Allies in the south of France.  In Italy the Allies commence Operation Olive to crack the German’s ‘Gothic line’ across the hills and mountains north of Florence.

 

25th August 1944 - 43rd (Wessex) Division reached Vernon, on the west bank of the Seine,tasked with making the first assault crossing here. (The town had been liberated by French Resistance a few days earlier, the Germans retreating to the east bank at Vernonnet.)  The first attempt failed when the wind changed blowing away smoke barrage created to cover the DUKWs crossing at dawn.  However, a bridgehead was established on the 26th August with the support of a Folding Boat Equipment bridge using pillars from the bomb destroyed bridge and a Bailey Bridge built the next day.

*DUKWs (known as ‘Ducks’) were amphibious trucks that could be used to make a crossing or quickly assemble a bridge.  They were also used in the Normandy landings.

 

61^st Recce were beginning to assemble in the Vernon area ready for their Seine crossing.

Don Aiken recalls:  “25th August - Vernon and Seine crossing
The Free French Armoured Division was ordered to advance on Paris, and we moved on to the Seine, in the vicinity of Vernon, and there we indulged in the luxury of a short bathe in the river.” ( ‘From the Breakout to the Rhine’ from the BBC People’s War website http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ww2peopleswar/stories/35/a5791935.shtml by kind permission of Don Aiken)

 

Eric Brewer wrote in his diary: “Shifted to two miles off Seine.  People are very nice.  Went out and found Gerry barracks, which had been abandoned, also loads of vehicles knocked out round here. Think we are moving tomorrow and hope to get well across the Seine, so they say.”

A letter to his family said: “We have had a few more eggs lately and it is getting quite a habit to have at least one a day. All the lads in the section have had a bath today, one of those self-made ones, and we had plenty of water as there is a well in the farmyard near us. Also there are some good apple trees round here so we are having a good share of them.

How are you keeping? Alright I hope and also hoping that the war job is going fine.  I see in the local rag that ‘For Whom the Bell Tolls’ is on at the Ritz so I expect you have seen it?” (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

Eric Postles recalled:  "Short of the River Seine 43 Division passed through us and on 25 August successfully forced a crossing of the river on the north side of Vernon and established a bridgehead.  Their engineers constructed a pontoon bridge over the river (later supplemented with a stronger Bailey bridge) and troops poured over day and night.  The “Swan” as we termed our advance began in earnest with orders to capture Antwerp in order to provide a supply port and try to stop the launching of V1 rockets to London and the south-east by capturing the Channel coast region from where they were being fired.

The Guards Armoured Division replaced 7^th Armoured Division in 30 Corps and our division (50^th) took over transport from 43 Division to enable the infantry to keep up with tanks and provide extra supplies."   (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

 

Dumbarton Oaks

21^st August 1944 – representatives of China, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom and the United States meet at Dumbarton Oaks in Georgetown, Washington for the ‘Washington Conversations on International Peace and Security Organization’, which result in proposals for the United Nations Charter.

 

The Falaise Gap is closed when the Canadians link with the Poles at Coudehard, east of Trun, and secure St. Lambert and the northern passage to Chambois (61st Reconnaissance Regiment were in action just east of here).

 

On August 21^st Eric Brewer wrote in his diary:  "Pushed on again today, plenty of prisoners. We have passed through the town of Ruco les* (sic). First English they have seen - got mobbed and could not move for about 10 minutes. Came across blown up bridge - had to send R.E.** to lay down bridge. Waited until it was done then moved on again advanced 30 miles today in harbour near large village."  Amazingly he wrote home on the same day that he was "getting quite used to lying in bed in the morning.  All the chaps do now in the day time is play cards, write or rest.  Some of the boys are getting tired of doing nothing and it would not surprise me if they began knitting comforts for fighting lads or even start their own garden near the half-tracks as the position we are in is as good as static." (From Eric Brewer’s Diary and letters by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

* Rugles, north-east of l'Aigle, 40 miles east of Argentan and 61^st Recce’s Regimental HQ (Regimental HQ location list on re-union dinner menu 1946).  Rugles was officially liberated by the Royal Dragoon Guards on 23rd August 1944.

**Royal Engineers

 

The Battle for Normandy had cost the German Army a total of 1,500 tanks, 3,500 guns and 20,000 vehicles.  They had lost 450,000 men, 240,000 of these killed or wounded.  The Allies had achieved this with 209,672 casualties, 39,976 of these killed.  British and Canadian losses amounted to two-thirds of those suffered by the Americans.  Some 28,000 Allied aircrew were also lost over Normandy or during the preparatory bombing and the Point Blank programme (designed to pave the way for Overlord). Liddell Hart, in a 'History of the Second World War' described Normandy as "an Operation that eventually went according to plan but not according to timetable." (See ‘Overlord’ by Max Hastings, Macmillan 2016 edition.)

 

Aunay-sur-Odon

11^th August 1944 - Florence, in Italy, is liberated by the British 8^th Army

 

Major Frank Harding’s citation for the Military Cross includes this account from Normandy:

“On 11^th August he was ordered to capture a hill, pt 266, north of Condé-sur-Noreau, thereby protecting the left flank of the main attack by 231 Brigade.  He carried out this attack with great skill, and in spite of heavy MG and 88mm* fire he destroyed, or captured all the enemy on the hill and held it until relieved.” (See 61st Recce battle honours.)

Major Harding was commander of 61st Reconnaissance Regiment's 'B' Squadron, which included Don Aiken, Eric Brewer in the Assault Troop, Eric Postles in 10 Troop and Tony Rampling and Sandy Handley in No 5 Troop with Dick Williams as their lieutenant.

