Operation Mitten - Chateau De La Londe

My Grandfather William Arthur Marsden, was born in 1911. He died in 1969.

Having entered military service in 1930, he enlisted in the Royal Tank Corps. He was to spend a four year period in India with an Armoured Car Company In 1936 he transferred to the Army Reserve and transferred to the Royal Armoured Corps.
At the outbreak of WW2 he was mobilised at Bovington Camp and posted to Depot.

On 22nd September 1943 he was posted to 141 Royal Armoured Corps (The Buffs), 'B' Squadron (8 Troop). His rank - Corporal.

141 RAC were equipped with Churchill Crocodile Tanks. He was the driver of 'Spartan', when he landed at Juno beach between 22-24 June 1944.

The Regiment was to never fight as a single unit but to be spread along the whole of the 2nd Army Front. Thus A, B & C Squadrons would have their own stories of battle to tell.

If any place in Normandy could be called the spiritual home of 'B' Squadron then it was the fields near Cresserons, a small village about a mile and a half East of Douvres La Deliverande. From here the Squadron would sally forth to battle and thence as faithfully return to refit, lick the wounds and drink the local "Calvados" in nearby Lion sur Mer.

To be continued..........

 

During these early periods the use of Crocodile tanks were visualised in 5 key points:-

• Very close "tie-up" with the Infantry.
• Close support by Artillery & Infantry Mortars.
• Considerable use of smoke to isolate the objective.
• The Crocodiles must be got safely to within 80 yards of the objective by use of ground, smoke and supporting fire.
• Attack had to be "head-on" due to the trailers' vunerability and the 'flame guns' limited arc (11 to 2 0'clock).

The attack on the Chateau De la Londe was to take place on the 27th June. 8 Troop were assigned. 3 Crocodiles led by Lt Raymond Brooke:-

SPARTAN
Commander - Lt Raymond Brooke
Driver - Cpl Bill Marsden
Co Driver/Flame Gunner - Tpr Jack Humphrey
Turret Gunner - Tpr Bernard Woodcock
W Op/Loader - Tpr Bert Dady

SCOT
Commander - Sgt Burton
Driver - L/Cpl Danny Moore
Co Driver/Flame Gunner - Tpr Pete Hollins
Turret Gunner - Tpr Harry Adams
W Op/Loader - Tpr Leslie Worthy

SAXON
Commander - Cpl Dennis Hischier
Driver - L/Cpl Freddie Roberts
Co Driver/Flame Gunner - Tpr Charlie Pitt
Turret Gunner - Cpl Jimmy Vine
W Op/Loader - Tpr Bill Halley

The day before the attack, the tank commanders went on a reconnaissance of the area they were to attack.
They were taken so far until it was considered to dangerous by an Infantry officer. Lt Brooke wanted to get closer, so the three tank commanders managed to reach a stone built barn with a staircase on the outside. They made their way up to the roof area which was heavily damaged and gave them a view of German positions. Unfortunately they were spotted and mortar fire was directed at them. Luckily they managed to escape the collapsing roof and make their way back.

What is clear, is that despite this recce they were to be completely unaware of the strength of German forces they were about to face. It had been originally thought it was held by a company of engineers. The truth however was that it had originally been held by 5 Company 192 Panzer Grenadiers, only to be re-inforced by a platoon of engineers and HQ Company 22 Panzer Regt & 30 or more tanks!

To be continued........

 

Three Photos of the Chateau De La Londe.
First showing the Driveway leading upto the Chateau. Second & Third being Front & Rear Aspects.
taken on my very first trip - May 1997.

The Chateau was re-built having suffered terrible damage. It still bears the scars today.

 

The start point for the attack was in the area of the Chateau Du Landel.
The Chateau De La Londe area was heavily wooded. The Crocodiles supported by the 1st South Lancs Regt approached via a grass track which ran along a hedgeline towards the thick stone wall that surrounded the Chateau. In most places there was room for one tank only.
The Crocodiles were met with murderous anti-tank fire. Many of the German tanks were dug-in, hull down.
Cpl Hischier began to lay smoke to shield the approaching Crocodiles from the German guns. For the first time ever his 'A' radio failed to work (faulty para amplifier) and his was unable to communicate with Lt Brooke. Brooke leading the way, came under heavy fire. An incredible number of shots apparently grazed the turret and hull. He almost reached the wall when from point blank range he was hit by a concealed 75mm Pak 40. The shot deflected through the horizontal plate behind the Co Driver - The Tank began to 'brew-up'.

To be continued.........

 

Very nice! I'll be checking up on this thread.

 

Before I continue with what happened to my Grandfather's troop at La Londe. Thoughts must turn to the many Infantrymen of the 1st South Lancs who in support of this action lost their lives. One can only imagine the horror of war at this time. Those who survived had to wait for the cover of darkness, to return to the Le Londel position and relative safety!

 

My Grandfather never spoke about his short time in Normandy with its climax at Le Londe. Like many other veterans I guess, the sights he witnessed and his own experiences were to haunt him for the rest of his life.
As he died when I was 10. I never had the chance to speak with him in an adult way about his army experiences. My Nan couldn't help either or close family, because all that 'history' was placed in a compartment in his mind and never opened.
Much of this story was gleaned from his comrade Dennis Hischier (SAXON). Sadly no longer with us, but with whom I spent a long afternoon with some years ago chatting about that day. I was also fortunate enough to correspond with a veteran of 8 Platoon, A Company of the 1st Battalion, The South Lancashire Regiment. As a young Lieutenant he advanced with his men and the Crocodiles that fateful day.
Although the 'battlefield' has changed, I have also walked it a number of times.

