10
7 June 1944—Related by Lt-Col. C. F. Phillips
The night was quiet, A-Troop took two German prisoners who walked into their position. The FOO arrived in his carrier after a hectic journey due to bomb craters. The morning was spent checking over equipment and patrolling to locate enemy positions and in an attempt to contact the Americans whose artillery support figured so largely in the plan to capture the Port. The Americans were not found, and apart from an enemy of unknown strength, in the area at the Château at Fosse Soucy, the area outside the Port seemed to be clear of enemy troops. The four carriers under Lt Bennett had not arrived.
At about 1100 hrs communications were established with 231 Brigade and Liaison D. H. G. Gardner decided that he should call for necessary Naval support in place of our own FOB Capt. Howland, who had not been able to keep up. Useful information about German defences, minefields and morale was given to us by two young Frenchmen who also offered assistance as guides. One actually took a surrender demand to the German Garrison. This did not produce any result.
It was decided to attack at 1600 hrs and the ‘0’ Group assembled at 1350 hrs.
Plan of attack was as follows:–
The men were ordered to dump unwanted gear in A-Troop’s area. RAP opened in Escures, ready to move forward in to the Port.
About 1400 hrs the Navy started to bombard the Port. They appeared to be concentrating on the seaward defences and leaving the flanks, the high ground on either side alone.
Another ship opened fire before FOB Maj. Marsh started his controlled shoot with HMS Emerald.
It was not possible for Naval bombardment to be very effective against the landward defences owing to the topography.
HMS Emerald was at sea abreast a point about mid-way between ARROMANCHES and Port-en-Bessin when, about 1130 hrs, orders were received to bombard the Eastern feature from 1400 hrs to 1600 hrs.
Extract of the map as used in the assault on Port-en-Bessin 7 June 1944.
Communications were established with D. H. G. Gardner RA and the ship reported that she was ready to open fire at 1410 hrs.
Meantime, just before 1400 hrs two LCG(L)’s, and possibly a destroyer as well, started to bombard the port, engaging houses along the waterfront.
At 1500 hrs HMS Emerald opened fire at a range of 5,000 yards, engaging targets on the Eastern feature. The FOB had good communication with the ship and this shoot continued until 1600 hrs as planned.
About 1530 hrs an American Support Group, operating in the next sector offered the services of six LCT(R)’s but this offer was declined by HMS Emerald as, quite rightly, it was considered that casualties might be caused to the assaulting troops.
At 1550 hrs a squadron of dive-bombers appeared. Ground targets were engaged very accurately by rockets and cannon fire. Another squadron appeared five minutes later and the fire from these aircraft was also very accurate.
Map of Port-en-Bessin showing German defences and 47 RM Commando advance.
At 1600 hrs the field battery started to smoke the port and the high ground on either side. They were greatly assisted by a grass fire on the eastern feature and also by the dust and smoke which resulted from the Naval bombardment. At the same time the MMG fired two minutes rapid at targets on the eastern feature from a position north of cross tracks 763856. They then had to stop firing because of the smoke.
Troops moving to the start line came under fire from Fosse Soucy where the enemy, about this time were beginning to show their mettle.
Having dumped their gear at the RAP and gone down the road and up and over the hill on their way to the start line, all three troops, A, B, and X were engaged in a fire fight with the enemy in the direction of the Château at Fosse Soucy.
B-Troop stayed on the southern slopes of the feature whilst X-Troop went through them.
The 3-inch mortar, whose task had been to engage weapon pits, appeared to be dropping the bombs, mostly smoke, very short and orders were given for it to cease fire.
About 1620 hrs the CO ordered Maj. Donnell (second in command) to move fomard with Q-Troop in support of B-Troop. They moved down the northern slope in front of Point 72. I could hear occasional rifle shots from the direction of the wood above Y-Troop’s old position.
About this time the CO received a report:–
(a) That A-Troop had got up on the western feature.
(b) That B-Troop were stuck in the town.
(c) That X-Troop had not crossed their start line.
The CO decided to go forward himself and find out the true position.
As the CO was going down the hill towards Escures, Lt Bennett with his 4 carriers, together with a carrier detachment of the Devons, arrived. The CO directed Lt Bennett to Y-Troop’s area (the old RAP) and drove in a carrier down the main road into the Port.
Mne John Wetjen, Q-Troop:
From our positions at Point 72 we had a grandstand view of the shelling and dive bombing and it looked as if nothing could survive such a concentrated pounding ... how wrong we were!!!
As before Q-Troop was held in reserve to defend Point 72 and the Observation Post. Meanwhile the Commando had successfully cleared part of the town against stiff opposition, including heavy fire from a German flak ship in the harbour. This inflicted many casualties amongst A-Troop whose first assault on the western feature was beaten back. Q-Troop was then moved into the town to give support in particular to B-Troop on the eastern feature, one section being deployed to engage the flak ships with a PIAT (Projectile Infantry Anti Tank).
In the event the flak ships were found to have been deserted by their crews. Q-Troop then formed up with the remainder of A-Troop for the assault on the eastern feature. Both Troops moved off up the zig-zag track to the start line about 10 yards below the crest, A to the left and Q to the right. At about 2200 hours both Troops gave mighty cheer and advanced over the crest with fixed bayonets. A red Verey light was the signal and at this A moved, wheeling to the left and we wheeled to the right, firing our weapons from the hip, throwing Phosphorus and Mills grenades into the slit trenches as we advanced.
