Friday
7 July 1944
Start Location:
BENOUVILLE
War Office map with kind permission of Normandy War Guide
End Location:
LE HOMME
Bn arrived at BENOUVILLE. Four enemy fighters flew over and set fire to an oil dump.
Advance party moved off to area LE HOMME (0575) to take over from 2 KSLI, this started late in the evening.
A large force of Allied heavy bombers raided CAEN and the dust and smoke covered the area for several miles.
D-Day+
31
7 July 1944
Bombing of Caen By Royal Air Force official photographer - This photograph CL 347 comes from the collections of the Imperial War Museums (collection no. 4700-19)Transferred from en.wikipedia to Commons., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=11632265
Alternative Information (from books, personal accounts)
German losses between 6th June and 7th July 1944 are estimated to be 80,000 - killed, wounded or captured.
9th Infantry Brigade War Diary
1 KOSB moved to area. BENOUVILLE.
In the period 10 JUN to 11 JUL, during which the Bde was positioned around CAMBES and LE MESNIL woods, the total cas incurred were:
2 LINCOLNS
Offrs: Killed: 1 - Wounded: 9
OR: Killed: 12 - Wounded: 64
1 KOSB
Offrs: Killed: 1 - Wounded: 9
OR: Killed: 29 - Wounded: 110
2 RUR
Offrs: Killed: 6 - Wounded: 5
OR: Killed: 37 - Wounded: 142
9 Brit Inf Bde HQ
Offrs: Killed: 0 - Wounded: 1
OR: Killed: 0 - Wounded: 1
Close contact and observation was maintained by both sides during this period and the patrolling initiative remained consistently with the Bde.
Despite the long period of arty and mortar harassing to which the enemy had been subjected, 59 Div were, however, to find it a hard task to dislodge them from GALMANCHE and LA BIJUDE.
Orders were issued by the Bde Comd at the farmhouse in BENOUVILLE for Op CHARNWOOD, designed to capture CAEN. The role of 9 Brit Inf Bde was to exploit through the northern suburbs of CAEN after the capture of LEBISEY by 185 Inf Bde; 101 A tk Bty RA and one pl 253 Fd Coy RE being under comd.
Died on this day =
0
Friday
7 July 1944