2nd East Yorks - Normandy 13 August 1944

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by stanbo43, Nov 27, 2009.

  1. idler

    idler GeneralList

    I'm breathing a sigh of relief because I notice you didn't say which battalion he was in and we've all jumped on 2 E Yorks

    My brother reckons father was at Pegasus bridge----Is this possible??

    That would pretty much confirm that he was 2nd Battalion East Yorks -8th Infantry Brigade in 3rd Infantry Division - and landed on SWORD, not 5th Battalion E Yorks from 69 Bde in 50 Div who landed at GOLD further along the coast.
    It was just conicidence that two battalions from the same regiment were in the first wave on different beaches. They weren't Commandos but they were the assault troops (the Commandos actually had 'deep penetration' tasks rather than actual beach assaults on D-Day).

    I would recommend Assault Division - the original 3rd Div history - while it's still easily available.
     
  2. stanbo43

    stanbo43 Junior Member

    Don't know where all you chaps get your knowlege from but it's fantastic.
    Many thanks Idler, just ordered the book.
    Another question----(sorry)--where would be the best place to approach to obtain the wounded list for his unit on or around 13th August 1944?.
    Spent most of last night trawling the other stuff in the forum--never knew so much information existed about the war,as I said right at the beginning of my search--It is utterly addictive. Cheers everyone.
     
  3. stanbo43

    stanbo43 Junior Member

    My dad was in the East Yorks 2nd battalion-3rd infantry and landed at Sword beach on D -Day.
    He was flown home badly wounded on the 13 August.
    Who would be able to tell me (regimental records perhaps ?) where and what action he was engaged in when he was wounded?
    Many thanks----STAN.
     
  4. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    My dad was in the East Yorks 2nd battalion-3rd infantry and landed at Sword beach on D -Day.
    He was flown home badly wounded on the 13 August.
    Who would be able to tell me (regimental records perhaps ?) where and what action he was engaged in when he was wounded?
    Many thanks----STAN.

    Stan, if memory serves me right, it was the attack on Mount Picon and after the advance thereafter. Do you know if he was injured on the 13th or flown home on the 13th ?

    p
     
  5. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

  6. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    3rd Div was down near Vire, 11th August 2 East Yorks reported a counter attack that didn't unduly woory them.
    On the 12th the advance continued down the road south-east towards Tinchebray, South Lancs on the road, 2 East Yorks on their left.
     
  7. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    I saw a lot of action with the E York's.

    August 9th, 8th Brigade (East Yorks) attack supported by 44 RTE began at 0600 hrs
    Vaudry-Vire ridge taken without casualties.
    2 platoon suffered three casualties on S mines. (That was me and my two mates)

    August 10/15 Companies concentrated forward of Vire, prepared for forthcoming advance. 3Div with 8th and 185 brigades up, commenced advance along the main road Vire Timchebray. 3 recce Regt and 4 Coldstream Guards..
    (For your information this was at the time of the Falaise pocket)

    August 15, entered Tinchebray tank crossing constructed. 100 Churchill tanks ans SP guns crossed.
    That is from my notes, If it is of any help. The East Yorks were great lads, and I much admired them.
    Sapper
     
  8. idler

    idler GeneralList

    Paul - might also be worth merging this one in here (as this thread has the better title).
     
  9. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    3rd Div was down near Vire, 11th August 2 East Yorks reported a counter attack that didn't unduly woory them.
    On the 12th the advance continued down the road south-east towards Tinchebray, South Lancs on the road, 2 East Yorks on their left.

    The South Lanc's Regtimental History follows on by stating.

    On the 13th the advance was continued by the Suffolks and East Lancs exploiting forward, with the 1st battalion (South Lancs), 'stepping up' behind them, but uncertainty regarding the progress of the American troops on the right delayed the further advance on this sector during the 14th and 15th.
     
  10. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    Stan, the following is an extract from

    An `Unspectacular' War?.
    Reconstructing the history of the 2nd Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment during the Second World War.
    A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy
    by Tracy Craggs
    Department of History
    University of Sheffield 2007.

    On the 11th` August, the battalion took part in a Brigade attack along the Vire-Tinchebray road, with US troops on the right and 185th Brigade on the left. In this instance 8th Brigade was the third of the three brigades to be committed to battle. During the previous three days the initial advances had been made by 185th and 9th Brigades. In this instance, the 2nd Battalion War Diary records that the enemy, although not strong in numbers, put up a determined defence. Lt Col Renison's memoir provides a valuable insight into the difficulties of advancing in this area. The German troops were paratroopers `and were adept at the hide and seek game amongst the high hedges'. As darkness fell, the two sides were so close that they were `literally lobbing grenades over the hedge at each other' The move towards the encirclement of the Germans, which would culminate in the eventual closure of the Falaise Gap on 21st August, had commenced, and the Germans were putting up strong resistance. Having reached la Saliere Grande, the troops discovered the area to be heavily mined and booby trapped. These areas tended to lead to high casualties depending on the type of mines used – the `schu-mine' was particularly difficult to avoid as it was wooden and tended to cause injuries to the feet and lower limbs. Two Lieutenants from the battalion were killed here and `B' Company lost all its stretcher-bearers to injury, making it difficult to recover casualties. A counter-attack on the two leading companies, `A' and `B', came to nothing, which led the recorder of the War Diary to conclude `it was no doubt part of the enemy's delaying action, rather than an attempt to regain and hold lost ground. This was a well-known German tactic, used to good effect in this campaign, allowing the main part of the German forces to withdraw. At this stage, Renison argued `no-one quite knew the reason for our being there until later on when we found out that the German armoured counter-attack toward Montain and Arromanches was at its height and there was a considerable danger of Patton's slender life line being cut'. The 3rd Division was ordered to attack southwards to draw off the German forces and enable the Americans to continue their advance unhindered by additional German units. The two major British and Canadian offensives of this period, Operation Totalize on 7th August and Tractable on 14th August, both towards Falaise, did not involve the 3rd British Division and thereby the 2nd Battalion. Both operations progressed slowly, permitting German forces to escape encirclement and the Canadian 1st Army has attracted criticism for the slowness of the advance. Secondary literature on the battle for Normandy, for reasons of clarity and length, focuses on these two main operations and does not refer to the smaller-scale actions of the British infantry during this period.