At the same time an amusing incident occurred (though I was more concerned that it might attract the attention of some sharp-eyed Jerry). A small piece of phosphorus had landed on the helmet of the man ahead of me, causing his camouflage to smoulder. Understandable, I was keen to extinguish this potential hazard, but equally keen to avoid the phosphorus whose presence precluded the use of bare hands. I, therefore, resorted to my rifle butt, an act which did not meet with the wholehearted approval of the unwilling torch bearer.
We continued to charge for about 100 yards to the corner of a fence (the ground beyond this was thought to be mined). Just as Capt. Vincent started forming the Troop towards the sea for a second drive seven Germans, including one officer, surrendered. Capt. Vincent then decided to place two of the Germans ahead of us as screen eastwards and westwards across the slope as precaution against the possibility of mines. At the same time he ordered the officer to call up each position to surrender. By this time it was almost dark, the firing from the slit trenches had virtually ceased and Jerry was more than ready to surrender. We had now gathered over 50 PoW’s, nearly twice the number of Q-Troop, moreover we had not sustained any casualties in which we were luckier than the other Troops.
Making our way back along the track to the base of the hill and through the town the occasional sniper still operated, otherwise all seemed fairly quiet. Sgt Luckman reconnoitred a suitable place in which to grab a couple of hours sleep. The chosen house was large and in darkness as blackout conditions prevailed. It was locked and shuttered and when we broke in the inside doors were also locked. Even stranger, nearly every room was a bedroom, not long vacated it seemed for there was money on the bedside table and some of the lamps were still alight.
We looked at one another, some of us were pretty innocent—Sgt Luckman laughed—of all places he had chosen the local brothel! I didn’t think to ask him if it had been by accident of design. We put out a guard, then the Sgt and I relaxed on sprung beds surrounded by the trappings of the Ladies of the Night! No doubt the Jerries had recently occupied our now most comfortable recumbent positions. Two hours later I descended to the side door to relieve the guard, Mne. Rawlinson. He was quivering like a leaf. Evidently at some stage of the assault he’d half inched a Jerry’s field cap and taking a liking to it had decided to wear it. At about 0200 hours he had heard the distant rumble of a tank coming towards him from the opposite direction to the town. He had stood inside the doorway with his rifle at the ready he said, and I’d shuddered to think how many rounds I might need to stop a tank. The tank approached the house and when level with the doorway had ground to a halt. Rowly could just make out the white star identification mark. Then the turret swivelled round stopped with the gun about three feet from his head. An American Sgt popped his head from the turret and shouted,
‘Put your hands up you Kraut bastard or I’ll blow your Goddamned head off!’
Rowley didn’t argue but put his hand up and explained somewhat nervously who he was. He never wore the cap again and was killed at the end of July, just before the breakout.
A-Troop—Related by Lt-Col. C. F. Phillips
A-Troop’s task was to pass through the town and capture the western feature. They were accompanied by a gendarme who arrived at the RAP before A-Troop moved off.
A-Troop 47 RM Commando May 1944.
They approached the town, moving in deep ditches on both sides of the road Escures–Port-en-Bessin, passed through A-Troop, who were on or near their start line, and halted about 400 yards short of the town when the air attack started.
When the smoke became effective they resumed their advance to the town.
During this time, they came under mortar fire, one man was killed and the RSM was wounded. They were actually shown the way through the town by the gendarme who was subsequently wounded in the face during A-Troop’s attack on the western feature. (Later when the OC visited Port-en-Bessin he was told that his gendarme had been awarded the Croix de Guerre avec Palm and that he had left to join the ‘les marines’ at Caen).
A-Troop turned left by the church, went round the west side of the port, and just before they reached the seawall, they turned left along a track leading up the hill. They met the first belt of wire about 75 yards up this track, just about where the houses ended and the open cliff slopes began.
Lt Goldstein went forward with Cpl Amos and Marine Wood, covered by two Bren guns and blew a gap in this wire with Bangalore torpedoes, using a two second fuse.
A-Troop passed quickly through this gap and deployed the far side, two sections on the right of the track under Lt Wilson and the other two sections on the left astride track under Lt Goldstein whose task it was to clear up the left of the feature.
Up to this point there had been no fire from the enemy but when Nos 3 and 4 sections on the right started to move up the cliff-edge, shells from two flak-ships in the harbour started bursting among the sections, inflicting heavy casualties in Nos 3 and 4 sections on the right. No. 3 section, (Sgt Goodwin and Cpl Coogan) suffered most heavily.
Nos 1 and 2 sections on the left, No. 1 section (Sgt Fletcher and Cpl Amos) with Lt Goldstein leading, about this time came under MG fire from enemy in the trenches above them. Lt Goldstein with No. 1 section pushed on but came up against another belt of wire. There was a narrow gap through which Lt Goldstein and Sgt Fletcher squeezed, followed by the remainder of No. 1 section. The Germans could be seen quite plainly in the trenches above. Just then a German MG opened fire from a half-demolished pill-box. Lt Goldstein threw a No. 36 Grenade but by doing so he disclosed his position to the Germans above him and their fire became more intense. This fire was returned. About this time Sgt Fletcher was wounded.
Lt Goldstein saw a grenade coming, sailing out of one of the German communication trenches straight at him. He shouted ‘down’ and fell flat himself.
Lt Goldstein:
I was unlucky. Not even my steel helmet could keep the pieces out. Everything went black for a while—how long I don’t know. When I came to I found myself alone and could hear MG bullets cracking overhead.
