2nd Battalion, Fife and Forfar Yeomanry War Diary: June 1944

The June 1944 war diary of the 2nd Battalion, Fife and Forfar Yeomanry offers an account of the regiment’s preparations and first actions during the Normandy campaign. It describes the battalion’s move to the marshalling areas in England, the waterproofing of vehicles for the Channel crossing, and the unit’s arrival in Normandy following D-Day. The diary also records the battalion’s earliest experiences in combat, including its first casualties.

National Archive Reference: WO 171/853

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WO 171/853 2nd Battalion, Fife and Forfar Yeomanry

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The 2nd Battalion, Fife and Forfar Yeomanry are mentioned in 1 other war diaries from June 1944.

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Page 1 of 3

Place	Date	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
	3	A.Fs.W. 3008 and 3009 appended. Modifications and final points of loading were in hand.
	6	D Day! First day very quiet with little news; maps were opened and sorted.
	7	G.O.C. explained to all offrs the gen plan and progress of ops; maps distributed and layering began.
	8	Adv party (Major Trotter in a 1/2 track) due to leave 0530 on 9 June, but
		postponed 24 hrs. Lt Hotblack had taken lt vehs to marshalling area at 0345 hrs 8 June.
	9	Movement order recd to marshalling area. S.P. at 0540 hrs 10 June - postponed at 2330 hrs, Adv party to go at 1830 hrs 10 June.
	10	Adv party left: orders for main body came through.
Camp A.2	11	Moved off 0530 via FARNHAM & PETERSFIELD. Arrived R.C.R.P. at 0845 hrs.
near Portsmouth.		Directed to marshalling area camp A.11, but only proportion of regt remained there, the bulk of 'B' & 'C' sqns and RHQ tks and same ech vehs going on to
		A.2. Craft loads were made up and waterproofing stage 2 completed. Hive of activity this first evening, with nominal rolls, embarkation tag labels
		and all the other "points to remember in marshalling areas". For a time we fully expected to embark pretty soon but tension died down. "No move before
		....hrs" was to become familiar call on the loudspeakers. All regts very split up - even in craft loads.
	12-13	No move; little activity; rain on night 12/13.
	14	Possibility of move later in day. Most "craft serials" moved from respective
		marshalling areas during the evening and embarked that night. Those who crossed by L.S.T. on 15 June had a very calm voyage; some of the echelon
		who came in the next day or two were not able to relish the good food provided.
	17	All vehs and personnel were in conc area outside village of
		CULLY 9076 by 17 June without casualties or any special incident. Here we remained until 23 without anything more than odd fragments of A.A. to disturb	ref map 1/50000 CAEN Sheet 7F1
		us at night. After first two days everyone was on 14-man pack rations which are popular. Many reunions with old friends in other units 24L in particular and

Page 2 of 3

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
	17 (cont)		Alistair Nairn from Staffs Yeo. All units of Bde very close but countryside gives ample cover.
	23		As many lessons as possible were learned from units who
			had been in action and from the siting and positions of various k.o'd 88 A.tk guns and Br tks in our neighbourhood.
	26		After 2 or 3 days planning we moved out - part of the break out force of 8 Corps. Our original role was to push through over the R. ODON and S.E. to
			the ORNE in support of and co-operating with 15 (S) Div. The Regt advanced behind the inf to CHEUX 9267 where 10 H.L.I. and 2 Argylls (227 Bde) were pushing
			thro with some difficulty. 'B' Sqn had been leading with the Recce Tp in front but now 'C' Sqn advanced to the S.E. of CHEUX - HAUT DU BOSQ, supported
			by 'A' on the rt and 'B' in reserve. 10 H.L.I. were to attack thro the centre of village but deviated to the right and their attack did not go fully home.
			A Churchill sqn was in sp but did not achieve much, following on in to the congested village. 'C' Sgn bumped the enemy hard and in very close country
			had 7 tks knocked out, accounting for 2 Panthers. 'A' Sqn also lost 2 tks. Most of these were recovered later and an average of 3 men per crew baled
			out. Lt Cecil Pritchard was missing, believed killed. The weather was very bad and visibility poor.
	Night 26/7.		Close laager North of CHEUX. Some casualties were got back but A.1. Ech could not come up.
	27		10 H.L.I. were to attack at 0715 hrs from a S.L. S of CHEUX but were fighting hard before they reached it. 'A' Sqn led with R.H.Q., 'B' & 'C' following.
			As 'A' shoot out on the right, reports of German ks in the village were heard and several Panthers and Tigers were knocked out in the orchards and streets.
			The Panthers came from 3 Pz Regt of 2 Pz Div - moved up specially from the CAUMONT area. The German thrust was continuous from the right all day
			and tho 'A' Sqn pushed on to the high ground N. of GRAINVILLE 9164 the close country on our immediate rt was never cleared and a small counter attack
			was even begun in the failing light. 'A' & 'B' sqns shared the tks and we accounted for 4 Panthers and 1 or 2 Tigers as well as A. Tk and S.P. guns.

Page 3 of 3

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
	27 (cont'd). 28		We laagered S.W. of CHEUX 27/28 June and moved South at first light on the left of the Div axis to cross the R. ODON at TOURMAUVILLE 9362. Both 23 H
			and 3 R.Tks were across and we were followed by 44 R.Tks of 4 Armd Bde. Several dug in tks were knocked out at longish ranges and a whole battery
			of 88 mm A.A. guns mopped up complete. Later in the day we moved across from the rt of the high ground (South of GAVRUS LE VILAINS) to the area of
			BARON on the left, with the 3 R.Tks and our 'F' Coy, This feature was in view from the notorious CARPIQUET airfield and was frequently mortar'd and
	29/30. 30		shelled. We close laagered on the backward slopes and dispersed as usual before first light. Next day we spent in observation, the Germans still
			being fairly well organised on the reverse slopes and our responsibility lying E, N.E. and S.
			'C' Sqn were moved well forward on the high ground at Pt.112 and engaged an enemy tk. They were covered on the left by 'A' Sqn and to the left rear
			by 'B' Sqn who were watching the close and unbeaten country N.E. of BARON along the R.ODON. Lt. Freddie Craig was hit in the arm during the day. The
			intention was to hold this high ground with the aid of 'F' Coy. 'C' Sqn handed over to 'A' Sqn to do this during last light. There was some wild shooting
			from the Infantry and Lt. Donald Hall was hit in the leg. However, this plan was completely changed by the sudden withdrawal of all the armour
			back over the R. ODON, which was effected during the night 30/1 July, the Germans reacting with their usual mortar fire. We heard later that Lt. Bill
			Giles (acting as L.O. at Bde H.Q.) had been killed during this march. The Ech had come up to the area of NORREY EN BESSIN but also withdrew, having
			some casualties from shelling, during which Capt. Gregor Grant was injured. Round and about the ruins of NORREY Church we collected ourselves and
			nominally rested, tho rain and odd mortars did not make life very comfortable.

Units Referencing the 2nd Battalion, Fife and Forfar Yeomanry

The following units mention the 2nd Battalion, Fife and Forfar Yeomanry in their war diaries from June 1944:

3rd Bn Royal Tank Regiment, June 1944 War Diary

Units Referenced in this war diary

The following units are mention in this war diary and have their own June 1944 war diary