The Rifles and D Day

It will be recalled that the ground from Anisy to Cambes is open, its distance being approximately 1500 yards, and its width approximately 800 yards. A dusty track with no bordering or fence of any description runs straight from Anisy to Cambes.

The intention of the commanding officer was simple and direct ; " The Royal Ulster Rifles will capture and consolidate Cambes. " The plan was as follows: - The advance from Anisy to Cambes over the open ground was to be carried out with B Company on the right, A Company on the left with their left on the track, D Company supprting B Company, and C Company supporting A Company. The advance to be carried out under cover of an artillery barrage. The advance was to be in open order, with A and B companies clearing the front edge of the village and guarding the flanks, and with C and D Companies passing through and capturing the far edges of the village, the whole operation requiring both wood and street fighting.

Above, Sword Beach area on D Day. Blue indicates German positions ( and direction of counter attacks)

Red indicates Allied positions. ( The British 3rd division is on the right with the Canadian 3rd Division

on the left ).

Prior to zero hour, the Naval Cruiser gave a five minute concentration on to the village, followed by the Field Artillery, giving a series of concentration behind which the Battalion were to advance. The anti tank gunners were to protect the flanks, and the tanks were also to assist. The assualy companies A and B were each given a demolition and mine clearing team for use until their final objective, when they were to pass these on to the supporting companies, C and D.

The Armoured Vehicles Royal Engineers were to move forward with the Battalion ready to deal with any strongpoints.

The 4.2 inch mortars were given two tasks of crumping on to A company's first objective , and then to transfer to C Company's final objective. The Medium machine Gun Company were ( 1 ) to cover the left flank, and ( 2 ) to consolidate on the final objectives in order to deal with counter attacks. The Battalion's own 3 inch Mortar Platoon were to be prepared to fire on call from the Assault Companies, and then from the two Supporting Companies . The carrier Platoon, under command of S Company Commander Major C. R . P Sweeney, M. C. were to remain at Anisy and be prepared to ferry up ammunition or any other requirements to the objectives. The Anti Tank Platoon were given protective tasks once the objective had been gained , and the Pioneer Platoon, whose Commander, Lieut D.R.R Greer, had left the Battalion on the 7th of June to collect some stores from a dump and had not since returned , were to be ready should the

Royal Engineers not be in a position to fulfil their commitments.

At 3.15pm on the 9th of June 1944, A and B Companies crossed the start line followed by the Battalion O Group behind

A Company. The men were well spaced out and advanced in good order, direction being stedied by the Commanding Officer from the left. As the Companies reached the ridge some 1100 yards from the objective whence they could be permanently observed by the enemy , they came under a heavy barrage of mortar and shell fire accompanied by machine gun fire. the Commanding officer of the tanks who had fought with the Guards, observing the advance from the start line , said to himself " This is where they get to ground and the attack is held up ". To his astonishment, however , the Battalion continued to advance in open order, keeping perfect distance. Certainly there is no doubt that the Companies advanced through what appeared to be an impassable barrage with the same unconcern as that shown on a Company Field Firing Excercise.

Men were dropping all round, but still the advance continued. A Company were particularly unfortunate, losing all three of their Platoon Commanders, Lieut R.S Hall being killed and the other two Lieut D . Walsh and Lieut J . St . J. Cooper being wounded in such a way that they could not carry on.Further one Platoon Sergeant was also knocked out.

Corporal O' Reilly finding himself the senior person left in the platoon, took command and did very good work during the period of consolidation which followed. In The same Company Rifleman Miller , finding his section leaderless, took over command and led his section with great initiative. Lance Sergeant McCann, A Company, was badly wounded in the face but refused to drop out of the fight until his platoon's objective had been obtained. B Company on the right, under the command of Major J.W. Hyde came under heavy mortar and machine gun fire from the flank about 400 yards from the near edge of thir first objective . With great presence of mind Sgt Kavanagh of 11 Platoon engaged the machine guns with his Bren Groups and also directed the attention of a tank on to the trouble. Subsequent patrolling located several enemy dead in the target area.. The first objective was was quickly taken, 10 Platoon passing with great speed through the village to the church, their final objective. One German an SS sniper was wounded and taken prisoner.

