On 30th July 1944, 9th Cameronians were destined to take part in the opening phases of Operation Bluecoat, the first move in the break-out from the Normandy beachhead.
15th (Scottish) Division’s objectives for 30th July were fairly ambitious and were broken into three phases; Phase I – Wick, Phase II – Elgin, and Phase III – Nairn. 9th Cameronians were tasked with Phase I, namely the capture of the French village of Sept Vents with the support of 4th Grenadier Guards Tank Regiment.
According to written orders issued on 29th July, it was expected that 9th Cameronians would secure their objective by 10am on the 30th. Unfortunately, things did not quite go to plan. The Regimental History starts it record of this action with the ominous words “Many misfortunes were experienced in this engagement”, while Lieutenant Colonel Villiers, Commanding Officer of 9th Cameronians, starts his diary entry for that day “We started today badly”.
There were delays in briefing the officers with the most up-to-date information in the hours before the attack was due to start. The knock on-effect of this was that some officers did not have sufficient time to brief their own men fully before ‘H Hour’. The consequence of this were fully felt when Major Peter Clarke, Officer Commanding ‘D’ Company, was wounded early in the action. His subordinates, lacking the full detail of the expected attack, struggled to keep on with their objectives.
Enemy resistance had also been under-estimated. 9th Cameronians received heavy shelling from German positions even as they approached the Start Line for the attack.
‘C’ Company took the wrong route to their objective which, although getting them there in good time, meant they had failed to clear a particular section of the village of Sept Vents en route. ‘B’ Company thus encountered additional resistance when making their way through the village, resulting in many casualties.
Unexpected mine-fields and delays in clearing this dangerous obstacle compounded the problems faced by the Battalion that day.
It was 12:30 before the Battalions objectives were secured and they could be employed to provide support to the units undertaking Phase II and III. While ultimately the day proved successful (the men having the thrill of hearing a BBC broadcast that evening describing their victory), the events of the day proved the potential difficulties they could expect to face. Colonel Villiers closed his diary entry that day with the telling statement:
“The battle was a good example of how many things can go wrong.”
The war diary for 9th Cameronians records that 14 men were killed on 30th July 1944. Among them was 27 year old Lieutenant George Alexander from Blantyre.
George was married and he and his wife Elizabeth had two young children. George was something of an “Old Sweat”, having first enlisted as a Rifleman in 6th Cameronians in February 1933. The 6th Cameronians were a Territorial Army battalion covering Lanarkshire – it’s headquarters were in Hamilton, where George was originally from.
George rose steadily through the non-commissioned ranks and by early 1941 held the rank of Colour Sergeant. In December 1942 he was selected for Officer training and posted to 161st O.C.T.U. George received his commission on 2nd April 1943 and was appointed to 9th Cameronians.
George was a Platoon Commander in ‘B’ Company at the time of his death. ‘B’ Company suffered heavy casualties when they met fierce German resistance centred around the church in Sept Vents.
This poignant letter in the Museum Collection was written by George’s widow, Elizabeth. It was written in response to a letter of sympathy she received after George had been killed.
I just can’t realise that now he’s never coming back. Everyone has been so kind, and they have all said that time will heal. But I don’t think that it really brings forgetfulness. It is only that a little of the soreness leaves the heart as the weeks go past. At first it seemed as though the bottom had dropped right out of my world, but now as I slowly return to normal, I am realising that his two sons are his sacred trust to me and please God, I shall be worthy of that trust. When I look at them, I know that he is not lost to me entirely.
Elizabeth goes on to say:
I had a letter from Col. Villiers last week. He was his C.O. in France. He said that he was killed in the action which ultimately led to the big push which we are now having. He was leading his men against an enemy strong point across the River Orne and he says that I can be proud that he died so heroically. God knows it didn’t take this to make me proud of him. He was buried with eight of his men in a small regimental cemetery in a lovely little orchard on the banks of the river. A cross has been erected over his grave and the name of the regiment, Cameronians, was written out in flowers at the foot of all their graves.
She finishes her letter with:
I hope that Isa’s, Bessie’s, and your husband are spared to come back to you, my hopes and dreams are buried in a little orchard somewhere in France.
Buried near Lieutenant Alexander in Bayeux War Cemetery is 36 year old Rifleman Thomas Walker, also from Hamilton, who died in the same action. Both men are commemorated on the memorial panels at Hamilton Town House; these were unveiled on 29th March 1953, The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) providing the Guard of Honour.
The CANLOAN Scheme – Canadian Officers on loan to the British Army
In 1943, an agreement was reached with the Canadian Government to allow and actively encourage trained Canadian junior officers to serve ‘on loan’ with British Army units. The Canadian volunteers would help fill the shortage of junior officers faced by the British Army, made all the more essential with the planned Allied invasion of Europe of 1944 on the horizon.
