Cameronians

The 9th Battalion in Normandy

The 9th Battalion in Normandy

British Normandy Memorial

Next year, 2024, marks the 80th Anniversary of the Battle of Normandy. It is anticipated that there will be substantial interest in, and media coverage of, the events of the Landings on D-Day, 6 June 1944, and the Battle for the liberation of Europe which followed, in which the 9th Battalion of the Cameronians played such a significant part. It is likely that the site of the British Normandy Memorial will be a focus for commemoration of those events and for remembrance of the sacrifice of all those who gave their lives in the cause of freedom.

The British Normandy Memorial  www.britishnormandymemorial.org  stands at the edge of the village of Ver-sur-Mer, just east of Arromanches, on a slight rise, looking out over Gold Beach, the area designated in Operation Overlord for the landing of British troops. The Memorial consists of a central wall, on which is engraved the names of all Allied personnel who lost their lives on D-Day itself, flanked by a series of limestone columns, on which are engraved the names of all the others who lost their lives in the subsequent Battle of Normandy, which is deemed to have ended by 31 August 1944. There are 22,442 names engraved on the Memorial, arranged in chronological order of the date of death.

The Battle of Normandy had particular importance for the 9th Battalion, which did not participate in the landings on D-Day itself, but was to play a leading part in all that followed, from the attempted breakout from the beachhead beginning on 26 June 1944, right through to the end of the War in May 1945. The Battalion was part of the 46th (Highland) Infantry Brigade of the 15th Scottish Division of the British Army. That Division was given the honour of spearheading the planned breakout in Normandy, east of Bayeux and west of Caen, the area which became known as “the Scottish Corridor”.

The main body of the Battalion had landed on the Mulberry harbour at Arromanches on 17 June, with the Vehicle party being held up by the great Channel storm and eventually reaching Arromanches on 23 June.

What followed was bitter and sometimes attritional warfare: in the first five days of the Division’s involvement, it was to suffer 2,720 casualties, one-quarter of its total losses in the whole period from June 1944 to May 1945. In the preparation for the construction of the Normandy Memorial, meticulous research by its researchers in combination with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) identified 146 members of the Regiment who died in the Battle of Normandy. Those Cameronians were buried in Cemeteries situated throughout Normandy administered by the CWGC, but now all of their names are perpetually commemorated on the engraved Columns of the Memorial.

Undoubtedly, the 80th Anniversary and any associated commemoration will stimulate interest in visiting the area, the Memorial itself, and the War Cemeteries in Normandy. All of these are profoundly moving places. Many relatives of those who died will have visited these sites, but it is recognised that very many more will never have had the opportunity to do so. In their memory and with the intention of assisting Cameronians, and any relatives of the Fallen of the Regiment who may wish to visit the area on the occasion of the 80th Anniversary or thereafter, a list has been compiled of all those 146 members, together with their date of death, age, place of burial, and the number of the Column at the Memorial where their names are engraved. 

The Cemetery with the largest number of Cameronian dead, at 54, is at St Manvieu, on the D9 west of Caen, the road which separates the villages of St Manvieu and Cheux, both of which were extensively damaged in the fighting, and the second largest, at 47, is at Bayeux, which is in the town of Bayeux itself, at the western edge of its mediaeval centre. The remainder are spread amongst 9 other CWGC Cemeteries in the area: Brouay, Tilly-sur-Seulles, Hermanville, Ryes, Banneville-la-Campagne, Secqueville-en-Bessin, Beny-sur-Mer, St Charles de Percy, Hottot-les-Bagues, and Caumont (Communal).

Section VII Row A at St Manvieu War Cemetery, where 10 Cameronians lie side by side, © John Baird

The Battalion was engaged in a series of important battles during the Normandy campaign, and examination of the dates of death of the members of the Battalion shown in the records shows a clear correspondence with the individual battles of that campaign, the first stage being Operation Epsom.

Operation Epsom commenced at 07.30 on 26 June 1944, when the Battalion went into action for the first time. The task was to capture the village of Le Haut du Bosq (now known as Le Bosq), just south of Cheux. The Battalion’s losses on that first day were very heavy:  34 members of the Battalion lost their lives on that day alone, 23 per cent of all fatalities suffered by the Battalion in the whole of the campaign to 31 August, but mere statistics cannot convey the awful reality of the battlefield action.

Brigadier Barclay’s official History of the Regiment, Vol III, refers at p166 to that part of the action on 26 June which involved the Battalion’s Pioneer Platoon. He states, “The Battalion Transport, moving forward escorted by the Pioneer Platoon, ran into an enemy minefield, and suffered casualties. Heavy enemy shell fire also caused losses.” The official War Diary of the Pioneer Platoon itself, written by Brigadier Richard Villiers, Commander of the 46th Brigade, who as Lieutenant Colonel Villiers, had been the Commander of the 9th Battalion at the time, contains this passage, which more graphically conveys what actually happened: “When the [Battalion] went into action on 26 June the Pioneers were detailed to sweep the road forward for the transport. They were unable to carry out this task as the [Platoon] had ceased to exist as a [Platoon] after five minutes in action. Sjt McSkimming and seven men had been killed and eight men had been wounded by the devastating mortar fire.” Alexander McSkimming is buried at St Manvieu War Cemetery and his name is engraved on Column 98 of the Normandy Memorial, as are the names of Riflemen John Ledgard, Archibald MacInnes, William McInnes, Thomas Melvin, Arthur Moore, William Moore and Lieutenant Peter McGregor.