*The 88 mm was a German anti-aircraft and anti-tank artillery gun.

 

Eric Brewer was "On Recce near same place, plenty of mortars, shells and spandoes" but still found time to write home re-assuringly that there was "nothing to do except sleep and write or listen to the radio; we seem to be getting some good programmes lately...heard some Sinatra and Bing last night...PSS The Yanks seem to be doing fine don't they?"  The next day he was "Back at base - shell killed one chap, injured two." (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

According to Don Aiken they were somewhere near Aunay-sur-Odon,which occupies a vital crossroads position between Caen, Vire, Bayeux and Falaise.  The town had been completely destroyed by Allied bombing in the middle of June.

Don describes how 61^st Recce lost another of the 1060 boys that day:

“On the 11th August we moved into an apple orchard close to a cross-roads, at Aunay-sur-Odon, which was under shell-fire.  The Troop H.Q. armoured car had positioned itself in the corner of the orchard and they had dug a trench underneath it, filling in the gap below the car with a sheet of corrugated iron that they had found.  The driver, down in the slit trench, had then begun to brew up tea for the troop. 

          We were given the signal that it was ready and I climbed out and crossed over towards the H.Q. car, along with a lad from another car, when suddenly a German shell fell short of its target and made a direct hit on the corrugated iron sheet.  The blast blew us both underneath another car and we lay there with hearts in our mouths.  

          Then I said “I'm going to dash for it”, and as I stood up and took a couple of steps I heard another shell whistling its way towards us.  The next thing that I remember is being reseated in the turret of my car.  A member of another crew, who had been watching through his periscope, swore that I had leapt from the ground, straight into the top of the turret (a height of almost 6 ft.) without touching the sides!
          The tragedy was that Henry Ansell, a popular young man, had caught the full blast of the explosion which had blown the corrugated iron into large pieces and torn him apart. Corporal Mulchay lost an arm and Trooper Alan Penn was wounded in the head.”

(Extract republished from ‘Establishing a Foothold in Normandy’  by kind permission of Don Aiken)

 

61^st Recce Roll of Honour includes the following who died on 11^th August 1944:

          Trooper Henry Edward George Ansell (age 22) of Totton, Hampshire,

who is laid to rest in the St. Manvieu War Cemetery, west of Caen, near Cheux.  Trooper Ansell was one of the 1060 Boys mentioned in Major Frank Harding’s poem of that name.

(See 61st Recce Roll of Honour, courtesy of Recce Mitch.)

We will remember them.

Just a Postcard

 

 

On 8th August 1944 Eric Brewer wrote home that he was "still taking it easy in a kind of reserve.  Reveille for us is 7:30 instead of about 5 o'clock...These last few days I have been doing cooking as we are a bit short of cooks, lucky me again. There’s the other lads playing cards, writing or listening to the wireless and poor me doing cooking, or trying to, but so far we haven’t had any serious complaints - only stomach aches, diarrhoea and two cases of fever*. Not too bad. I reckon they will live but if they will pick on the builders merchant for cook, what more can that expect? Lucky they have lasted so long eating some of the Brewer's special fish cakes."

*Maybe this was why Dick didn't cross out 'sick' on his Field Postcard?

Eric's diary reveals he was actually on "Recce near V Bocage – now standing to for orders."  (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

 

 

 

 

43rd Recce joins the advance

On 6^th August 1944 elements of the 43^rd (Wessex) Division overcame fierce German resistance to secure the high ground of Mont Pinçon, the highest point in the Calvados Area of Normandy and an important strategic objective for Operation Bluecoat. (From "The Final Battle for NormandyNorthern France 9th July – 30th August 1944, a 60th Anniversary booklet .) ‘

Dick’s former regiment, 43^rd Recce, had been supplemented by a squadron of the Green Howards following the sinking of the Derrycunihy and were back in action from the beginning of August.  Having been relieved by 61^st Recce on 3^rd August (who took over holding the line near Caumont) they were deployed north-west of Mont Pinçon and heavily engaged by the enemy. (From ‘Only the Enemy in Front Every other beggar behind…’ The Recce Corps at War 1940-1946’ by Richard Doherty, Tom Donovan Publishing Ltd 1994)

Eric Postles recalled that, after capturing Villers Bocage 43 Division “pushed on to take the highest point, Mount Pinçon, which commanded the area for miles around.”  (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

Eric Brewer was “in reserve, taking it easy” “in an orchard, round the radio.  This morning reveille was at 7.30; it was more like one of those Sunday mornings you used to have in civvy street.”  In his letter home he recounted how “about two weeks ago we came across a Gerry knocked out tank, a Tiger…one of the chaps found two sets of silver cutlery, also a complete carving set – about 50 different articles altogether.  I reckon they had looted them on their way out of France” (extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family).

7Able

4^th August 1944 – Anne Frank, whose diary came to symbolise the plight of the Jews under German occupation, and her family are arrested by the Gestapo in Amsterdam, Holland, after two years hiding with other Jews in a secret Annex.  Anne died of typhus in Bergen-Belsen in March 1945.  (Ted Lewis, Chotie’s brother-in-law, was among the British forces that liberated Belsen a few weeks later.)

Stalin meets a delegation of the Polish government in exile ('the London Poles') led by Stanisław Mikołajczyk but installs a 'Polish Committee of National Liberation' (the 'Lublin Poles') - a Soviet puppet government in waiting.  Churchill sends weapons and supplies to the Warsaw insurgents in bomber planes from Italy with the BBC Polish service playing 'Let's dance a mazurka again' to announce the drops.

