C Squadron - Assault & Actions 

Lane 1; 1 x flail got bogged, the other flail, flailed a lane across the beach up to the lateral road and turned left as planned. His task was to remain in reserve, giving covering fire.

However, the team at No 3 Lane had failed, and they were ordered to carry on inland. They then crossed a stream and an anti-tank ditch, finding to their surprise that the bridges had not been blown by the enemy, only stopped by a large crater (probably from a British shell or bomb) near Lav Pan villa, but this was quickly bridged by an AVRE and tank continued to flail a lane up the hill so that the DD tanks got to move inland. 

Lane 2; Both flails made a lane through the minefield up to the lateral road and were held up on the lateral road both flails were held up by boggy ground and craters, despite making a 'sporting effort to get past' both flails got bogged.

Lane 3; Both Crabs got to the beach, but both were hit by a German 88 mm gun on the sea wall at La Rivière (in the rotor arm). The squadron commander ordered the AVRE bridge-layer to reverse and go to help lane No 2 Team.

Lane 4; Both Flails got bogged before they reached the road.

Lane 5; Both flails of this team got bogged before they reached the road, they were able to give covering fire with High explosive and smoke shells to lane No 6 flails and the infantry attacking La Rivière.

Lane 6; Capt R Bell, leading Breaching Team, suffered a burnt-out starter motor, and had to be towed off the LCT by an AVRE and was late onto the beach. He saw an AVRE hit by an '88’mm gun at La Rivière, he manoeuvred to a position where his tank could engage it and destroyed the gun. Capt Bell then began flailing a lane across the beach but got bogged just as he crossed the lateral road. Corporal Thorpe took over, but had a track blown off by a mine.

Capt Bell's tank was then towed out by an AVRE which had dropped its Fascine into the bog by the road, and Capt Bell proceeded up the road.

The LCTs were supposed to be preceded by Sherman DD 'swimming' tanks, but in Gold sector the surf was too rough and they were not launched, so the breaching teams were the first vehicles ashore at H-Hour (07.25).

After the assault phase the 5 surviving flails rallied at an orchard near the village of Ver-sur-Mer and on reporting their situation were ordered to report to the 7th Gordon Highlanders. As the flails were making their way through the village of Creully a message was received that there were 40 enemy Tiger tanks advancing northeast from Rucqueville, this meant that they were heading straight for the 5 flail tanks of C sqdn.

As they crested the rise to the south of Creully they spotted 3 tanks of the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards which had been hit. On finding the headquarters of the 7th Gordon Highlanders the flails were put into fire positions and contact was made with the rear for support and was informed that 7 flails were already on the way. The 40 Tiger tanks never materialised, and as they pulled back, 2 Crocodile flame-throwing tanks joined the squadron as they moved to a position near Crepon to refuel and settle down for the night.

D+1

At 0545 hrs the Sqn moved alongside a hedge on the immediate outskirts of Crepon. Around 0610 shell fire exploded in the trees followed by small arms fire, a second shell fell next to the Sqn leaders tank killing Tpr Birch and wounding Cpl Adcock. A third shell fell wounding the Sqdn leader, Cpl Gillespie and L/Cpl Lennon.

The Sqn leader after spotting the gun about 150 yards away, jumped onto Lt Holban’s tank which put the 10cm field gun out of action. The Sqdn then moved back 400 yards and sent the wounded to the field hospital.

During this engagement a pill box had been spotted next to the field gun, and a composite force of 1 troop C Sqdn, 2 crocodiles from 141 R.A.C and 10 men from 86 field regiment as infantry to mop up the area. The flail covered the crocodile which moved to within 30 yards of the pill box before squirting it, this proved to be empty, the infantry discovered Germans in a dug out 50 yards to the rear of the pill box covered by mines and wire. These were engaged by 1 troop with HE and machinegun fire, 100 Germans surrendered with one 88mm and four 75mm guns intact.

By the time the regiment 'harboured' that night, B Sqn's ARV and C Sqn's M14 half-track had landed with four ammunition and petrol lorries. C Squadron harboured at Crépon with 11 Crabs (seven of them recovered from the beach). By D+2 (8 June), B and C Sqns were at Saint-Gabriel-Brécy, with nine fit Crabs: seven were damaged beyond repair and 10 were repairable. 

The action demonstrated the courage, determination and teamwork of the Westminster Dragoons. Despite heavy casualties and damaged vehicles, the regiment continued its advance, recovering disabled tanks from the beaches and maintaining its vital role in clearing the way for the Allied forces pushing inland.

D+2

The sqdn remained just south of Crepon all day, petrol being fetched from the beach group. In the evening orders were received to join RHQ and B Sqdn at Brecy the following morning.