A total of 673 Canadian officers volunteered under the CANLOAN scheme, seeing them attached to regiments and units across all branches of the British Army.
Eleven Canadian officers had been attached to 9th Cameronians by the War’s end. The first to arrive were Captain George Baldwin and Lieutenant Lorne Paff, who joined the 9th while the Battalion were at Hove, in the weeks leading up to Normandy invasion.
Lt. Col. Richard Villiers wrote of the Canadian newcomers in a letter to his wife:
These two Canadian officers I was telling you about have just landed & are coming to us. They are being given disembarkation leave & their one idea is to see Scotland. They propose to spend a few days in Edinburgh. They know no one, so I suggested Melrose for a day.
They are Captain Baldwin, who seems to have done all sorts of interesting things including mining in Alaska, where he drives huskies and traps bears etc. The other is Lieut. Paff, a younger man, from Nova Scotia. They are both very nice, & have amusing expressions like all Canadians. When I asked Baldwin if he liked fishing he said he loved it, but if it’s a bore or difficult, they will be perfectly happy just going for a walk.
There may be another couple coming later – we are getting a lot of Canadian Officers, who have all volunteered to come to the British Army; they are getting leave, & know no one.
We have had an amusing evening planning out their leave for them, & arranging for people to show them round. We have someone to show them round Edinburgh.
Long Ago and Far Away: A travel diary, letters and Second World War letters of Dick and Nancy Villiers edited by their daughter, Linda Yeatman. Privately Published, 2005
The other officers expected by Colonel Villiers would arrive just before 9th Cameronians embarked for Normandy; they were Lieutenants George McDermott M.M. and Fernie Stewart.
Lieutenant George McDermott was already a battle-hardened veteran, having served as a Non-Commissioned Officer with Canadian forces during the famous Dieppe Raid of August 1942. For his actions, McDermott had been awarded the Military Medal. The citation for this award reads:
During the operation at Dieppe 19 Aug 42, L/Cpl McDermott, a regimental policeman, was attached to Bn HQ. He was one of the first to enter the Casino, where, single-handed he attacked and destroyed a German stronghold in the building at considerable personal risk. Subsequently, when it became necessary to withdraw from the Casino to the beaches, he displayed high qualities of leadership and skill in organization. Throughout the action Cpl McDermott displayed not only great courage and initiative, but also an excellent appreciation of the importance of military intelligence. He was most diligent in his efforts to obtain information about the enemy, and at the conclusion of the operation turned over to the Intelligence Officer of the 4 Canadian Infantry Brigade a diary and letters which he obtained during the raid. He also obtained German Training manuals, but lost them when he was blown out of one of the craft during the return journey. Further, during the operation he succeeded in taking several photographs.
McDermott, was from Hamilton, Ontario, sister-city of Hamilton in Lanarkshire, home of The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) regimental depot.
In addition to their amusing phrases, interesting backgrounds and military experience, the Canadians also brought with them the game of softball, which would become a popular pastime for the officers when not engaged in training.
The Canadians proved popular with officers and men alike, and they also made a lasting impression on the locals where they were billeted. A letter printed in The Covenanter magazine of 2005 recounts the touching story of Mike Rainey, a young boy from Hove who befriended Lieutenant Paff:
In 1944 a ten year old boy in Hove on the south coast of England was delighted to find several of the houses in the road in which he lived with his parents were being occupied by Scottish soldiers. Being inquisitive he soon befriended one, who turned out not to be a Scot but a Canadian. The boy always regarded him as the first adult friend he had made for himself.
The Canadian was Lieutenant Lorne Paff, a tall, quiet, patient man who was in fact only twenty-six years old himself. Lorne Paff answered all the boy’s many questions and soon accepted invitations from the boy’s parents to come to their home for meals. The boy continued to pester Lorne Paff with all manner of questions about the soldiers and their equipment and on more than on occasion woke him from well-earned rest after night exercises.
After a while all the soldiers suddenly disappeared but the boy – and his parents, and everyone else – very soon found out where they gone. They had, of course, crossed the Channel to Normandy.
The four Canadian’s would go to Normandy with 9th Cameronians, and take part in the thickest fighting. Two of the Canadian’s were among the Battalion’s first casualties, during Operation Epsom.
Mike Rainey’s letter in The Covenanter continues:
Sadly, Lorne Paff was killed on Sunday 26 June only a few days after he had landed in France, and only one day after writing a letter to the boy’s parents that included the sentence, “I am quite confident that I shall be okay but you can never tell”.
The boy and his parents soon knew about Lorne Paff’s death because they were in contact with his parents in Stratford, Ontario. The boy cried; it was the first time in his life he had known someone who died.
