The 5th June 1944 had been decided upon as “D-Day”, and on the 3rd June final briefings took place and the tanks and their crews embarked on L.C.T.s at ports in the South of England. The weather in the Channel was so bad, however, that a major decision was taken by the Supreme Allied Commander, General Eisenhower, to postpone the whole operation for 24 hours.
The crossing of the Channel was choppy, and in the uncomfortable conditions of an L.C.T. most of the men were seasick and suffered for up to two days from loss of sleep and lack of hot food. In spite of this morale was very high when the first landings took place on a rising tide in the early morning of the
6th June 1944. Owing to the strong wind the water was higher than had been expected on most of the beaches.
LE HAMEL. 82 ASSAULT SQUADRON
The task of 8z Squadron, under the command of Major H. G. A. Elphinstone R.E., was to create six “lanes” cast of the town of Le Hamel. Each lane team consisted of three or four AVREs and two Flails, and the leading AVRE of each team was fitted with a “Roly Poly” to lay “carpet” from the ramp of the L.C.T. to the dry beach. All the L.C.T.s touched down at approximately 073o hours-“H-Hour”.
Major Elphinstone in Lane z was killed shortly after disembarking whilst exposing himself through the turret hatch, and lane i failed as the L.C.T. came under fire from a battery at Le Hamel. A direct hit on the bridge of the Landing Craft wounded Captain K.M. Wilford R.E., the Lane Commander, and the leading AVRE became jammed and prevented any disembarkation before 133o hours. Nor was Lane 2 successful, as theL.C.T. touched down too far west and the Flails became bogged. However the AVREs of this lane helped in the clearance of beach obstacles, and later in the day left the beach via the partially successful Lane 3 and assisted in the clearance of Le Hamel with Petard and Besa fire.
Lane 4 failed as the Flails became bogged on the beach. Lanes 5 and 6 were successful and the teams succeeded in reaching the lateral road behind the beach, where craters were filled.
During the afternoon and evening the Squadron rallied at Buhot, having lost a total of four AVREs out of the 2I originally embarked. L/Sjt. H. M. Scaife R.E. used his Petard with considerable success against a large German occupied building, and later against a strong concrete pill-box, where one Dustbin was sufficient to demoralize the whole crew. Later he destroyed a gun and its crew with a single round, and then proceeded through Le Hamel in his AVRE destroying machine gun nests which were holding up the advancing Infantry. L/Sjt. Scaife was awarded the D.C.M. for this exploit.
On the following day a party was called forward to St. Sulpice to assist in the advance on Bayeux, and Captain F. J. B. Somerset with five AVREs operated with the GLOSTERS west of Bayeux. The Squadron, under the command of Captain J. M. Leytham R.E. rallied at St. Sulpice on the 7 th and 8th June.
LA RIVIERE. 81 ASSAULT SC)UADRON
Six lanes were planned on the beach west of La Riviere. The Squadron’s L.C.T.s touched down at H-Hour in a rough sea, and the tanks had to wade through choppy water approximately four feet deep before reaching the beach.
In spite of the fact that two AVREs were blown up shortly after landing all the lanes were successfully made. One AVRE carrying Captain D.A.King M.C., R.E. effectively silenced a pill-box with one Dustbin, and then seeing that Spandau fire from behind the sloping sea wall was pinning the Infantry down and causing serious casualties, charged the sea wall with another AVRE, dro ped four feet on the far side, and brought the Spandau fire to a rapid stop.
Fascines were dropped in an anti-tank ditch and in a crater on the road to La Rivi@re. Fire from a house on the outskirts of the town was holding up the Infantry, so this house was effectively demolished with a Dustbin.
During the afternoon and evening the Squadron rallied south of Ver-sur-Mer, and on the 7th and 8th June assisted in the removal of beach obstacles.
COURSEULLES-SUR-MER. 26 ASSAULT SQUADRON
The 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade was given the task of capturing Courseulles-sur-Mer and Graye-sur-Mer, and was supported by 26 Assault Squadron under the command of Major A. E. Younger D. S.O., R.E. Four armoured bulldozers Of 149 Assault Park Squadron also landed with the first wave.
