A Tribute to a Soldier of the 5th South Staffordshire Regiment 75 Years On

John and Jan Clews at his Father's grave in the Bayeux Militery Cemery

29th June 2019.

Last month it was my privilege to participate with members of the 59th (Staffordshire) Division Association in their annual pilgrimage to the town of Thury Harcourt and its environs. The 59th Division landed on Normandy in late June 1944 as a follow up Division. Highly trained in the UK, their time as an active fighting unit in France was short. Such was the intensity of the fighting in which they were engaged in Operation Charnwood (a frontal assault on the Northern perimeter of Caen) and Operation Pomegranate (engagements to the south west of the city intended to force a crossing over the River Orne) that the Division was formally disbanded on towards the end of August 1944 and its soldiers were transferred to other reinforcement hungry English, Scottish and Welsh Regiments.

The relationship between the 59th (Staffordshire) Division and the townsfolk is very strong by virtue of the fact that on 13th August 1944 the actions of the 59th finally resulted in the liberation of Thury Harcourt.

My Grandfather served with ‘A’ Company of the 5th South Staffordshire Regiment, a unit within 177 Brigade of the 59th Division. My Grandfather came home from the war, injured but otherwise intact, the same cannot be said for many of his Divisional comrades. One such fellow soldier of ‘C’ Company of the 5th Staffs was 4923121 Private Percy Clews who was killed in action on 10th August 1944, 75 years ago yesterday. One of our travelling party that visited the grave within the Bayeux Military Cemetery was John Clews, son of Percy, who was just two years of age when his father fell. With John was his wife Jan. The couple reside in Lichfield which then as now is the home of the Staffordshire Regiment.

At the time of his death, the 5th South Staffs were engaged with the enemy on a series of ridges that approached the River Orne and overlooked the town of Thury Harcourt. In that second week of August the 5th from their high ground vantage point were able to direct vital artillery fire into the dense forest of Grimbosq, that faced the fragile bridgehead that had formed across the Orne, in which Panzer Battle Groups were forming up for counter attacks intended to smash the bridgehead.

At his Father’s plot, John delivered a speech about the fate of his Dad that was largely based upon a letter sent to his mother by ‘C’ Company Commander, Major Pearson which is reproduced below.

‘Copy of a letter sent to Mrs Percy Clews from Major B. Pearson, The South Staffordshire Regiment

Major B. Pearson
The South Staffordshire Regt
Maindiff Court
Abergevenny
Mon. Wales.
August 29th. 1944

My Dear Mrs Clews,

You have no doubt been wondering why I have taken so long to write, and offer not only my sympathy, but those of the whole Company at the loss of your Husband, my Batman.

I was hit by the same mine, and I have only just heard officially that Percy was killed, as I had feared. 

It isn’t an easy story to tell , Mrs Clews, and I am sure you don’t want to know all the full details.

I found it necessary to lead a patrol with stretcher bearers to recover one of my boys who had been wounded sometime before, and who was in need of treatment. Percy would not think of leaving me behind. We found the man but the Germans had surrounded him with shrapnel mines, I presume they realised that they would try to recover him. A stretcher bearer, after giving aid, trod on a mine which exploded, causing the death of your husband and wounding two of us. 

I had the lives of the others to consider so I ordered them back whilst I tried to give Percy some help, but poor lad, he had gone – without pain and without knowing what had happened. He looked very peaceful, his job well done. I had him recovered the same day and he was given a Military funeral, although I regret that I was not present, being on my way to hospital.

Between and Officer and his Batman there develops a spirit of comradeship far above expression by words – we thought such a lot of each other, and I have grieved for him very much indeed. He was killed giving help to his comrades and myself, and all of the Company have missed him so much.

His determination to make sure that I was not left unprotected at any time caused him to be killed.

He volunteered to join me that morning and was somewhat grieved, his words were “You are not going anywhere without me, are you Sir?” He always said, that to remain behind and wonder what was happening to me, was worse than accompanying me on the various excursions.

Above all my personal feelings, he was so very popular with his comrades. I am told that the whole Company were unbelievably depressed after the news had spread around, and each letter that I have had so far mentions how much they all miss Percy. They cannot miss him anymore than I do. His courage, devotion to duty, his cheerfulness, and his great personality endeared him to all our hearts, a sad loss.

Please forgive me for not writing before – I did hope that in the excitement of the battle that my diagnosis of his death might have been false and in fact he might be alive, I hoped so hard but to no avail.

I do hope that your loss has not proved to be unbearable. My wounds are confined to my left leg and I am managing to get around on crutches.

When I come to Lichfield I will endeavour to call and see you, if I may.

With best wishes for the future, and rest assured that your Husband will not be forgotten by

Yours sincerely,

B. Pearson. Major.'

To read these touching words from a man that I had previously written about in a book about my Grandfather’s service was something else and it was an absolute honour to be with John and Jan Clews as he paid tribute to the Father he never had the opportunity to know.

After the speech John laid the Association wreath at the Cross of sacrifice.

Wreath laying at the Bayeux Military Cemetery Cross of Sacrifice.

59th (Staffordshire) Division Association memorial wreath.

Later we paid a visit to the small but highly poignant Museum to the men of the 59th (Staffordshire) Division in Thury. Here there can be found a photograph of Percy Clews.

Private Percy Clews (Killed in action 10th August 1944)

'C' Company 5th South Staffordshire Regiment.

The incription on his headstone reads:

“MY DARLING HUSBAND PERCY. LOVE STILL LIVES IN TREASURED MEMORIES. WIFE MEG AND SON”

Memorial to Percy Clews in the 59th (Staffordshire) Division Museum

Thury Harcourt.

A Small Act of Remembrance - Normandy 2019

Two weeks ago it was my good fortune to be able to travel to Normandy with members of the 59th (Staffordshire) Division Association on a pilgrimage of Remembrance that formed part of the 75th anniversary commemorations of the D-Day landings.

My Grandfather, Jim Heath, was born in Silverdale, Newcastle-under-Lyme in September 1914. Although he left The Potteries in 1936 to join his older brothers who had found labouring work in Burgess Hill, West Sussex, soon after war came he travelled to Brighton to enlist. In January 1940 he joined the North Staffordshire Territorials and received instruction to report to Lichfield Infantry Training Centre where upon completion of his basic training he was transferred to ‘A’ Company of the 5th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment. It was with the South Staffords, as part of 59th Division, that he sailed to Normandy as a follow-up Division in the third week of June 1944.

In our small travelling party were close family members (sons and nieces) laying wreaths at the graves of their relatives. But, my Grandfather came back. Nevertheless, I wanted an act of Remembrance of my own. With hundreds or even thousands of graves in each of the three British War Cemeteries that we visited I did some homework to find someone in each with whom I could say that there was a connection with my Grandfather (be it home town or fighting unit or as in this case). Some basic research on the Commonwealth War Grave Commission website threw up some worthy candidates. I picked one Private William Edwin Robinson, like my Grandfather a soldier of the 5th Battalion and of a similar age, separated by 12 months or so (in relative terms at 30 and 31 they were old within their ranks).