 

Rennes, the capital of Brittany in north-west France, is liberated by the US 3^rd Army's 4th Armoured Division. 

Villers-Bocage “which we last saw during the ill-fated attack in June” (Eric Postles) was finally liberated by a patrol of the 1st Battalion Dorset Regiment (Dick’s original Regiment), 50th Northumbrian Infantry Division, on 4 August 1944.  The town was in ruins: Eric Brewer wrote home a few days later "if you could only have seen Villers-Bocage you would think that there had been an earth quake; why London is not touched compared to Villers-Bocage.  You are lucky if you see a side of a house standing... There must be about 5,000 craters and there isn’t one more than 5 yards away from the other...think of a thickly planted orchard and a bomb crate for every apple tree.  The town looks as though it's been standing for a thousand years and age has made it decay away... nothing could get anywhere in the town until they got the bulldozers busy, now only a single line of traffic can get through."  Villers-Bocage has now been almost completely rebuilt.

Évrecy, east of Villers-Bocage, was liberated on the same day as well as Aunay-sur-Odon, to the south, where only the the church steeple remains standing.

On 4th August Eric Brewer was "In harbour waiting for orders" with time to write another letter home: "Well here I am in an orchard cleaning my equipment".  Then his diary records: "On Recce 2 miles from V Bocage."  (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

In ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ (Brewin Books, 2004) Roy Howard of 61st Recce's ‘A’ Squadron describes how his troop (7Able) were divided into two patrols.  The other patrol, led by Sergeant Joe Dunnington investigated a building with radar masts which appears to have been wired with explosives. Sgt. Dunnington bled to death from a severed artery, dying the next day. Corporal Ronnie Washburn was severely injured losing the right side of his skull and Trooper Bill Mathews lost his right arm.  Ernie Brobbin (who found the foxcub) was there to give First Aid and saved Corporal Washburn's life. 

          Roy Howard was subsequently promoted to Troop Sergeant following in the shoes of Bill Abbey (killed 1944 on 23^rd June) and Joe Dunnington.  Ronnie Washburn was left physically and mentally handicapped, ending his days in a Royal British Legion home.  Only three of the original 7Able had survived in the troop by February 1945.

We will remember them

 

Amayé-sur-Seulles

On 2^nd August Eric Brewer says in his diary “Yanks made attack with infantry – bags of prisoners”. Eric's letter home of 3rd August is more elucidating:

"We saw about 120 prisoners coming in, giving themselves up yesterday;  one of our troops of 15 men and an officer brought in 11 of them.  One of the chaps could speak English and he said “I have been walking for five years but never thought that I would get a ride when I was taken prisoner” - he was speaking about the transport which was taking him back to the POW camp.  Most of these prisoners were smiling because they had been taken prisoner.  The third lot that came in had about five officers with them; they were walking at the back and one of the officers had about five medals and was of very high rank.  He'd come from the Russian front (one of the medals was the Russian front medal).  They were nearly all out of the Africa Corps and had seen service in Africa judging by the medals on them.

One chap here had rag round his foot in place of socks.  They looked like they had consumption, thin and dirty...it made you think how ever they managed to live under such conditions... anyway, they were as pleased as a man who had won a fortune (but instead of money it's being a prisoner to a German soldier)...  Most of these chaps are about 16-22 but some of them I bet my last penny weren’t 14...

Practically all the chaps have German revolvers as souvenirs even some of the cooks...

I suppose you have heard on the wireless about the advances our troops are making...we were doing a Recce yesterday, about 2-3 miles in front of our front line, when we were about 200 yards from a village (I can't tell you the name but I bet you have heard it on the wireless); well all of a sudden we came up against some stiff opposition and were held up for about 1 hour.  Our CO came down and told us to stay in position as the tanks and infantry were going to come up... about ½ an hour later all you could see were tanks and infantry...loads of them... We let them take over and went back about 400 yds to make our dinner but not before we had taken the prisoners back on the half track….."  (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

The report recommending Major Frank Harding, CO of ‘B’ Squadron, for the Military Cross details Dick’s squadron’s involvement at Amayé-sur-Seulles:

    On 2^nd August ‘B’ squadron were ordered to recce forward into Amayé-sur-Seulles.  When the leading troop were held up two miles short of the town the CO, Major Frank Harding , left them to contain the enemy and manoeuvred the rest of the squadron round the left flank, and “so pressed forward that the leading troops engaged enemy in the middle of the town, despite the enemy’s superiority in numbers.”

Lieutenant Philip Benson Truman appears to have been involved in the same action to liberate Amayé-sur-Seulles (although his citation for the Military Cross is dated 3^rd August - see 61st Recce battle honours) with his troop taking out an enemy observation post and containing the enemy until the town was taken later in the day by 50th Division's 69th Infantry Brigade.

Colonel Brownrigg gives this account:

“From Briquessard, ‘B’ Squadron, led by Lieutenant Truman’s carrier troop, carried out a textbook reconnaissance into Amay-sur-Seulles, by-passing strong opposition about a mile this side, and then moving in from a flank to take a number of Boches very much by surprise.  This was followed by a series of reconnaissance actions, usually on a troop scale, as the area of operations was still restricted." (From ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lieutenant-Colonel P.H.A.Brownrigg D.S.O.)

 

However, despite the efforts of 61^st Recce Operation Bluecoat was not successful in breaking out of the Normandy bridgehead.  As British forces approached Vire on 2^nd August there was some confusion and the German Army was were able to re-inforce the town and close the gap between their 7^th Army and Panzergrüppe West.  11th Armoured Division approached the town on 2nd August when it was virtually undefended but were ordered to turn south-east.  By the time the US XIX Corps moved against it the Germans had rushed in to plug the gap and Vire was not liberated until 8th August.

