The Battle for Caen - 1944
July 23rd
We arrived about two miles south of Caen at 0230 hrs, after a march of four miles, ankle deep in mud, and we rested at this position throughout the next three days.
July 25th
Bombed during the night by enemy …
The Battle for Caen - 1944
July 23rd
We arrived about two miles south of Caen at 0230 hrs, after a march of four miles, ankle deep in mud, and we rested at this position throughout the next three days.
July 25th
Bombed during the night by enemy planes.
July 27th
Our orders to move were cancelled.
July 29th
Still resting two miles east of Caen. We’ve now been informed, that the reason we are resting in this position is because we are in full view of the enemy. They had to keep their crack Panzer Division on the opposite hill, thus not being able to move them to assist against the Americans at St Lo.
July 30th
We moved to a position one mile south of Bayeux. Still resting.
July 31st
We’ve received orders to move, this time into the Caumont Sector. We travelled in troop carriers for about fifteen miles and then we dug slit trenches to sleep in during the night.
August 1st
We moved off again at 0500 hrs going into the attack. We travelled in troop carriers for the first ten miles and then began marching. Five miles on and the roads became within the range of the German guns and mortars. There were a few casualties to X Company whilst marching along. Corporal Barbour was killed. I remember he was promoted to Corporal in the M.T. at the same time that I moved from the M.T. to 14 Platoon.
We marched a further distance of seven and a half miles then formed up to attack. The objective being a hill. The hill was captured in twenty minutes, there was no opposition. We dug in on top of the hill. Later in the day, we moved off again to attack the village of Le Courneur. Once again there was no opposition. The attack beginning at 2215 hrs and finishing at 2315 hrs. We dug in once again and were ordered to hold the village until dawn when we were informed that tanks would arrive to relieve us.
August 2nd
The tanks arrived at dawn.
Reconnaissance units reported the enemy to be twenty miles away. About noon we moved off again and captured the village seven miles ..