On 7th July 1944, the newly arrived troops of the 5th South Staffs looked on from their forming up positions directly north of Caen as Bomber Command sent in wave upon wave of Halifax and Lancaster bombers (467 aircraft all told) over the northern perimeter of the Norman capital. They dropped a combined payload of 2,560 tons of high explosive, incendiary and delayed action bombs. This action was controversial and still triggers passionate debate despite the passage of 75 years. The issue was that Bomber Command insisted upon a 6,000 yard distant safety margin forward of the British line. However, such was the close proximity of the two opposing forces that the raid only served to damage areas behind the German defences and the result was that the bombing gained very little strategic advantage. At best it provided a morale boost to the newly arrived Staffords about to experience combat for the first time.

The 5th South Staffs (of 177 Brigade) were to be held in reserve in front of the fortified village of Cambes-en-Plaine with a view to exploit any gains of 197 Brigade opposite Galmanche and 176 Brigade facing La Bijude, La Londe and Epron.

The 5th first went into action on the afternoon of the 8th July with an attack on the Chateau of Galmanche. In a baptism of blood and fire the 5th Battalion and the 2/6th Battalion suffered heavy losses. Private Robinson’s ‘D’ Company launched a further attack on the Chateau in the half light of evening but were forced to withdraw. A regrouped ‘D’ Company would renew the assault on the 9th.

The fighting on the 9th and 10th July* in which ‘D’ Company of the 5th Battalion were engaged is described within the Battalions War Diary. Where military abbreviations have been used I have added the meaning in brackets for ease of reading.

‘At 1915 hrs 9 July, orders were received for the Coy (Company) attack to be put in on GALMANCHE, an enemy stronghold which the 2/6 S. STAFFORDS had not been able to capture. A recce (reconnaissance) was carried out and a plan was made. A troop of tanks was given to the Coy to support this attack.

The Coy was brought up from the assembly positions and the attack was timed to go in at 2045 hrs. At 2040 hrs the tanks were withdrawn from the Coy, as they had to go and rejoin their Regt. As arranged the attack went in, 16 Pl (Platoon) right, followed by 17 Pl who were detailed to carry out the thorough clearing of the buildings. The final objective was a row of trees some 400 yards from the start line.

The Coy advanced about 200 yards before it was opened up on by 6 or 8 M.G.s (machine guns) firing from either flank – the fire from these M.G.s was held until such time as the nearest M.G.s were firing almost into the rear of the Coy, thereby hemming them in. The enemy M.G.s fire was so fierce, that it was impossible for the Coy to advance further., although some men from 16 Pl actually reached the objective – they were however so few in numbers that they were unable to hold it.

17 and 18 Pls made desperate efforts to enter and clear the buildings, and under the leadership of Lieut L.A Stilling and Lieut T.H. Dando they succeeded in killing several Germans. Fierce fighting continued in the area of the buildings and adjoining orchard, until the enemy fire made it necessary for both the Pls to be withdrawn to the line of the hedgerow some 50 yards from the main buildings. Meantime the remainder of 16 Pl and Coy HQ were pinned to the ground by strong enemy fire from the left and from M.G.s sited in the upper rooms of the house. As it was by this time impossible to advance further, the only alternative was to remain under cover till dark, when it would be possible to withdraw the Coy. At approx. 2315 hrs the Coy was withdrawn, after having been more or less under continual heavy fire for almost 2 ½ hours.

During the clearing of the house excellent leadership was shown by 3770737 Pte (Private) Robinson, who after destroying an enemy M.G. continued to organise parties of men to try and clear the house. The Coy having been withdrawn, it was found that 5 men had been killed and 16 wounded, Lieut L.E. Hall, Comdr (Commander) 16 Pl had also been wounded.

During the night the Coy was reorganised and preparations were made for a further attack the following morning, this time two troops of tanks and on troop of AVREs (Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers) were in support.

The attack was starting at 1015 hrs and right away the tanks almost completely destroyed the buildings – the Coy advanced with 17 Pl left, 18 Pl right and 16 Pl following 18 Pl to carry out the clearing of the buildings. On this occasion the attack was successful, the objective taken and held until orders were received to rejoin the Battalion. One man was wounded’.

*As one would expect the account included the above quoted Appendix tallies with the information in the body of the War Diary itself in all but one detail. The Annex states that the fighting took place over the 9th to 10th when in fact the battle was fought over the 8th and 9th July, with the 10th occupied by weapons and equipment salvage and burial of the dead.

An aerial reconnaissance photograph of the Chateau and its grounds exists. It is clear even to the non-expert eye the extensive efforts that the SS had made in an attempt to make this stronghold impregnable.

The fortified village of Galmanche ahead of the 59th Division attack.

Today, Galmanche is a remote hamlet. The Chateau has been rebuilt, albeit on a more modest scale. The uninformed visitor would hardly know that anything had happened during the war in this place. Even to those in the know the clues are subtle. If approaching the new building along its extensive drive two of the outer walls of the original Chateau can be seen. Close examination reveals a great many pock marks left by bullets and scars gouged into the masonry by shells. At the top of the driveway almost hidden from view is a memorial to the men of the 59th who gave their lives in the struggle to capture Galmanche.

The battle scarred outer wall of the original Chateau that was destroyed on 9th July 1944.

The memorial to the 59th at Galmanche

(one of the hardest momuments to find in the whole of Normandy).

Our Private Robinson survived the battle and for his leadership of men on 8th July he received the Military Medal.

The citation reads as follows:

‘Pte Robinson took part in “D” Coy attack on the strong enemy posn (position) of GALMANCHE on the evening of 8th Jul 44. His Pl was detailed to clear buildings in which were several enemy machine guns. Several of his section were either killed or wounded, but in the face of heavy enemy fire, Pte Robinson went forward alone with a Bren gun and destroyed one enemy post. He then re-organised his section and continued the attack. Throughout the attack his gallant actions and powers of leadership were an inspiration to his comrades.’

The citation is signed by B.L. Montgomery Commander-in-Chief, 21 Army Group.

The recommendation for the award was initiated on 12th July; just four days after the events took place. However, the passage of the recommendation up the established chain of command was slow such that by the time that Monty added his signature, then Corporal Robinson’s war was over. The Military Medal was awarded posthumously on 19th October 1944.

Corporal William Edwin Robinson was killed on 9th August 1944. He was 31 years old. At that time 176 Brigade had forced a crossing over the River Orne to form a bridgehead opposite the Forêt de Grimbosq. At the same time the 5th battalion with 177 brigade were further to the south fighting for the successive ridges of high ground that approached the river and overlooked the town of Thury Harcourt. It is likely that he fell in this fighting that aimed to hold up German troops and armour and prevent them from turning their attention on the fragile bridgehead at Grimbosq.

