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.

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

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

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.

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