The Commander of British Second Army, Lt-General Miles Dempsey, later told 61^st Recce* that they’d been 3 days ahead of the 7^th Armoured Division in Operation Bluecoat and had to wait for them outside Vire - 7^th Armoured Division was meant to be in reserve behind 50^th (Northumbrian) Division on the eastern flank of the XXX Corps attack.  Monty had ordered Dempsey to 'throw all caution to the winds and step on the gas for Vire' but XXX Corps and 7^th Armoured Division 'performed feebly' (from ‘Overlord’ by Max Hastings, Macmillan 2016 edition).

The XXX Corps Commander Lt-General Gerard Bucknall was dismissed and replaced by General Brian Horrocks - ‘a man who really led, a general who talked to everyone, down to the simplest private soldier’ and Eisenhower called him ‘the outstanding British general under Montgomery’. 

The Polish Home Army

1^st August 1944 – the Polish Home Army (the main resistance organization in Poland) stages an uprising in Warsaw to liberate the Polish capital from the occupying Germans before the arrival of the Red Army, now within 10 miles of Warsaw.  Collaboration between the AK (Army Krajowa or Home Army) and Soviet partisans in Poland had been difficult after the discovery of the Katyn Massacre.  On 30^th November 1943 the AK had launched Operation Tempest, aimed at securing control of Polish cities and had some success, although the AK were taken prisoner by the Red Army as they advanced. 

The Warsaw Rising was initially successful in taking control of large areas of the city and liberating 350 Jews from the Gęsiόwka concentration camp, which was in process of ‘liquidation’.  However Himmler still managed to send most of the 67,000 Jews still remaining in the ghetto at Łódź, south-west of Warsaw (the second largest ghetto in German-occupied Europe), to their deaths in Auschwitz.  Isolated from and unsupported by the Soviet Army and suffering a fierce response from the Germans including many atrocities (some 30,000 non-combatants were slaughtered in the Old Town alone), the AK finally capitulated at the beginning of October.  Although on 30th July Radio Moscow had called on the citizens of Warsaw to rise up and 'join the struggle against the Germans'  Warsaw was not liberated by the Soviets until 17th January 1945 – by then the Germans had destroyed 85% of the city’s buildings. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

On 1^st August Soviet troops captured Kaunas, now the second largest city in Lithuania but then the capital.

End of the Battle of Tinian in the Northern Marianas Islands.  US troops landed on 24^th July and defeated a 9,000 strong garrison of Japanese.

 

The US 3^rd Army under Lt-General Patton becomes operational on the Allies western flank, tasked with liberating Brittany and seizing the ports on the Brittany coast.  Lt-General Courtney Hodges now commands the US First Army Group while General Omar Bradley is Commander-in-Chief of the US forces in France - 12th Army Group.

Montgomery's VII and XXX Corps are attacking on an axis south-east from Caumont.  In Operation Bluecoat Le Bény-Bocage, south of Caumont, is liberated virtually undamaged by the British 11th Armoured Division.  "Most of Second Army were very tired by now, above all the infantrymen of 15th Scottish, 43rd Wessex and 50th Northumbrian Divisions" (from ‘Overlord’ by Max Hastings, Macmillan 2016 edition).

61^st Recce continued its role supporting the 50^th (Northumbrian) Division in Operation Bluecoat - according to Eric Brewer, of ‘B’ Squadron’s Assault Troop, on 1^st August they had“Recced for the Divisional attack, met stiff opposition 2 miles forward of there” although he started a letter home including "At the present moment I am listening to the radio.  I heard Victor Silvester* this morning on music while you work so you can guess I am taking it easy..."  (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 *A popular English bandleader.

The end of Briquessard

Don Aiken recalls the end of Briquessard: “After a week or two in this position we were relieved by an Infantry Regiment.  Apparently Lieutenant General Horrocks*, the Commander of XXX Corps, had noticed that we had been placed in this defensive position and ordered that we be withdrawn. He was a very experienced General, who knew how important it was to prevent his future spear-head troops from developing a defensive attitude to the war.” (Republished from the BBC People's War website by kind permission of Don Aiken)

* At the end of July XXX Corps was still led by Lieutenant-General Bucknall.  He was replaced by Lt. General Brian Horrocks in August 1944.

 

Colonel Brownrigg noted that “Whenever our General* visited us he was most upset about our casualties.  ‘This isn’t really your job,’ he said.  ‘I want you for recce-ing the crossings over the Seine.’” (From ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lieutenant-Colonel P.H.A.Brownrigg D.S.O.)

*Brownrigg may have been referring to Lieutenant-General Bucknall of XXX Corps or Major-General Graham, the popular Commander of 50^th (Northumbrian) Division.

 

Eric Postles says “We were even more pleased than the Americans to be relieved as it was so restrictive.  We watched a large force of RAF heavy bombers raiding Caen, which was quite awesome.  With some movement at Caen and by the Americans on our right, the German positions at Tilly became less secure for them.  Panzer Lehr, the armoured division, had to withdraw to check the Americans.” (Extract from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

 

Sandy Handley remembers coming out of his trench:

“As this ten days came to an end and this area got quieter we risked a little stroll along to the next slit trench.  Lt. Williams was seen calmly smoking his pipe.  He asked if we were OK. 