In the oppressive heat (37°C in Bayeux) that scorched France on the weekend of our visit, I located the plot and placed a Royal British Legion cross at the grave.

William was son of Emily Duncalf and husband of Annie Robinson, both of Liverpool. His grave bears the inscription ‘A Foreign Grave is a Painful Thing Where Loving Hands No Flowers Can Bring ’.

‘When you go Home, tell them of us and say, For your Tomorrow, we gave our Today’.

59th (Staffordshire) Division Memorial Galmanche 19th May 2017

In May 2017 I returned to Normandy for the third time with some special tasks in mind that would wrap up my efforts to complete this 'Pithead Polar Bear' project of mine. 

In 2014, with the research in its infancy I made it to St Contest and the 59th Memorial in the square. On that occasion I left believing that the impressive property located next to the Church was the focus of the fighting in which my Grandfather with the 5th South Staffords was engaged over the 8th and 9th July 1944. 

Whilst La Grande Ferme, the aforementioned property, was indeed occupied and fought over,  the objective of the 5th South Staffs was located about a kilometer away. It was only on our most recent visit that Owen and I determined to finally find the elusive Galmanche memorial come what may. 

After the usual circuitous journeying along the narrowest of country lanes we spied two flag poles. Could it be that the side by side Tricolour and Union Flag marked the much sought after spot. Indeed it did and I was finally able to pay my respects at a spot that lay within 100 yards of where my Grandfather had fought 73 years earlier. Unusually I was well prepared and had with me a Royal British Legion with me for the occasion.

Over the past few years it had been my understanding that the only remaining evidence of the Chateau of Galmanche was now fashioned into the cross design memorial to the 59th that stands in St. Contest. However, having finally located this corner of Calvados we decided to venture further down the track, at the end of which the rebuilt property was visible. 

I have to say that I was thrilled to see that on either side of the new building their remained a couple of sections of the outer walls of the original Chateau and what's more, these walls were suitably peppered with bullet holes as well as bearing the scars of artillery attention.

Just to think that one of these pock marks could have originated from my Grandad's rifle...... assuming that he could shoot straight!

The approach to the original Chateau from the memorial site.

The rebuilt property on the site of the original Chateau Galmanche.

It is notable that the new building has retained the spiraled wrought iron work on the gates that can been seen on the photograph of the pre-war Chateau.

The original Chateau de Galmanche.

The photographs below show a section of the outer wall of the original Chateau bearing the scars of the July fighting as the 59th tried to dislodge the SS from the fortified position of Galmanche.

Scarred exterior wall of the original Chateau.

One of Jim Heath's potshots?

A Pithead Polar Bear is now available for purchase

I'm a bit late with this blog site, but the culmination of the work put in on here has finally been realised in print and I am very happy with the results. I am really pleased with the way that the sales are going. So far, 111 books of the 150 print run are accounted for. It is quite something for me to think that this humble family history is to be found on the bookshelves of friends and colleagues in the UK, France, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, America, Canada and Australia. Thank you one and all!

Adrian x.

More details can be found at:

http://apitheadpolarbear.blogspot.co.uk/

A Pithead Polar Bear - Coming Soon!

The culmination of three years research (not full time I may add) will be the publication of a physical book to be entitled 'A Pithead Polar Bear From Brighton to Belsen 1940 - 1946'.

I have set up a separate website in order to provide further information on the book, where and how to get it and any feedback I get on it as and when I get it out there (weeks rather than months now for certain).

apitheadpolarbear.blogspot.co.uk/

However, that is not the end of the road, this site will continue to be an means of passing on new information and discoveries as I intend to keep digging into this history (and the story on here is not yet complete anyway!).

Please feel free to share....

Best wishes,

Adrian.

Extraordinary Colour Footage of Operation Charnwood

Some fantastic footage of 'Operation Charnwood' and the struggle to take control of Caen has been brought to my attention. The footage depicts both the Allies and the German formations fighting bitterly around the city. Having visited the area to the north of Caen where my Grandfather first saw action in the area of St. Contest-Galamanche, this footage features a very similar landscape to that which I walked across, the difference being I wasn't being shelled!

11th Royal Scots Fusiliers 1940 to 1944 (The Seine)

It is not my intention to give within these pages to give a detailed history of the 11th R.S.F. prior to the date of Jim Heath's transfer in August 1944. But, some words are required in order to understand how it came to be that men of the 59th were transferred to the 49th (West Riding) Division and the 11th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers.

11th Battalion Royal Scots Fusiliers was formed on 5th June 1940. Once the unit had reached field strength it took up the responsibility of coastal defence activities in the Norfolk area. At this time it formed a part of the 76th Infantry Division. Life for a soldier in the nascent 11th pretty much mirrored that of a soldier of the 5th South Staffordshire Regiment of the 59th Division. Time not spent in defence work was occupied by intensive training through endless exercises that were intended to physically transform civilians into soldiers. Classes and practicals in combat techniques and weaponry were also the order of the day.

On 7th September 1942 the 11th R.S.F. joined the 49th (West Riding) Division, with whom they were to remain for the duration of the war. Training stepped up a gear at the end of the year with sections of the Battalion selected for specialised mountain combat training. When in May 1943 the 49th (West Riding) Division was identified as a beach assault division, the remainder of the 11th moved up to Scotland to continue training. Notably from this time, the exercises took on a far more realistic nature. At Rothesay on the Isle of Bute the Battalion practised and mastered beach landings from LCA (Landing Craft Assault) boats, the very same ones that would be used in Normandy the following year. In Perthshire, Engineers constructed full scale German fortifications with all of the barbed wire, trenchworks and gun positions that were known to be defending the Normandy beaches. Lieutenant William Douglas (later Colonel Douglas), described this part of the training and the readiness of his men thus 'We practised with Bangalore torpedoes, you know the thing like a drain pipe full of explosives which you push through the barbed wire, bang and up it goes, storming in, flame throwers, grenades, through the slit trenches and so on and we got to the stage where we could do it in the daylight, we could do it in the dark. You didn’t really have to give any orders to your men, you just sort of said ‘There it is, usual plan, off we go!’'

Then however the 11th Battalion suffered a bitter blow to their morale. Field Marshall Montgomery expressed the opinion that as a formation thus far untested in the field, the 49th Division should be replaced as a beach assault division by one that had recent battle experience. One such division was 3rd Division, also known as the Iron Sides, a division that had previously been under the command of Montgomery himself. The 3rd Division took the place of the 49th Division, who in turn were to become a 'follow up' division to the main invasion force.

In the immediate aftermath of D-Day, the 11th R.S.F. concentrated in Great Yarmouth on the 6th June prior to embarking the 'Cheshire' in Southampton. An uneventful crossing saw them landed on the Normandy shore at the small port of Le Hamel, located on the 'Gold Beach' area some way east of Arramanches. The landing took place on 11th June (D+5).

