A Squadron - Assault & Actions 

The Armoured Car

The sea was still rather rough around the coast of Normandy and the troops were seasick, not helped by the cramped and smelly conditions, not ideal for the coming operation, A Sqdn was not due to take part in the initial assault on D-Day, but parts of 2 troop and 4 troop under Lt. Sam. Hall were to land some three hours later after H-hour in support of the Staffordshire Yeomanry, an armoured regiment which was part of a 3rd Division force tasked to follow up the initial assault and the capture of Caen by the evening of D-day; 

Party of one Comd Tank and twelve Crabs, under command of Maj Clifford, allocated to 27 Armoured Brigade and loaded as follows:

LCT(4) Serial 320, planned for landing at H+195 minutes on Queen White Beach.

- 1 Sherman V Comd Tank 'A' Sqn 22 Dgns - 'AJAX' commanded by Major Peter F. S. Clifford, OC 'A' Sqn 22 Dgns

In support STAFFS YEO:  Total 8 Sherman flails, two each in LCT(4) Serials 321, 322, 323 and 324.

- 1 Flail - 'A' Sqn HQ WD comd by Temp Maj Brian A Wallace, OC 'A' Sqn W Dgns.

Seven more Crabs, including:

1 Flail - 2 Tp 'A' Sqn WD comd by Lt Richard H W Bullock Trp Ldr
1 Flail - 2 Tp 'A' Sqn WD comd by Cpl P. Coop, driver Tpr G. Woodhouse, co-driver Tpr N.T. Kelly
1 Flail - 4 Tp 'A' Sqn WD comd by Lt William S (Sam) 'Chopper' Hall Trp Ldr
1 Flail - 4 Tp 'A' Sqn WD comd by Lance Cpl Reg Davis
1 Flail - 2 Tp 'A' Sqn WD comd by Cpl Loveday
2 Flails – from 2 and/or 4 Trp 'A' Sqn WD.

The initial assault began at 0725 and was successful, once the beach was secure, A sqdn landed at H + 3 hours on Queen White beach, LCT's were still being shelled whilst going ashore and at least one LCT destroyed. On landing near Lion-sur-Mer the main battle had moved inland, and the beach was relatively quiet, though littered with wrecked vehicles there was also considerable congestion at the beach exits which was under mortar and possibly field gun fire.

The group rendezvoused with the rest of the half-squadron at the assembly area with the Staffordshire Yeomanry and the squadron commander, Major Brian Wallace

After travelling through Hermanville-sur-Mer without incident, they paused a short way beyond the village, on a broad plain sloping gently up to a crest beyond which the battle had passed next to some hedgerows. The crews dismounted and stretched legs and started a brew-up.

Along the lane of stationary vehicles, a flail tank burst into flames, a medical officers halftrack moved up to help and was hit as well, then another flail was hit in the flailing arms, as the crews searched for the enemy position another flail was hit and knocked out. The 2 flails were commanded by Cpl Coop – L/Cpl Daves, Tpr Woodhouse and Tpr keley were wounded and sent back for medical treatment.

The firing stopped and later the column moved forward through Bieville-Beuville to a position just south of the village and saw some way ahead, a tank battle where the staff’s yeomanry had taken up battle positions and engaged about 10 enemy tanks a counter-attacking force from 21st Panzer Division reported to be Tiger tanks, but this later turned out to be mark IV’s disguised as Tigers. The flails were given the task of covering the left flank and did not actually engage the enemy. The positions had to be changed routinely due to the intermittent shelling. During the previous advance to Bieville-Beuville, L/Cp Loveday’s flail tank was fired on and in taking avoiding action went over a sharp drop and damaged the rota and jib and L/Cpl Loveday himself became a casualty owing to the turret flap crashing onto his hand breaking free fingers.

Around midnight the flails went into close harbour with the Staff’s yeo, refuelling took place about 0200 hours. Of the 8 flails Major Wallace started with, 5 flails were now left, and these had been joined by flails from the 22nd dragoons, where after taking part in the initial assault at H hour only 2 were left serviceable bringing the total up to seven flails.

The task was to be for the 3rd British Division force to follow up the initial assault and capture of Caen by the evening of D-day; in the end it was held up 3 or 4 miles short of this objective, and Caen was not finally captured until 9 July.

During the period following D day, A Sqdn took part in many tasks,

- On D + 2, with 4 flails under Maj Wallace & Lt Hall took part in a successful attack on a strong point around the gas works at Lion-sur-Mer, which was disrupting the build-up of supplies and the development of the bridgehead on this sector. Infantry from the South Lancashire Regiment attacked from one side, with support from two S.P. Guns the flails attacked from the other side. A lane was flailed through the minefield and a thick belt of barbed wire, eighty German prisoners were taken with light infantry losses.