I could not see where it came from. I looked around for my tommy-gun and, finding it, I could not lift it as my left forearm was useless. My right arm had gone numb.
Lt-Col. C. F. Phillips:
About this time A-Troop had become very disorganised and Capt. Cousins gave the order to withdraw into the shelter of the buildings. They made a bee-line for the gap which had been blown, after which they dispersed in all directions. Lt Wilson, CSgt Plank, Sgt Kemp, Cpl Evans and two or three marines became detached from the remainder of the troop and they were led back through the town by the gendarme. Fire was coming from the eastern feature. This party re-joined Capt. Cousins near the house later used as the RN officers’ mess. He was with Lts Lloyd and Borne but none of A-Troop.
Lt Goldstein crawled back through the gap in the wire where he found a stretcher bearer, behind a building, looking after a man who was unable to move. Lt Goldstein collected about five men, three of whom were wounded and, hearing that the troop had been ordered to concentrate at the church in the town, moved off to find Capt. Cousins. Going around a corner they encountered a party of five or six Germans but fortunately managed to get their blow in first.
Before re-joining the remainder of the troop Lt Goldstein fainted and was carried into a house where he was cared for by a French woman until the following morning when he was collected and treated at the RAP before being evacuated. French civilians took many of the wounded into their houses and looked after them on the night of 7/8 June. Next morning they were collected mostly from cellars. From the beginning the French were most helpful and more than willing to co-operate in every possible way, often at considerable risk to themselves.
In the town, A-Troop came under fire from a small mortar or grenade discharger firing from the western feature.
Capt. Cousins had by this time collected Lt Wilson and about 28 ORs. He led them via the church and cemetery down the road leading to the inner basin.
Cpl George Amos, A-Troop:
My only personal conversation with Capt. Cousins during the short time that I knew him was on board ship when he was writing a letter to his wife and enclosing a drawing of a house. After the landing and approach to Port-en-Bessin he was very much in control and supportive of all the men, a leader of impressive authority.
The last time I saw him was when ordered to blow the wire on the approach to the Western Feature. It was unfortunate that A-Troop was ambushed though perhaps inevitable that the Germans were well-prepared and ready for us. Capt. Cousins returned from the headland to famously lead the assault on the Eastern Feature and successfully take the vital position, though at the cost of his life. I, of course, knew nothing of this till after the event, having my own problems on the western headland.
For many years after the war the Capt.’s father, himself a military man, placed an annual memorial to his son in The Times. Sadly, when the naming of the roundabout in Port-en-Bessin was being planned, no surviving relative of Capt. Cousins could be traced.
B-Troop—Related by Lt-Col. C. F. Phillips
B-Troop followed X-Troop down the road Escures–Port-en-Bessin, moving in the ditch along the right side of the road. During the later stages of this advance both A and B-Troops put down 2-inch mortar smoke bombs. When the rocket fighter attack started, B-Troop deployed to the right slightly behind A-Troop who deployed to the left of the road.
Working straight through the town, leaving the church on their right, they reached the inner basin without any opposition.
About ten Germans were seen on the far side of the outer basin and Sgt Fuller (10 IA Commando) said ‘I’ll go forward and they’ll give in’. He went forward about twenty yards and shouted. Immediately these 10 Germans with their hands up, came towards B-Troop, the other side of the basin. Two other Germans came down from the eastern feature and also started to walk towards B-Troop. Others showed themselves on the hillside.
B-Troop 47 RM Commando May 1944.
These 12 Germans were taken in near the SW corner of the inner basin. They were being searched and interrogated when an HE projectile landed on the hill. At this moment a German MG opened fire from a large red brick building at the far side of the entrance to the outer basin. Another MG opened fire from the area of the zigzag track leading up the hill. B-Troop scattered in all directions. Marine Breach was killed, Sgt Gardner’s section took cover in the Café ‘Terminus’ whilst the remainder of B-Troop took cover in the buildings along the western side of the inner basin. Capt. Isherwood was in the house on the left of the corner.
About this time Capt. Isherwood sent Lt’s Lloyd and Borne No’s 6 and 8 sections (Sgts Gutteridge and McFayden) right flanking. At this time neither 6 nor 8 sections had reorganised and the section Cdrs had not regained control.
At 2230 hrs, when it was half dark the boats entered the harbour passing over the top of the net defence. HMS Ursa and ORP Krakowiak opened fire at the top of the bridge of the enemy flak-ship with Oerlikons, firing taking place from the NW so that the ‘overs’ would not go into the town.
Much of this fire hit the slopes of the eastern feature, some shells fell on the quay and others penetrated the red brick building. When the boats got inside the breakwater they found, two flak-ships, not one as they expected. Each boat went for a flak-ship, firing Lewis guns, rifles and Lanchesters. To their surprise the fire was not returned but they came under inaccurate small arms and mortar fire from the western feature.
The flak-ships were boarded and found to be deserted except for a live dog (taken onto ‘Ursa’) and three dead Germans.
HMS Ursa and ORP Krakowiak were engaged by one or possibly two mortars whilst the boats were going in.
About 2235 hrs Cpl Rutherford (B-Troop) reported to Lt Lloyd that a motor boat about the size of a 20-foot dory was entering the harbour. Lt Lloyd joined Cpl Rutherford, by this time the boat had gone alongside the flak-ships. There was some firing and they heard some English oaths coming from that direction. He sent for a signaller who flashed ‘British here’. It was quite dark.