Once ashore the Battalion concentrated in the area of Fresnay le Crotteur prior to relieving the 1/4th Kings Own Yorkshire Light Infantry (KOYLI) in the area of Bronay on 15th June.The Battalion first engaged with the enemy on 16th June with a diversionary attack on the village of Christot which resulted in the first Battalion casualties. The liberation of Bronay was achieved later that same day.

Later in the month the 11th Battalion were engaged as part of 'Operation Martlet'. 'Martlet, represented the first occasion in which all formations of the 49th operated at a Divisional level. The 49th along with the 50th (Northumbrian) Division were given the task of capturing Juvigny-sur-Seulles, Vendres and Rauray, in doing so thus protecting the right flank of the VIII Corps who were to commence 'Operation Epsom' which had the objective of breaking out of the bridgehead to the west of Caen, to cross the River Orne in order to take the high ground to the south of the city.

A three -phase attack was planned for 147 Brigade of the 49th, with 11th Battalion having the first phase objective of Fontenay le Pesnel, in the second phase another Battalion were to take St Nicholas Fe, with the 11th engaged once more in the 3rd phase with the objective of Rauray. The attack commenced at 4.15 a.m. on 25th June. The preparatory artillery bombardment was intense, but a combination of the dust and debris thrown up by the shelling, concealing smoke laid down at the time of the advance and the early morning mist reduced visibility to about two yards. Into this curtain 'B' and 'C' Companies of the Battalion moved forward. This poor visibility coupled with with the devastating defencive fire of the 12th Panzer Division resulted in chaos as men became lost as they moved forward. To make matters worse, all their radios were knocked out. In this confusion opposing forces engaged in vicious hand to hand fighting and casualties were high. Several hours into the attack, the reserve companies of 'A' and 'D' moved forward, gathering up the remnants of their sister companies as they did so. Enemy fire remained heavy and accurate such that by late morning only about 70 men remained. However, despite the odds, by noon, 'A' and 'D' Companies had gained a foothold on the western end of Fontenay le Pesnel and by 3pm had consolidated their position, being too low in numbers to advance further. The other Battalion successfully attacked the rest of Fontenay on passing through to the second phase objective of St Nicholas Fe. With the Fusiliers dug in, stock was taken of the casualties of the day which amounted to 7 officers and 194 other ranks.

Detail of the Polar Bear memorial located at Fontenay le Pesnel

It was after the fighting at Fontenay le Pesnel that the the 11th had to take on drafts of reinforcements from English regiments, a process that raised concerns about the character of the Battalion and its 'Scottishness'. However, as Colonel Douglas (11th Battalion) later stated 'A couple of days later we got a lot of reinforcements from English regiments because on the whole they were running out of Scotsmen and there was a certain amount of gloom at getting all these Englishmen. Oh dear, you know, how are we going to get on with them. Of course, like converts to a new religion, they became more Scottish than the Scots, they were terribly proud to wear their Scottish bonnets, learn the history. They guarded our traditions better than our own chaps in the end!'.

On 28th June the 11th R.S.F.moved west, taking up a position to the north of Juvigny and forming the right flank of 49th Division. For the next nine days the Fusiliers were engaged in aggressive patrolling and efforts to strengthen their defensive positions. Between 7th July and 25th July the 11th Battalion spent time in the line several positions, including Rauray and in rest areas Ducy St. Marguerite and Chouain. Nevertheless, harrying, offencive patrolling was also maintained in this period. The end of the month saw the Battalion in defensive positions at Frenouville to the south east of Caen where they remained until 9th August.

By this time in August the writing was on the wall for the forces of the Reich west of the Seine. 'Operation Totalise' aimed to punch through the German defences south of Caen in the direction of Falaise, the area of which formed the pivotal point or hinge of the German front.

As part of 'Totalise' the 11th Battalion of the 49th Division (currently transferred out of XXX Corps and under the command of I Corps) were to progress parallel, but to the east, of the main advance along the axis of the Caen to Falaise road. The objective was to take positions in the village of Vimont, approximately due north of Falaise itself. The attack opened on 10th August in a two phase plan. The first phase commenced at first light and the Battalion lost six tanks to anti-tank mines laid alongside the main railway line to Caen. Phase two started at 0640 hours when 'B' and 'C' Companies advanced on the objective. However, the advance was held up by heavy shell fire and machine gun fire, and under such fire, it was impossible to commit the reserve Companies of 'A' and 'D'. The leading companies could not consolidate their gains, neither could tanks dislodge the machine gun positions without risking heavy losses. As a result, the Fusiliers were ordered to withdraw to a line that could be held. This was to be at Bellengraville. The action was not without human cost with casualties suffered of 6 officers and 44 other ranks.

During the night of 12th to 13th August, the 11th Battalion were relieved by the 1st Leicesters (who had recently replaced another Battalion in 147 Brigade), the former returning to Frenouville where they remained until 15th August.

On the 15th the 11th Battalion returned to Vimont, passing through the Leicesters to positions in Moult which was found to be clear of the enemy, who were by this time executing a rapid retreat. Here the Battalion rested until 19th August when they moved on transport to positions to the east of Mezidon where they relieved the 11th Durham Light Infantry.

Locations of the 11th R.S.F. in mid August 1944

After this point, the pursuit of the enemy in the direction of the Seine became a much more mobile affair and the men of the Battalion moved mounted on tanks, trucks, abandoned German vehicles and any thing else that was still capable of forward movement. The Battalion progressed rapidly now eastwards in the direction of the Seine, passing through St Plait, Dumont, Baignard, Ouilly-Le-Victome, Lieury, St Martin and Appeville to the banks of the River Touque. Fighting was sporadic as the Germans in retreat put up a periodic stand. One such engagement occurred at  Ouilly-Le-Victome on the evening of 22nd August when the Battalion along with the 1st Leicesters were to attack the village in order to establish a bridgehead across the River Touque. This action resulted in the loss of two Fusiliers killed and three wounded. Thus the Touque was crossed. Further east, the River Risle was crossed in the area of Appeville, after 'C' Company had secured the bridge on 26th August. This was the same day as the transfer of my Grandfather from the 5th South Staffords to the 11th R.S.F.

After a circuitous route of 150 miles in a ramshackle convoy of twenty abandoned German vehicles in order to cover a direct distance of 15 miles, the Battalion reached their crossing point of the great Seine at Elbeuf, some 14 miles to the south of the city of Rouen. The crossing was made on 4th September 1944.

Platoon Photograph - 5th South Staffordshire Regiment Newcastle-Under-Lyme Christmas 1941

Here is a photo of my Grandfather's platoon of 'A' Company of the 5th South Staffordshire Regiment. A hand written note on the reverse indicates that the photograph was taken in Newcastle-Under-Lyme at Christmas 1941.