A and B Companies reached their first objective by 4.30pm, when C Company, with great vigour and dash, had fought their way through the wood to their final objective, they were unfortunate in losing one of their Platoon Commanders,

Lieut R.C. Diserens, who regardless of his own safety, was running about in the open under fire putting his platoon into position. This very enthusiastic young officer was severely wounded and died later from the effects, a great loss to his Company and to the Battalion.

  Below, British Infantry advance in Open Order, as the Rifles did towards Cambes.

D Company as it will be rembered were sadly depleted, went through B Company and almost immediately two of its remaining three officers were wounded, Captain J. Montgomery, the acting Company Commander, though wounded twice in the leg, carried on throughout the battle, and Lieut. Lennox , after leading his Platoon with great determination, was severely wounded and could not carry on. Had D Company not secured its objective, it is possible that the enemy couldhave used this portion of the village and wood to make a very vigorous counter attack . In this battle D Company lost a further two killed, fifteen wounded and one missing.

Immediately the leading Companies had reached their first objectives, the Anti Tank platoon under Command of Captain C.R. Gray were ordered to move forward to assist in consolidation.

All gun detachments moved forward in the face of accurate 88mm, and mortar fire, and succeeded in being manhandled into position with the exception of of one detachment. This was commanded by Corporal Boyd, and received a direct hit from an 88mm shell which besides knocking out the carrier , took a leg off Corporal Boyd, an

arm off Rifleman Heald, and killed Rifleman Hickling. Rifleman Walton, the remaining member of the crew, escaped without injury. The gun itself was later recovered and manhandled into position.

Whilst consolidating against a probable counter - attack the enemy subjected the position to a vicious attack of mortar and shell fire which lasted for five hours, so that the digging in was carried out under the greatest of difficulties. During the consolidation, Captain M.D.G.C Ryan, Headquarters Company Commander, was severely burnt in the hands by the explosion of a Phoshorus Smoke Bomb and was evacuated, Major Brooks M.C. the very

popular commander of the battery which had supported the Battalion since 1939, was killed.

At the end of the day the Battalion's total casualties were three Officers and forty - one Other Ranks Killed, seven officers and one hundred and thirty one Other Ranks wounded and evacuated, three Officers and three Other Ranks wounded but not evacuated, one Officer and ten Other Ranks missing, making a total away from the Battalion of eleven Officers and one hundred and eighty two Other Ranks.

Many of the wounded had been amazingly cheerful, joking in the face of the most frightful wounds. The Medical Officer , Captain C.R Wright, R.A.M.C and his staff of mediacl orderlies and stretcher bearers had been the pillar of strength, dealing with patients with the same calmness and a good deal more humour than was normally shown on the non - operational sick parade.

Morale in the battalion never failed from the begining. The Battalion took its victory and its wounds as if they were normal everyday occurences. After consolidation the officers and men soon learnt the adviseability of digging deep and the German's regular strafing was soon the cause of much laughter and singing of such songs as

"Run, rabbit, run. " Cambes was not liked ; but it was looked upon as a stepping stone to bigger things, and in order that the Germans could know this too, strong fighting patrols soon took up the offensive. When the Battalion was ordered to move forward again, it was not weaker owing to Cambes but stronger, and the germans soon learnt to recognise the strong fighting spirit of the Royal Ulster Rifles.

It was learnt later that as a result of this operation, Major W.D Tighe - Wood, Captain J.Montgomery and

Lieut S.M Lennox had been awarded the Military Cross. Corporal O'Reilly, the Distinguished Conduct Madal ,

Lance Sergeant McCann , Rifleman Long ( who as a signaller with C Company had attended a wounded man under severe shell fire with complete disregard for his own safety ) and Rifleman Mcglennon who as

D Company's runner had maintained personal communication throughout the worst phase of battle),

the Military Medal.