Lieutenant Tasker Watkins VC, 1/5th Battalion, The Welch Regiment

Bit of a long story but in short I've been contacted by a chap looking to do something in August with the locals on the 70th anniversary on this VC. He's a ex pat living close by and a former member of the regiment.

Anyone got any sketch maps on the action from the regimental history or war diaries. They are looking to pinpoint exactly where it all happened and have only got:

From his citation.

Also if there are any mentions of other names in the regimental history from this action post them up, I can check to see if they were awarded a lesser gallantry award.

Cheers
Andy

 

Anyone got a copy of The History of the Welch Regiment 1919-1951 by Major-General C.E.N. Lomax they could look in for me ?

 

On 16/8/1944 the 1/5th Welch fought a lively action at Martigny. In this action Capt Tasker Watkins commanding B company, earned the VC. This gallant officer led his company across fields strewn with mines and booby traps and reached his objective in face of heavy fire. (There is a citation which is available)

 

FOR VALOUR

Citation for the Award of the Victoria Cross.
MAJOR TASKER WATKINS, V.C.

While commanding a company of the Welch Regiment in North West- Europe on August 16, the battalion was ordered to attack objectives near the
the railway at Balfour.

Major Watkins’ company had to cross open cornfileds in which booby traps had been set. It was not dusk and the comjny came under fire.
The only officer left, he placed himself at the head of his men and under short range fire, charged two posts in succession
personally killing and wounding the occupants with his Sten gun.

On reaching his objective he found an anti-tank gun manned by a German soldier. His Sten gun jammed, so he threw it at the German's face and shot him with his pistol before he had time to recover.

The company had only some 30 men left, and were counter-attacked by 50 enemy infantry.
Major Watkins directed the fire of his men and led a bayonet charge, which resulted in the almost complete destruction of the enemy.

At dusk, orders were given for the battalion to withdraw. The orders were not received by Major Watkins’ company, who found thmeselves alone and surrounded, in depleted numbers and in
failing light.
Major Watkins decided to rejoin his battalion by passing round the flank of the enemy position through which he had advanced, but while passing through the cornfields once more, he was challenge by an enemy post at close range.

He ordered his men to scatter and himself charged the post with a Bren gun and silenced it.
He then led the remnants of his company back to battalion headquarters.

His superb gallantry and total disregard for his own safety during an extremely difficult period were responsible for saving the lives of his own men and had decisive influence on the course of the battle.

 

I copied the August month from the war diary. Not much to go on all thought there is a grid given for the Bn HQ and I'm sure Owen will be able to work his magic when I post up the pages.

 

This is all I have found.

From WO 171/1386 1/5 Welch Regiment august 1944

 

Ten messages dated 16th August 1944

 

Base map from Geoportail. Red blobs are WD grid refs plotted using the Lambert II grid option (which is what was used on the WW2 maps, give or take survey/printing errors).

Bafour is not marked, even on the 1:25K map, but does plot from a search. It's possible that the wartime map does show it either misplaced it or misread.

The railway reference tallies with both locations as there is part of an old track marked and additional bits of the route are visible on the airphoto.

The red blobs seem to fit with the WD account - C Coy are on a spur and could probably see the enemy on a fairly open bit of road. St Vigor de Mieux may have been the actual objective.

Oh, and there's no significant extra detail in the history - sorry.

 

Cheers for that Andy - Much appreciated.

Seems odd that a NWE campaign VC appears to be so poorly documented. Even the original citation and witness reports can't be found, just the LG version.

 

Reading through again and thinking of covering all the bases, can someone more knowledgeable than me on this confirm they were supported by 141 RTR and 147 RTR?

 

The RRW museum has a reprint battalion history so we will see what that says...

 

Thanks Andy - I was hoping Swiper would post some details/info up. Ho hum

 

If only 27 of them got back, the missing file might add something to the story?

 

I've been out and about a lot of late so... - image files to be attached.