- On 9th June with 4 flails under Maj Wallace & Lt Hall had proceeded to Cazelle to come under the command of the East Riding Yeomanry (ERY) for support on an attack from Anisy being launched on Cambes Galmanch and St Certest. Contact was made with Captain Beaumont group who were already under the command of the ERY. The attack secured the first objective, but no minefields were encountered and flails were kept in reserve.

- 10th & 11th June; All flail’s of Major Wallace and Capt Beaumont's parties were withdrawn and concentrated in Brigade reserve southwest of Hermanville-sur-Mer in an area literally scattered by the Germans with butterfly bombs. Attempts were made to flail these but only two exploded in this way, possibly the remainder were blinds as many appear to have exploded on landing. Sqdn remained in this area until the 15th of June, during this time the area was heavily bombed at nights and troops learnt very quickly to dig themselves in well. On the 13th of June flails were tasked to clear an enemy minefield surrounding a strong point now in our hands south of Ouistreham this would have involved flailing an area containing 400 lorry loads of mines and was not considered a worthwhile task in view of the casualties which would have certainly occurred to the jibs and rotors and the tanks themselves. To this end 2 lanes of one tank width each were made into the strong point and the Royal Engineers were very satisfied, Teler, Belgium, anti-tank and “S” mines were all encountered but no major damage was done to the flails.

- Tasked to clear a strong point which was heavily defended with hundreds of mines in Ouistreham.

During this period A Sqn were harboured about a mile from the sea in the open countryside near Hermaville-sur-Mer. On the 15th of June A Sqn left 1 Corps area and moved west to join the remainder of the regiment at Juaye Mondaye, with 19 flails including 5 from 3rd troop and 2 from 1st troop which were picked up on their way over with their crews from the forward delivery Sqdn. 2 flails were left in the 27th Armoured brigade workshops awaiting repairs with their crews.

SWORD Beach – Queen Green beach

1 flail - 'A' Sqn HQ WD comd by Capt Colin B Beaumont, RTR, 2IC 'A' Sqn W DGNS
3 flail tanks - 2 and/or 4 Tp 'A' Sqn WD, including 1flail (2 or 4 Tp) comd by Sgt Wilson

Captain Beaumont with 4 flails landed at H + 5 1/2 hours with the East Riding Yeomanry and received a slight shrapnel wound on one hand whilst on the beach, apart from this, the party suffered no casualties and harboured near Colleville-sur-orne.

On D+2 four of A Sqn's Crabs assisted 3rd British Division at Lion-sur-Mer, clearing lanes through mines and barbed wire and engaging strongpoints with their main guns and machine guns. The following day A Sqn and a troop of AVREs helped 1st East Riding Yeomanry and 2nd Bn Royal Ulster Rifles in an attempt to advance beyond Périers. They had 1,000 yards (910 m) of open country to cross under shell, mortar and machine gun fire, the 2nd Bn RUR losing almost 200 men and the 1st EYR four tanks. The Crabs performed well in the unaccustomed role of infantry tanks, but all the AVREs were knocked out.

Capt Beaumont and his group after carrying out tasks under the East Riding Yeomanry, clearing up minefields in and around the bridgehead areas rejoined with elements of A Sqdn around the 9th of June. 

JUNO Area

The landings on Juno beach began at 07.50. The remainder of 'A' Sqn flails was planned to be in LST of Force L off JUNO Area at H+17 hours as follows:

Off MIKE Sector - all five Crabs of 3 Tp 'A' Sqn WD, Troop Leader Lt David S. Squirrell, allocated to 'C' Canadian Forward Delivery Squadron and loaded as follows:

LST(2) Serial 3005 (possibly US LST 536) – 1 flail
LST(2) Serial 3006 (possibly US LST 139) – 2 flails
LST(2) Serial 3007 (possibly US LST 524) - 2 flails

Off NAN Sector - all five Crabs of 1 Tp 'A' Sqn WD, Troop Leader Lt Donald F.Ingram allocated to 266 Forward Delivery Squadron and loaded as follows:

LST(2) Serial 3203 (possibly US LST 541) - 2 flails
LST(2) Serial 3204 (possibly US LST 542) - 3 flails

Part 80 Sqn, 5 Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers (RE)) with 8 Canadian Brigade (Nan Beach) Berniers-sur-mer, waited off beach at Courseulles, due to the congestion on the beach they were still on board on 7th. They were finally disembarked early on the 8th.