The boys’ parents remained in regular contact with Herman and Laura Paff for many years until they all died. Then the boy, himself by now middle aged, traced Lorne Paff’s nieces by writing to the Stratford local newspaper and resumed the correspondence.
By now I am sure you will have realised that I, Mike Rainey, the writer of this article, was “the boy”.
In 2003, with my wife I went, belatedly, to Hottot-les-Bagues, a tiny hamlet between Caen and Bayeux and visited the grave of my long dead friend in the immaculately maintained Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery.
Lieutenants Paff and McDermott were both killed on 26th June 1944 during the attack on le Haut du Bosq. Lieutenant Stewart was killed on 28th September 1944.
Lieutenant Alfred Kirby, from St Catherines, Ontario, joined 9th Cameronians on 28th June 1944, with a draft of reinforcements. Kirby would soon be among those wounded at Eterville on 11th July. He remained at duty and was again wounded on 9th February 1945. Kirby had been friends with Paff, McDermott and Stewart while the four were undergoing officer training in Canada. He was the only one of the four friends to survive the War.
Of the eleven Canadian officers who would ultimately serve with 9th Cameronians, three were killed in action and a further seven wounded. They were from Canada, but they fought, bled and died as Cameronians.
As the positions around Eterville was stabilized during the early hours of 11 July, German mortar and artillery attacks continued. Major Davies of the 2nd Glasgow Highlanders arrived to take over command of the 9th. He took over a desperately confused situation. Signallers arrived back at Battalion HQ and reported that D Company’s HQ was deserted. They could only find the Company Commander, Captain Baldwin, lying down in a slit trench moaning.
Major Davies set about sending patrols to verify the position of the areas where the German infiltration had occurred. Men of the Carrier Platoon discovered the gaps in the area of D Coy and started to rectify the holes in the line. Expecting the Germans to again counter-attack, Major Davies asked the Brigade Commander, Brigadier Barber, for a company of the Glasgow Highlanders, who arrived at 0500. At 0600 a German patrol approached the positions of C Coy in an orchard. Five of the enemy were shot and the officer in charge was taken as a prisoner.
at 0830 the men of C Company spotted German tanks approaching their position. The Germans moved at an angle towards B Company. Artillery was called for, yet the Panzers continued to edge closer. As soon as they entered firing range the Cameronians of B Coy opened fire with a P.I.A.T. The tank slowed down and turned about, flames beginning to burst out of the hatches. It was unclear whether or not the P.I.A.T or an artillery round had ignited the vehicle, but for the Scots in slit trenches, the only important thing was that it was no longer a threat to them. Yet, in one of the more brutal realities of the war the threat of the crewmen remounting and continuing to fight needed to be stopped. As the German tankers poured out, two were shot down by Rifleman Long.
A second tank approached the Cameronians and started to fire its machine guns into C Company from 70 yards away. P.I.A.T’s were fired but missed the tank. However the presence of Anti-Tank weapons convinced this tank to withdraw. At this time German infantry infiltrated into an edge of the orchard held by C Company. Rfn. Long again became engaged, shooting at least two of the enemy before he himself was wounded. Corporal Lormier took his section forward, with swords fixed. They drove the remaining German infantry out of the Orchard, killing at least five.
Seeing their attack stymied the Germans laid down a smokescreen and began to attempt moving around C Company. A third tank approached almost on top of the Cameronians’ position before the tank commander was shot while peering out of his cupola by Rfn. Brandon. The remaining Panzers began to withdraw covered by their infantry
At 0900 Lt. Col. Villiers returned to retake command, and Brig. Barber decided it was time to rotate the 9th out for the Glasgow Highlanders. Yet before this relief could take place reports started coming in again from B and C Companies reporting another German attack massing to their front. at 1030 the Germans advanced, coming within 100 yards of the Cameronians before C Company opened fire with every weapon at it’s disposal. Lt. Quinn, then in Command of C Coy reported at least 4 sections of the enemy lying dead in front of their position, a minimum of 120 killed or wounded within the orchard itself.
at 1430 the 2nd Glasgow Highlanders arrived and relieved the 9th Cameronians. Within their position they reported five German tanks having been knocked out (three Tigers and two Panthers or Panzer IV’s belonging to the 1st SS Panzer Division). Throughout the entire relief, the 9th was subjected to intense shelling, finally going into reserve at Rocrenil where the shelling continued and casualties continued to mount. For the entire action around Eterville the 9th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) reported:
Killed Capt Evans; wounded MAJOR S. BINGLEY, Major R. DOWNIE; Capt Baldwin, Capt COOK RACHD, Lt Kirby; Lt Muir; Lieut Barnes. Other ranks 12 killed; 101 wounded; 26 missing.
One of those killed was 21-year old Rifleman John McLuckie of Bellshill, Lanarkshire. His parents John and Helen had inscribed on his headstone a phrase which all of us as historians should make as the mainstay for our work and research.
