War Diary: 2nd Battalion South Wales Borderers

Month and year: July 1944

The 2nd Battalion South Wales Borderers July 1944 War diary covers La Butte, La Chappelle and St Germain D'Ectot area

National Archive Reference: WO 171/1380

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Page 1 of 10

Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
1	1800	Bn moved into line between GLOSTERS and ESSEX. Bn HQ LA ROUE DE PARFOURU.
		Coys at "A" Coy 744647; "B" Coy 750642; "C" Coy 753645; "D" Coy 758648.	appx "A" - AF3.W.3008-9E
		"B" Coy area was shelled while Recce gp was going round.
2	0900	Bn HQ moved to farm 754657., "A" Coy moved to area 761649 and "B" Coy to	appx "B" - Bn order.
		756655. "B" Coy's old area was taken over by 61 Recce Regt. Fwd Coys
		reported shelling and mortaring,	appx "C" - O.O. No2. A/7Jul 744
	2300	Patrolling all night.
3	0900	Bn HQ moved to Chateaux 752659. Shelling on Coy areas.
	2300	Patrolling all night.
4		Patrol activity. No change in locations.
5		No change in locations. Major Boon back as 2 IC.
	2300	3" Mortars fired in support of Essex raid.
6		"B" Coy took over from "D" Coy
	2300	Patrolling all night. ws

Page 2 of 10

Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
7	0900	CO's Conference on future operation.
8	0800	Bn supported by British and American artillery on a pre-arranged programme,
		a platoon of 4.2" mortars, two MMG platoons, a sqn of the 4/7th DGs, one m.10
		troop and one 17-pr troop, one tp of flails, a sec of Fd Sqn RE, a tp of AVREs
		and a tp of flame throwers attacked down road from LA BUTTE - GRANVILLE -
		LA CHAPPELLE with a straight line astride the rd SOUTH of LA BUTTE and the
		objective as the fwd edge of the orchards at LA CHAPPELLE. The attack
		was launched at 0800 hrs with "C" Coy right of the road and "A" Coy left
		of the rd with "B" Sqn 4/7 DGs supporting both coys. "C" Coy reached the
		lateral rd through GRANVILLE under cover of the barage and found no opposition.
		"A" Coy were less fortunate and contacted the enemy in the area of farm and
		orchards at 763645. These they destroyed but on reaching the rd came under
		fire from a strong point 765645, which consisted of very well camouflaged
		and dug in positions which were mined. As they were forming up to try
		and attack this position they came under extremely heavy mortar fire which

Page 3 of 10

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
	8 contd		caused casualties and which never lifted from the X rds area. A flail
			and 3 AVRES were sent up to deal with the strongpoint one of the latter
			becoming a casualty on a mine. These were of no avail and because of
			casualties from the mortar fire "A" Coy was forced to withdraw a couple
			of fields further back. Meanwhile "C" Coy, the Coy Comd having been
			wounded, commanded by Capt JE Thurn, continued to advance and reached the
			final objective. During the advance they suffered many casualties from
			enemy mortar fire, which was registered on every inch of the road, partio-
			ularly the X-rds at LA CHAPELLE. After about five minutes on the objective,
			"D" Coy having been moved fwd to the right rear, "C" Coy was counter attacked
			by tanks and infantry. Owing to a misunderstanding the tp of M.10s
			withdrew from "C" Coy area and the tanks moved back so that they could
			support the Coy better. This left what was remaining of "C" Coy to
			withstand the brunt of the attack. Having immobilised two enemy tanks
			they withdrew to link up with "D" Coy. During this counter attack "B" Coy

Page 4 of 10

Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
8 continued		had been forming up for an attack on the corner of the BOIS DE ST GERMAIN
		and they were heavily mortared in their forming up posns. When news
		of the counter attack came in, "B" Coy were ordered to join up with "D"
		Coy and form a firm base for "C" Coy to withdraw into. Thus it was
		that the Bn was left with "A" on the left of the road and "B" "C" "D"
		Coys forward on the right of the road in the area 760640 firm based.
		These Coys succeeded in beating off the counter attack and this enabled
		"C" Coy to be withdrawn to a position on the right of the road level with
		"A" Coy. These posns were held over night but the two forward Coys
		were cut off from the rest of the Bn and it was impossible to get rations
		up to them. Bn HQ was established at 758657.
9	0800	Forward Coys were counter attacked again and the left hand platoon of
		"D" Coy was overrun. The ground between this platoon and the rest of
		the Coy was covered by fire from two enemy tanks, which made counter -
		attack impossible.

Page 5 of 10

Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
9	1100	A carrier and 3 tanks managed to get food and ammunition out to the forward
		Coys. Intermittent shelling and mortaring of Bn Area. 10 Rfts arrived.
10		Day quiet except for shelling and mortaring
		Coy Comds conference. Contact established in forward Coys. 40 Rfts.
		Flails, crocodiles and AVRES left.
11		"A" and "C" Coys took over from "B" and "D". 80 Rfts. Line laid to Coys.
		Tanks left in the evening.
12		Shelling of Bn area. No other activity. Patrols that night.
13		Shelling and mortaring during day, patrols at night.
14		Coy Comds recce Bn positions. Bn HQ moved to LA ROUE DE PARFOURY.
		"D" Coy handed over to GLOSTERS and moved to the centre of Bn area.
15		"C" Coy out resting. Slight shelling Bn HQ.
16		"A" Coy took over right hand Coy of 2 GLOSTERS and GLOSTERS pulled out
		to go on right of 2 ESSEX. 6 G H took over GLOSTER area on our left.
		Forward Coys in contact with enemy and slight mortaring and shelling.

