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D-Day continued

We soon got orders to move forward to an area just north of
Var-sur-Mer and on this move forward we saw our first dead
German soldiers, lying in the cornfields, almost hidden from sight.
By 12.30 hours we were well-established in time to give artillery
support to the flying column of infantry pushing ahead. A bridge into
CREULLY was held by one enemy platoon and the guns of B-troop
were called in to support a swift attack by the Green Howards to
capture the bridge. At about 1400 hrs. we were called upon to
fire at a German 88 mm SP gun which was forced to withdraw from
Creully.

Fire support was given to this flying column of infantry all the
afternoon x [footnote below] on orders from our Forward O.P. officers. Our guns
were not able to move further forward that day and remained on
the outskirts of Ver-sur-Mer. Many snipers were hiding
in the woods just behind the Battery position and on one
occasion shells from British Sherman tanks engaging the
snipers landed in the Battery area, fortunately without damage.
We remained in that position for the night. All night long
the rattle of A.A. guns from the beaches and the moving
patterns of the tracer shells told their story of the
desperate enemy air attacks on the beaches and shipping.
We thought of the R.E.’s beach company who had landed with
us and thanked our stars they were on the beach and not us.

[footnote]
[x Between 1600 hrs. and 1700 hrs. we were engaging 88 mm SP guns and
infantry. Between 1800 hrs and dusk we were firing on some
fortified farm buildings housing what was known to be a radar
station and which was directing fire on to our leading infantry.
Acting on orders from our F.U.O. Capt. Perry, our shells landed
on the roofs of these buildings and silenced the enemy fire.
At dusk, the leading infantry battalion formed a pivot on
high ground west of Coulomb and fire from our guns was
maintained to cover the withdrawal and no more was heard from
the farm buildings until the next day].

Beck

19/May/1958.