      Well after ten days in that cramped slit trench I found it difficult to climb out, with the stiffness of the joints.  I was twenty four years old* but felt much older.  I thought about those boys in the 14-18 war in the trenches, not 10 days and nights but months and months in the mud and hell.  What a wicked war they had, terrible.  Our ten days in this situation was nothing compared with what they had to endure.  We should never forget them.  At least in that ten days at Briquessard it hardly rained so goodness knows what it would have been like knee deep in mud.” (From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

*Dick was 23 on 28th July 1944.

 

However, the 61st Recce were still not safe from attack according to Anthony Rampling:

A visit from Tony's brother

“When we came out of these trenches after 10 days my brother, who was a Liaison Officer in the 4^th Armoured Brigade, saw my regimental signs and he came up to see if he could see me.  And he came to the back of Briquessard Wood in his Dingo Armoured car and I actually waved to him but he couldn’t stop because the Germans saw the dust that the armoured car had raised and they started mortaring the area …. so we were pleased to see the back of him.”  From Anthony Rampling’s account of 61^st Recce (pers comm).

Tony remembers the only time he disobeyed one of Dick’s orders, at the end of Briquessard:

Disobeying an order

“Dick Williams, or Lieutenant Williams, was my Officer and I found him quite quiet.  He never chased us around.  He gave us the orders, one of which I had to disobey.  When we came out of Briquessard we hadn’t slept for 10 days and he said “You’re on guard”.  I said “Sorry Sir, I couldn’t keep awake” and I couldn’t have done.  I never heard any more about it.

Tony liked Dick as an Officer: “He never interfered with us much.”

 

On 28^th and 29^th July, Assault Trooper Eric Brewer was out on patrol again:

“Went on patrol. Three of us met two Gerry patrols – they threw grenades at us but luckily we are in a dip with spandaus*.” 

His letter home on the 29^th is, however, characteristically good-humoured and re-assuring: “they haven’t got anything for the Recce to do out here as Gerry is right in front of you…it’s impossible to Recce because you know where he is so the 50^th kindly put us out of the way or on the shelf until we are needed.” “…roll on the next two or three months; then I will be enjoying steak and chips with onion instead of tinned something – I’ve eaten so much in tins since I’ve been over here that I seem to rumble when I walk.” (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)-

*The British name for the German machine-guns, which were manufactured in the Spandau district of Berlin so had plates of that name on the guns.

 

 

29^th July 1944 – a series of bombing raids on Stuttgart by the RAF come to an end.  73,000 bombs have been dropped and 900 people killed in the city in south-west Germany.

 

 

A Close Shave

Sandy Handley continues his account of army life in the trenches of Briquessard Wood:

“There was no question of shaving, although some tried a little cold water shave in the mess tins, which didn’t taste very nice after. 

Each evening late a cauldron of tea was brought around by the troopers from the field kitchen behind the woods.  It wasn’t bad, lukewarm but better than nothing.  We kept busy opening tins of corned beef and tins of rice pudding (not heated of course) and biscuits; we never starved.

It was always better when morning came. We were equipped with a small Boyscout’s burner which was fuelled with a tablet.  I’d got a cold mug of tea so I lit this small stove and placed my cold tea on it.  This was a precarious job, however. I must have got a bit impatient and blew the flames up but I blew too strong and I got the flame in my face, burning and singeing my week old beard.  Our Officer* came along and detailed me to walk back up the wood to our squadron medical post and get some attention. Typical of me and tired with no sleep, I forgot my Army drill and instead of going along the line of the bushes and trees, which would have given me some cover, I clambered up the bank, which exposed me to any sniper.  I wasn’t thinking until all of a sudden I heard the whine of a bullet then another.  I soon went back to the line of trees and bushes edging this wood.  Of all the shells, bullets and mortar bombs which had passed, that one small bullet from a German sniper might have put me out of the war.

By the time I got to the medical aid post one of the orderlies dabbed some ointment on my face and said “We will be moving out soon so go back to your lines and don’t worry about shaving for the time being.”  (From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

*Lt. Dick Williams

 

Eric Brewer wrote home on 27th July that "At the present moment we are on field rations and it's a vast difference from those 14 day pack rations...it seemed strange to see some potatoes on a plate for once and cooked meat and peas instead of tinned stuff.  We are also receiving bread each day, the pre-war stuff and real tea instead of comp tea (which is the tea, milk and sugar combined - more like dishwater than the usual tea but we even got used to that in the past 8 weeks)."  His diary for 27^th July reports that “Still same place. Gerry shot one our chaps through the hand.”  (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

Wilf Dawson of ‘A’ Squadron, who became the pillar of 61^st Recce’s Old Comrades Association, was also severely wounded at Briquessard, ending his active service with the regiment (from ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

 

27^th July 1944 – the Allies first jet engine, the Gloster Meteor, goes into operation. The RAF and US Air Force jointly announced the development of jet aircraft in January 1944, based on the discoveries of Englishman Frank Whittle in the 1920s. Germany independently invented and developed jet aircraft and the Messerschmidt Me 262 also became operational in the middle of 1944.

The German front line in the Cotentin begins to retreat faced with the rapid advance of Operation Cobra, now including VIII Corps on the right flank heading for Coutances.

Listening

In 61st Reconnaissance, on the edge of Briquessard Wood, Sandy Handley tells of his time in the listening post:

      “Whilst we were at that place me and my friend had to have twenty four hours duty in the listening post, which was twenty yards away to our front - just a crudely scraped out trench, just room enough for five of us (four troopers and one corporal).  We had a field telephone, not a radio, to link us up with the men at the back.  We couldn’t do nothing, just lounge and listen (!) for any movement in the front.  We had to be like that for twenty four hours. In the night it was endless. In the day it wasn’t too bad as we could see the surrounding trees. Quite a few times we were mortared and of course this hastily dug trench wasn’t deep enough for protection.  I heard a mortar shell coming down and I really thought it was going to land on top of us five frightened men, but it landed with a terrific thud (it didn’t explode).  Was we relieved. 

