The longest day
Battle for Tessel Wood (Part 1)
26th June (Part 1 of 3)
Sten gun
Narrative. The diary entry for 26th June is quite long so I have divided it into three parts, to be published on 24th, 25th and 26th June.
“Early on Monday morning, the one day none of us will ever forget, we set out up the steep bank from our position and along the straight open stretch of road towards Audrieu. Before we reached the village, however, we turned south along a series of dusty roads which led through orchards to the Tilly - Fontenay - Caen road where we came to a halt. I went forward from this position on a motorcycle to reconnoitre a position for my mortars. The area I had been given was an open plain affording no cover at all, and which sloped away on its Southern side to the valley which contained Fontenay-le-Pesnel. Beyond Fontenay I could see the ground rising to the wooded summit which I knew was in enemy hands. At first my quest seemed impossible, but as I ventured further I saw a sunken orchard containing a camouflaged vehicle. This place had at some time been a quarry and consequently afforded a good deal of cover from all directions.
Without probing further into the matter, I went back and brought up my carriers to the verge of this small orchard. As I scrambled down the steep slope to explore its potentialities further I was brought to a sudden halt by the sight of a German rifle leaning against a tree. I suddenly felt very lonely in that little patch of sunken ground, as I peered round into the thick undergrowth which flourished in wild profusion from the layers of hewn rock, I saw a variety of German equipment. The nature of this equipment told me that this was an abandoned German mortar position. I then remembered the camouflaged truck and it occurred to me instantly that my fears were ungrounded for surely the German rifle had been captured by our own men.
I heard a rustle in the undergrowth and instantly swung round with my Sten gun ready. At this point in the proceedings an officer who had appeared at the top of the rock face shouted down that one of his men had seen a German dart into the undergrowth. I replied, with as much confidence as I could, that I thought he must be mistaken, for the vehicle had now come into sight and despite the camouflage, it was unmistakably British.
I still had some misgivings, however, and as I was now three quarters of the way across the quarry I decided to continue. The vehicle as I approached it had an air of desertion about it and I reluctantly came to the conclusion that if the crew were with it they were taking a long time to come into evidence. As I came right up to it nothing stirred. I decided to waste no further time on it and accordingly scrambled up the bank which now lay immediately in front of me. When I reached my vehicles again I decided not to clear the place for use as it had already proved disastrous for both sides during the recent battle, evidence of which we could see in the shape of a British soldier who had lost his life in the defence of it and who now lay at our feet. We accordingly returned to headquarters where we found that plans for the immediate future were entirely different.
At the summit of the hill which rose gradually from the West end of Fontenay there stood a large square wood. It was, to an extent, a commanding position (Tessel Wood) and was held by the enemy in some strength. We heard that they were in concreted positions with underground communications. Two thirds of the wood, we heard, were in our hands.
An armoured thrust was going to probe the defences of Rauray which lay to our South-East, and we were to strike out on foot across country in that direction clearing up what opposition we might find on the way. The weather was dull, following a period of rain, when we drove across the plain with which I had already made myself familiar, and dropped into the muddy valley.
We crossed the ford and rose up on the other side on a twisting road which wound its way clumsily through some farm buildings which had been heavily shelled and which were surrounded by a vast number of dead cows and chickens. It was a depressing sight, and as the road developed into a gorge with steep sides topped by fir trees, we came across the wreckage of a German motorcycle battalion. Despite the death and destruction which was apparent on either side, I could not help being amused by a motorcycle which had been flattened into the rocky road by the passage of our tanks. Although it had retained its general shape, it was about one inch thick throughout.
As we drove on up the slope we passed several burnt-out tanks of both sides and also some of the half-tracked German armoured cars, so many of which we were to see before the campaign was over. As we approached the summit we found ourselves becoming confused amongst a mass of armour which stood about dispersed on the open slope and reminded me somewhat of the shipping off Courseulles-sur-Mer. Nothing much appeared to be happening here.
An occasional rifle shot rang out a lot closer than the machine guns, artillery and mortars which gave evidence as to the proximity of the battle of Tessel Wood, but no one took much notice. The rifle shots turned out to be an enemy sniper who had been left behind and, having a well concealed position, was amusing himself by potting at the tank crews who were taking this opportunity of stretching their legs. Whether anyone ever got that sniper we shall never know, for we were shortly on the move again. We drove round the hill just below the ridge which marked the edge of the plateau, and eventually came to rest in a space which appeared to be yet another old quarry.”