SECRET

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At 2100 hrs, orders were received to rejoin the Bn at LE BAS DE RANVILLE the move being completed by approx midnight where they went into Bn res. During this period the Coy had not had time to cook tea or meat meal from their 24 hr packs.

8 JUN.

As a result at night a/c attack, the Bn dug in deeply - there is no future need to impress that necessity on anyone.

The Bn was subjected to enemy mortar and arty (SP) fire from 1100 hrs - 1830 hrs.

A recce patrol under comd Sjt TARREN from Recce Pl moved onto RING CONTOUR 1072 during night 8/9 Jun. and reported movement of half tracked Vehs up to ORCHARD 103702 from direction ST. HONORINE 0971.

During the evening 'B' Coy was relieved by 'A' Coy as central forward Coy.

For notes on Employment of Recce Pl see Appx 'B'

9 JUN

The main difficulty with which the Bn was faced at this time was the question of observation. All def posns were an the reverse slopes of ring contour 1072 and well sited for a tk and anti-inf def, but it was not possible to get snipers or O.Ps forward of the ridge, the apex of which was the ring contour, without drawing excessive MMG and Mtr fire. This meant our arty and Mtr fire was to a large extent unobserved. Some arty a/tk guns were placed in sp of the Bn, the actual number fluctuating daily.

An O.P. was est however in the vicinity of 'A' Coy's right forward Pl., which gave partial observation onto the crest of the ring contour.

At 1000 hrs infrm was received from above tint the enemy were abandoning Ring Contour and ST.HONORINE and that 1 R.U.R. from LONGEVAL 0871 were occuping the latter, and 12 Para.Bn going to LONGEVAL in their relief.

A recce patrol under comd LT.L.A.SALT was instructed to confirm the abandonment of the Ring Contour and orchard by the enemy. This patrol to be covered by a fighting patrol (str.one Pl under comd LT.R.A.VICKERY) an the contour.

The C.O. accompanied the fighting patrol.

On approaching the Ring Contour the patrol was met by hy mtr and MMG fire from the normal enemy posns, and withdrew under cover of smoke from 'A' Coy, and its own LMGs. It was also confirmed that 1 R.U.R. withdrew from ST HONORINE

Throughout the day intermittent sniping occurred within the Bn posn which caused a feeling of uneasiness and "lightness on the trigger” out of all proportion to the actual bullets actually fired by the snipers. It was stated by offrs and O.Rs that these snipers were actual Germans concealed in buildings, and also that Frenchmen in civilian clothes were acting as "franc-tireurs" and mingling with the civ population which included weary refugees.