      Of course now and again one man would leave the confines of this trench for the call of nature.  You couldn’t stand up, especially in the day time , because you would be spotted by a sniper, so there was all sorts of antics - undoing your braces and so on, balancing on your elbow in a crouched position and doing the best you could, perhaps doing your business laying down etc.  I don’t remember army training telling you had to go about that problem.  One had to be quite a contortionist to perform this exercise.  Forget about the rules of hygiene in this situation, days went by when we couldn’t wash our hands let alone anything else!!  But I was surprised how fit we were.  Our Officer* told us a little dirt won’t hurt if you swallow some."

*Lieutenant Dick Williams

 

Anthony Rampling described how even in the main trenches you could hear the Germans at night moving vehicles and equipment. "It was very nervewracking." In front of the wood there were small fields (dense ‘bocage’) with thick hedgerows where the Germans could hide. The wood was coppiced (regularly cut over to provide small timber) so didn’t provide very good cover.

He also spent time lying flat in an outpost:

Listening

          “We had to do 24 hour stints on an outpost, which was out on a hedgerow ahead of the trenches and, during that time, we hadn’t had any food and we had a phone so we rang and said we hadn’t had any food and Lieutenant Williams, our troop officer, crawled out with some food and to get the food out to us it was tied up in string and he carried it in his mouth to crawl out to this outpost.

          I think he was very brave to do this because he could have been sniped by the Germans at any time.”

Eric Brewer was "At harbour going out to STAND to position" on 25th July and the next day "Still at harbour, moved off in afternoon to the old position" so presumably the outpost again.  He'd written home that "we are not really needed out here as they don't want you for Recce...Gerry is so close to the front line you cannot get any nearer him". Gerry certainly was at Briquessard! 

Like Dick he'd obtained some supplies from the NAAFI van "we have also been issued with ... a bottle of beer, chocolate, spearmint, razor blades, envelopes and writing paper for 50 Franks or 5 shillings...the fags are 4 pennies for 10." Also "We are having some fine weather here, except for a couple of short showers its been perfect...At the present moment the sun is out and I have made my bed down in a slit trench."  The censor for Eric's letters was A.R.Stone who later received the Military Cross for action at the bridge over the Escaut Canal in Belgium on 4th September 1944. (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

26^th July 1944- After five months fighting the Battle of Narva (now the third largest city in Estonia, right next to the Russian border) Soviet forces finally capture the city from the German occupants.

 

The Battle of Guam

21^st July 1944 – American forces land on Guam, the largest and southernmost of the Marianas Islands, in the western Pacific.  Eventually almost 55,000 US troops are landed here while the Japanese have a defensive force of nearly 20,000.  The Battle of Guam lasts until 10^th August, with fierce fighting and 7,500 Japanese are still at large on the island after it had been secured for the Allies.

 

Eric Brewer was actually having a bit of a holiday - his diary for the 21st July says "At rest camp - taking it easy" and on 22nd: "Still there. Visit beach, went to Paclam" (sic).  In letters home (dated the 20th) he writes: "Well at last I am at the rest camp for three days and enjoying it.  You can do what you want to do and there is also a cinema, a theatre, games and writing room...I have even sent my washing to the local laundry here, which is run by French girls" "Doing nothing as usual and enjoying my rest at this new camp.  Went for a bath this morning and the pictures last night and expect to try horse riding tomorrow."   Later he wrote "slowly getting quite used to this French language but about the only thing I can't get used to is the lack of pubs, and cafes with nothing to eat in the place."  (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.) 

 

The Humber MKIII

On 12^th July Eric Brewer had "moved to a new position near 'Udler Bocad' (sic) Gerry mortaring, snipers active - Lt Peters just missed bullet." He was there for two days.  On 13th July two tanks were knocked out and another overturned with two crew killed and on the 14th "mortaring and snipers" were "still a nuisance".  On returning to base for a rest he wrote to his parents telling them he was "in Div 50th reserve and as usual doing nothing except sleep".  Also (on the 15th) that they had "just got our first bottle of beer from the NAFI and also white bread for one meal every two days, which works out at about two slices every two days." (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

Sandy Handley returned to Bayeux sometime in mid-July:

“At the end of July we had to play an infantry role (see Briquessard) - by this time we had had our trusty Humber MK111 back in our troop. 

      We had had to go back to Bayeux to R.E.M.E. workshops again and were surprised when the officer at the workshops said “You’re lucky”. Although he’d said previously they wouldn’t have any spares for our Humber MKIII they had found a drop arm off an old ambulance and repaired our car (a transplant so to speak).  I found out from our driver a drop arm was a part connected to the steering mechanism.  

      So we waved cheerio to the boys at the R.E.M.E. and Bayeux. I wished I’d got a specialist trade like the R.E.M.E. but their job wasn’t always safe at base; their job became pretty hazardous sometimes, towing knocked out tanks out from the front under fire.  

      Now we’d got our Humber back we felt a bit more settled - Dan, our Corporal, surveying the scenery as we went along, and the driver (I can’t remember his name, may have been Bill or Bob), and me sitting on the gunner’s swivel seat with the Bren gun on the mounting, which was attached to the small turret.  No press buttons or levers here.  Whatever way I wanted to point the Bren, I shuffled my legs and hobnailed boots to move the top of the turret around.  

