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Brig Poett was a frequent visitor to the area and kept in close personal touch with the situation; he arrived soon after the general and was very pleased with the new trophy.

The first seaborne troops to be expected were the 1st Commando Brigade, under Brig Lord Lovat, DSO, MC who were to pass over the bridges into the divisional area and there come under command. They had vowed to cross the bridges by noon and from 11 a.m. onwards ears were strained for the sound of their bagpipes, which was the pre-arranged recognition signal to be answered by the bugle if the way to the bridge was clear. True to their word the Commandos were the first to arrive but it was not until 1 p.m. that their pipes were heard in the distance. The temptation to reply by bugle was strong but had to be resisted because the way was not clear, attacks were still being launched on the battalion position and there were also the snipers in Le Port. Pte Chambers was forbidden to sound off and the Commandos made a slower and more cautious entry into Le Port than they would otherwise have done.

They came through in grand style and their mere numbers were sufficient to keep the snipers quiet for an hour or so. There was such mutual interest in the meeting because, although Parachutists and Commandos have much in common, they had not worked together before. There was plenty of time for chatting anyhow as the actual crossing of the Canal bridge was to be something of a ceremony which took quite a bit of organising. Eventually it was all teed up and at 2 pm. the piper led the way across the bridge, skirling away on his pipes, followed by Lord Lovat. It was an impressive sight and they got across without a shot being fired at them. Later parties were not so fortunate and a few casualties were suffered from snipers who opened up from the upper windows of the Chateau onto the bridge. It was during this phase that Thomas’ two amateur gun repairers did good work with their electrically controlled gun.

A curious period of many hours followed the passage of the Commandos through the position. They had rushed through at remarkable speed well ahead of the remainder of the seaborne troops, clearing a narrow corridor for themselves as they went. Their passage had opened up the main road from the beaches temporarily but had no effect on the Germans on the Caen side or even those off the road to the immediate West. During this period there were several more sharp battles and further casualties were inflicted and suffered.

The seaborne battalion with which contact was to be made and which was to relieve the battalion of the defence of the bridges, did not turn up. Instead of it though various other small seaborne elements did appear having profited by the temporary opening of the road by the Commandos. These were at somewhat of a loss to know what to do as they were well ahead of the infantry and were, for the most part, not fighting troops themselves; they were mostly lorry drivers and technical troops. They were of great interest to the men of B Company, in whose area they halted, as they could give a first hand account of how the beach landings had gone and, more interesting still, where the relieving troops were when they last saw them. Most of them carried a liberal supply of the most excellent soups and drinks in patent self-heating tins which were carried by the Seaborne troops. They were not carried by the Airborne troops as they could, of course only be used once and were not an economical load, The lorry drivers seemed to have collected a few extra ones and these they handed out generously to those that were near them. These were particularly welcome as few had had a charms to brew up a hot drink and had been keeping going on biscuits and chocolate. One of the first to arrive was a elderly soldier driving a bulldozer by himself as his mate had been killed