All ten L.C.T.s on this sector successfully touched down between o8oo and 083o hours to the cast and west of the town of Courseulles, which lies at the rnouth of the R. Sculles. Few rnines were encountered except those attached to the steel beach obstacles, but to the west the advance was held up by a water covered crater in a culvert approximately 6o feet wide and over 12 feet deep. Owing to the surface flooding the leading AVRE, carrying a fascine, failed to see this crater and was submerged in it. The fascine was pushed from the AVRE into the crater and an assault bridge laid on the turret of the submerged tank. In this way and with the help of the armoured dozers a successful crossing was made on top of the drowned AVRE and was in constant use until 133o hours. This “bridge” was christened “Pont AVRE”. Dismounted personnel of 2 Troop opened a weir to allow the water to drain away, and during this operation captured 30 prisoners.
To the cast of the town ways had to be opened across an anti-tank ditch, and this was done by dropping two fascines into the ditch at one point and spanning it at another point with an assault bridge; this bridge carried constant traffic all day. During these operations the armoured bulldozers were in great demand, and did excellent work under mortar and small arms fire in conditions of great difficulty.
On the afternoon of the 6th June six AVREs and two bulldozers were employed in the clearance of beach obstacles, and on the 8th June the Squadon moved to Tailleville. During the landing the O.C. was wounded, but of the 25 AVREs embarked only one was lost; this one amply justified its existence as the “Pont AVRE”.
BERNIERES-SUR-MER . 80 ASSAULT SQUADRON
Because of the difficulties of approach and a strong cross current most of the L.C.T.s at this beach touched down well to the east of the planned gaps. The first craft to reach the beach (at 0745 hours) carried Brigadier G. L. Watkinson, Commander of the Brigade, and Major R. T. Wiltshire R.E. the Squadron Commander.
The main obstruction on this front was a sea wall between ten and twelve feet high. Two assault bridges were laid against this wall and provided passable exits from the beach for tracked vehicles. It was not possible in most places to use Petard fire to breach the wall as Infantry of the 8th Canadian Infantry Brigade had landed before the AVREs and were all over the beach and were in danger of suffering casualties from our own fire.
Three fascines were used to form causeways across an anti-tank ditch, and a coir matting “carpet” was laid as a roadway for traffic on the soft sand of the dunes cast of the town. While directing traffic here Lieutenant J.W. Hornby R.E. was trapped between a tank and an armoured bulldozer and suffered fatal injuries.
On the 7th June three AVREs under Captain I. T. S. Essery M.C., R.E. were sent to attack the Radar Station at Douvres-Ia-Deliverande with Petard fire and to ascertain whether there was any strong organized resistance. Two of them blew up on mines and were almost immediately set on fire by 5 0 mm. shells, and the remaining AVRE managed to withdraw, having survived six hits. This Radar Station proved to be a tough nut to crack, and its final reduction will be described later.
The Squadron assembled and reorganized at Beny-sur-Mer on the 8th and 9th June.
LION. 77 ASSAULT SQUADRON
77 and 79 Squadrons were in support of the 3rd British Infantry Division, which had the task of capturing the large town of Ouistreham at the mouth of the R. Orne, and the town of Lion-sur-Mer to the west.
Three Troops Of 77 Squadron beached at H-Hour, but the L.C.T. carrying the fourth Troop with Lieutenant Colonel A. D. B. Cocks R.E., Commander Of 5 Regiment on board, came under heavy anti-tank gun fire. There was an explosion on board which killed Lt. Col. Cocks and did so much damage that the L.C.T. had to return to England without discharging any of its AVRES.
The main obstructions anticipated on this beach were high sand dunes, and specially prepared explosive charges (,”Boase Bangalores”) were carried to blast a way through these dunes. It was found, however, that most of them could be crossed by tanks without assistance, and as a result only one Boase Bangalore was used. One AVRE of 1 Troop was hit by antitank gun fire and drowned, but the crew of six dismounted and forced their way into Hermanville, killing many of the enemy and holding the village until relieved by the Infantry.
