Battle of Putot-en-Bessin (7th - 11th June 1944)

http://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1129&context=cmh

 

Good read. Additionally you find some interesting details about Putot in the Devils Blast 2014 (official RWR page) starting at page 70:

http://www.royalwinnipegrifles.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/DevilsBlast2014.pdf

 

An additional factor to be taken into account is Line of sight (LOS) from the position of 62 AT Rgt guns (woodlot west of La Bergerie farm). Looking at the topological structure and the 1947 air pics, they would have good LOS at the N13 Caen-Bayeux / D219 crossroad but NOT at the D219 train crossing between Putot and Brouay where 6th SS-Coy (Schmolke) attacked and most of A Coy RWR (Maj. Hodge) was killed/captured.

Remonter le temps

The Devils Blast 2014 has an interesting map on page 71, suggesting that 24th Lancers weren´t attacking along the N13 from Loucelles to the crossroad N13/D219 but instead were attacking from Brouay (northern part) in a straight eastward direction. See attachment fom DB-2014 page 71:

 

Can't be sure of details but the 24th Lancers started that day at Martragny - their first casualty being Capt Alick Poole who was shot by a sniper outside the main gate of the Chateau de Martragny - and generally advanced along the line of the Bayeux Caen road. I know they experienced problems so it's perfectly feasible that they did advance from the direction of Brouay because that would explain (see my NHL image a few posts up from here) why they were shot at by the Canadians on the basis that the Canadians didn't expect to see the 24L so far forward. Sadly there are only a very few 24L still alive so it's difficult to ask the direct question: the chaps who I know were definitely involved at Putot (because they told me) are now long departed.

 

I was taken to this very field, and wow. Humbling. The bushes Roy (grandad) hid in were still there. D

 

Debwj

Roy was a great guy who I met at the 24th Lancers OCA Annual Reunion on several occasions.

Regarding the location of the bushes, would you be able to point out the location on a map - there have been several interpretations of the precise location over the years and it would be lovely to know the actual location.

Steve Pannell

 

Richard Fitzgibbon Leather - nb. "Richard" - rather than Robert Houlden Leather as stated on the Military Cross citation...





Richard Fitzgibbon Leather
Born 1922 in Edinburgh
Wia with the 24L in Normandy 7d6m1944 & 12d6m1944.
Died 4 Dec 1989 in Malindi, Kenya.



London Gazette...
Notices | All Notices | The Gazette...

 

I could not, but I know a man who probably can. Grandad became very friendly with a local family and took them there - it was them that took me there after grandad passed. I'll ask the question

 

Frederick Jeanne (1987-2023)



He fought his way ashore on D-Day. Now this 98-year-old's story will be told on film | CBC News

 

Any progress?. Would love to know the location.

 

79 years after D-Day, friends in Normandy are making a film to honour Canadian regiment | CBC News

 

Re. IWM A70 41-3

GERMAN PRISONERS OF WAR IN THE CUSTODY OF THE 50TH (NORTHUMBRIAN) DIVISION [Allocated Title] | Imperial War Museums (iwm.org.uk)

Object description
The 50th (Northumbrian) Division has its first encounter with troops from the 12th SS Panzer Division 'Hitlerjugend', a formation which in the weeks to come will acquire a reputation for toughness and ruthlessness.
Full description
Nine German prisoners of war, eight of them Waffen-SS, are seen being searched for concealed weapons and documents by 'Redcaps' and intelligence officers at 69th Brigade HQ shortly after their capture at Putot-en-Bessin; at least four SS men are wearing camouflaged uniforms designed to render them well-nigh invisible in dense foliage. Two officers examine documents found on one prisoner, an SS-Obersturmführer (Lieutenant), who is seen flipping through his pay book (?).

Army Film and Photographic Unit (Production company)
Parkinson (Sergeant) (Production individual)
Production date - 1944-06-08

Nb. This is a very brief film clip, less than 1 minute long overall and the latter half is pointed at the sky watching planes fly overhead.



----- x -----

Nb. The start of this one ( Production date - 1944-06-10 ) shows a similar scene of aircraft overhead -

I. Allied medium bombers on their way to attack German formations moving up to the Normandy front fly over St Léger.

THE INVASION ARMIES TAKE OVER THE RUNNING OF A SMALL HARBOUR ON THE CALVADOS COAST (PART 2) [Allocated Title] | Imperial War Museums (iwm.org.uk)

Then switches to Port-en-Bessin. As discussed previously in posts further above Putot-en-Bessin and Port-en-Bessin were on either side of Bayeux.

Sergeant Parkinson perhaps - Find an object | Imperial War Museums (iwm.org.uk)

...filmed a bit more footage in the Putot-en-Bessin / St.Leger area as both these clips are very short but appear to have been taken a few days apart.