My Grandfather is pictured sixth from the right in the middle row. Interestingly, the photograph also identifies the only other name of the 5th Staffords known to the family. My Grandfather was remembered making reference in his lifetime to a friend and fellow soldier in his Company who went by the nickname of  'Fump'. His name was George Blount and he is pictured in the middle row, second from the left. In a note, again on the reverse of the photograph, in my Grandfather's careful hand, is George's location in the shot and 'Whit Marines Wolverhampton'. I believe 'Whit Marines' is a misspelling and mishearing of Whitmore Reans an area of Wolverampton, a city that at the time was in Staffordshire, prior to forming part of the metropolitan county of the West Midlands from 1974. I presume Whitmore Reans was where George Blount resided before enlisting.

The Last Action of the 59th - 5th Battalion in Menil Vin and Rabodanges

The 5th Battalion were involved in the last offensive action of the Staffordhire Regiments in Normandy.

Having secured Fresnay, the Battalion advanced to the river achieving a crossing on 16th August approximately two miles to the south of Thury Harcourt by way of a small ferry. Resistance coming from the town had largely been subdued over the previous few days as a result of an attack on the stronghold on by the 2nd Gloucestershire Regiment. With the crossing effected by the 5th South Staffords to the south and the news that the 2/5th Lancashire Fusiliers had reached Le Grand Donnay some four miles south east of Thury Harcourt the defenders of the town feared being cut off from the main body of the retreat. Upon crossing the only opposition encountered by the 5th came from a few snipers in the rear guard, who were put to flight by returning fire. Those that did not flee surrendered and were taken prisoner.

The next strongpoint objective had been identified as the small settlements of Menil Hermai and Rabodanges, also on the Orne approximately twenty miles to the south east of Thury Harcourt. 'A' and 'B' Companies under Major Grey and Major Smallwood respectively were to capture Menil Hermei village in an attack supported by tank and artillery. However, upon advancing on the objective, after the artillery ceased firing, the village was found to be clear of the enemy. The Germans were replaced by French villagers who filled the main street to celebrate in such numbers that the tanks were prevented from moving forward.

French girls pour a drink for a British soldier in Vernon, 25 August 1944 © IWM (BU 59).

http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205206794

'A' and 'B' Companies were ordered to hold Menil Hermei against a possible counterattack and to provide a secure base for 'C' and 'D' Companies who were to attack the village of Rabodanges and the nearby objective high ground of Point 206. 'C' Company (under Major Hall) and 'D' Company (under Major McIntyre) advanced along the Menil Hermei-Rabodanges road screened by carriers. When the leading carrier was destroyed after hitting a mine, this signaled the commencement of the German defensive response with heavy fire brought down upon the two Companies from every weapon available. Regardless, the attack Companies forged ahead and achieved contact with the enemy. Fighting raged for several hours before 'C' and 'D' Companies were ordered to consolidate the gains and dig in a short distance from Point 206.

The fighting had left the Companies short of ammunition such that a counterattack would have had grave consequences. It was the courageous actions of one Captain Graham Ellis, who with a pioneer platoon, cleared a path through mines whilst under heavy fire, that allowed desperately needed ammunition to be brought up the line. For this feat Captain Ellis was awarded the Military Cross. He was later killed in action. The anticipated counterattack never came, in part as a result of aggressive patrolling and heavy artillery fire brought down on the known German positions throughout the night.

It was on the 21st August after further artillery 'softening up' of the Point 206 objective that the high ground was taken . The Germans attempted to dislodge the 5th Battalion from Point 206 with heavy fire from their long range guns, but no counterattack was put in by the infantry.

In this way the last battle of the 59 (Staffordshire) Division concluded with the enemy encircled in the Falaise area and focused only on their efforts escape from the jaws of the 'Pocket' that the Allied armies had created.

5th Battalion South Staffordshire Regiment Assault on Fresnay

Ariel photograph of Thury Harcourt showing the loop in the Orne

Whilst 1/6th Battalion were engaged in the area of Sur le Mont, the sister battalions of the 2/6th and the 5th were preparing to move forward.

• On 3rd August 2/6th moved to La Vestrie where they remained for a few days planning operations that were ultimately cancelled.
• On the morning of the same day, 5th Battalion also started an advance from the Noyers sector through Villers-Bocage. In doing so the intention was to harry the German withdrawal and to force a river crossing for the tanks so that the encirclement of the German forces in the area of Falaise could be completed.

With prior knowledge of a 53 (Welsh) Division attack on enemy positions still held in the Villers-Bocage area, resistance was expected to be light and this was indeed the case. In covering the eight miles to Villers-Bocage only a few snipers were encountered along with some small pockets of resistance put up by fanatical men of the SS. My Grandfather’s ‘A’ Company lead this advance under the command of Major Grey.

It was only with the Orne in sight that serious opposition was met with. Intelligence reports informed that the high ground of the Fresnay was held in strength. Capture of his ground was critical as it afforded a clear view of the bridges over the Orne at Thury Harcourt. The 5th Battalion were ordered to capture the Fresnay position and force a river crossing.

R.A.F. reconnaissance photograph of Thury Harcourt with the bridge and ford circled

The plan of attack was as follows:

• A two company assault by ‘A’ Company (under Major Grey) on the left and ‘B’ Company (under Major Smallwood) on the right from the village of Fresnay to capture the high ground overlooking the Thury Harcourt crossings
• ‘C’ Company (under Major Pearson) and ‘D’ Company (under Major McIntyre) to force a river crossing by any means and to secure and hold a bridgehead until bridges could be constructed.

Supporting fire power for this action was limited to a few small artillery pieces, 3-inch mortars and several Churchill tanks. ‘A’ and ‘B’ Companies launched the assault at 2.30 on the afternoon of 8th August but were quickly pinned down by accurate heavy mortar and machine gun fire and the attack was temporarily halted. The Churchill tanks of the Guards Armoured Division that were up with  the leading platoons attempted to assist by diverting around the left flank to establish effective firing positions in order to neutralise the German fire. However, conditions were such that after four of the tanks became bogged down the tactic was abandoned and the remaining mobile tanks concentrated on supporting the infantry companies who were taking cover whilst returning small arms fire.

The casualties inflicted upon ‘A’ Company (50%) and ‘B’ Company (10%) testify to the accuracy and ferocity of the German defence of the Fresnay ridge. In the face of these high casualty rates chances of imminent success in capturing the high ground were minimal, especially since artillery support was not forthcoming (the guns of the Division were either moving up from the Noyers sector or supporting the 1/6th Battalion assault to the right of the 5th). Orders were received to hold the position overnight whilst continuing to patrol the area aggressively.

It was apparent that the enemy wished to break off the engagement at Fresnay in order to concentrate on smashing the Grimbosq bridgehead and securing their northern flank within the Falaise Pocket. By way of belligerent patrolling, the 5th Battalion aimed to keep the German troops occupied in defence and away from the bridgehead.

