DOCUMENTS DU JOUR J 6th Airborne Division - 3rd Parachute Brigade - Brigade Headquarters - War Diaries |
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--- EN COURS DE TRADUCTION --- 5th June 1944Place: Field 2320 - Bde HQ flew to DZ "V" near VARAVILLE. 6th June 1944 Place: Northern France 0056 - Bde HQ dropped, sticks scattered widely. Bde. Comd. wounded. 0600 - Lt HAIG THOMAS, 4 Cdo att, killed near BAVENT. Place: Le Mesnil 0900 - Bde HQ opened area LE MESNIL X-rds area 141728 (Sheet 75/2 1/50,000). 1 CDN PARA BN in same area protecting HQ. Bde Comd wounded in early morning by bomb fragment. Maj W.A.C. COLLINGWOOD, BM; Maj A.A.K. POPE, DAA & QMG; Rev. J. McVEIGH, CF 4th Class; Capt W.E. CHURCH, MO, and Lt D.J. KIPPIN, SLO, missing. Capt J.T. WOODGATE assumes duties of DAA & QMG, and Capt A.T. WILKINSON duties of BM. Capt J.A. WILKES, Sigs Offr 1, and Lt S. GYTON, Provost, missing. Strength (Bde HQ) 9 Offrs 12 ORs; (Def Pl) 1 Offr 26 ORs. 9 PARA BN under comd 1 SS Bde. 2300 - BM and SLO rejoin having come in with glider force. 0400 - Considerable number of PW taken from BREVILLE area together with approx 40 rifles of varying types, 1 MG 34 and amn. 7th June 1944 Place: Le Mesnil 0900 - Total PWs number 152, chiefly POLES and RUSSIANS; sent to Div. 1400 - Commandos withdraw from VARAVILLE forcing us to withdraw Cdn Coy under cover of darkness from ROBEHOMME. 1700 - Div Comd arrives, orders patrols to TROARN on infm of CSM 13 Bn. 2100 - Enemy snipers in vicinity, no casualties sustained. 8th June 1944 Place: Le Mesnil 0200 - 9 Para Bn return to comd of this Bde. 0900 - Enemy resumed sniping and minor attacks on 9 Para Bn and 1 Cdn Para Bn. 1315 - VARAVILLE bombed and shelled by cruisers. 1400 - Capt WILKINSON, IO, killed during counter-attack on enemy. SLO takes over IO. |