War Diary: 3rd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment

Month and year: July 1944

The 3rd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment July 1944 war diary covers the unit in the areas of Mondrainville, Ranville and Grunchy.

National Archive Reference: WO 171/1349

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WO 171/1349 3rd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment

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War Diaries That Reference 3rd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment

The 3rd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment are mentioned in 1 other war diaries from July 1944.

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Page 1 of 3

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
MONDRAINVILLE.	1st		Things fairly quiet today. No fatal casualties. Enemy can be seen on hill
			opposite. Capt D.I. WILLIAMS disappears; later found at 179 Fd Amb and subsequently evacuated to ENGLAND.
-do-	2nd		"B" Coy move to left of Bn HQ. Pte. Lewis, batman to Capt Bristow, killed.
-do-	3rd		Shelling and mortaring intensified, and BN HO suffers most. Pte Davies D.O.
			and Pte. Staples killed and seven wounded. Office truck hit, typewriter and duplicator KO'd together with many records.
	4th	1300-	Bn HQ moves to chateaux on left. Shelling continues. Ptes Estebanez and
		1400	Hughes killed and three wounded.
		2200	News comes that we are to be relieved.
	5th	1800	Bn tpt moves off in small gps without mishap
-do-	6th	0330	Bn moves out and is relieved by 5 DORSETS. No enemy action during relief.
		0630	Bn reaches Rest Area at COULOMBS.
COULOMBS	7,8,9,10.		Bn resting, re-arming and re-equipping
-do-	11,12,13		Bn at 8 hrs notice.
-do-	14		Bde Concert Party under Capt Bristow entertain 3 Bns of Bde. Three TCVs
			Recreational tpt to BAYEAUX.
			.......Sheet 2

Page 2 of 3

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
COULOMNS	16th	2000	Bn move to conc area EAST of R.ORNE near RANVILLE.
RANVILLE	17th	0100	Bn arrived at conc area complete.
	18th		Commencement of great armd thrust SOUTH from EAST of CAEN. Bn is spearhead of all
			inf in 2nd Army's attack. Attack preceeded by 2000 bomber force.
		0745	Bn crosses Start Line, and is assisted by arty barrage of six medium and six
			Fd Regts. First objective was CUVERVILLE.
		0845	Village captured and prisoners taken. Opposition slight; most trouble being MG posts.
			One-posn of 6 MG posts wiped out by Lt C.G. SHORT (Cdn Inf) and one section. This day was a momentous one in the history of the unit, and everyone is thrilled by the sight of our first prisoners. Maj W.P. SWEETMAN, 2IC, wounded.
		1210	Bn moves forward from CUVERVILLE to take its second objective - the village
			of DEMOUVILLE. This was captured and consolidated by 1430 hrs, which was 2 hrs ahead of the time limit allowed by the Army Prisoners fairly rolled
			in, practically all from 16 G.A.F. Div, and the score at the end of the day was 87 killed, 30 wounded and 250 prisoners, which cost the unit 2 killed, 22 wounded.
		1700	Unit moves forward 1500 yards to a posn holding LE MESNIL FRESNET, where
			the night was spent with little interference from the Bosche.
	19th	1710	Unit, still spearhead, continues advance to capture village of BRAS, the
		1820	ammour having sofetened up the village prior to the attack BRAS in our hands. Opposition was much stiffer, coming up against S.S. tps.
			Sheet 3

Page 3 of 3

Place	Date	Hour	Summary of Events and Information
BRAS	19th	1820	The late evening was most uncomfortable through German shelling, mortaring,
			bombing and strafing. Casualties on this op were higher, the unit losing 15 killed and 118 wounded. Lt T.J.W. ROWLAND (Devons) was among the killed,
			and Capt T: DAVIES (MON) and Lt G.S. PARENT (Cdn) "A" Coy; Lts P.E. JONES(SWB) and C.G. SHORT (Cdn) B Coy; Lt R.J. HORWOOD (SWB) C Coy; Capt J.H. DAVIES
			(WELCH) SP Coy and Capt P.W. HENDERSON (M.O.) wounded. Unit RAP received direct hits, and re-established by Med Sgt Watkins, Unit without MO until first light, when a captured German doctor was employed at R.A.P.
	20th		Capt Carrick, new MO, arrives from 179 Fd Amb. Bn relieved by Canadians and
			are ready to disengage 1600 hrs. However, an armd threat prevents this, and our own A.Tk guns knock out three Tigers out of a force of seven. Remainder
			withdraw, and disengagement commences 1630 hrs. Unit move back to area LE MESNIL FRESNET, and on the way is strafed and dive-bombed again.
	21st	1045	Bn moves back to rest area at GRUCHY without incident.
GRUCHY	24th		Lt. DFH Herbert (Berks) and GC Williams (WELCH) and 99 ORS reinforcements.
	24th	Night	Neighbouring areas heavily bombed and strafed by the Bosche, and we come in
			for a small share.
- do -	25th		Bn at 3 hrs notice.
- do -	28th		Bn prepare to leave GRUCHY for area near CAUMONT.,
- do being Nr CAU-	29th 30th		Depart GRUCHY 0400 hrs; arrive conc area 0800 hrs. Attack scheduled 0600 hrs; started 0655 hrs. 3 MON and 23 H leading 11 A.D. as
MONT			right flank protection to 15(s) Div. Hard going and heavy fighting, BOCAGE. Adv 7 miles and encamped night in area ST JOHN BAPTIST. Capt BRETZ (cdn) wounded.
	31st		Adv continued and reached UPMINSTER, 2100 hrs. Wood clearing

Units Referencing the 3rd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment

The following units mention the 3rd Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment in their war diaries from July 1944:

75th Anti Tank Regiment, July 1944 War Diary