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D-Day. Operation Overlord.

The invasion of Normandy began on 6th June 1944. The Group drove to East India dock and boarded the landing craft on the morning of 7th. In the middle of the channel conditions were relatively calm when a neighbouring troopship took a direct hit from German guns on the French coast. There were lot of vehicles, ammunition and petrol on board and men were jumping overboard in large numbers. Fred and his mates thought 鈥檛hat鈥檚 not so good, they have the range, we could be next鈥� but progress towards the coast was made without further incident. In the middle of the afternoon an attempt was made to run up to Gold beach near Arromanches but the craft became stuck on a sandbank in water too deep to disembark. By reversing the engines the captain of the landing craft managed to get free and another run to shore was made whereupon the same thing occurred. Once again they managed to get free and another run was made but this time the craft made in all the way to the beach. The ramp was lowered and Fred鈥檚 scout car was the first vehicle off.
Gold Beach, Normandy, 6th June 1944

There was hardly any fighting on the beach and the unit made its way to a rendezvous point a mile inland. The 鈥楤ocage鈥� countryside was completely different from the desert or even Italy, being very similar to Devon or Cornwall with small roads lined with high hedges perfect for hiding tanks, artillery and the enemy. The plan was to capture Bayeaux and on around 12th June there was tough fighting around the town of Villiers Bocage against the 2nd Panzer and Panzer Lehr tank units. The Division was finally withdrawn after three weeks but not before making the enemy units un-battle worthy. The whole Division lost 1149 men.

In early to mid August the Division was engaged in heavy fighting around Caen. Co-incidentally Doris鈥檚 19 year old brother Sidney was tragically killed in fighting very close by at Mount Picon near Falaise on 8th August although at this time Fred did not know he was even in the Army. On the 28th August the Division was pulled back for a re-fit and a quick rest. There followed other battles and Operations Goodwood, Spring and Bluecoat before breaking out and racing to the River Seine.

15.
Belgium . The Advance to Ghent.

Now out of the killing fields that were Normandy the Division pushed on through Northern France on into Belgium. As they approached Ghent on 5th September news came that some prisoners needed to be picked up from the front. Fred went with a sergeant and a wireless operator in his scout car and taking a Bren Gun. They were accompanied by an individual who supposedly belonged to the Belgian resistance but later events were to prove otherwise. They were led north into an area that had Germans that were also retreating north. On the outskirts of a small village called Desselghem (West Flanders) Fred鈥檚 unit heard far in the distance a German artillery column coming up the road towards them. The so-called member of the resistance disappeared around this time. They hid the scout car in some buildings and jumped into the ditch beside the road and waited. Up towards the village came the column led by a German officer sitting in full uniform with leather greatcoat on the front of a staff car. As the column came close they opened fire, emptying a full magazine from the Bren gun into the first few vehicles along with quick bursts of rifle fire. They then made a quick withdrawal into the village before the column had a chance to follow. They were unable to rejoin their unit and were taken in by the Matton family of Ghentstreet who hid them in their attic at great risk to themselves. From here they watched Germans going up and down the street and once they knocked at the door asking for food. The Scout car (Doris), which was hidden in a neighbouring garage, was discovered by Germans who had been tipped off and they watched as it was driven away. The men were concerned that it would not be long before a knock on the door would mean that the Germans had come to capture them. The knock did not come and after five days they got a radio message to say it was safe to come down. This they did to be greeted by an officer of the 鈥楥herry Pickers鈥� (11th Hussars). 鈥淲hat the xxxxing hell are you lot doing here?鈥� he said. (Mr. Dewaele Matton sent a postcard to Fred at Christmas 1944 (shown on next page) in an attempt to keep in touch but Fred had not returned home to receive it).
They then rejoined their unit who once again were relieved to see them.

16.
Holland - A Bridge Too Far.

The bridge at Arnhem was a vital crossing point of three rivers. It was behind enemy lines and it was decided to parachute in to capture it in an effort to shorten the war (Operation Market Garden). It was begun on 17th September 1944 but after a brave and dogged fight the surviving troops were pulled out on 25th September. The bridge was immortalised in the film 鈥楢 Bridge Too Far鈥� and although not there at that time Fred remembers crossing it some months later during the advance. Then briefly up through Holland in the depths of winter. The 鈥榸oot suit鈥� that Fred is seen keeping him warm in the picture was later to be shredded by shell fragments, fortunately Fred was not wearing it!

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