The importance of taking the ridge near Fresnay remained to be of critical importance as from the high ground observers would be able to direct artillery fire down onto the German formations attacking the bridgehead positions.

5th Battalion were ordered to renew the assault on the high ground, but with ‘A’ Company now in reserve and seeking reinforcements (having been relieved by ‘D’ Company) it fell to ‘C’ Company to complete the task.

Once again intelligence reports suggested that the enemy were jittery and nervous in anticipation of the next Allied move. British positions were untroubled by German patrols at this time. The decision was made that ‘C’ Company, under Major Pearson, would attack the German positions over the night of 9th and 10th August. The terrain over which ‘C’ Company were to advance leading to the assault was ideal. Thick undergrowth ran up the slopes to within fifty yards of the leading German positions and as the light faded on the evening of the 9th the Company advanced with stealth to the edges of the concealed area in front of the German foxholes. It was apparent to the men of ‘C’ Company that the Germans were completely unaware of their close proximity to the Staffords. The Germans believed that they were secure behind a protective wall of dense shrub, the disturbance of which would additionally offer an advance warning of any attack.

Finally the men of the Company were in position in light conditions that friend could be distinguished from foe at a distance of only two yards. The Company then closed the separating 50 yard gap between opposing positions and fell upon the enemy in a surprise attack. Screaming and howling they engaged their bewildered adversaries in a vicious struggle at close quarters with heavy reliance on the bayonet and grenade.

The ‘Your Men In Battle’ account records that the fighting continued throughout the night. Surprisingly there were periods of eerie stillness, but these were punctuated by occasional cries of German soldiers being dispatched by a bayonet. Dawn brought with it five enemy counter attacks in quick succession, but each were repelled and the Germans retreated in disarray leaving behind many of their dead comrades and a mess of abandoned equipment.

The high ground around Fresnay was now finally under British control and thus the 5th were in a position to establish artillery observation posts from which devastating fire was directed on to German positions opposing the 7th Battalion in the bridgehead and the 1/6th Battalion to their right. For the 1/6th this was a satisfying reversal of the situation they had faced at Dunkirk back in 1940.

The Battle for Noyers – The 5th South Staffordshire Regiments Second Engagement (Phase II)

The Presebytery in Noyers

June/July 1944

The second phase of the Battle for Noyers commenced at 5.30 pm when the 2/6th Battalion units, held in reserve to exploit the gains of the 1/6th and 5th, crossed their start line advancing to the northern perimeter of Noyers village.

The Battalion were to carry out a relatively simple battle plan which was as follows. 'A' Company (under Major Garrett) and 'C' Company (under Major Deuchar M.C.) were to lead the assault with 'A' formed upon the right and 'C' to the left of the main road that ran from Quediville to Noyers. It was the task of 'B' Company (under Major Logan) and 'D' Company (under Captain Glauert) to follow on and mop up the positions.

The well entrenched German defenders of Noyers were to be dealt with in the following manner. The infantry units were to advance towards Noyers behind an artillery barrage sighted on suspected German strongholds in the village. Dug in machine gun nests were the target of two Sherman tank squadrons whilst the on-coming infantry were to see to the German anti-tank guns.

The landscape into which the soldiers advanced was horrific. Colonel Finlinson described the scene in the following terms 'strewn with very dead cows and very dead Germans with knocked out tanks on both sides'.

When my Grandfather took the time to recount his memories of his time in Normandy he spared me the more graphic details of the realities of 'total war', he did however recall the unpleasantries endured by the soldiers who were sharing the fields of Calvados with the same 'very dead cows' as described by Colonel Finlinson. Dead cattle were a ubiquitous feature of this landscape in the summer of 1944. Very dead indeed with legs pointing skyward. After death the animals started to bloat (a normal process of putrifaction as the the bacterial fauna present in all mammals got down to business). The heat of summer accelerated this process. The problems for the troops would begin when a bullet or shrapnel fragment opened the corpse up thus allowing the accumulated gases to escape. The resulting stench was atrocious and remained as one of his abiding memories of his time in Normandy.

The troops advanced towards Noyers and found German opposition to be light and limited to spasmodic artillery and mortar fire over the first two thousand yards of their forward movement. Resistance increased somewhat as the soldiers neared the woods and orchards just north of Noyers. Well camouflaged snipers and machine gun posts opened up but some of their crews fled their positions fearful of being overrun by the on-coming tanks.

Noyers church before the fighting

Before 6.30 pm 'A' Company were in the proximity of the station and 'C' Company had reached the farm buildings on the northern perimeter of Noyers village as darkness started to fall. This was achieved with low casualties. 

Without a firm foothold in Noyers and with a new understanding that the village was larger than originally anticipated, house to house fighting by depleted units in failing light was not an option. Under such circumstances it was necessary to consolidate the gains and dig in until dawn. During the night, the German defenders returned to their original positions close to the station and their mortars harried the offensive British patrols.

Noyers station before the war

Meanwhile, 'C' Company (Major Pearson) of 5th Battalion, having received orders the previous evening, moved up the line and launched an attack at 5.30 am on the station with tank support to assist the hard pressed 2/6th Battalion. Reports that the area was free of the enemy proved to be inaccurate and the 5th Battalion fought viciously until 1.30 pm in the afternoon against strongly held German positions for little gain.

Once again the South Staffords regrouped and the much depleted Companies  of the 2/6th were brought under the temporary command of Major Pearson (5th Battalion) who along with his own 'C' Company launched another assault on the left flank.. The station was near at hand by eight that evening, but the defence continued to be determined and effective. As night fell, the attackers took up positions surrounding the station so that heavy fire could be brought down on the railway station.

The shattered shell of Noyers station after the fighting of July

This phase of the action brought in many German prisoners and the Battalions PIATs (Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank (PIAT), a British man-portable anti-tank weapon) accounted for three enemy tanks. However, these gains were achieved at a very heavy price. For example, 'C' Company of the 5th Battalion lost 75% of its effective force, killed or wounded in the action.

After the fighting on 17th July 'C' Company rejoined 5th Battalion.

The remainder of 5th Battalion received orders to exploit earlier successes and advance the attack on Noyers from the north east on order to move in line with the 2/6th. At the same time 1/6th Battalion's orders were to capture Bordel and likewise draw up in line with the 2/6th, thus reaffirming the front line of the 1/6th on the right, the 5th on the left and the 2/6th in the centre. The intention was for the 1/6th and 5th to coordinate their assaults down the main road to Noyers at 12.55 pm. The attack was supported by tank squadrons although at this point in the battle tank numbers were very much depleted.

Initially on the right, 'B' and 'D' Companies of the 1/6th made good progress against light opposing machine gun and mortar fire. 'D' Company, with the objective of an orchard to the right of some of the buildings of Bordel, advanced deep into the orchard and were at the point of emerging when well concealed German forces of some considerable strength inflicted very heavy casualties on the South Staffords with intense and accurate machine gun fire. The men were ordered to withdraw in the face of such deadly and effective resistance. Subsequent attempts by 'D' Company of the 1/6th proved to be futile and the attackers withdrew to the orchard's edge.

