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The Adjutant, Captain Hudson, had been hit in the stomach as soon as the battalion had reached the firm base before the assault. Incensed at missing the battle after 18 months of preparation, he drew his pistol with a great effort as he lay on his back and aimed it with both hands at the battery, some 400 yards away. Muttering, "take that, you bastards“, he pulled the trigger and wounded himself slightly in the left big toe. On being carried into the aid post, he was examined by the doctor and laid on one side as a hopeless ease among the dead and dying. A little while later the sentry on the door of the barn heard a voice behind him say "where can I piss", and saw Captain Hudson walking past him holding in his guts with his hands. This seemed to show that life was not entirely extinct, and he was eventually evacuated, making a full recovery.

The commanding officer now gave out orders for the next phase. He decided to concentrate on the task of seizing Le Plein and to disregard the other tasks allotted to the battalion, an unavoidable decision in view of his reduced strength. During his orders Lieutenant Pond and some 20 men from his glider rejoined the battalion, bringing the strength up to about 100. Among the prisoners were a German doctor and two German medical orderlies and the wounded of both sides were left in the ruined barn in charge of these three Germans and two battalion medical orderlies. Orders were then issued for the advance to begin and at 6 am the battalion moved off towards Le Plein.


(Archive transcripts © Copyright Normandy War Guide)

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Archive: 9th Bn The Parachute Regiment North West Europe 1944 - 45

Page: Page 12