Q-Troop—Related by Lt-Col. C. F. Phillips
Q-Troop’s tasks were:–
(a) Defence of Point 72 feature, including the OP. This entailed a move to the western end of the wood.
(b) In reserve.
When the CO had heard that A and B-Troops had got into the town, it was decided to move Q-Troop down in support of B-Troop. Orders were given accordingly and they assembled in the gully below Point 72, Maj. Donnell arrived and took charge leading them down through Escures to Port-en-Bessin.
En route a plan was made to assist X-Troop by a left flanking movement on weapon pits but it was not necessary to put this into effect.
Then they heard that A-Troop had been seen coming down from the western feature and it was thought that this attack had been successful.
The CO met Maj. Donnell with Q-Troop near the cross-roads 754873. The CO told him that the flak-ships were being troublesome (It was then thought that they were lying in one of the basins) and that he was to work down and get into the houses facing the basin and assist B-Troop in their assault on the eastern feature by fire, especially directed at flak-ships.
They were issued with a PIAT and Maj. Donnell gave orders for the move to the SE corner of the inner basin, via the church yard. Just short of the church Q-Troop came under machine gun fire from the direction of the harbour.
Capt. Vincent took No. 9 section (with the PIAT) through to the road running parallel and they made their way via houses gardens and yards to a café at the SE end of the inner basin. There they found one man killed (Marine Breach) and one wounded (Marine Bullock) both of B-Troop.
Lt Stickings with No. 12 section became separated from the remainder of Q-Troop. Approaching corner 755876, they were stopped by Capt. Isherwood who said an enemy MG made it impossible to get round. B-Troop were then occupying the houses on the left of the corner so No. 12 section occupied a large house 754876 which overlooked the smaller house fronting the basin.
Q-Troop 47 RM Commando before D-Day.
About 1900 hrs Lt Stickings left to try and contact the rest of the troop.
He again met Capt. Isherwood and was asked to deal with a house on the same side of the basin but near the sea, believed to contain four Officers and four ORs.
Leaving No. 12 section under Sgt Luckman in the large house, Lt Stickings took Sgt Hiron and four Marines along the western side of the basin, working behind or through the houses. They reached the high concrete wall which blocked the approach to the harbour and took up a position in a cinema on the left.
The flak-ships appeared to be unoccupied. They continued on to the sea where they signalled to HMS Ursa (R22) and then worked their way to the strong point at the western arm of the breakwater, at the end. The destroyer called on their loud hailer, ‘Attention Royal Marines, those are enemy on the cliff behind you’.
They returned to the quayside and en route were fired at from the eastern feature. Starting to climb a cliff up a ramp 752880, aided by a rope they nearly entered the line of fire of X-Troop’s Brens which were directed against the flak-ships. They moved to the left but were shot at by a sniper. Covered by X-Troop’s Brens, they made their way down the cliff path to the corner 753879 where they met Capt. Walton.
Lt Stickings then proceeded with his party to the cross roads where the CO told him to join up with the remainder of Q-Troop by the cemetery for the assault on the eastern feature.
The Capture of the Eastern Feature— Related by Lt-Col. C. F. Phillips
About 2100 hrs Capt. Cousins reported to the CO that he had been within 20 yards from the top of the feature and said, ‘If you can give me 24 or 25 men, I’m quite certain I can get to the top’.
The CO decided to use Q-Troop (only half of Q-Troop had succeeded in getting ashore the previous day) and the remainder of A-Troop and gave orders to Capt. Vincent. The next hour the CO spent arranging for fire support for this attack. First of all the 3-inch mortar minus sight. The CO indicated a target for the NCO to range on but fire was very inaccurate in terms of ‘turns of a hand wheel’.
The CO also collected all the Bren carriers available, including some of the Devons’ Carrier Platoon and put a Bren in each. All the remaining 2-inch mortar smoke bombs were given to one carrier which made very effective use of them. All the carriers were put under command of Lt Bennett.
About 1800 hrs the MMG answered a call from HW-Troop command for two minutes rapid fire on the eastern end of the eastern feature. During this shoot mortar bombs started to fall on the western end of the strip of wood, coming, it was thought by the MMG officer, from the eastern feature.
The enemy mortars traversed the strip of wood and the MMG moved about 200 yards towards the sea. After this move communication between MMG and HW-Troop ceased.
Lt Leigh went back to Point 72 and met Lt Hughes who told him that about 60 Germans were moving up. After Lt Leigh returned to MMG, he thought he saw the success signal to group in Port-en-Bessin and so he decided to move down into the port.
As they left their position they came under MG fire from the Germans who were moving up to Point 72. It was thought they had been seen because the fire appeared to be directed at them. The MG detachment moved via Commes and then along the road leading to Port-en-Bessin. They met three carriers under Lt Bennett about 760872 and the MG was got into a fire position and fired three belts (which was all they had) at targets indicated by Lt Bennett. The MG was then moved to the road junction 757873 and Lt Leigh went on into the port where he reported to the CO at the cross roads. He was given some ammunition (obtained from a carrier) and returned to fire about four more belts at the eastern end of the eastern feature. They ceased fire owing to the danger of hitting our own troops in the dark.
Later X-Troop Brens were put into position in a house near the cemetery from where they gave covering fire.
The 8 Support Brens opened fire shortly after 2200 hrs and the 2-inch mortar laid a very good smoke screen across the zigzag track. This was augmented by No. 77 smoke grenades thrown by A-Troop.
There seemed to be some delay in the advance of the assaulting troops and the CO thought that the mortars might run out of smoke before they could make use of it.
