1/6th Battalion Take Control Of St Benin Ridge Over the Orne Valley And 2/6th Battalion Fight Their Last Enagement

Once more in the vicinity of Sur le Mont, 1/6^th Battalion now comprising three companies, all of which were seriously depleated, held the forward slopes of the feature. A frontal assault was being planned as attempts to take the St Benin ridge from the east to west had failed. This attack was to be attempted in the knowledge that the German positions on the ridge were defended by three infantry companies.

The St Benin ridge rose steeply from the road for approximately 200 yards before rising to the summit in a 1 in 4 gradient. The slopes were thickly wooded from the foot of the slope to the top with a finger of woodland protruding out towards the east and pointing in the direction of the river.

1/6^th were ordered to take the ridge on the 11^th August, although final instructions were not received until 0200 hours on that day. This prompted a patrol to gather further information about the enemy positions and strength. The patrol was expected to return with this intelligence by first light. In the meantime the men were ready and waiting to move off. When the officer leading the patrol, Captain John Evans, returned he reported that from the crest of the hill he had observed the Germans from a distance of 100 yards digging into their positions. Key for the assault was the fact that the forward slopes up which the 1/6^th were to advance were free of enemy troops.

The plan of attack was that ‘B’ Company, following the line of advance taken by the earlier patrol, were to move up the slope as far as possible without alerting the Germans of their presence. The other two companies were to manoeuvre around the ‘B’ Company position. Assisted by the early morning mist that enveloped the ridge and afforded valuable cover the men got into close proximity to the unknowing enemy. A surprise attack was launched, this was a serious of skirmishes that left many German dead for few British casualties.

On that morning of the St Benin action, many individual deeds of bravery were recorded including that of one Private ‘Ginger’ Partridge who, having killed a number of the enemy already, crawled fifty yards to take out a machine gun position and its gunners with grenades. In this he was successful, but he himself was mortally wounded a short while later.

Now ‘A’ Company pressed home the attack, advancing at 5.30 am through the wood up to the finger that ran to the east along the summit of the ridge. This position was reached by 6.30 am at which point the Company assembled in readiness for the attack. The men of the Company launched themselves upon the company of Germans who were within the wooded finger. Again caught unawares by the ambush heavy casualties were inflicted and the company position was routed, leaving many dead with others taken prisoner. At this point, German artillery responded which resulted in a number of casualties within ‘A’ Company who were caught before they were able to dig and occupy slit trenches.

The ‘A’ Company position was strengthened when ‘C’ Company moved up the slopes to protect their right flank. The situation remained extremely perilous since German troops in strength that was at least equivalent to two companies were close by. The distance that separated the forward positions ranged between 40 and 100 yards. It was thought that the German units did not realise how weak in strength the 1/6^th companies were by this time.

The anticipated German counterattack was launched at dawn on 12^th August, again utilising the protective early morning mist that wrapped over the land. The German attackers managed to approach to within 15 to 20 yards before they were spotted. Battalion machine gun and small arms fire then opened up cutting down the leading soldiers. In only one section of the line was British ground retaken, but this situation was again quickly reversed as Captain Evans regrouped the dislodged men for a counterattack and the position was secured with some twenty Germans killed (others taken prisoner) for a British loss of five men. The remaining men of the German attack company withdrew in considerable confusion.

View of Thury Harcourt looking west towards the station with the St Benin ridge in the background

Later in the evening of 12^th a second, half-hearted, German attempt to regain lost ground was made but this broke down as further heavy casualties were suffered.  When a British officer ordered ‘Cease fire!’ and ‘Kamerad!’ the remaining German soldiers threw down their weapons and ran towards the Stafforshires positions desperately relieved to be out of the fight. Thus the German opposition was overcome and the St Benin ridge seized. In the morning light the ridge was clear of the enemy and the road to the Orne River was open.

The Orne River seen from the west bank with the St Benin bridge visible in the background

A closer view of the St Benin bridge

The River Orne at Thury Harcout, clearly showing the topography of the river valley

The men of 1/6^th Battalion were ordered to ‘advance to contact’ as the enemy were now in rout. The advance was to take the Battalion over the Orne through Ouilly, Le Detroit, Rapilly and Menil Vin to their next objective, a height given the name Point 205.

The entire area of this advance was free from enemy activity. The only Germans encountered were individual soldiers bearing British propaganda ‘safe passage’ passes. As the Battalion made headway through the villages French civilians thronged out into the streets eager to share the euphoria of liberation after four years of German occupation.

It was not until the afternoon of the 17^th August that ‘C’ Company encountered any further enemy opposition. Fire came from a collection of buildings a couple of hundred yards to the east of Rapilly. In response. two attempts were made to overcome the position but these failed resulting in a company withdrawal. A renewed assault was mounted on the morning of the 18^th, this time with tank support. The assault was launched only to find the buildings clear of any German soldiers. Thus, tanks and infantry were then able to continue the advance to Point 205 without further trouble.

Both ‘A’ and ‘C’ Companies reached the top of the Point 205 objective unchallenged, but as they traversed the ridge German machine gunners opened up with captured British Bren guns. As a result a British officer, Major Barber, was shot through the chest and the two companies were ordered to halt the advance and consolidate the hill. This was the last action of the 1/6^th Battalion as on the 20^th August they learned that they were to be disbanded.

The Falaise Pocket had been closed and the German 7^th Army, thus encircled by the Allied armies, faced annihilation.