To continue.........

Can we ever know what it must be like to 'brew up'? I'm told that in a Churchill you had more time than the Sherman.
What is clear is that the side opening hatches most probably saved my Grandfather and two of his crew.
Lt Brooke was to fall immediately, cut down by machine-gun fire, as climbed from his turret. Trooper Woodcock was killed by the impact. My Grandfather suffered multiple shrapnel wounds, but along with Trooper's Dady & Humphrey managed to get out into the cauldron of battle.
The tank now blocked the grass track. At some point it was hit again. This time the turret was blown completely off.

It's worth mentioning here, that the Germans would not take Crocodile crews as prisoners, but execute them. We now have 3 crew on the ground!

But what of Corporal Hischier's and Sgt Burton's Crocodiles?
Corporal Hischier went towards Burton who had fallen back & seemed in difficulty. Via the 'B' radio he discovered that Burton's turret was jammed. A round had dislodged from a rack and whilst the turret was being traversed it had caught within the mechanism. At some point he had also caught the trailer around a tree that had snapped its fixing to the tank. It was both useless as a gun and flame tank.
Burton told him to make his way round the other way, from which they had been heading.

To be continued.......

 

As Cpl Hischier continued on, he remembers seeing a Sherman tank of the Staffordshire Yeomanry be hit in his path. It's Commander managed to bale out, but had lost part of one leg. There was no way through and he had to reverse (not easy with the trailer in tow), in order to turn round. At some point they shot three High Explosive shells into the Chateau wall. Each had a 1 second delayed fuse, in an effort to breach the wall. They were able to make use of their flamethrower but had to cease due to British Infantry coming into the firing line. As he followed the line of the Chateau wall a number of anti-tank shells followed him, just missing him and striking the wall. He now headed back towards British lines, the attack had failed.

As he returned, he came across Dady. Dady climbed onto the tank, he was badly shaken and said that Woodcock had cried out about his legs when the tank was hit. German mortars began to come over and Hischier told him to get inside the tank. Dady refused point blankly and ran off.

We know that my Grandfather, Dady & Humphrey all managed to find their way back. My Grandfather and Dady found themselves being treated at the RAP. Tragically it was hit by a mortar and Dady was killed.
Hischier was unaware of this until later he found his ID tags on a group of graves. He never saw my Grandfather who was eventually shipped back to England and ended up at a hospital in Bradford.

The Chateau was finally taken the next day. After the battle. Hischier returned to the destroyed Crocodile. Brooke's body was recovered, but Woodcocks could not be found. It was later removed from the turret which now lay on the ground.
It was concluded that two troops of Crocodiles would have had more success. But it must be remembered that these were early days of Crocodile use.

As a footnote, Humphrey was killed in August when the echelon was bombed in error by American planes.

I have included a photograph of the memorial outside the Chateau De La Londe.

 

Never Forgotten:-

 

Excellent thread! Thanks for sharing your information, Grahame55!

 

Here's a GE map with places mentioned so far.... (SWORD Beach end at the upper right hand corner at the Orne River & Canal)

 

Thanks Texson66!

I have other stories of this time connected with 'B' Squadron. This includes assisting the Americans at Brest.
Not sure whether to continue on this thread or start a new one. Anyone have advice regard this please?

Regards - grahame

 

If it's B Squadron, then post here....but your choice!

 

Apologies if this document doesn't scan well!
This sketch was drawn not long after the attack. I don't know who by and you will note the Chateau name is wrong.

 

Hi Grahame, I just discovered your great thread and really enjoy reading this excellent story, thank you for sharing!

 

Apparently Typhoon planes did make rocket attacks on the many dug-in tanks in and around the area of the Chateau, but weren't seen to be effective due to the area being so heavily wooded.

I found these photos of 22 Panzer Regt in Eric Lefevre's 'Panzers In Normandy Then And Now'
I guess this is of a similar way they would have been dug in around the Chateau.

 

Grahame555,

Have you read any of Sapper's (WWII RE) thread? He recalls his visit to Chateau De La Londe!


Here's the nearby GE satellite map and the chateau grounds close up:

 

Hey, thanks grahame555 for this usefull thread, I've known about the battle at Chateau De La Londe before, and done some research on it lately (but i've really enjoyed this info too) , as it is on my "to see list" when i go over next week.

cheers

AndyPants

 

hi Graham,
Is this the same Graham who tried to get into contact a number of years ago with me regarding mitten and my website. My Grandfather was a 1 suffolk killed the next day?

Regs

Paul

 

Hi Folks,
Sorry to resurrect this thread. It's a great discussion! I actually have a question for you. My grandfather was a Typhoon pilot operating out of B.5 (Le Fresne-Camily). His logbook notes attacking a panzer headquarters located at a chateau outside of Caen. I'm looking to see if this is the same chateau as Operation Mitten. I do have some defferences in data to reconcile. The log entry notes the chateau as southeast of Caen whereas Mitten is northwest. It's possible that the log may have referenced southeast of B.5? Supposedly the attack was so close to the airfield that the ground crews could see the Typhoon firing their rockets from the strip (standard form was a diving attack from 8000ft and firing rockets at 4000ft). I think southeast of Caen would have been too far away to see the aircraft attacking. Do you gents have any info indicating rocket attacks by Typhoons in this operation? I realize there are hundreds of chateaus in the area so this is likely not a match. Thanks, Chris