The CO could see the Huns on the skyline picking up their MGs and moving wider to the flank to engage the Brens which had gone up the road in a carrier.
A and Q-Troops started down the road towards the basin to their FOP 755874, where the men were briefed. A-Troop then moved off up the zigzag track to the start-line, followed by Q-Troop. About ten yards below the crest they deployed, A-Troop on the left, Q-Troop on the right. Up to this point they had not come under fire, but they had thrown some No. 77 (smoke) grenades.
About 2220 hrs the CO heard them give an almighty cheer and saw them move forward over the crest. They were still visible when Capt. Cousins fired a red Verey light. This was the signal for A-Troop to wheel to the left and Q-Troop to the right.
A-Troop moved along the top of the hill through several wire fences, breaking up into smaller parties to deal with pillboxes. They were making good progress and had nearly reached the wire fences at the far end when they came under very heavy fire. They must have been ‘sky lined’. Capt. Cousins told his men to get into some empty slit trenches and took four men (including a Bren-gunner) forward with him, through the gap in the wire where the path passed through it.
They went down the cliff path and disappeared from sight. The remainder of A-Troop heard Capt. Cousins shouting quite a lot. They also heard Tommy Gun and German MG fire. Soon the firing died down and they heard a lot of people shouting ‘KAMERAD’ and something which sounded like ‘Coming in’.
Lt Wilson ordered an advance and when they had gone about 40 yards they found Capt. Cousins. He had been killed by a grenade. Marine Madden, who was near him had been wounded.
On reaching the top of the path, Q-Troop wheeled to the right firing their weapons continuously from the hip for about 100 yards, until they came to the corner of the fence on their left 762876. Capt. Vincent considered it inadvisable to proceed any further owing to the danger of mines so he formed the troop towards the sea for another drive. At this moment seven Germans, including an officer, about 50 yards ahead surrendered.
Capt. Vincent sent two PoW ahead of him so that he shouldn’t be surprised by mines. They climbed through a fence and had gone about 100 yards as far as the path along the edge of the cliff where an Ober-Lieutenant, with a white goatee beard surrendered. He spoke good English. Seven of the PoW were sent down the track without delay. It was almost quite dark by then.
One section was left in this area while Capt. Vincent cleared the path eastward for about 200 yards.
He then took his party westward along the cliff path for about 600 yards, all the time making the Ober-Lieutenant call upon his men to surrender.
At times there was some argument between the officer and various Germans who dimly appeared in the almost complete darkness. They appeared to be arguing whether they should or should not surrender. However, they all did and the surrender became almost ‘organised’.
Lt Stickings with one section searched these PoW and became separated from the remainder of the troop who proceeded with Capt. Vincent towards the cliff edge.
Capt. Cousins’ first attempt on the Eastern Feature—Related by Lt-Col. C. F. Phillips
Lt Lloyd with Lt Borne and No’s 6 and 8 sections (Sgt Gutteridge and McFayden) were sent right flanking to capture the eastern feature.
About this time, enemy mortar bombs started to fall among the buildings causing the men to take cover. As No’s 6 and 8 sections progressed up the road towards the cemetery their numbers dwindled so that when they met Capt. Cousins, Lt Lloyd’s party consisted of only Lt Borne and Sgt Gutteridge. Capt. Cousins asked Lt Lloyd what he was doing. When told, he said that he would join them together with the remainder of his troop. Capt. Cousins took charge. Lt Wilson, CSgt Plank, Sgt Kemp, Cpl Evans and about three marines re-joined Capt. Cousins a little later near the house at the foot of the zigzag track (the house subsequently used as the RN Officers’ Mess). The whole party consisted of only 3 Officers and about 10 ORs.
Working their way through the back garden of this house. Capt. Cousins led his party onto the zigzag track. The track itself was not mined and the banks on either side afforded a certain amount of cover, except on the bends.
They succeeded in reaching a bank within 20 yards. From the plateau-shaped crest when they came under heavy MG fire from weapon slits immediately above them. Grenades were also thrown but most of these fell short against the bank.
Capt. Cousins managed to withdraw his small party under cover of smoke down the small track back into town.
Lt Wilson spent the next two hours collecting A-Troop together.
Captain T. F. Cousins, A-Troop.
B-Troop’s Activities—Related by Lt-Col. C. F. Phillips
Lt’s Lloyd and Borne re-joined B-Troop. It was about this time that Capt. Isherwood reported personally to the CO saying that his troop was held up and that it was in no fit state to carry out an attack. At this stage Marine Breach had been killed and 11 ORs had been wounded (Sgt Gardner, Cpl Robertson, Marine’s Battley, Butler, Beck, Colwill, Emsley, Harper, Obern and Webster). B-Troop was, however, very scattered and disorganised among the buildings fronting the inner basin.
Capt. Isherwood said that he thought that he could concentrate them in a large red brick building the far side of the bridge over the seaward end of the outer basin. It was agreed to this course of action but when he tried to carry it out he discovered that the bridge had been withdrawn.
He again reported to me and I told him to concentrate his troop in the buildings on the western side of the gap where the bridge had been and that he was to watch this approach from the western feature.
B-Troop occupied a row of about ten buildings and prepared to stay there for the night.
HMS Ursa—Related by Lt-Col. C. F. Phillips
Soon after 2100 hrs, HMS Ursa, a destroyer, lay in about 3½ cables (700 yards) from the breakwater, was sniped and machine-gunned by the Germans whom they thought were established on the bridge of one of the flak-ships lying against the eastern breakwater. The top of the bridge was just visible above the high breakwater.
