D-Day: Commonwealth Sectors

48. Tailleville

Colleville-sur-Mer, Normandie

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Breaking cover from the woods north of Tailleville the troops of the North Shores supported by the armour of Fort Garry Horse crossed the open ground leading up to the tranquil setting of the medieval walled Norman village. Suddenly they found themselves in a fire fight for control of the area. It was a tight fight, small arms, aimlessly thrown hand grenades, the tanks firing blindly over the Chateau walls in the hope of hitting something. After a little while a gate into the grounds was spotted and the tank commander ordered his driver to go through. The rest of the North Shores troops poured through the shattered gateway into the courtyard and realised the true situation. They had been attacking the Battalion Headquarters of the 736th Infantry. An underground complex with full support, first aid, workshops, stables, kitchens and munitions stores. It was a maze of trenches and tunnels, interlinking, sturdy concrete bunkers. The engagement lasted for six hours, with troops diving down the warren of tunnels, firing into sealed rooms and engaging in hand to hand fighting at close quarters. Just when the North Shores thought they had the situation under control fighting would break out in another quarter of the town. The Sherman tanks with their flame throwers helped to finally subdue the defenders by around 1600 hrs.