Meanwhile on the left, the 5th were similarly facing fierce opposition from a determined enemy in defence to the extent that orders were issued to consolidate rather than to attempt any further advance.

Small scale attacks and harassing manoeuvres continued for the next few days with the objective of grinding down the Germans grip on Noyers. However, in the aftermath of the intensive combat over the 16th to 18th July it was clear that the fighting units were in great need of reinforcement before any further effective use could be made of the South Staffords.

Noyers church in ruins (July 1944)

Subsequently, the 1/6th held the line through the Noyers position, the 2/6th moved back into reserve, the 5th moved to Missy approximately a mile to the south east of Noyers and the 7th moved to Brettevillette and subsequently to Rauray.

The village of Noyers remained contained by the Allies until the first week of August when, upon learning of an attempt by the defenders to withdraw to the line of the River Orne to the south west of Caen, the 2/6th Battalion launched an attack on the 2nd August with the intention of gaining a position astride the Noyers to Villers-Bocage road. At 0430 hours 'C' Company, commanded by Major Clarke, advanced on the objective of Point 142, a position of high ground in front of the Battalion that straddled the road. With tank support the objective was achieved with little difficulty, although Major Clarke suffered fatal wounds in the assault. Subsequently, the rest of the Battalion moved up close behind in the area of Landel.

The Battle for Noyers – The 5th South Staffordshire Regiments Second Engagement (Phase I)

The remains of a farm, Noyers June/July 1944

In the aftermath of Operation Charnwood (7th to 9th July) all four battalions of the South Staffordshire Regiment (1/6th, 2/6th, 5th and 7th Battalions) were taken out of the line for a rest and to allow units to reorganise after their first blooding in and around the villages of Bijude and Galamanche.

A mere 48 hours after going into reserve, the South Staffords received orders that they were to participate in an action intended to secure the fortified village of Noyers located in the centre of the Pomegranate front line. Across this front, 59th Division occupied the centre with the 49 (West Riding) Division and 53 (Welsh) Division on their right and left flanks respectively.

The intention of Operation Pomegranate was to enlarge the Normandy bridgehead and if things went well to break out of it.

The village of Noyers was heavily defended and was itself approximately three miles inside the German lines. With limited objectives the plan of attack for the men of South Staffordshire was as follows:

• 1/6 Battalion were to attack on the right or north side of the Caen to Noyers railway.
• 5 Battalion were to attack on the left or south of the railway line
• 2/6 Battalion were held back along with tank support to exploit any successes on either side with the objective of getting into Noyers if at all possible.

Each battalion was to have the usual support from artillery and mortar formations.

In this third week of July, the British and Canadian forces were holding a line that ran from the bridgehead across the River Orne to the north of Caen, through Caen and onto Tilly in the west. To the south of Caen, the village of Noyers formed the approximate location of Montgomery’s hinge within which it was crucial to hold up the German forces (their heavy armour in particular) for as long as humanly possible in order to facilitate a rapid breakout of the US 1st Army, then fighting down through the Contentin Penninsula to the north west.

Two problems immediately presented themselves to the attacking forces, the first was the bocage, the network of high, dense, mature hedgerows that were a defending army’s ideal terrain, and the second was the thorough defensive measures that the German’s had employed. Six weeks into the Normandy campaign brought the German Army to the realisation that the original intention to drive the Allies back into the sea had dispersed like so much smoke on the battlefield. Emphasis shifted to a plan of determined defence with every yard of ground to be fought over. Villages in the area, as well as the approaches to Noyers itself, were laid thickly with mines.

Five minutes in advance of ‘H’ hour at 0530 hours, the artillery opened up with the established tactic of pinning the defenders down whilst alerting the enemy of the immanency of an attack. Under the barrage of guns in their hundreds, the supporting  tanks rolled over the start line.

1/6th South Staffords, under the overall command of Lieutenant-Colonel D.G.B. Ridout was formed up as follows:

• ‘A’ Company (under Major T.J. Rutherford) with the objective of the woods and outbuildings of the village of Brettevillette.
• ‘B’ Company (under Major Brian Barber) who were to attack a known enemy position located in a group of buildings halfway along the road between Brettevillette and Quediville.
• ‘C’ Company (under Captain Mervyn Seldon) on the left , with Quediville as its objective.
• ‘D’ Company (under Major Jerry Roy) was held in reserve in order to pass through ‘A’ Company and capture the remainder of Brettevillette and to take the forward positions of Bordel if the opportunity presented itself.

1/6th ‘A’ Company progress into the orchards of Brettevillette was seriously hampered by the now to be expected heavy and accurate mortar fire, but eventually the orchard objective was reached, albeit at a high cost in terms of casualties.

A notable deed within the Company is worthy of mention here.

‘The platoon assaulted according to plan, but the opposition was fierce. Lieutenant J. Lunn, commanding No. 7 platoon, did some fine work, but immediately afterwards was seriously wounded and died some time later. All three platoons by now had entered the first orchard, but were pinned down to the ground by withering fire.

Company H.Q., following closely, also got into the orchard. Casualties were now mounting, among them being Lance-Corporal Preston who was carrying the wireless set. He was killed in a minefield and, as communication to bring down supporting fire was essential, Private C.H.S. Drain, without hesitation, crawled over the minefield to where Lance-Corporal Preston lay, removed the set and brought it back to safety. When he got back he found that the aerial rods had been left behind, so he made the perilous journey again to get them. He was able to get the set working and bring down gunfire to stop the fire from the left flank. For this action Private Drain was awarded the M.M. (Military Medal)’. ‘His steadiness and coolness’, the citation concluded, ‘were an example to his comrades, who were all having their first experience of battle’.

‘B’ Company were pulled up short at the point of capturing their objective. Determined resistance from the defenders well dug in in a sunken track halted the advance. The commanding officer, Major Barber, in a stunning display of courage, commanded a number of tanks, each of which, bar the last, was knocked out or ‘brewed up’. Eventually, a combination of tank and infantry was able to overrun the German positions and secure the buildings between Brettevillette and Quediville, their assigned objectives.

‘C’ Company faired badly, having no radio communication at all. Their supporting tanks ran into a minefield. Nevertheless, ‘C’ Company’s objective, Quediville, was eventually taken thanks to the inspired leadership of Major Seldon who received the Military Cross for this action.

As for their alphabetical neighbours, ‘D’ Company also had a hard time of it in the face of the usual heavy mortar fire laid down by the enemy. Another personal account that appears in the ‘Your Men In Battle’ history at once provides a blackly humorous, yet accurate incident that occurred in this action. One Private Riley launched himself into a slit trench in order to gain some cover, but in doing so quickly realised that the trench was not vacant. Exiting almost as quickly as he entered, he explained that he trench had ‘live Jerries in it’. A Sergeant Bills was on hand to ensure that a few moments later  the same slit trench retained its German occupants but they were no longer alive.