      The large Humbers had a 37mm and 1 & 2 machine gun and were swivelled around by a handle.  I’d had training on these in England, both for gunnery and radio procedure. Everything was noisy: the engine was at the rear and the loud mush from the radio jangled my nerves a bit.  I can’t remember having earplugs issued; the noise was nerve racking.  The light Humber was much quieter.” (From Ex Trooper S Handley’s ‘61 Recce - Memories of Normandy 1944 – 1945’, unpublished)

Caen

9th July 1944 – In Caen the Germans withdrew from the north of the city overnight to a very defensible front line on the south side of the River Orne, including the high ground of the Bourg.  The Allies advance through the rubble of the city to the Orne and now hold most of the city. (From 'The Drive on Caen, Northern France 7^th June -9^th July 1944’, a 60^th Anniversary booklet.) 

 

50th Division are involved in another failed attack to take Hottot-les-Bagues, south-west of Tilly-sur-Seules. 

Eric Brewer's diary for 9th July records that he: "Moved to Grainville.  Infantry took it and we have a forward position."  He had also written home again that he was "Still at base taking it easy...I see that you have sent me on some more cigarettes...if you send me anymore I will have to send them back home as I have more than I can smoke now; I bought 400 before I came to France and also have about one hundred besides...but the writing paper and envelopes are always welcomed, also the toothpaste". (Diary and letter extracts included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

Russian advance in the East

8^th July 1944 – on the Russian front the German 12^th Corps surrenders with 57,000 men.  The Germans have now lost 300,000 men in three weeks. (From WW2-net Timelines.)

Operation Charnwood continues with American bombing and resumption of the ground attack from the north.  The British 3rd Division capture Saint-Contest to the north-west of the city and the Canadians, encountering fierce resistance further west took nearby Authie and then Cussy.  (From 'The Drive on Caen, Northern France 7^th June -9^th July 1944’, a 60^th Anniversary booklet.)

The Americans at last seize La Haye-du-Puits, on the western side of the western side of the Cherbourg Peninsula, level with Carentan (from ‘Overlord’ by Max Hastings, Macmillan 2016 edition).

 

For once Eric Brewer was away from the fighting: "Went to Bayeux for baths.  Had look round."  He wrote again to his parents "I looked round for something to send you but can't see anything worth getting, only a lot of junk."  He never let his family know quite how near to the action he got "I don't think they needed a Recce out here as the nearest we have been to the front line is approximately 5 miles so as for you saying look after yourself I am safer than the rock of Gibraltar".  Back home at Grays in Essex they were also facing danger from the V1 rockets "I hope the rocket bombs are not worrying you too much...keep looking out of the window and one of these times you will see me coming up the road and this time there will be no more khaki for me...I can't see how it can last to Christmas with the Russians pushing on as they are and the amount of stuff we and the Yanks must have coming into France...things will happen very soon, same as they did in North Africa, but our advance should be twice as fast so roll on, shall we say October eh?" (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and  letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

 

 

The Advance of the Allies

3^rd July 1944 – Soviet forces capture Minsk (now the capital city of Belarus), trapping the German 4th Army between the city and Berezina.

Japan finally calls off the Imphal offensive in India.  Matagachi's 15th Army has lost 55,000 men (half due to starvation or disease).  Allied casualties from the battles of Imphal and Kohima amount to 17,587 killed or wounded. (From ‘The Second World War’ by Antony Beevor, published by Weidenfield and Nicolson 2012)

In Italy French troops with the US 5^th Army take the city of Siena and forces of the British 8^th Army capture Cortona, both in Tuscany south of Florence.

In Normandy ‘The Battle of the Hedgerows’ begins as the US Army edge south through Normandy’s dense bocage country towards the strategic crossroads at St-Lô, losing many men.  After heavy fighting 82nd Airborne take the hill of Monte Castre near Haye-du-Puits.

 

Not only hedges blocked the Allies' progress. Anthony Rampling of Dick’s No 5 troop, ‘B’ Squadron, remembers:

“As we approached a cross road before Caen the whole road was blocked with dead horses in their carts.  The Germans did this to make it difficult to get past.

One horse with a broken leg, still alive, was standing among the debris.  I tried to shoot this with my Sten gun, fired several times but didn’t kill it.  This upset me – still does.” (From Anthony Rampling’s account of 61^st Recce - pers comm.)

 

Eric Brewer got back to base on 4^th July and wrote home that he was “sending on these two French notes which were issued to us on Invasion day.  We are getting issued with different ones now so perhaps you would like these two for souvenirs...”.  (Extract from letter included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

Bread and Death

“By the last days of June the Battle for Normandy had taken on the character that it was to retain for the two months that followed: a struggle involving more than 1,000,000 men pitted against each other on a front of scarcely 100 miles.”  (Max Hastings in ‘Overlord’, Macmillan 2016 edition.)

30^th June 1944 - Since D-Day, the Allies have landed 630,000 troops, 600,000 tons of supplies and 177,000 vehicles in the Normandy beachhead. They have suffered 62,000 dead and wounded.

The remaining 6,000 Germans in the Cherbourg peninsula surrender. (From Chronology of World War II and WW2-net Timelines.) 

The German II-SS Armoured Corps, now assembled around Villers-Bocage, continue to receive the attentions of Bomber Command. Low intensity fighting persists south-west of Caen for the next nine days. (From 'The Drive on Caen, Northern France 7^th June -9^th July 1944’, a 60^th Anniversary booklet.)

