The French city of Caen was due to be taken on D-Day to help secure the major routes into and out of Normandy. However, due to myriad hold ups on and behind the beaches, and initial attempts being met by fierce resistance by the 21st Panzer Division, 12th SS Panzer Hitlerjugend, and Panzer Lehr, it was not secured until over a month later.

PRELUDE

Prior to the attack in July, fleets of Air Force bombers carpeted the town in the hope of forcing the occupying German forces to retreat. Many civilians were killed in these raids and countless buildings reduced to rubble. The shattered remains held up mechanised troops and provided perfect cover for snipers and ambushes.

"Caen was 80% destroyed by bombing. 1st KOSB led advances over mountainous rubble including cavernous hollows from 15" Naval guns. The enemy rearguards were active."

Major Alistair Renny, CO of D Company - from Monty's Ironsides. P70.

9th Infantry Brigade War Diary:

Tks were virtually unable to operate and the inf adv slowly with the assistance of bulldozers.

2nd Royal Ulster Rifles:

"Owing to the rubble and devastation caused by the bombing, movement was slow and difficult. There was no question of vehicle movement here, and so throughout this advance the infantry relied solely and entirely upon their own resources."

Courtesy of Paul Scanlon - https://royal-ulster-rifles-ww2.blogspot.com/2010/11/9th-july-1944-advance-in-to-caen.html

THE ATTACK

1st KOSB War Diary, 9th July 1944:

The Bn moved off from Lebisey at about 0930 hrs over ring contour "60" (the D60 road), which was under shell fire, to FUP (Forming Up Point/Position) on the Eastern outskirts of CAEN. The ghostlike houses slowly came to life as civilians began to realize we were entering the town. They came rushing out with glasses and bottles of wine.

(Link to the video above on Youtube > here)

As the Bn was forming up on the start line and trying to re-establish wireless contact with companies and Bde, four Boche were seen to withdraw towards the centre of the town. Soon afterwards our HQ was mortared leaving 1 killed and 1 wounded.

The Bn then proceeded to clear the town. Little opposition was met. Progress was slowed down by snipers and an occasional MG.

Much assistance and information was offered by eager civilians. Debris and cratered streets also made progress extremely difficult.

“Inside CAEN the people who had been under cover since the RAF bombing on Friday night came out of their shell buildings and their cellars to cheer their liberators, tears of joy trickling down their grimy faces. It was the first large-scale spontaneous welcome the British had received in Normandy… made all the more touching by the fact that it was given by people who had seen half their city crumble under the devastating blast of bomb and shell”

Borderers in Battle by Hugh Gunning 1948 page 106

We eventually reached the RV in the Old Town and established contact with the RUR (2nd Bttn Royal Ulster Rifles) and pushed forward patrols to the river. Patrols met quite heavy fire from across the river and a number of casualties were sustained.

"Then daylight came and the order to advance into Caen, a route which took us past the Abbey Aux Dames to the fish market near the quay (where Don Mould and other KOSBS were photographed) and where the real battle started up along the quay to the rue Gilbert and along to the church of St John where 18 Platoon suffered badly. I have retraced the route many times".

1st KOSB Veteran, Jeff Henderson

*Video shows the Abbeye Aux Dames, St Peter's Church and 1st KOSB passing some civilians on the street.

At dawn on the 9th the Ulster Rifles sent two strong patrols in through the rubble and ruin of CAEN. At 9.30 the remainder of the Ulster Rifles and the KOSB advanced on their left. By midday they had reached the BOULEVARD DES ALLIES (top left of image)

Assault Division Norman Scarfe 1947 p70

"We stood down to let the Canadians past and let them take the honours. I spent so much time walking over burning rubble that I had to cut my boots off because of blisters. One of our lads was killed in St Pierre itself from a sniper."

