- 21 -

CHAPTER IV

THE DIVISIONAL BRIDGEHEAD

After its exertions of D day the battalion spent what was left of the night in a large field just outside the village of Ranville. All ranks were dog tired and it was difficult to resist the temptation to lie down at once and sleep.

This temptation had to be resisted though and, after an all round defensive position had been sited, the next hour or two were spent in digging slit trenches. The trenches dug that night were a travesty of the text book examples as practically everyone, when they dug down about a foot, fell into the trench and was asleep immediately.

Sentries were changed every half-hour as a precaution against falling asleep; this was not too severe a strain as there were only four more hours before daylight, when everyone would be up again.

At 9 a.m. on 7th June the battalion moved into position in Brigade reserve on the edge of the DZ itself.

This was the first time the battalion had seen the DZ by daylight and it was interesting to note how extremely accurate the briefing models had been in comparison with the real thing and to try and spot where one's wanderings after the drop had taken one. The whole area was now covered with gliders and bits of these were found very useful for making head cover for slit trenches.

There were few who were not experts at digging slit trenches by this time but what few there were very quickly became as good as the rest in this position as it was very frequently under accurate shell and mortar fire from across the DZ. Several casualties were suffered as a result of it because it is not possible for everyone to live, like a mole, permanently below the level of the ground; it is, in fact, an extremely bad thing if anyone developes a tendency to do so. Life continued more or less normally despite the shelling and every- one became very quick at diving into cover.

The seaborne elements of the battalion, which included the bulk of the drivers and various administrative personnel, rejoined in this position and were quickly discouraged from swopping experiences with their friends and employed on digging slit trenches for themselves. While they were engaged on this task the area was shelled and an unlucky one fell right amongst them. Inexperienced as they were, at that time, they heard it coming and dived for their trenches but few had got deep enough to get proper protection. More casualties were suffered including the battalion butcher who was Killed.

The Germans seemed very slow to react and continued themselves with this shelling and mortaring from a comparatively long range and with the slipping of small parties of men onto the DZ to snipe from the many gliders lying there.

Some amusing incidents occurred in this connection because the gliders were an object of interest to both sides and nothing will prevent the British soldier from having a good look at things that are a novelty to him. Parties of two, or three, would slip out from their position onto the DZ itself with the object of exploring the nearest glider but from this one they would pass on to the next and so on until they got well out onto the DZ. Several such parties bumped into similar German parties who had, presumably left their own lines for an exploration of the gliders too. Often