The Squadron rallied at 1100 hours, and at noon assisted in the first attack on Lion-surMer with Petard and Besa fire. Casualties were heavy. During the day two officers, Lt. Col. Cocks R.E. and Captain G. McLennan R.E., were killed and three wounded, and by the gth June out of a total Of I7 AVREs originally embarked only three remained fit.
OUISTREHAM. 79 ASSAULT SQUADRON
The most easterly landings of the initial assault were made on this front, beyond the R. Orne estuary; the enemy fought stubbornly on this front and was not finally dislodged from the woods to the east of the R. Orne for several weeks.
The whole Squadron landed at H-Hour-in fact three Troops touched down at 0725 hours, five minutes early. Opposition was very heavy, and a number of tanks, including almost all the Flails, were knocked out by anti-tank gun fire very quickly. Consequently mines had to be lifted by hand in the open; in spite of this 8 lanes from the beach to the road were successfully cleared in 5 hours. The four AVREs Of
3 Troop and the two Flails with them were knocked out, but the survivors of the crews rallied on foot. Three assault bridges were dropped and three log carpets laid to form roadways by the i and 2 Troops.
At I 5 oo hours the C.O. of the 4th Commando reported to the Squadron Commander, Major J. H. Hanson D.S.O., R.E., that the lock gates and bridge at Ouistreham were held by the enemy. As the,Commando C.O. was wounded Major Hanson took charge, and asked for Infantry assistance in making an attack. None could be spared, so at I53o hours ten AVREs moved off and so surprised the enemy that the west bank was captured. Unfortunately the party were not able prevent the demolition of one span of the bridge over the canal, but intense Petard and Besa fire from the AVREs had such a demoralizing effect on the Germans that by 163o hours 6 officers and 51 other ranks surrendered. The Squadron then deployed and took up hull-down positions on the west bank with Bren gun posts on the east bank, and removed demolition charges from the lock gates and the remainder of the bridge. The position was held until the following morning when the Infantry took over.
It is idle now to speculate how the D-Day assault would have fared had we not been able to land tanks early. That we did so was largely made possible by the contribution of the Assault R.E. and the Flails. The losses both of men and armour on the American “Omaha” beach where such innovations were not used, were very much heavier than in the british sector. Any impression that the landings were a “walk-over” is quite wrong. The Atlantic Wall was strong and well manned, but the German defenders were unable to stand up to the type of attack which the AVREs made possible. The gallantry and dash of the Sappers manning these AVREs established another outstanding achievement in the history of the Corps.
The period between the initial landings and the break-through and cleaning up of the Falaise “pocket” in the middle of August was characterized by actions in which AVREs were used generally in small numbers with inadequate support and generally as “infantry” tanks. The AVRE, although mounted on the Churchill tank chassis, does not carry the armament of the normal gun tank. The Petard, a very effective weapon against concrete defences and in built-up areas, has a range of little more than 8o yards. Consequently AVREs cannot give each other fire support and unless good support is provided from gun tanks or artillery the AVRE has little chance of getting within range of its objective, and falls an easy victim to any tank or anti-tank gun defences.
In spite of these difficulties much good work was done in mopping up stubborn pockets of resistance within the beach-head and in consolidating the area as a springboard for the next great advance. One noteworthy action was the final assault by 26 Squadron operating with the 4’st Marine Commando against the strongly defended Radar Station at Douvresla-Deliverande which had hitherto defied all our attacks. A reconnaissance had been made on the 7th June by Captain I. T. S. Essery M.C., R.E. with three AVRES, of which two were knocked out. On the night of the i zth June an attack was launched by i2 AVREs of z6 Squadron, which failed as the AVREs were unable to penetrate the perimeter minefield; Petard fire at night from outside the minefield proved to be of little value. On the ‘7th June an attack was made by a composite team Of 17 AVREs Of 26 Squadron, 28 Sherman Flails of the 22nd Dragoons, and 160 Commandos.
The Radar Station consisted of two strongly fortified points 200yards by ioo yards and 6oo yards by 250 yards surrounded by a double belt of barbed wire enclosing a minefield about 40 yards deep. Inside were underground concrete shelters and heavy reinforced concrete pill-boxes housing 50 mm. anti-tank guns and numerous automatic weapons. The German garrison consisted of five officers and 200 determined men.