1st KOSB, D Company Rodger Moffet

Imperial War Museum film taken in Caen. (1st KOSB men can be see around the 1minute 50s mark)

"When morning came we saw an amazing spectacle-the high and open ridge overlooking the city thick with armour of all descriptions, waiting to burst through. But the initial work had to be done by the infantry and "C" and "D" Companies led the way, edging carefully into the outskirts of the city, winkling out nests of enemy snipers and then quickly gaining control of the town north of the canal. The rest of the Battalion then infiltrated through the wreckage, established contact with the Royal Ulster Ritles and began the process of consolidation.

Casualties were fairly heavy, but not so serious as had been expected and by the early afternoon our positions were firm, although the enemy continued to shell and mortar the city."

WIG Wilson, A Short History of the 1st Bttn KOSB in North West Europe

9th Infantry Brigade War Diary:

2 RUR and 1 KOSB were the first units to enter CAEN.

DAY II

1st KOSB War Diary, 10th July 1944:

An OP was established overlooking the river.

"C" & "D" Coys patrolled forward to the river ORNE and met heavy fire from South bank.

Later in the day "B" Coy occupied the Barracks, which had been previously an enemy HQ of some size.

Slight enemy shelling during the day.

"During the 10th July we were kept busy scouring the town for groups of Germans and keeping watch on the other side of the canal, which the enemy still held.

Our wounded-many of them rescued under shell-fire by French women Red Cross workers-had to be located in the hospitals and our dead had to be buried. Enemy shelling continued, and there was some air activity, but we were still exhilarated by success and by the enthusiasm of the French: it was a real disappointment to have to hand over our sector to the Canadians on the morning of the 11th."

WIG Wilson, A Short History of the 1st Bttn KOSB in North West Europe

WITHDRAWAL FROM CAEN

9th Infantry Brigade War Diary, July 11th 1944:

Bde posns handed over to 8 Cdn Bde and Bde withdrawn into rest area based on PLUMETOT for rest and refitting after 35 days continuous action. 2 LINCOLNS reverted to comd 9 Brit Inf Bde, 2 KSLI to 185 Inf Bde.

"On July 11th the battalion moved out of Caen up the D7 past Mathieu to a village a short distance away called Plumetot, where we had our first rest period since we landed 5 weeks before".

1st KOSB Veteran, Jeff Henderson

"Our departure was marked by a gesture of defiance, for we marched out with the Company pipers playing in full hearing of the enemy. As we climbed up the hill, through the ruined streets, we felt that a good job had been done. Caen, which was originally to have fallen on D-Day but which for all those horrible weeks seemed almost unattainable, was in Allied hands at last.

Outside the city we filed aboard carriers, jeeps, anything on wheels, and drove back through Epron and other former centres of German resistance, now utterly ruined, with their trees gaunt and stripped, and their streets piled with rubble. It seemed like a dream. For so long these places had spelled "Enemy" and now they were ours.

We could hardly believe it. Tired, dirty and victorious, we arrived at Plumetot, where we hoped to have a rest.

WIG Wilson, A Short History of the 1st Bttn KOSB in North West Europe

"On the morning of July 11, the Battalion were relieved by Canadians and moved to a rest area at PLUMETOT where the time was spent cleaning up, kit inspections and parades. Football games were organised and there was a generous allotment for film shows, swimming, etc.

The Pipe Band played Retreat for the first time since landing, on the evening of the 12th. Officers and other rank reinforcements joined the Battalion."

Notes from personal records of Major James Gray M.C. Captain and 2i/c of A Company

THE COST

Between the 9th and 11th of July, 8 men from 1st KOSB were killed and 17 wounded.

The majority of the men killed in the attack on Caen are buried in La Deliverande War Cemetery in Douvres or Hermanville War Cemetery (Originally called the Sword Beach Cemetery)

Estimated civilian casualties from the actions in Caen range from between 1,500 and 3000 killed - mostly in the preceding air raids.

D-Day Revisited have reproduced an interview with a French civilian, Liliane Merle, who lived in Caen at the time of the Invasion - click on their logo to read.

There's a video on Youtube showing more footage of the days leading up to, and capturing Caen here

*Our special thanks go to Rob Bowie and Rodger Moffet for helping, not only with this article, but also with the site overall.