The Capt. of HMS Ursa (Cdr Wyburd RN) decided to assault this vessel using armed motor boats from HMS Ursa and ORP Krakowiak which had arrived in the vicinity.
The destroyers closed to within 300 yards of the breakwaters (it now being high water) and efforts were made to warn us by loud hailer of their proposed attack. As far as the CO was able to discover, nobody in 47 Royal Marine Commando ashore heard this.
In the meantime, Sgt Sidney Barlow of 10 Garrison took a liaison party of American junior officers ashore in 47 Royal Marine Commando’s landing section, to drive by jeep following the path of the Commando to Port-en-Bessin.
HMS Ursa.
X-Troop—Assault on Weapon pits— Related by Lt-Col. C. F. Phillips
X-Troop advanced along the Port-en-Bessin road followed by A and B-Troops as far as some houses. There they sat and waited for the air attack to end, after which they advanced along the hedgerows to within 200 yards of the enemy slit trenches on the ‘weapons pits’ feature. These were seen to be manned.
Capt. Walton decided to capture first the row of billets as these provided some cover for the subsequent advance. About this time the supporting fire from our 3-inch mortar was very inaccurate (it was being fired, it will be remembered, without any sight).
X-Troop attacked with two sections, supported by the other two sections and the support section.
Approaching the billets, a German soldier was seen standing in the entrance to a deep dug-out. He was called upon to surrender and he did so, together with one officer and 18 other ranks.
Interrogated by one of the 10 IA Commando ranks, the officer declared that there was no more opposition. He also said that there were no booby traps.
The area of ‘weapon pits’ was searched. Masses of food, drink (including bottled water), ammunition, weapons and clothing were found.
Starting point of X-Troop’s attack on the weapon pits. (Photo by Ken Cowdery)
X-Troop reported their success (NB. This report was never received by the CO) and then they moved across the road Port-en-Bessin–Huppain, where, about 1745 hrs, they met a US officer in a Jeep. This was our first contact with the US army.
Capt. Walton then decided to follow A-Troop up on the western feature. Whilst they were searching the ‘weapon pits’, X-Troop had seen white lights, which they took to be success signals, fired from the western outskirts of the town, also from the western feature. X-Troop made their way, house to house, garden to garden, along the road through the western out-skirts of the town until they arrived at the high wall at the seaward end. Here they found four rather shaken men of A-Troop who said that their troop had suffered heavy casualties from two German flak-ships in the harbour.
X-Troop moved up the hill towards the lighthouse from where Capt. Walton saw men actually firing from the flak-ships. Capt. Walton sighted his support section, reinforced by four Brens, a captured MG 34, one PIAT, one 2-inch mortar and four snipers, to cover his assault with two sections on the flak-ships.
These two sections, led by Capt. Walton, had worked their way back through the town, crossed over the bridge at the seaward end of the outer basin, when a report was received from a man in A-Troop who said that the flak-ships were manned by our own troops.
Capt. Walton although surprised by this information, did not go on and board the ship to confirm it. Instead he concentrated his troop and went back through the town. It should be remembered that all this time Capt. Walton was under the impression that A-Troop had taken the western feature. On their way back through the town, three men of X-Troop were wounded. It was nearly dusk when they arrived at the area of the cross roads 754873 but there was no time for their Bren-gunners to give supporting fire for Capt. Cousins’ second and successful attack on the eastern feature.
X-Troops total casualties to date were:– one man killed (Marine J. E. Evans) and six men wounded (L/Cpl Buchanan, Marines Allen, Corbin, Lever, Musgrave, and Noonan).
Next morning, X-Troop were ordered to mop up the western feature. It was found to be clear of the enemy. It is possible that some of the enemy got away in the night but it is unlikely that many did so.
Lt Stickings with his section having searched the PoW and sent them off under escort, cut straight across to the point where the cliff path starts to drop down to the port. Here he found Lt Wilson and some of A-Troop in a deep trench system overlooking the basin.
There were some Germans below them on the other side of a minefield who opened fire with rifles and grenades. Our men were unable to get into a good fire position. It was so dark that they could not see the Germans but the enemy could see them silhouetted on the sky line.
Lt Stickings moved right and found Capt. Vincent on the cliff edge about 759879 where the path starts to go down. He told him about this enemy pocket and the Ober-Lieutenant was again produced to persuade his countrymen to surrender. After an argument lasting between 5 and 10 minutes, 4 Officers and 34 ORs gave themselves up. It was now quite dark and one PoW led the whole party down the cliff to the quay below.
X-Troop 47 RM Commando May 1944.
If the enemy had been determined troops it would have taken a long time to have winkled them out. It would have been a most difficult task to have combed the feature that night.
L/Cpl Frank Wright, X-Troop:
Next morning, after a night spent in the open on hill 72, I looked from our vantage point at the top of the hill down the long straight road into Port-en-Bessin. Two ribbons of marching men were making their way to the start lines for the coming battle.
We could see the three strongpoints surrounding the port clearly.
We followed when our turn came. We didn’t go far though. At a fork in the road there was a long hold-up. One section formed a road block, the rest of us patrolled up and down the estate, amongst bungalows and villas. All was quiet. One or two civilians began to emerge, standing rather nervously in their gardens. Some of us went round the housing estates at the back of the town looking for anything suspicious. I was with Sgt Patey, he became curious about one of the bungalows and marched up the garden path, then banged on the door with the butt of his tommy gun. No-one answered. Then to my horror he lifted the barrel of the gun and fired a burst through the door, splintering the woodwork. The door swung half-open then stopped. I could see sunlight at the far end of the hall. The business end of a broom appeared busily sweeping up the wooden splinters. I scuttled back to the road, thoroughly embarrassed.