Few things regarding TW that make this one of the hardest actions to follow:
1. Tasker Watkins never spoke directly about the action. He spoke of others, but never really about Balfour.
2. Of what TW did say it was rather sketchy:
I did what needed doing to help my colleagues and friends
and saw more killing in 24 hours than is right for anybody.

From that moment onwards I have tried to take a more
caring view of my fellow human beings and that of course
always included my opponents, whether it be at war,
sport or just ordinary life"


Sir Tasker Watkins, VC

3. A Company was a totally reformed Company with no more than 4 of Originals (i.e. men who landed in Normandy) after the entire Coy was lost at Le Bon Repos (asides from the 4 or so LOB) on 21 July. New A Company was made (mostly) up of chaps drafted across from 38 Division.
4. It took somewhile for this all to come together, and owing to the rate of attrition etc, means that its jolly hard to find any A Coy accounts from this period.
5. Misinterpretation of material, I have been told several - very different- locations for the action all allegedly off source material. This really doesn't help matters.
[SIZE=14.44444465637207px]6. '[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]But Sir Tasker never talked publicly about his honour and he refused to let the regimental museum in [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]Cardiff[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt] display a specially-commissioned painting of the incident, saying it "over-glamorised" his actions. [/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]He said in a radio interview: "I heard about it (the VC) on the wireless when I was in hospital recovering from wounds and so, as I recollect it all, I turned over and went to sleep."[/SIZE][SIZE=10pt]"It's something which has affected my life, obviously. It must be held in high esteem, of course, because it's a relatively rare award."' From Beeb [/SIZE]obituary

From the Western Mail in 45: ‘The boys were wonderful. They were Welsh’
In 1988 he said on the radio: A good memory is a fine thing but for those who were there it should not be too good. It should be good enough, however, to recall the great comradeship we enjoyed and which we shall never experience again.

7. Misleading documentaries: ITV's Taffy's War is still available online but has some really dodgy chunks as the key chap they get to describe Balfour... wasn't there. Here are some of the choice extracts: TW
We weren't troubled by doubts we knew why we were fighting in the war and we knew it was something we had to do and win.
The infantry soldier lives very close to the earth, literally, and the dependence of one soldier upon another is extremely intimate that's one of the features of the infantry namely the very close warm relationship between soldiers in a company and that experience no one can appreciate up close between comrades.

TW
Llanberis Battleschool
And I was the chief instructor there we climbed Snowdon very often indeed, induce a sort of pain with those on the course. There ahd to be a fair amount of sadism in you to be chief instructor and making them go up Snowdon was part of it.

Tom Edwards MM
1/5th Welch
When I served in the sniper school under him he gave me the works I was glad to see the day over, I was glad to get back to billets it was the toughest scheme I ever did.David R Morgan 1/5th Welch
If he was away for a little bit and came back for the Company first thing he'd do is move Company HQ for the front platoons to be nearer the enemy oh he was a great chap.

It didn't surprise me at all he grabbed a machine gun and shot a lot of Germans and in fact cutting off his company and he bought his company back safely and knocked out a couple of machine gun nests. Typical of him oh yes.

TW
Its obviously something which has happened to me which has throughout my life come to the forefront and the lives of other people if not mine. To my extent it is obviously played a part in what I've been doing all this time.

I haven't been back, I can't say I've been back to some seen in actions, I've been back to Normandy once, Caen, Falaise and the Beaches.
It continues to have an influence otherwise we wouldn't be sitting here in the lovely green. Its part of your life and one of the obvious influences one way or the other.
I'm pretty grateful now [for life]. Of course it does, life is very precious after all its all we've got really. Its easy to be philosophical out of battle, but um, when you're of course heavily involved you don't have time to think of such things and you get on with what you are doing and what you're called upon to do.
I think of them of course as I said earlier... there were some of the fellows in the battle of the continent and killed in once place or the other and I've lived cheek by jowle in the regimental history and a Christian setting.

Anecdotally: I heard a wonderful story at the weekend where a junior officer asked TW after the war where he had been shot, and TW casually remarked "Platform 3 I believe" in regards to Den Bosch...


