This is an extract from the war diaries of the 2/5 Lancashire Fusiliers of a Battalion attack for the 29th July 1944 in the Juvigney area near Vendes. It makes good reading. "29th July Situation as at first light. B and C fwd. B Coy area 838647 with 1 Pl fwd in outpost posn in valley - area LES MORINS 835644. C Coy area 840644. D Coy area 844654. A Coy area 840653. Bn HQ 851650. Patrols from B and C Coys during the night had been very successful and had gone fwd up to 1000x locating enemy posns. 06:30 'O' Gp preliminary planning for Bn attack - as part of a Bde attack - Objective approx grid line 63. A Sqn 7 R.T.R (Churchills) under command. B Coy right with 1 Tp under command, 1 Tp in support, D Coy right 1 Tp under command, 1 Tp in support. Objectives B Coy spur feature 833635, D Coy LE COISEL 840632. A Coy to mop up down centre of fwd Coys advance. C Coy to send 1 Pl to clear up LE PROEUX 843637, remainder to form time base in present location. Carriers to form right flank protection area 832646. 09:30 Bde 'O' Gp. Fire plan - Div Arty in support and 1 Medium Regt on Bde front. Bn to be supported by 110 Fd Regt and 1 Bty medium. Tie in with A Sqn. 13:00 C.O. and OC. A Sqn Recce ground. 13:30 'O' Gp - Orders for Attack H 18:00 hrs. Fire Plan. 2 Bty firing concentration in B Coy area. 1 Bty D Coy area. Medium Bty on LE COISEL and LE PROEUX. 18:00 H hour. B and D Coys cross start line. A move up to assembly area in B Coys original posn. Battalion Command Post (843642) had observation of part of B Coy's objective and tops of trees in D Coy area. Arty plan was observed as going down correctly. No information from fwd Coys. 18:30 Tank Liaison Offr reported "Panther" in area 831643?. Managed to stop him bringing Arty down as this is in area of Carrier Pl. 19:05 Tanks report they are on B Coy Objective. 19:10 C Coy Pl gained Objective (LE PROEUX). 19:12 D Coy report 200x from objective, heavy fighting. 19:15 Tanks report re-organising on B Coy Objective. (Assume this is Infantry). 19:30 Command post moves to C Coy area. 20:00 B Coy heavily mortared. Reported OC. Major York - Killed? Wounded? The above log would give the impression that from the C.O's point of view everything had so far gone well and was under control. In actual fact, although fwd Coys had done extremely well and helped by tanks had done their job - the info arriving back to command post was very sketchy and had come almost entirely through Tank and Gunner channels. The C.O decided, therefore, to move fwd to C Coy area and see if this could be remedied. But after arriving at C Coy HQ, no communications with B, D or A Coys were established until after midnight, and then only with D Coy on line - except by runner. 20:15 A/Tk gunst started moving up to B Coy. D Coy still fighting on objective. 20:30 Brigade Commander arrived. Spasmodic mortaring near Command Post. 21:15 A Coy runner in. Sent orders to A Coy to re-organise in orchard between D and B Coys. 21:30 C.O went fwd with Tank Commander to D Coy. 22:00 Sig. O went fwd with ammo on jeep to B Coy. 22:30 Command Post moved to B Coy old location. Situation at 23:39 hrs. B Coy right. Re-organised with A/Tk guns in posn. Major York (Coy Comd) Lt O'Leary and CSM all casualties. But Coy firm Commanded by Lt. Prown D Coy left Re-organised but A/Tk guns not yet in. Capt Walsh wounded A Coy centre Reorganising Carriers right flank Dug in. Casualties as far as then known were approx fifty and this was confirmed lated as be more or less correct. Gains 1000x of Bocage Country plus a few German dead or wounded Losses 1 Major, 3 Subalterns and 50 OR's. 30th July 08:00 C.O to Bde HQ. Orders to reorganise where Bn is and no exploitation. 08:30 C.O orders Bn HQ up to Command Post. Lt Brown 'B' Coy had been wounded in the early hours of the morning and Major Cottrell Given Command B Coy. Throughout the day fwd Coys were sniped and mortared, especially B Coy who were slightly discouraged as a result of this and loss of Commanders." Major York was one of the three Commanding Officers of B Company who had died within 19 days, the first of which being Major Twells on their first battle.