Eventually someone noticed two strangers approaching across open fields. They made no attempt at concealment but came on with confident, easy strides. They were strangely dressed but there was some familiar about them.
‘They’re Yanks’ someone burst out. The two men quickened their pace when they realised we had spotted them. They vaulted over a rear garden fence, strode past the house and down the garden path. We waited at the gate.
‘Say,’ said one, ‘Are you guys British? Oh brother, are we glad to see you!’ A hubbub broke out then, everyone talking at once but soon we were listening to our first news of the disaster at Omaha Beach, silenced by the sheer scale of the losses. Sgt Patey took them off to find Capt. Walton, thence to the CO. Thus passed, almost unnoticed, an historic moment in the battle for Normandy.
Eventually, after what seemed an eternity—‘X-Troop X-Troop.’ That was TSM Ball calling his flock.
We fell in and marched north, towards the sea. Left the road which led to the harbour and followed a farm track westwards, away from the houses, usual hedgerows on either side, gaining height all the time then swung north again.
We could see the village houses to our right through the trees. To the left were cornfields and fields of long, coarse grass. At the third field we stopped, crouched low and slipped two at a time through a gap in the hedgerow and into the ditch beyond. The troop spread out, one section to the right and the other, mine, to the left.
It was a superb ditch, deep enough to offer complete cover. I had only been in France for 24 hours but I had already become a connoisseur of ditches. I put down the Bangalore Torpedo carefully on my left.
To our front, across a field which was about the size of a football pitch and just about as flat was a neat, man-made mound like a miniature Silbury Hill. It rose, an inverted pudding basin of a hill, abruptly from the yellowish grass to a height of about twenty five feet. There were chalky white scars on its sides indicating slit trenches. But no sign of life or human activity.
Lt Armstrong, our section officer was working his way along speaking to groups of two or three men at a time. It came to our turn. He explained the plan of action in a few words. I couldn’t believe my ears, it seemed so foolhardy. I had read books about the Somme and Passchendaele and knew only too well what usually happens when attacking German trenches over open ground. The Lt said ‘Any questions?’ But we were all speechless, No one said a word. Later Skinner said ‘I hope they are going to notify our next of kin.’
We had another long wait then, but eventually came a distant droning. There had been fewer aircraft about that morning so it was unusual. I assumed it was a fighter patrol. The sound persisted, came closer. Quite soon the whole field in front of us filled with thunder and the first plane appeared over trees to my right. It dived steeply down, going pretty fast, straight at the strongpoint then at point blank range there was a gush of smoke and a salvo of rockets streaked down, disappearing into the top of the hill. Earth-shaking bangs followed and a column of black sooty smoke hung in the air. Our target had been transformed into a miniature volcano, the Typhoon was gone, but just to make the point clear, another one followed.
Smoke was still in the air when Capt. Walton raised himself up and yelled ‘X-Troop fi—i—ix bayonets. For—ward.’
We climbed out of the ditch. I yanked my bayonet out of its scabbard and clicked it onto the rifle nozzle. ‘I must be dreaming,’ I thought, ‘This isn’t really happening—I’ll wake up in a minute.’
We formed up, more or less in line abreast as we advanced across the field. There was light covering fire from our own troop bren guns but no three inch mortars or medium machine guns as these had been lost in the landing. Short, slow bursts cracked between us as we walked. The pace quickened, we ran, started shouting and, though our voices sounded thin and lost in the blue space above the field I felt better for it. I looked to see which side of the field offered the nearest cover—just in case—but both seemed miles away. Still no movement in the slit trenches on the strongpoint. I heard the brens change to single shots to save ammo.
Unbelievably we had reached the foot of the mound—were seeking a way in. At that moment half a dozen grenades rolled down the side of the hill would have snuffed out our little attack. But it was our lucky day.
Suddenly we were in. The entrance was a short corridor, two metres wide, which led into the bowl shaped centre of the strongpoint. Still black-faced with bayonets fixed and in a state of high excitement we poured through the gap to be confronted by a pathetic and woebegone picture. Inside were about twenty soldiers, sitting or cowering in little groups. White-faced, hands held high, they were shaking uncontrollably. Clearly terrified, to us they seemed old men, but I suppose most of them were in their forties.
In the background stood several younger Wehrmacht NCOs striking more defiant poses but not offering any resistance either. Needless to say, not a shot was fired.
When we saw how pathetic they were the temperature soon dropped. The men were shepherded outside and fallen in on the field of long grass. They co-operated eagerly with instructions from our 10 IA Commando member who spoke fluent German. With a couple of volunteer escorts they were marched off towards the town centre. Though what they would find when they got there was anybody’s guess.
Half an hour later we were marching along the track which led to the sea. The sun was at our backs and I guessed that it was not long after midday. I could smell salt in the air. There was a stillness and silence which was worrying.
A few yards from what I took to be the edge of a cliff we stopped. There was cover here in the shape of a stone wall. Immediately to our right a village street dropped sharply away to the inner harbour whilst to the left the grassy breast of a hill sloped up fifty feet or more. Another strongpoint?