 

Eric Brewer was still back at base and had just got paid: “Went to local farms and obtained 1lb butter and about 1 gallon of milk. Had a couple of chickens from bombed house - not so bad. Gun fire tonight is heavy. Weather not too bad. Bags of aircraft flying about place called Therobrot.” (From Eric Brewer’s Diary by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family)

The extra food would have subsidised the ‘Compo’ pack rations “lightweight wooden crates, each containing rations for six men for a three day period.  The contents varied little, but the favourites contained bully beef or Spam, rather than the alternatives of stew or oxtail or haricot.  All packs contained greengage jam, cheese, greasy bacon, powdered milk, powdered egg, salt, sugar, hard tack biscuits, boiled sweets, cigarettes, matches and three pieces of very rough toilet paper per man.” (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004.)

 

Eric Postles remembered: “We were issued with 14 man compo packs consisting of tinned food and hard tack biscuits.  The latter often contained messages from the girls who packed them.

The compo packs were labelled A to G on the end of the box so you knew the contents.  The best held steak and kidney pudding, the worst ‘harricotted’ oxtail which seemed to have more bones than meat.

We used our stoves and Benghasis, cut-down non-returnable petrol cans filled with sand soaked in petrol for heating the food cans, washing ourselves and washing clothes.  For a bath you put one leg in the water at a time.  When the petrol sand went out you refilled it but if the sand was hot you would be surrounded by a cloud of white vapour.  We heard of people being badly burned if it ignited.  It never happened to anyone in our troop.”   (Extracts from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

 

According to Anthony Rampling cooking was done in a biscuit tin with a hole in the side. They filled it with earth, “poured petrol on it, set fire to it and cooked on the top.” (PLEASE DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!)

“Trying to exist was hard. Up front you couldn’t cook anything. We were given biscuits and chocolate you couldn’t bite – solid like rock.  We had tins of meat but no vegetables. We lived on tea - made in a bucket with Ideal milk and sugar all mixed in.  The biggest thing we missed was bread":

The stench of death

“Going on to food- one food we missed very much was bread.  There were no bakehouses going and I think it was three weeks before we got any bread at all and then not very much.  And going back about Normandy, with all the cattle and the dead and the bodies the stench from the beaches to Caen, the stench of death was horrific and it took a long while for it to leave you, really.”

 

Eric Brewer seems to have written two letters home that day (the cinema show may have been a re-assuring fiction?):

Friday 30^th (written on NAAFI letterform)

"Dear Mum Dad and all

Well here I am still at base taking it easy and hope you and all are keeping fine. What do you think of the Yanks taking Cherbourg? We should soon have the supplies pouring in now then the war will soon be over I hope. They say that there is a cinema show for us tomorrow, which I hope to go and see if lucky…

Got paid this morning the first time for four weeks but have no need to draw it over here, as there is not much to spend it on….

Your loving son

Eric XXXX

PS Are these stamps any good to you as I don’t need them out here and you do know that you do not have to put stamps on my letter just (ON ACTIVE SERVICE)"

 

30^th  (written on NAAFI notepaper in a NAAFI envelope marked on active service, postmarked 3^rd July 1944)

“Dear Mum Dad and all

Just received your letter glad to hear you are alright but wish you would not send me any cigarettes as I have more than I will ever smoke and if I want any they only cost 4p for 10 so it’s a waste of time you sending them to me so please don’t send anymore…..

I just stopped writing to go and see what the roar was and blimey there was so many planes going over that you can have no idea of the amount. They were as far as the eye could see going over for about 20 minutes; must have been about 400 – 500 planes. Makes you thankful that you are British, poor old Gerry, and now the artillery have started opening up on Gerry’s position….

Your loving son

Eric XXXX”

 

Carentan and Caumont

12^th June 1944 – US 101^st Airborne at last take Carentan at the base of the Cherbourg peninsula and the US bridgeheads from Omaha and Utah join up.  The Allies in Normandy now have a united 50 mile front-line, penetrating 5 to 20 miles inland from the beaches.  They have landed 326,000 men and 54,000 vehicles (from OnWar website).

Churchill visited Normandy  for the day, coming over from Portsmouth and meeting Montgomery on ‘Gold’ beach.

The US 1^st Division liberate Caumont-L’Éventé (the area Eric Brewer reached on D-day).  The village of Livry, to the north-east, is taken and cleared by the British 7^th Armoured Division but they are unable to capture Tilly-sur-Seules. 

8th Armoured Brigade launch attacks between Tessel and Bretteville from St Pierre but suffer heavy casualties.  50^th Division are ordered to hold the line from Point 103 – La Belle Épine and 8^th Armoured withdraw from St. Pierre. (From ‘The 8^th Armoured Brigade Break-Out from the Normandy Bridgehead June 7^th – 12^th 1944’ by Brigadier HJB Cracroft , Commander.)

Eric Brewer’s diary entry for 12th June reads: “Shifted to Tilly and opened up on by Spandau Squadron still active.”  He also managed to find the time to write to his family:

Tpr Brewer 14631319

B Squadron 13 Troop, 61^st Recce RAC, APO England

12^th June 1944 

Dear Mum Dad and all …

“we have not been able to write letters until today as they could not make arrangements until it was possible to get the postal side of things organised and they seem to be okay now”…

“Well I have not much news but as you can guess I am in France and keeping okay and everything is going okay. There is plenty to do and by the look of things the war can’t last much longer; don’t think no longer than Christmas at the most so cross your fingers and keep that kettle on.”

(From Eric Brewer’s diary and letters by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family)

 

12^th June 1944 - Alfred Rosenberg, Head of the Reich Ministry for occupied Eastern Territories orders the kidnapping of 40,000 Polish children aged 10 to 14 for slave labour in Germany under the Heuaktion.  (From World War 2 Net.)