Thursday
17 August 1944
Start Location:
LANDISACQ
War Office map with kind permission of Normandy War Guide
End Location:
FORET D'HALOUZE
The Bn was ordered to sweep a large area of country SOUTH of FLERS.
Companies were taken out in 3 ton lorries and at 1100 hrs the sweeping started. A holiday atmosphere was obvious ahead, and the men and vehicles were soon covered with flowers pressed on them by the French.
Five prisoners only were found although the area included the large FORET D'HALOUZE.
An enemy gun park and three tanks - one of them a Panther in good condition were found. It was evident that a fairly large proportion of German armour had used this area in its retreat towards the gap between FALAISE and ARGENTAN.
D-Day+
72
17 August 1944
Three French boys looking at a knocked-out German Panther tank in the Falaise pocket, 25 August 1944.
Alternative Information (from books, personal accounts)
From 9th Infantry Brigade War Diary for 17th August:
A quiet day; 6 German prisoners, mainly deserters and stragglers of Russian origin were brought in. On being interrogated, they all gave evidence of the complete state of chaos existing among the Wehrmacht in this area, and confirmed the stories of hy cas sustained through the med of our arty. The prisoners represented 84 Inf Div, 9 SS Div and 3 and 5 Para Divs.
The search, (Landisacq area) which commenced at 0900 hrs, brought to light quite a number of interesting items of enemy eqpt, chief among these being a Panther tk in good condition abandoned at LE CHALIER 853133 - other items were a gun dump containing 10 guns of varied calibre, most of them in good condition, at 847175 and three burned out tks scattered around the area.
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Died on this day =
0
Thursday
17 August 1944
0
Wounded on this day =