The 2/6th Battalion advanced to the west of Sur le Mont with an objective of a yet higher feature situated at the western end of the Bois de la Motte.

This high ground was characterised by a two mile slope that ran down to the western bank of the river. These slopes were thickly covered with woodland through which 2/6th would have to fight. Intelligence received by the Battalion indicated that only light opposition could be expected. However, the reality of the action was quite the reverse and the Battalion experienced some of the hardest and most intense combat yet at close quarters. This was especially so for 'D' Company, the progress of which was measured yard by yard. Several days fighting ensued and it was not until 17th August that the forward companies had gained the higher slopes overlooking the Orne.

With 176 and 197 Brigades now positioned to the east of the Orne river and engaged in operations intended to close the Falaise Pocket, 2/6th Battalion were relieved on the evening of 17th by soldiers of the Royal Norfolk Regiment and taken out of the line for the last time. The withdrawal of the companies of the 2/6th was completed by midnight on 18th August.

Whilst still on the Orne, the Brigade Commander delivered the same message that the 1/6th were to receive concerning disbandment. It was with heavy hearts  that that the men moved out of the sector on the 19th to an orchard near to Courvadon, some ten miles north of the Orne. Here they resided for a full ten days, resting and more importantly bidding farewell to their comrades as they were transferred to other regiments within divisions that were also desperate for reinforcement after the monumental struggle for Normandy.

177 Brigade and The Struggle For The Ridges Overlooking The Orne

Whilst their comrades in the 7^th Battalion were being hard pressed in the Grimbosq bridgehead the other South Staffordshire battalions of 177 Brigade did not remain static. Between the Brigade and the river lay a series of ridges of increasing height before the land dropped away into the Orne valley. Each of these ridges overlooked its lower predecessor.

The ‘Your Men In Battle’ account describes the forward movement of 1/6^th Battalion on the 5^th August after a short period located in St Agneau le Malherbe, with the men of ‘C’ Company (which formed the advance guard) moving up towards the river on a fleet of bicycles shielded by a screen of carriers. The task of ‘C’ Company was to take the high ground of La Vestrie and Point 232 located approximately to the south east of their position in the direction of the Orne. Although these heights were unoccupied by the Germans, such was the nature of the undulating terrain that were the enemy to be in control of the ridge opposite La Vestrie and Point 232 every movement made by the Battalion would be observed which would spell disaster.

Facing 1/6^th ‘C’ Company was a feature called Sur le Mont, the first of major the ridges. Additionally, another ridge of high ground lay between Point 232 and Sur le Mont with the features of La Rocque and La Merit Lavria to the right and left respectively. These latter two objectives would have to be secured quickly.

‘B’ Company were tasked to take the objective of La Rocque whilst it was the job of ‘D’ Company to capture La Merit Lavria. Critically, no tank support was available for the attacks which were to go in at 1400 hours.

The ‘B’ Company assault was pressed home successfully and although they were shelled, few casualties resulted. ‘D’ Company had a harder time of it and the fact that most of their advance was made under the eyes of the Germans meant that the defensive mortar fire was deadly accurate. Upon approaching the objective of La Merit Lavria the Company separated, with two platoons moving to the right and the other platoon along with Battalion H.Q. moving to the left. The fighting was heavy and news coming back out of the line was sparse, other than messages received to say that the men were under heavy long range machine gun fire. ‘A’ Company under the command of Major Geoffrey Ball were requested to come to the assistance of ‘D’ Company but they were unable to do so, reporting back that they were ‘too tied up’. Artillery and tank support was called upon.

At 1700 hours a message came through from ‘D’ Company’s commander to state that one company and Battalion H.Q. had reached the objective and that the other two platoons were attempting to link up with H.Q. ‘A’ Company were ordered to attack the position at 2100 hours. At the point where the two parties of ‘D’ Company met up a shell exploded wounding two officers. Consequently, the command of ‘D’ Company was taken up by C.S.M. Balding.

The 9 pm assault by ‘A’ Company was successful and all units were able to dig in, assisted in doing so by the failing daylight. The Battalion was now holding ground facing, but under, Sur le Mont. The Germans knew the Battalion position and laid down heavy fire. In response, British guns returned fire threefold.

The next challenge for the Battalion was to take Sur le Mont itself. If successful this would leave one further ridge remaining before 177 Brigade would control the last high ground over the River Orne. To achieve this objective, ‘A’ Company were to attack a hamlet called Sous le Mont to the left whilst ‘B’ Company were to take the settlement of La Vaucelle on the right. Both companies were successful in achieving their objectives and the German units were in retreat. At this point, a patrol lead by one Lance Corporal Walker captured ten Germans, one of whom cooperated and directed the British Artillery guns on to the remaining German positions and this action was enough to persuade the enemy to withdraw. Thus the objective of Sous le Mont was delivered into Allied hands for a minimum of casualties.

In order to consolidate the Battalion gains, ‘C’ Company under the command of Lieutenant Ellison lead an assault, with tank support, on a position over the ridge called La Paugeais. The attack was successful and brought the 1/6^th to within one mile of the river bank. In the wake of the attack, the Germans retreated further towards the St Benin ridge in full sight of the British thus making themselves an easy target.

Sur le Mont was taken. The Battalion now controlled the east to west orientated road that ran over the Orne, through Thury Harcourt across to Falaise. However, the prize of the final ridge over the river, St Benin, was still occupied by both British and German troops.