At the tail end of the 1/6th Battalion's assault, 7th Battalion were ordered in to attack and occupy the area between Noyers railway station and Brettevillette on the basis of intellegence reports of a German retreat from this land. The attack with heavy artillery and machine gun support resulted in the objective being secured by 5pm in the evening with very few casualties sustained.

On the lest of the 177 Brigade front, 5th Battalion led by Lieutenant-Colonel M.B. Jenkins attempted to take the first allocated positions with two companies passing through to take Battalion objectives.

The deployment of the 5th Battalion was as follows:

Initial assault companies,

• 'B' Company on the right (under Major Smallwood)
• 'C' Company on the left (under Major Pearson)

had the combined objective of the orchards to the west of Granville-sur-Odon.

With the orchards successfully delivered into the hands of the 5th Battalion, it then fell to the follow-up  companies of

• 'A' Company (under Major Grey) and
• 'D' Company (under Major McKintyre)

to push the advance further in a south westerly direction to take the objective of the area around Bas des Forges.

The enemy were situated a mere five hundred yards from the 5th Battalion forces at the time of this planned action.

Of the attack, Major Pearson of 'C' Company reported that each of the assaulting companies ('B' and 'C') advanced, each with a squadron of tanks in support, of which several were disabled when they ventured off paths that had been cleared of mines.

At a distance of two hundred to three hundred yards the defenders opened up with that accurate and heavy mortar fire which, coupled with well laid mines created a disorientating smoke screen. Nevertheless, 'B' Company eventually emerged through this confusion to enter their objective of the orchard which lay to the north of Noyers railway station. On the left, the 'C' Company advance stalled temporarily at a point one hundred yards in front of the enemy and were forced to reorganise before renewing the assault on the right of their flank with support from one functioning tank that had successfully negotiated the German laid minefield. Ultimately, 'C' Company achieved their objective with an impressive haul of;

• 87 prisoners
• 17 machine guns
• 2 half track armoured vehicles

for a relatively light casualty tally.

The actions of 'C' Company on the 16th July added another two Military Medals to the honours received by the 5th Battalion.

'C' Company's Sergeant Hill (a resident of Stoke) was awarded the distinction by virtue of the fact that despite his own wounds and the near annihilation of his own platoon he insisted upon fighting on. He was ordered to retire to a casualty clearing station on three separate occasions by Major Pearson and finally moved back unaided, by his own insistence, despite a major loss of blood.

A Private Pickstone received the Military Medal when, as a stretcher bearer, he recovered a wounded colleague, Lieutenant Howard, under heavy enemy fire, dragging his 17-stone dead weight across four hundred and fifty yards of terrain to reach medical assistance thereby saving the soldier's life.

At the conclusion of this action, 'D' Company and my Grandfather's 'A' Company passed through their sister companies and secured Bas Des Forges. This concluded the initial phase of the Battle for Noyers.

A local cemetery in Noyers after war passed through

June/July 1944

A Small Act Of Remembrance - Cambes-en-Plaine Cemetery 10th May 2014

Having just seen the now much transformed location of the 5th Battalion's first action, it was absolutely fitting that our next port of call would be the Cambes-en-Plaine Cemetery, a few kilometers from St. Contest and seven kilometers north west of Caen.

Entrance to the Cambes-en-Plaine Cemetery

It is in this cemetery that many of the men of both the South and North Staffordshire Regiments who fell during the Charnwood fighting of the 8th and 9th July are buried. Impeccably tended (as indeed are all accessible Commonwealth War Grave cemeteries), I found this again to be very moving as this place brought home the human cost of an action such as Charnwood, the impact of which in 2014 is more or less invisible in the villages in which so much blood was shed. Accounts of the battle in print are all well and good, but facts and figures cannot convey the horrors of war in the way that a cemetery can!

In Cambes-en-Plaine Cemetery row upon row of the familiar portland headstones bear the knot of Staffordshire. In fact more than half of the 224 burials in this small plot of land are of Staffords of the 59th Division.

Staffords lined up in Cambes-en-Plaine Cemetery

On an trip earlier in the week to the Wellington Quarry (La Carriére Wellington) in Arras I picked up a British Legion cross with the express intention of laying it, as a representative of my Grandfather. in one of the cemeteries most closely associated with the 59th (Staffordshire) Division.

Initially, I planned to lay the tribute in the Divisional cemetery further to the south in the Fontenay-le-Pesnel, but after our recent encounter in St. Contest a grave in the Cambes-en-Plaine Cemetery seemed to be the right place.

I originally had the idea to locate the grave of an unknown soldier of the South Staffordshire Regiment upon which to place the poppy. However, in contrast to the cemeteries of The Great War with which I am much more familiar, the war cemeteries in Normandy do not contain the graves of many unknown soldiers. This reflects the differences in the campaigns that were fought. In World War I many of the battlefields on the Western front formed the front line on more than one occasion with the result that established cemeteries from earlier engagements were disrupted as the war once again pased through. The remains of soldiers were disinterred to the extent that at the point of battlefield clearance many remains were unidentifiable. In contrast, the fighting in Normandy was nowhere near as static which meant that those who were killed in action had a far better chance of being positively identified and so named with regiment, rank and number on the headstone.

As the weather started to turn for the worse...... always the most appropriate weather for a garveyard I think, I perused row upon row of headstones in my search for the elusive unknown Staffordshire warrior. In the end I admitted defeat and adopted a different tack. My plan was now to locate a soldier of the South Staffordshire Regiment of the same rank and age as my Grandfather in July 1944 (I go for a bit of symbolism me!). A further fifteen minutes of searching and I had found my man.

The engraving on the headstone reads as follows:

'4919758 L. CPL

T. LEE

SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE REGIMENT

8TH JULY 1944 AGE 29

'SAY NOT GOODBYE MY DARLING

BUT IN SOME FAIRER CLIME

BID ME GOOD MORNING'

The additional request would have been at the request of a sweetheart or wife of the dead soldier. These words brought to mind the torment of those at home, such as my Grandmother June Heath, who with no news from the front could only get by on hope that a loved one would remain unharmed to return at a later date.

Headstone of L/Cpl T. Lee (centre) Cambes-en-Plaine Cemetery, Normandy

A cross check with the Commonwealth War Graves Commision records reveals that T. Lee (or Thomas as he was known to his friends and family) was a Lancashire man of the 7th Battalion South Staffordshre Regiment. He was the son of Thomas and Margaret Lee and husband of Elizabeth Ellen Lee of Kirkham, Lancashire.

As part of the 176 Infantry Brigade it is likely that Thomas Lee fell in the fighting on the left flank of the 59th Division's line in the area of La Bijude and Epron.