50 DIV D-DAY

War Diary Jun 44
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50 (N) DIV HQ - D Day

Identifications from PW - 716 Coastal Div and 1 Bn 916 Regt 352 Inf Div.

N.B. Diary reports 9 DLI rd BAYEUX - ST LEGER reached. Probably by mobile elements as disposns do not confirm.

6 Jun

47 RM Cdo. capture of PORT-EN-BESSIN. See 231 Bde 6 Jun. PORT-EN-BESSIN lies in a hollow between two high features. It was strongly def from the front and it was therefore planned to attack it from the rear. This involved a ten mile march thro' enemy country. Average weight carried 88 lb per man. 0825 - Landed. Selected beach seemed deserted. CO decided to land 1 1/2 miles East of LE HAMEL. 4 LCSA blew up 400x from beach but many men got ashore but without equipment. Beaches were under fire and the aslt tps were not as far inland expected. Cdo had to fight to reach its Assembly Area at LA ROSIERE. After a few brushes with the enemy, Cdo reached and dug in on Pt 72 between defs of Port and enemy posns at FOSSE SOUCY. Enemy did not suspect their presence.

WD Jun 44
6 Jun

2 Cheshire. - 1500 - Arrived off beach. 2315. - Landing of second tide personnel postponed until tomorrow on account of sea.

WD Jun 44
6 Jun

Westminster Dgns. B Sqn provided 13 Crabs under comd of 231 Inf Bde and C Sqn 15 Crabs under comd of 69 Bde. CO landed in C Sqn ARV at H+60.

WD Jun 44
6 Jun

Westminster Dgns - "A" Sqn. 1 Hamps.
Westminster Dgns - B Sqn. 5 out of 6 LCTs carrying flails, crabs and AVREs landed. 6 could not because of damage from shell fire and high seas. Beach obstacles were easily by-passed. except for the clay. Sea mist rose when craft were 1-2,000 off shore. All landings were made 400x East of selected pts and roles of 2 and 3 teams were reversed. One flail moving towards ramp exit at East end of LE HAMEL was hit by 88 mm enfilading beach. One flail was destroyed by a tk fire in LE HAMEL. Two flails and 1 AVRE of B Sqn (used fascine to fill shell crater) flailed to LES ROQUETTES X rds, turned left and made (a) a way thro' minefd to south for inf and carriers, and (b) another for sp arty and AA gunners. (Note: For the flails, as for the inf, 231 Bde frontage was difficult. (a) mist obscured land (b) 2 landed in 3 teams lane (c) 1 team's LCT was hit. Difficulty was encountered from clay and marshy ground. Sqn under comd Regt harboured MEAVAINES.

6/7

WD Jun 44
6 Jun

Westminster Dgns - "C" Sqn. 5 E Yorks.
X Breaching team. Landed at correct posns at LA RIVIERE. No. 1 team: Carried out its tasks and flailed a track to the lateral rd, turned left, moved to X rds, turned right and flailed to OP house. Here an AVRE was called up to fill a shell crater in the road. A further lane was made from the OP house to the Quarry for the DD tks to get out into open country. DD Sqn Ldr contacted flails just as lane was completed. Enemy not blown dems at br over stream or over a tk ditch.

100.