In the 5 days between 26 June and 1 July, the conclusion of Operation Epsom, the Battalion had suffered 74 fatalities, 50 per cent of all the fatalities it suffered in the whole of the Battle of Normandy. The prolonged fighting at Grainville-sur-Odon accounted for a significant number of these. Much of that centred on the church there. The accompanying photograph, taken exactly 79 years later, clearly shows the extant bullet and shell holes in the church’s gable wall. The street on which the church stands is now named the Rue de la 15ème Division Écossaise, and a modern community hall on the street is named the Salle de la XVème (Hall of the 15th). The next village to Grainville is Tourville-sur-Odon, and the road from there leading south to the Monument to the 15th Scottish Division, fittingly topped by the Lion Rampant, is named the Rue des Écossais.

The church and the hall at Grainville, © John Baird

The Monument to the 15th Scottish Division, © John Baird

A further 24 fatalities were suffered in the battle for control of Éterville between 10 and 12 July, 17 on one day alone, 30 July, in the fighting to capture the village of Sept Vents during Operation Bluecoat, and 20 on 6th August in the breakout at Caumont, on the advance to Gourney, the day forever after referred to as the Regiment’s “Black Sunday”.

Of course, the principal purpose of a War Memorial is to remember and honour the Fallen, and the British Normandy Memorial achieves that in a beautiful and dignified way. But, fittingly and significantly, it is specifically recognised at the site of the Memorial that no participant who survived the stark realities and horrors of war was left unscathed by the experience. Very many of those who survived were affected physically and psychologically in later life by both their wounds and their memories and in a moving tribute to all who served, an engraved panel at the memorial contains the words, “ Many who lived through D-Day and the Battle of Normandy were forever marked by their experiences. Some later died from wounds received during the campaign. Others suffered at length from psychological trauma.”

 The United in Effort plinth and the Statue at  the Memorial, © John Baird

Column 113 at the Memorial, on which are engraved the names of Riflemen F Burgess and J Connell, Lance Corporal B Cassidy and Lieutenant JW Duxbury, © John Baird

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Posted: 08/09/2023 by JohnBaird in #9thInNormandy, #WW2at75, Second World War


Operation Bluecoat takes its toll

Operation Bluecoat takes its toll

#9thInNormandy

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”.

Universal carriers and infantry of 15th (Scottish) Division move forward during Operation ‘Bluecoat’, 30 July 1944. The soldier fourth from the right carries a PIAT anti-tank weapon.
© IWM. (B 8190)

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.

Lieutenant George Murdoch Alexander.
© South Lanarkshire Council.

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.

© South Lanarkshire Council
© South Lanarkshire Council
© South Lanarkshire Council

In the letter Elizabeth writes:

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 Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) provide the Guard of Honour for the unveiling of the Second World War memorial tablets at Hamilton Town House, 29th March 1953.
© South Lanarkshire Council.

The inscription on George Alexander’s grave in France reads:

“ABREAST THEY FOUGHT ABREAST THEY FELL AND NOW ABREAST THEY LIE”

Comments: 1

Posted: 30/07/2019 by BarrieDuncan in #9thInNormandy, Collections, Second World War


Cameronians from Canada

Cameronians from Canada

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.

‘CANADA’ shoulder title, Douglas Tartan flash, and 15th (Scottish) Division patch, worn on the Battledress blouse of Lieutenant Alfred Kirby, CANLOAN officer who joined 9th Cameronians as a reinforcement after Operation Epsom.
© South Lanarkshire Council.

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.

Lieutenant Alfred Kirby’s battledress blouse, in the Regimental Collection of 
The Cameronians (Scottish Rifles).
© South Lanarkshire Council.

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.

For more information on the CANLOAN scheme, please visit The Second World War Experience Centre.

The Canadian Virtual War Memorial holds online records of Canadians who died in service.:

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Posted: 12/07/2019 by BarrieDuncan in #9thInNormandy, Collections, Second World War


Tanks in the Orchard

Tanks in the Orchard

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.

Rifleman Reg. Oates of Walthamstow and Sergeant James Woodward of Tottenham take up a position with a Piat mortar in a cornfield near Caen.
© IWM (B 6185)

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

Men of the Durham Light Infantry, 49th (West Riding) Division ‘advance’ past a knocked-out German Panther tank during Operation ‘Epsom’, 27 June 1944.
© IWM (B 6049)

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.

Lieutenant Quinn, in Command of C Company.
© South Lanarkshire Council

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

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2323361/mcluckie,-john/

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Posted: 11/07/2019 by JamesTaub in #9thInNormandy, Second World War


The Confusing fight for Éterville

The Confusing fight for Éterville

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.

Map of the area around Éterville. Maltot and Hill 112 can be seen on the lower part of the map. The 43rd (Wessex) Division was to assault Hill 112, while one of it’s brigades (with the 9th Cameronians attached) took and held Éterville.
© South Lanarkshire Council.

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.

9th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) War Diary
Troops of 130th Brigade, 43rd (Wessex) Division take cover from mortar fire, 10 July 1944.
© IWM (B 6852)

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.

9th Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) War Diary
Captain (later Major) Samuel Bingley, who took over as 2I/C during Operation JUPITER.
© South Lanarkshire Council

The 9th Cameronians had been hit badly during the 10th of July, 1944, yet their part in Op JUPITER would continue as dawn broke on the 11th.

Comments: 1

Posted: 10/07/2019 by JamesTaub in #9thInNormandy, Second World War



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