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he had committed some dreadful offence by firing at the church at all, was at pains to point out that he had done as little damage as possible and had been most careful to remove his helmet when entering the church to see the effect. He had found the bodies of no less than twelve different snipers when he went up the tower.

Snipers elsewhere continued to be troublesome too and the Anti Tank Platoon commander Lieut Archdale, whose platoon was distributed round the companies in detachments (Killeen had the one with B Company) led at least ten separate raiding parties into the village area. during the day. It was largely due to his efforts that the sniper problem did not develop into anything more serious than a nuisance.

At 10 a.m. two figures could be seen walking nonchalently over the Canal bridge towards the battalion position. They seemed to possess charmed lives and to be confident in this knowledge as they showed no signs of hurry although there was plenty of reason to do so over that unhealthy spot. Look outs with glasses reported them to be Gen Gale and the commander of the Airlanding (gliderborne) Brigade, Brig Hon HKM Kindersley, CBE, whose brigade had not then arrived. They were seen to stop and chat to Thomas men and then swing right handed and walk slowly down the canal bank. The CO, accompanied by RSM John- stone who never missed a chance of going with the colonel on his journeys, moved off to meet them and eventually arrived on the Canal bank also about fifty yards ahead of them. The general, whose position gave him a good view down the canal, shouted to get down as there were two boats coming up the canal towards the bridge and he could not see quite what they were. All four accordingly lay down on the bank and got a wonderful view of a most interesting event.

The two boats, each about twenty foot long, chugged slowly past the party and on towards the bridge keeping an interval of about a hundred yards between them. There was no sign of life to be seen on either but there was a closed wheelhouse aft where the crew were presumably watching events just as closely. Each had a pom pom gun in the bows but these were apparently completely unmanned. It was obvious that they did not know what the situation was and had come down to try and find out. Not a sign were they given however although everyone in the area was watching intently for an opportunity. The opportunity arose when the leading boat was within a hundred yards of the bridge. A bren gun of Thomas platoon on the West end of the bridge and a PIAT of Howard's on the East and of it both opened up on her almost simultaneously. The bren splintered the wheel house and the PIAT stopped the engine completely. The second boat immediately turned round and made off towards the sea at full speed and, as there was no weapon suitably placed to stop it, it made good its escape. The first boat drifted helplessly towards the East bank of the canal where a reception party of Howard's men were waiting for it. While it was drifting though the pom pom gun, which was obviously remote controlled, swung round and started to fire tracer into the battalion position on the West. Battalion Headquarters was the target selected. No casualties were suffered and the CO, from the Canal bank, had the unusual sight of his own immediate staff, who had been watching the preceedings from a grass slope position like a lot of seals in the sun, give a lightning demonstration of going to ground. The crew of the crippled boat, who were all young soldiers and very nervous except for one who was an arrogant Nazi type, surrendered without trouble and the gun boat remained as a trophy.

The general then discussed the situation with the CO. congratulated the battalion on the job it had done and eventually sauntered back across the bridge as unhurriedly as he had arrived and as if nothing was happening.


(Archive transcripts © Copyright Normandy War Guide)

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Archive: Story of 7 Bn. Light Infantry, The Parachute Regiment, 1943 - 1944

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