The attack was a success. Diversions were staged by two Troops Of 77 Squadron from the west and south. The Flails succeeded in breaching the perimeter minefield from the cast, although they suffered some casualties in doing so; the AVREs with their Flying Dustbins and carefully placed Beehive charges did the rest. Infantry casualties were light, as the Infantry did not enter the area until half an hour after the AVRES.
During the mopping up operations in the area of Tilly-sur-Seulles and Villers Bocage “Dustbins” were used for a new type of demolition@reating gaps in the “bocage banks” which divided the small fields and which gave such excellent cover to the defending German guns and tanks. Except for the plain between Caen and Falaise, Normandy was difficult tank country, as the heavy bocage banks and numerous ditches provided good natural anti-tank obstacles, and the dense hedgerows on top of the banks gave good concealment for well placed anti-tank guns.
Much trouble was caused by dust; penetrating yellow clouds of it blinded the drivers, filled the tanks with grit, and made everyone’s life uncomfortable. Since D-Day troops, guns, tanks, stores and
ammunition and all the other paraphernalia of war had been pouring into the beach-head over the beaches and through the famous “Mulberry” port at Arromanches. By the middle of July every field was an extempore camp, an ammunition dump, a vehicle park, or a store of some sort. The roads and lanes of Normandy, never designed to take heavy traffic, broke up rapidly under the unending streams of trucks and tanks. No one will forget the sweating teams of Sappers and Pioneers trying to keep these roads in some sort of repair, and the harassed Military Police dealing with apparently inextricable traffic blocks.
At the beginning of August the balance of 6 Regiment, 87 and 284 Squadrons, landed in France, together with the combined H.Q. 1st Assault Brigade and H.Q. 149 Assault Park Squadron; Bde H. Q. was set up in an orchard in the village of St. Gabriel near Creuilly. At about this time it became necessary for the Brigade to establish its own training and reinforcement unit, as the specialist training of AVRE crews made it impossible for reinforcements to be drawn direct from normal engineer sources, and casualties had caused serious depletions in our numbers. ConsequentlY 5 5 7 Squadron was detached from 47 Regiment, reconstituted as 5 5 7 Assault Training Regiment and moved to Parham near Arundel in Sussex; Lieutenant Colonel R. P. G. Anderson R.E., the previous C.R.E. of 6 Regiment took command. At the same time all Assault Squadrons in the Brigade were reduced from four Troops to three, and the number of AVREs from 26 to 20.
In August the port of Cherbourg was opened by the Americans, and the great drive across the Brittany Peninsula and round the south of Paris began. In spite of the most vigorous and supposedly Hitler-inspired efforts the Germans were unable to break through the American line to the coast at Avranches, and large forces were trapped in a number of pockets, of which the last to hold out was the Falaise pocket. Allied morale rose very high; Rommel was reported as killed, and everywhere was the visible evidence of great destruction of the enemy forces. ENSA cinemas and shows too began to appear.
Two Squadrons Of 5 Regiment were engaged in the drive from Caen towards Falaise starting on the night of the 7/8th August (operation “Totalize”). This was primarily a tank attack, and 79 Squadron, with a Troop of 8o Squadron, was given the task of marking lanes with white tracing tape and lights for the gun tanks to follow. The task was successfully carried out in collaboration with the Flails of the i st Lothians and Border Yeomanry, and the following commendation was later received from the Commander of the znd Canadian Armoured Brigade;
“Op TOTALIZE.
During this operation 79 Assault Squadron R.E. and i Lothians were placed under command this formation. They carried out their tasks with considerable skill and courage, and their contribution was a most important factor in the success of the battle.”
Meanwhile early in August 81, 82 and 284 Squadrons of 6 Regiment concentrated near Courseulles-sur-Mer to undertake intensive training in rafting and bridging in preparation for the advance to the R. Seine. 87 Squadron was engaged in operations until the 16th August, and played a valuable part in the crossing of the R. Orne.
On the ‘7th August three Squadrons, 16, 22z and 6I7, and the H.Q. Of 42 Assault Regiment landed in France; during the next few weeks the whole Brigade concentrated at Herouvilette on the east bank of the R. Orne for training in rafting.