大象传媒

Introduction

The good citizens of Caen in Normandy describe their home city as 'A city martyred for peace'. It was one of the main Allied objectives for D-Day, 6 June 1944. However, it was only on 9 July that the northern suburbs and the city centre were liberated. It was not until 19 July 1944 that Caen was completely liberated.

Having studied the Battle of Caen as part of a French language course while staying in the city, I remembered one of my uncles, Ronald Ritson, had been in Normandy during World War Two. When asked about the period, Ronald kindly gave me an account of his memory about the Battle for Caen. He agreed that I could write down his account and signed a form assigning copyright to me.

This is the eye witness testimony about the Battle for Caen of Private R. Ritson, 7517826, RAMC, 26 Field Hygiene Section. It uses Ronald's own words with only a little assistance to put it in written form. It has been submitted to contribute to the knowledge and understanding about the liberation of the city of Caen and its citizens, a liberation that also left it largely destroyed.

Close to the Front Line

"After landing on the eighth of June 1944 we moved a bit further inland to a place called Plumetot. We went into a small orchard there and we dug in. We stayed there for most of the time while we were there in Normandy.

To begin with one surprising thing was that there were very little troops about. It was a bit scary, really. When we moved into Plumetot my C.O. Major Hargreaves said to me "There's a British sentry walking about over there would you go over and ask him how we are fixed?" So, I walked across, and I said to the sentry, "How far are the German lines from here?" Well, he said, "From where I'm standing to the German lines is 'No Man's Land'. He added, " I wouldn't stray anywhere across this line, here!"

Now, as I was coming back to tell my C.O, there was something strange happened, which scared me out of my life. There was a rifle shot. And I went down, I dived down on my tummy. Of course, if it had been for me, it'd have been too late! But that's the reaction! This was in Plumetot.

And why you're aware of these shots is because during the night there were these German snipers that came through the lines. They used to hide themselves somewhere and then they tried to shoot officers or sergeants, anybody in ranks like that. However, it wasn't for me, the sniper's bullet that day at Plumetot, so I'm here living to tell the tale!

Coping with enemy shelling

However, we dug in at Plumetot. I think the first thing a batman does for his officer is dig his trench, before his own. Which I did, and I made him comfortable. Then, I dug my own trench. We stayed there in Plumetot for the best part of the period during the Battle of Normandy. The Canadian Air Force also had a camp next to us and there was an airfield.

But I think at Plumetot, the worst time was at night. The Germans used to come over at night with the bombers and do some damage. They daren't come over during the day because the Air Force was too strong for them. The Germans either couldn't or they daren't show face. But there was one night that they did come over and they gave us a rough do. Then after that, it seemed to upset me.

The next night they came over again and I just got out of my trench. I couldn't stop in. Of course, that's the most dangerous place to be! However, a sergeant came up, he says, "What are you doing out of your trench?" I replied, "I just can't stop in!" So the sergeant then said, "Here, just a minute". He went and got something. "Here, drink that!" Now, I didn't know what it was, but I drank it and he had to take it off me. "Don't drink it all!" he said. And I didn't know, but it was whisky! And it made me really drunk! But, it had done me the world of good, because I went down in my trench and slept all night.

When we woke up the next morning, my comrade said to me, "Did you hear them over last night, Ron?" I said, "No, I didn't." "Well" he said, "it's the worst night we've had." He said, "I thought the trench was coming in on us!" But after that, I was OK! So, the whisky had done me the world of good that night! So, thank you to the whisky! This was before the Battle for Caen. They hadn't got into Caen at that point.

The Thousand Bomber Raid of Caen

They couldn't get into Caen because, apparently, the Germans had amassed whatever armour they had in front of Caen. This was why the infantry couldn't get through. They just had to hold the line. However, there were several battles that took place, and they were expecting that. Our C.O., Major Hargreaves used to give us a run-down on the battle and how it had changed, if it had. He used to say how many Divisions the Germans was bringing up. They likely were getting this information from the French Secret Service or the French Resistance.

It seemed as if it was going to be very hard for to get through to Caen. There had been one or two air-raids. But it hadn't made any impact on them. Then, when they did try to break out of Normandy our C.O. got us round this map, and he told us there was going to be a thousand bomber raid on Caen. It was a lovely summer evening and He said that they were going to attack the next morning.

So for this raid, the RAF came over and they flew very low. They seem as though they don't fly in formation, the Royal Air Force. We were up on a ridge, looking right down on Caen, and however anybody lived under that, I do not know! Now, from the time it started until the last bomb dropped it was nearly unbearable. One shell went over, and then every minute, another shell went over, and this went on all night until early morning.

Caen liberated and devastated

Then all the guns opened up and it was still dusk. We were in our trench and you didn't know whether they were our guns or their guns. It was nearly unbearable. To bear the sound of all these guns going off, it was a terrible thing.

Now after a certain time I presume, there was what they would call a 'Pepper Box Barrage'. How at a certain time, everything was timed: the infantry to move forward and the gun sites were to be moved forward on a timer. This is what they call a 'Creeping Barrage'. The tanks and infantry had to move as the artillery moved and this was on the outskirts, outside Caen. They had to move forward, and this is how they went into Caen, the 3rd British Infantry Division.

Now, when Caen fell, my C.O. asked me to drive him there. I drove him up to the front line. By this time the fighting had died down and it was a pretty sorrowful sight. All the trees were black, no green, nothing, just desolate.

The German defenders of Caen

We spoke to a sergeant who had been with the attack, the infantry. He told us that the ordinary German soldier, he surrendered with no trouble. But the young S.S., and the Hitler Youth, they would not come out of the trenches to surrender. And the infantry just went along with flame-throwers and burned them alive. Which was a terrible thing. But that's what happened at Caen."

Conclusion

Ronald drove Major Hargreaves into Caen on Tuesday 11 July 1944. That evening, Ronald wrote a letter from Plumetot to his then fianc茅e, Leading Aircraftswoman Marie Cranfield, who would subsequently become his wife. The only reference he makes to the liberation of Caen is to say he has just heard a 大象传媒 radio broadcast by General Montgomery ''...from over here but I think it's very heartening".

It is notable that Ronald makes no mention whatsoever in his letter about the terrible scenes he witnessed while driving his C.O. Major Hargreaves into Caen, and referred to in Ronald's later testimony recounted above. A letter written by Major Hargreaves to his wife and family, also on 11 July 1944, does refer to the devastation they witnessed in newly-liberated Caen by writing: "I cannot describe the horror of that landscape. Cows, horses and humans had been lying out there for weeks, it being impossible to get out and bury them." Clearly, the scene was beyond the briefest of descriptions.

Living through or witnessing this horror of what they saw at the liberation of Caen is something that people who were there in July 1944 would never forget. This is true for Allied soldiers, the German soldiers and especially the civilians of Caen. In front of Caen Castle the citizens of Caen have erected a memorial sculpture to the 3rd British Infantry Division that honours and commemorates their liberators. The liberation of Caen and the devastation it suffered are something that should be remembered.

Ronald and Marie married in February 1945. Ronald made the above testimony in April 2000. He passed away in July 2000. The Archives Section of Memorial Museum for Peace (Mus茅e M茅morial pour la Paix) in Caen holds copies of many letters, drawings and journals of witnesses to the Battle of Normandy and particularly the liberation of Caen. This includes the letters of Major Hargreaves and Private Ritson written on 11 July 1944.

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