Dienstnummer:

CDN541

Nationaliteit:

Canadese

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28 june 1944 WO 171/1397 - 2 East Yorkshire Regiment
Bn attacked CHATEAU DE LA LANDE with right B Coy, left A Coy, follow up Coy, C Coy. D Coy as firm base in area of 1 S. Lan. R. posn. The start line which was the tk running parrallel to the fwd edge of LE LANDEL wood was under hvy shell fire as leading Coys moved up to cross it. Maj S.R. Sheath and B Coy H.Q. were hit moving up to the start line. However both B & A Coys moved steadily across the open cornfield to the fwd edge of the wood surrounding C. DE LA LANDE still under hvy shell fire and MG fire which made the attendence of cas extremely difficult owing to the S.Bs being unable to find cas in the standing corn. Both A & B Coys reached their objectives and were consolidating their posns when a counter attack by Tks and supported by Inf was put in on A Coys objective. An urgent call from A Coy was received by Capt Swinburne for Atk guns just before his R/T set was put out of action. A Coy was partially over-run and O.C. A Coy was taken PW together with C.S.M. Wakelin and a runner. Before their captors could get them away an S.O.S. task was called down and in the resulting confusion all made their escape. In the meantime Tac Bn H.Q. had moved up to the CHATEAU and had set up in an enemy mortar pit. This posn must have been on a D.F. task of the enemys as it was under consistant shellfire for many hours. However, comn with Bde was est by thesig line party running a line from rear H.Q. up to Tac H.Q. and maintaining it constantly. After A Coy had borne the first brunt of the counter attack, B Coy were the next to receive the follow up of a Tk. Some cas were inflicted and Lt Fetterly personally accounted for a German Tk Comd who was unwise enough to call upon his Pl to surrender. C & D Coys were up on the posn by this time and although still under enemy shellfire the posn was stabilised, consolidated and held. A Tk guns were brought up from the Bn, the Sp tp who were held up by an 88 mm suffered some cas but followed the battle up as quickly as they could. In the whole battle cas amounted to 5 Offrs wounded, 1 missing later found to have been killed, 13 ORs killed, 79 wounded and 13 missing, many of whom were accounted for later. The posn was held throughout the short night but only occasional enemy fire came down as the key to the road to CAEN was now in British hands. Later, this strong point was reputed to be the bloodiest square mile in the whole of NORMANDY.

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