Unfortunately for TW he was a remarkable man, in all aspects of his life and career, people focused so heavily on the action at Balfour he was never willing to speak about it - a double edged VC if ever there was one.

Anyway 160 Brig and a few other documents to follow. What we really lack is the detailed reports on the action which just do not seem to be there.

I personally have found this the most frustrating action to research, over the years, even when using all available material from other 1/5th Welch chaps, the Museum at Brecon and odds and sods. Because of all the above points, rather surprisingly the account of LBR was far, far easier to flesh out and there were no real witness accounts from anyone in A Company to rely on! A quasi-mythology has built up around this action, which helps less and leads to confusion over the real location of the battle - and indeed who the enemy even were, but TW's character was remarkable and I do have a few other odds and sods of accounts on him from later in the campaign.

 

Alright taking on the chunks from 160 Brig WD here as well as the extract from the Lomax history. This is a slightly later reprint of original 1/5th Welch history by the Intelligence Sergeant. Modern reprints are no different from the original as I can ascertain. It was also Carver's armoured Brigade who were closely supporting at this time, and I believe their elements were not at Leffard - but can check.

https://imageshack.com/i/nfx5iwkj
https://imageshack.com/i/nm4vkkj
https://imageshack.com/i/ms87msj
https://imageshack.com/i/n6jrjq2j
https://imageshack.com/i/mrjfd6dj
https://imageshack.com/i/mrnd58j
https://imageshack.com/i/msvvo4j
https://imageshack.com/i/nlwo4hj
https://imageshack.com/i/nsihmjj
https://imageshack.com/i/nps76xj


The extract from the Welch Regiment history compiled by Lomax - but it is a verbatim copy of Machim's 1/5th Welch copy:
“In the early hours of the morning of the 15th August we moved into a harbour area, preparatory to taking another bite at the Falaise Gap. Our allotted task was to go Southwards and with all possible speed and cut the main road approaching Falaise from the West. We left our harbour area on the 16th August and proceeded down the road Leffard-Falaise. It was after we had passed approximately a mile beyond Leffard that the Bosch provided us with a most unpleasant quarter of an hour of shelling. At this phase of affairs we decided to get off the road (I personally thought it an excellent idea) and move through the woods via the village of Martigny. Well, after blundering about in the woods for a while, we arrived at Martigny and met the tanks who were to support us. From Martigny we journeyed to the South until we reached a cross-roads where we turned left in order to investigate the high ground over which the track ran. Up to now our progress had been untroubled by contact with the enemy. The whole column was halted when C Company, who were leading, reported having seen the enemy to their immediate front. A plan was evolved on the spot with its objective as the road and rail crossing. B Company was to approach the objective from the left and C Company from the right, the task of the tanks being to support the attack with fire from the high ground upon which we had been halted. The operation was put into motion at 1930hrs, 16th August. Then, unfortunately the situation became disjointed. There were two main reasons. The first and most serious was the complete breakdown of wireless communication between Battalion Headquarters and the two attacking Companies. The second was a message received from Brigade to the effect that we were to stand fast and on no account to cross the main Falaise road. Owing to the absence of any means of communication that order was never complied with, and B Company was last seen crossing the main road just [pp260]short of their objective at 2000hrs. The atmosphere was one of tenseness and helplessness. It was impossible to restore the situation. The action continued until 0100 hrs on the 17th August when, to the expressed delight of everyone, Lieutenant Watkins and the remainder of his Company, which I regret to say only numbered 27, returned to our lines. They had actually reached the objective after crossing fields strewn with booby traps, repelled an enemy counter-attack and killed some 50 Germans. This particular incident was terminated by a bayonet charge led by Lieutenant Watkins. Having reached the objective and discovered that C Company was not on his right Lieutenant Watkins decided to withdraw and, after a very hazardous journey, succeeded in regaining our own lines, having had 33 casualties. C Company were then ordered to withdraw, and the Battalion took up positions on the high ground at Point 223.”