Capt. Walton selected about a dozen of us armed with rifles or brens and explained that we were about to put down covering fire on a German flakship which was moored in the outer harbour whilst an assault team ran round the sea wall to capture the ship.
The leading men crawled forward along the cliff to the left. There was no cover. We followed, out into the wind and sun where the whole world could see us. There, below, was the flakship in the harbour, grey and sinister-looking it bristled with ack-ack guns mounted forward, mid-ships and aft. There was no one on deck nor on the quay nor as far as I could see, anywhere else.
Beyond the harbour wall a British destroyer waited but further out, where I expected to see fleets of support vessels there was nothing.
I looked behind, up the slope and was shocked to see a line of six or seven of our lads lying, obviously dead, on the hillside just behind our position where they had been caught by shell-fire from the flakship. It was hot now.
‘German flakship at one hundred yards, in your own time—FIRE!’ Capt. Walton yelled from his end of the line of men. We began banging away at the flakship. Taffy Evans with his bren was on my left, I heard it give an occasional stutter. If he fired long bursts of course we’d be out of bren ammunition in no time. I could see out of the corner of my eye that he had to lift the butt of the gun very high to get the right angle of fire. That meant that he was very exposed. I fired a few rounds at targets which I selected for myself on the ship—well, no-one would be using it again would they? Then realised that we ourselves were under fire, from—where? I kept my head down, cheek close to the rifle butt and elbows well apart—fired again—yes, there it was again, the crack of a rifle bullet and a faint whisper, then another crack and a tiny shower of seeds fell on the forearms of my battledress from the lank, dry grass in which we lay.
I fed another clip of rounds into the magazine of my rifle and pushed the bolt home, realising as I did so that I hadn’t heard Taffy’s bren for some seconds. I looked quickly at him. Taffy was dead. He lay on his left side as if sleeping, eyes closed, right hand still clasping the butt of his gun.
A tiny wisp of vapour rose from his neck by the tunic collar.
Another crack, more seeds, I thought ‘I’m going to die here, now, and won’t know a thing about it, here on this fucking stupid hill—dear God, get me out of this.’
Still no sign of life from the flakship nor any sign of the assault party. ‘Stop firing!’ came the order and, thankfully ‘Withdraw!’
We crawled swiftly back to the safety of the wall. Capt. Walton sent Cpl Lawrence back to fetch Taffy’s bren, Shock Kendrick went too. It wasn’t long before they were back and we set off at once down a steeply cobbled street with fishermen’s cottages on the right and a high wall on the left. The sniper was still busy, keeping us pinned on the left.
At one point, about half way down, the street turned slightly to the left and we had to nip across to the shelter of the cottages. As each man crossed there was a crack and a bullet would ricochet up the hill from the cobbles. He was firing low, fortunately.
Marine Musgrave was the man in front of me. When he was half way across there was a crack and he yelped, then came hopping back to the wall, cursing.
It was my turn to go. I hesitated, heard Hugh Corlett’s voice—‘Go on Wrighty’ he said. The sniper was impatient, he put a round into the top of the wall above our heads, showering us with grit and bits of broken cement. I nipped smartly across.
We made our way to the inner harbour which was surrounded by a wide quayside similar to many in Cornwall. As we marched up the typical smells of a fishing port replaced those of cordite and death on the hill. Now it was stale fish, Gauloise and garlic.
I was astonished to see men sitting about everywhere eating hot food—first hot meal for two days—and quite flabbergasted at the sight of one of our fifteen hundredweight trucks complete with the rotund figure of our quartermaster, Capt. Tunnicliffe. Nearby was a field kitchen, petrol burners roaring away heating dixies full of stewed steak, potatoes, vegetables, steamed pudding and boiling water for tea.
It’s when you meet the men from the other troops that you hear news, mostly bad. We heard how Capt. Cousins, of A-Troop, had been shot dead whilst accepting the surrender of the eastern strongpoint. Then how a German counter-attack had overrun hill 72 as the last men were leaving. ‘You can expect them here by this evening,’ we were told, darkly. I said nothing about the pointless and ultimately tragic manoeuvre in which we had just taken part.
It was sometime before the numbers in the square began to thin out. But eventually they began to fall in and move off. X-Troop was last to go. We marched back by the way we had come, through the streets to the bottom of the hill, then up the long cobbled street, past the point where Musgrave had been wounded. The sniper was silent now, all was quiet, heads were beginning to pop out of doors and windows. We marched, rifles slung on shoulders past the stone wall and out on to the steep slope where we had crawled so cautiously two hours earlier.
This time we spread out, line abreast, facing up the hill. Behind us was the outer harbour and the flakship, Taffy Evans still lay there asleep. We fixed bayonets and slowly walked up the hill towards the slit trenches on the crest. My way took me past the line of our boys on the hill, it was so exposed, they hadn’t stood a chance—sitting targets for the eager gunners on the flakship. The ground was pock-marked with shallow shell craters. A British steel helmet lay there with a jagged hole where shrapnel had torn through the metal crown.
The Cpl still led his men up the hill. He lay on his back, a shock of bright ginger hair, his blue eyes stared past me unseeing, where the grease paint had rubbed of his skin was the colour of marble. I recognised him at once.
Beyond the harbour wall the destroyer still watched and waited in the sun and across the horizon was a continuous line of ships.
We walked on up the hill in silence, bayonets at the ready. Near the rounded summit were the first trenches, dug deep into the chalk. They were empty and we jumped across—and the next line—and the next and we were over the crest and walking on to open fields and the rolling countryside beyond.