North-West Europe 1944

Normandy, June to August 1944

Plans for the liberation of France, as the next step towards final victory, had long been in preparation, and early in 1944 began to take definite shape. The systematic bombing of the German installations, communications and ports was begun, and an early date in June for the landing operations was decided on. The American General Eisenhower was appointed as the Supreme Commander, General Sir Bernard Montgomery being given charge of the landing operations of both British and American troops.

D Day was on 6th June. On the previous night the invasion flotillas crossed the Channel. In the darkness of early morning the airborne troops landed on their objectives inland. Covered by in-tense naval and aerial bombardment, the British effected landings near Caen and the Americans on the coast west of Bayeux. Against fierce resistance bridgeheads were established into which reinforcements were poured while the Germans rushed up their reserves for counter-attack. Caen caused some delay and two months' bitter fighting in Normandy followed. General Montgomery's vigorous offensive held the German armour while the Americans farther west made a "right hook" which ended in the surrounding of the elements of some fourteen divisions of the German Seventh Army in the Falaise Pocket, with all their guns and transport. By 21st August the battle was over; 25,000 Germans had surrendered.

The enemy thereupon retreated north and north-east, pursued by the Allies. Paris was liberated on 25th August and Brussels on 3rd September. The Channel ports were either taken or invested one by one, and the pursuit continued through Holland to the River Maas.

Meanwhile, the American armies had cleared the South and East of France.

The Regiment in Normandy

The first five months of 1944 were a period of intensive training for the three service battalions in England, the 2nd, 8th and 12th.

The 2nd Battalion, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel W. Heathcoat-Amory, landed with the 4th Armoured Brigade in Normandy on 7th June, with motor companies under the command of armoured regiments, each regiment supporting one of the three brigades of the 51st (Highland) Division. The Battalion was continually in action, mostly with motor companies under their armoured regiments, the Brigade supporting various infantry divisions in turn.