Page 6 of 10

Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
16 Contd		Patrols during the night.
17		Coys still in contact with enemy. Mortar and shelling continued on Coy
		areas. Patrolling at night. Capt Wickert took over Adjt.
18	1700	Daylight patrols report enemy clear of LA CHAPELLE orchard and also some
	1800	of the BOIS DE ST GERMAIN and GRANVILLE, Conference on operation
	1800	pursuit.
19	0400	Forward body moved into position behind "C" Coy.
	0800	Lt Reynolds and 10 men got up to orchard at LA CHAPELLE under cover of
		Arty support and were surrounded by 6 LMGs. They managed to capture 1
		prisoner and get back.
	1100	Another patrol got up to orchard and found it empty, but were heavily
		mortared as soon as they got there.
20	0800	Another patrol went forward under cover of arty and got into orchard
		at LA CHAPELLE. The found it empty and dug themselves in. The rest of
		the platoon from "C" Coy was then sent up to thicken them up. When they

Page 7 of 10

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
	20 contd		were properly dug in, the Coy Comd and RE party with the Assault pl Comd
			went forward on a recce Maj Coles trod on a 'MUSTARD POT' and had to be
			evacuated. Extensive minefields were found and the section of RE and
			Assault Pl spent thewhole day lifting Tellers, and Mustard Pots and
			S' Mines. During the afternoon "A" Coy beat through the BOIS DE ST
			GERMAIN and established themselves on the Southern edge of it. "D" Coy
			then were pushed up between "A" and "C" Coys, "B" Coy remaining in reserve.
			Patrolling forward during the night.
	21		The following awards appeared in 30 Corps Routine Orders : Lieut-Colonel RW
			CRADDOCK (MBE)- D.S.O., Major G DAUNCEY, Capt AF THOMPSON, Lieut DME RANDELL
			Lieut GR CLARK RAMC, - MCs. Sjt BOOCOCK, Cpl 98 THOMAS, Cpl LOCKHART,
			Cpl 07 THOMAS, Pte MURGATROYD, Pte 55 THOMAS MMs. Day spent in clearing
			minefields. 120 Tellers and 158 Mustard Pot mines lifted by Assault Pl as
			well as RE Mortaring and shelling during day.
	22		Mine clearing continued. Total lifted 322 Tellers and 158 A/P. Mortaring

Page 8 of 10

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
	22 Contd		and shelling during the day. "C" Coy relieved "B" Coy.
	23		"A" Coy relieved by "C" Coy. Day quiet except for periodic mortar and shelling
			"D" Coy pushed forward South of road.
	24		Patrolling during day. "D" Coy relieved by "A" Coy in the evening. Enemy
			vehicle movement harassed by arty during night.
	25		REME Scout car blew up on Teller mine in "D" Coy area. Two 2 SWBs killed
			and two wounded. Patrolling during the night.
	26		Day quiet. 30 Corps required a priosner from our front. Fighting patrol
			consisting of Lieut Harris, Sjt Edwards and 10 ORs of "D" Coy, supported by
			arty fire were briefed to capture a German from area of Farm and Orchard
			at 774632. Fighting Patrol went out through a standing patrol of "A" Coy
			at 2400 hrs. At 0030 hrs arty put down a covering concentration which enabled
			Fighting patrol to approach the orchard without fear of being seen. They
			continued to advance after the arty had stopped and were fired on at a range
			of about 20 yards. Sjt Edwards took the Bren guns over to a flank, he then

Page 9 of 10

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
	26 contd		crossed over again and shouted 'Charge!' in order to deceive the enemy
			of the direction of the attack. He was himself first into the slit trench,
			where he found four wounded Germans. He hit one on the head, threw him over
			his shoulder and carried him 200 yards up the orchard. He then fired a green
			Verey light and the arty came down again. This was an important identification
			and showed that 326 Div had taken over from 2 Pz Div. The prisoner unfortunately
			died before he could be interrogatted.
	27		Slight mortaring and shelling, otherwise quiet.
			Heavy arty concentrations on enemy during night.
	28		Less enemy shelling. Patrol activity.
	29		No enemy shelling. Patrol activity.
	30		Conference and Recce for attack.
	31		Bn attacked the ST GERMAIN D'ECTOT ridge. Zero hour was 0530 hrs. We
			attacked with one Coy up as our frontage was small. "C" Coy advanced supported
			by tanks and flame throwers, unfortunately the flame-throwers had a mechanical

Page 10 of 10

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information	References to Appendices
	31 cond		breakdown and could not be used. "C" Coy were held up in LA COUARDE
			orchard by cross fire from about 10 Spandau positions, and after several
			attacks "B" Coy were ordered to come round the right flank. It was 1600 hrs
			before "B" Coy had completed their recces and were able to start. Supported
			by tanks ( One Tp 13/18 th Hussars) they succeeded in getting to their
			objective, the orchard at 764624 3 Flails succeeded in making a shadow
			track up to this position, which enabled "D" Coy and the Flame throwers
			which had now been mended to form up in "B" Coy's area. "D" Coy then
			attacked at dusk the orchard at 767625. They advanced behind the flame-throwers
			actually treading in the flame and captured their objective without much
			trouble. That night there was not much activity from the Germans.

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War Diary: 2nd Battalion South Wales Borderers

Month and year: July 1944

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