YEARS SHALL NOT DARKEN NOR SHADOWS DIM THE LASTING MEMORIES WE HAVE OF HIM
After recovering from EPSOM, the 9th Cameronians alongside the rest of 46 Brigade were temporarily attached to the 43rd (Wessex) Division to assist in their assault across the Odon to Hill 112 as part of Operation JUPITER. The 9th was to proceed in reserve behind the 4th Dorsets leapfrogging through them and holding the town of Éterville.
As the Cameronians moved up they immediately found their paths through the narrow Norman roads blocked by the debris of burning vehicles and the wounded men of the 4th Dorsets. The village itself was not secure and pockets of Germans were still engaged with British troops in the woods and buildings around the village. Lt. Col. Villiers noticed many wounded of the Dorsets left unattended, which did not do much to raise the morale of the Scots entering the fight. He sought out the Battalion MO, but they Regimental Aid Post (RAP) of the 9th was already inundated with casualties from the German mortar fire. The Battalion’s war diary reads:
This area was being heavily mortared and shelled and Bn suffered many casualties. Commanding Officer had now moved fwd to ETTERVILLE. Bn now moved Fwd to ETTERVILLE and took over Coy localities as shown in APP. Immediately Bn was in position they were engaged by h[eav]y mortar and shell fire. This continued throughout the day and casualties were still inflicted. Information received that the Bn of the 43 DIV whose obj was MALTOT had been counter attacked and pushed back to area CHAU DE FONTAINE and that counter attacks could be expected on our front. Recce party from ‘C’ Coy under MAJ. BINGLEY went FWD through ‘B’ Coy to ORCHARD where they were observed and fired on by enemy tanks. Major Bingley was wounded in the arm.
The Dorsets continued their attack only to be repulsed by heavy fire having lost several of their supporting tanks from 9th Royal Tank Regiment. At dusk, the Germans began to infiltrate the Cameronians’ line in the village. Lt. Col Villiers himself was wounded as he was hit by shrapnel which penetrated his helmet, though he later wrote that he simply had a “slight scalp wound and a headache.” a gap opened in B Coy’s line which caused close quarters fighting between Germans and D Coy. Unsure of the scale of the German penetration Villiers wrote;
I remember wondering how to behave if the enemy got to Bn H.Q., which seemed very likely at one time.
Long Ago and Far Away: A travel diary, letters and Second World War letters of Dick and Nancy Villiers edited by their daughter, Linda Yeatman. Privately Published, 2005
Beginning to feel the effects of his wound Villiers turned over command of the Battalion to Major Bingley, who was promptly wounded in the arm himself, but stayed on the line. The Battalion war diary describes the confused carnage:
This information was reported to Bn HQ and Coys ordered to “STAND TO” About this time Lt Col RM Villiers was wounded by shrapnel from a mortar bomb on the forehead. He still carried on commanding the Bn. Mjr Downie comd ‘B’ Coy was wounded; MAJOR CLARKE WOUNDED and evacuated. Major Bingley, whose wound was NOT serious took over 2I/C Bn. B Coy reported an enemy recce party strength 6 fwd of their Coy position. They were engaged by a tank and destroyed. Enemy patrol spotted by A & B Coys approx 40-50 strong sup by 3-4 tanks on A Coy right flank. Tanks engaged by SHERMANS and three knocked out. At this time several of the houses in the village were set alight by enemy shell fire and visibility was very good. The enemy inf still adv. and made strong efforts to infiltrate between A & B Coys who accounted for 20 & 12 enemy respectively. The remainder did manage to infiltrate, but D Coy opened on them and hit a further two. The enemy inf then laid a smoke screen and retired under cover of it. During the remainder of the night mortar and shelling by enemy was continuous.
As James highlighted in our last blog post (Holding the line at Grainville), the allied soldiers advancing through Normandy suffered casualty rates on a par with those witnessed on the Western Front during the First World War.
Adrian Smith has researched the casualties of The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) in depth, and has calculated 9th Cameronians losses throughout Operation Epsom (26th June – 1st July 1944) as 87 killed or died of wounds, 169 wounded, and 12 men taken prisoner.
One of those killed on 29th June was 20 year old, Rifleman Jack Schofield of Heywood, Lancashire.
This is the official letter received by Jack’s mother, informing her of her son’s death in action on 29th June 1944. The letter is dated 16th July 1944.
Jack and the other men of 9th Cameronians who were killed on 29th June were buried near to where they fell, in the vicinity of Grainville-sur-Odon. In July 1945 the battlefield graves in the area were concentrated into the newly formed St. Manvieu War Cemetery, Cheux.
The following images have been very kindly shared by Mr John Baird, who’s father was Officer Commanding 9th Cameronians Pioneer Platoon during the Normandy campaign.