As an aside I did look at Heart of a Dragon on this... it was what has already been said, a rehash at best and mostly filler, despite the book being jolly excellent as a whole. As a result of all the above TW is most likely the least covered Normandy VC, in terms of real source material,but disproportionately so in other areas!

[NOTE] I suspect there may be something in 158 Brigade HQ WD.
[Regarding tanks] 147 RAC was supporting that day, A Squadron (147 RAC had supported them at Le Bon Repos)

From A Squadron 147 RAC's 'Narrative of Events':
August 16th Reached Martigny, situation uncertain and unpleasant. Moved with 1./5 Welsh towards Mirthe in Advance Guard role. Made contact with enemy, deployed and took up fire positions. 2 Inf Coys got out of touch, moved into a close League during the night.

Now 147 RAC's War Diary
16 August
At first light B Squadron moved out to positions on the objective again and remainder of 44 RTR and 4 CLY were then passed through. At 0700 hrs orders were given for B Squadron to rejoin the Rgiment. They arrived in the RHQ and A Squadron area at 0800 hrs. The advance for the tanks started again at 0815 hrs with C Squadron and part of the Recce Troop leading. See Appendix B for C Squadron’s activities. The Regiment less C Squadron moved along the route that C Squadron had taken, leaving at 1130 hrs. They harboured in the area 101369 at 1245 hours. B Squadron remained int his area for the remainder of the day. A plan was then hatched for the Oxf and Bucks to take the village of St Martin de Mieux 118334 with A Squadron in support. A Squadron moved off at 1330 hrs and met their infantry at the church at Martigny 080367. IT was decided to go round on the right flank but it was found later that the River Ante was an Anti-Tank obscalue and the tanks could not get through. They were, however, able to shoot the infantry in the area of Pt 223 081358 with great success. From this position they were also able to see the Anti-Tank guns outside the village of Miette that were holding C Suqadron up. Actiivity was seen later in the acfternoon in the low ground between A and C Squadrons, but this did not come to anything. A Squadron were released later and rejoined RHQ and B Squadron, where they harboured for the night.
17 August
See Appendix B for C Squadron’s early morning activities. B Squadron moved off at first light to join the Oxf and Bucks who had gone off during the night to cut the main Falaise-Argentan road, in the area of Pt 241 116311. B Squadron joined them at 0730 hrs and took up positions on Pt 241 with three troops up facing north west to South east. During the morning enemy SP guns were observed shooting up the FAlaise road from area 168316. These were engaged form the B Squadron position and as a result two brewed up and one got away. During the whole of the morning enemy columns were seen rushing around the killing ground to the west. The FOO tried to get his guns on to them but was not allowed to do so. At 1400 hrs movement was seen in the area of the woods at 197319. The FOO was put on to the target and he put down 150 rds. Immediately, tanks and SP guns moved out of the wood and toward the level crossing at 303315. Two troops of B Squadron engaged at 2850 yards and as a result two SP guns were KOd on the road at 195319. Six tanks (1 Tiger and 5 Panthers) made their way over the level crossing and four were definitely hit, but the remainder got away. Three of these four remained by the embankment over the level crossing but it is difficult to say whether they were actually KOd. They were definitely damaged, however, and were still there the next morning. B Squadron remained on Pt 241 for the rest of the day, but leaguered back at night to a position just west of the road. Regiment less B Squadron moved off form harbour area at 1000 hrs. They took at cross-country route from 101369 – Noron l’Abbaye – St Martin de Mieux – St Pierre du Bu to a harbour area at 154318. Some difficulty found on early part of the route owing tone tank shedding a track. Harbour reached at 1600 hours and A Squadron were immediately sent off to take up a position at Pt 250 175304. They had good shots from this Pt on to enemy transport moving along road Ronai to Croncy. It was impossible to tell exactly what damage was inflicted, but several enemy vehicles were left littering the road after the action. At last light, A Squadron withdrew to a harbour west of the road.

So in short... A Squadron was supporting 1/5th Welch, not 1 Oxf & Bucks.

And for the record, Drew was right... Churchill Crocs were part of 158 Brig plan but not used as far as any account (or records) seem to mention here.