Morning, Many thanks for posting. Ive a casualty Im researching, Lance Sergeant 3446983 Joseph Gerald KELLY who died/dow/killed on 3 August 1944. Is it possible, please, to post the WD from 31 July to 3 August 1944. I doubt that hes mentioned but I think some casualties were taken to S-mines during this period. Many thanks, Graeme
31st July Slight mortaring and Shelling throughout the day. 3 prisoners taken in C Coy area (2 German, 1 Polish). During afternoon B and C Coys exchange posns. Occasional sniping in fwd Coys. 1st Aug MINDEN DAY. Half of Bn is drawn from front to enjoy a concert and Minden Dinner. The remaining half changed over in the afternoon. The show was good and the Dinner better. The Div Comd made a speech and the response in the way of cheers was 100%. Roses, as usual, were worn. The day passes uneventfully in the Front Line. Contact patrols went out at night but found nothing. A general feeling prevailed that the Bosche had withdrawn. Numerous mines and booby traps encountered everywhere. 3 Polish Deserters gave themselves up to C Coy. 2nd Aug Bn advanced another 1000x without opposition, except from booby traps. Command Post moved fwd with advancing Coys. 2 more Polish prisoners gave themselves up. Info about enemy still impractically NIL, but apparently he is booby trapping everywhere, and quite a number of casualties were caused. Intermittent mortaring and shelling on Bn area. Direct hit on 22 set at Command Post killing Sig. Offr, Lt Turnbull and 1 operator. Long range shelling continued throughout the night. 3rd Aug Bn firm on the ground, astride the road in area LE FAINS 8362, and LE COISEL, 8363. Bn HQ 837634. Bde 'O' Gp at 12:30 hrs. Info that the enemy had withdrawn and the Bde was to advance on triple axis with 2/5 LF on Right down the main JUVIGNY - VILLERS BOCAGE rd. Under command Bn 2 Tps Churchills, 2 Flails, 2 WASPs, and 2 Secs RE. It was assumed that rds and fds would continue to be mined. Bn plan - D Coy to form Vangd Gp with Tks, Flails, and Sappers under Comd. Order of March - Sappers to be up with fwd Pl, Tp of Tks, Pl, Tp of Tks, remainder of Coy, Flails and WASPs, and the usual Bn Sup Arms, bringing up the rear. Start line - 885619 Objective VILLY BOCAGE. The advance started at 16:30 hrs, and after a slightly hectic half-hour due to shortness in time of preparation, settled down. A belt of 40 tellers was picked up in the road about 2 miles North of VILLY, but no opposition was encountered untill about 300x short of VILLY BOCAGE, when a rd block and mine belt was located. All except 2 mines had been lifted when a fierce mortar crump came down on the REs, wounding 5. This happened at 17:30 hrs. From then on any movement in the area of the rd block caused fierce Mortaring. The C.O appreciated that VILLY BOCAGE was not held by enemy, and that there was, therefore, in putting in a Bn attack. This was confirmed by the Bde Comd, and the Bn laagered for the night, having accomplished its task of contacting the enemy. Bn area - D Coy 828603, B Coy and Comd Post 835622, A Coy 836622, and C Coy holding the high ground at pt 137, 823619. Sporadic mortar fire and long range shelling throughout the night. No casualties. 4th Aug Bde 'O' Gp at 04:30 hrs. Bde plan to continue the adv with Arty Sup of 10 Fd and 3 Med Regts on suspected enemy mortar posns. Bn Plan - To cut across country to the east of VILLY BOCAGE and estab 2 Coys on high ground pt 213, 8359. A Coy to lead with Sappers clearing and taping path. B Coy to follow. Objectives - A left and B right to re-organise on reverse slopes on high ground area pt 213. D Coy to remain as form base astride the rd north of VILLY BOCAGE. C Coy to move up from pt 317 and form Bn res. H hour 18:30. Gunner fire went down according to plan, and was thickened on the line of the rd VILLERS BOCAGE - VILLERS BOCAGE by 4.2 and own 3" mortars, plus Arty smoke to give the Bosche the impression that we were coming that way. The adv continued slowly and according to plan, but no enemy mortar fire came back. From about 11:00 hrs onwards, a most unpleasant sensation was experienced at Command Post, as still no mortar fire came back and it was thought we might be walking into a trap. At 12:00 hrs, however, a Sapper Sjt appeared and said that he had been into VILLY BOCAGE to recover the body of his dead Officer and that all was quiet. This confirmed our suspicions that there was no trap and the Bosche had, in fact, gone. The C.O immediately ordered A and B to push fwd faster. One Sec of Sappers was diverted to clear rd blocks and mines at VILLY BOCAGE, and C Coy were ordered to prepare to move fwd and take up posns on high ground overlooking VILLERS BOCAGE - 825587. The I.O went to Bde with a sit rep where he received orders to estab the Bn and send fwd patrols only. The Battalion finally established itself B Coy area - 836587, A Coy 837591, D Coy - astride main road south of VILLY BOCAGE - 825592, and C Coy area Bn HQ - 827603. C Coy sent out Pats to VILLERS BOCAGE Stn and EPPINAY - 8457, these returned at 17:00 hrs to report no enemy contact. The Pat under Sjt Broxton which went to VILLERS BOCAGE Rly Stn and arrived there at approx 15:15 hrs is considered to be the first formation to re-enter that town. 5th Aug Rest. Re-organisation of Coys, and baths. A minimum of Patrolling which contacted nothing but our own tps. Major Cottrell (O.C B) left and Capt Follet took over B Coy.