    On the 13th August, still proceeding along the Vire-Tinchebray road, `C' Company patrols discovered an 88mm gun which was fired on and damaged, preventing its removal. Lt Col Renison specifically mentioned the action of Clive Crauford as `against all orders for Company Commanders, he crawled forward to the edge of the wood to discover the exact location of the gun. This is an example of officer bravery and leading by example, although it was not mentioned during Crauford's interview. That evening, the battalion received orders that a push was to be made to keep contact with the withdrawing Germans, which involved the battalion in an attack on a ridge, with a squadron of tanks in support. `A' and `D' Companies took the ridge, although there was only one officer left with `D' Company and `A' Company had no officers at all, the leadership having devolved upon CSM Webb who `did a fine job of work' Clearing up remnants of the enemy continued all night. The Adjutant, Captain Ron Brown, captured one German, and the War Diary makes specific mention of Major `Banger' King who `came up on the ridge with the rations in carriers almost as soon as the leading troops, and throughout the night toured the area, ensuring that all were fed'. `C' Company captured a German officer whose nominal company roll displayed fifty names, nearly all of whom had been killed or captured
     
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  11. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Pages from the War Diary for 13th August 1944 attached.
     

    Attached Files:

  12. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    All these Regts are from the renowned 8th Brigade, that led the way on to Sword on D day. My best mate, the late Richard Harris was wounded about the same time. We were very involved in a wide range and series of actions
    Sapper
     
  13. stanbo43

    stanbo43 Junior Member

    Thank you so much for your replys, I am amazed how much information is available.----But ---the plot thickens, I have been given a page from a magazine (prob picture post) It shows a group of commandoes getting ready to "cross the channel in the early hours, under the command of Major Lord Lovat, they returned with all their equipment and only minor wounds". My dad Is among these men and has marked the names of some of his mates in copying-ink pencil. When i figure out how to upload pictures I will upload this one.---looks a bit complicated to me!!

    The page is headed---' Any more for the Trip To Boulogne':confused:
     
  14. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Maybe he was East Yorks attached to Commando? But they did land on the same beach on D Day - Sword Beach.
     
  15. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    The commandos recruited from other regiments, as did the Airborne.

    The Commandos landed later to be greeted by a little old Pioneer labouring on the beach with "Where have you been then"?

    They also borrowed some AVRE tanks from us, 4/5 and lost the bloody lot trying to take the Lion post. Records say the tanks "Were penetrated with ease"
    Sapper.

    PS we were gathered in a field to ask us "Who wants to join the Airborne"? A Scots mate of mine. A Pipe smoking mate. Duncan?????? Stepped forward, and was gone... there and then. He was the only one, if I recall correctly?
     
  16. stanbo43

    stanbo43 Junior Member

    Thanks again chaps for your replys, I have been reading your exploits on the other WW2 forum Mr Sapper, riveting and very graphic---glad I was only a nipper then, keep up the good work.
    Going to try and figure this uploading thing out tonight (new to computers).
    Regards ---Stan.
     
  17. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

  18. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi Stan,

    Have you got your fathers service records? They will confirm his units and the dates he was at them if you haven't applied for them already I'd recommend you do so.

    Cheers and looking forward to the pictures.

    Andy
     
  19. idler

    idler GeneralList

    Thank you so much for your replys, I am amazed how much information is available.----But ---the plot thickens, I have been given a page from a magazine (prob picture post) It shows a group of commandoes getting ready to "cross the channel in the early hours, under the command of Major Lord Lovat, they returned with all their equipment and only minor wounds". My dad Is among these men and has marked the names of some of his mates in copying-ink pencil. When i figure out how to upload pictures I will upload this one.---looks a bit complicated to me!!

    The page is headed---' Any more for the Trip To Boulogne':confused:

    A lead from Google takes us to Hammerton's Second Great War, p2258 which gives us:

    Is this the one? So was he an officer?
     

    Attached Files:

  20. stanbo43

    stanbo43 Junior Member

    Hello Idler, No he wasn't an officer he was a W/Corporal---whatever one of those is.
    The picture you have shown is the same group and date but the one I have is taken from a window high up in the wall at the back of the shot.
    On his discharge certificate he was discharged from the East Yorkshires, would this have been the case if he had been involved with a commando unit??
     

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