Sword Beach to Bremen., A Veterans tale. Sapper

Sir, I am more enchanted for every word you post. Reading the chapters to come I was tremendously happy. I was fascinated by the tittles. I have told my grandfather about this and he would like to post some words later, from veteran to veteran. The British are certainly in his highest stime. He fought them in France, Africa and Italy and has excellent opinions on them. But at the time you were living all those good and bad adventures here, he was fighting the reds in the other side of Europe. First I will print all your chapter for him to read them and then will help him to post his words.

 

Thank you all for your messages.
Bear with me Erich! When it comes to dates, and what happened when? I am at a loss, for although I have a remarkable memory, some of the dates I cannot honestly give. Anything I write here, must be exactly right, and, what happened to me. After all this time, dates and events get jumbled, some of what I write will be out of sequence. No matter, for it all took place. You asked about the Air force's and the losses that both sides suffered. Here I cannot tell you, for it is out of my remit. I do know quite a lot of statistics, but only where I am directly involved.

I do welcome the input from all those who read these pages! not only young people, but also the parents, and grand parents. For, when we old Veterans depart this Earth, we will take it all with us. For me, it is rather like handing on historical fact to those that follow. The same thing happened to me when I was young, for although this sounds absolutely ridiculous, I actually served with a man who fought in the South African war against the Boers. His name? Regimental Seargent Major Humphries.

Hillman.
Not one shell or Bomb!

We had now fought our way ashore and opened up the route into Hermanville. The German position code named "Morris" had been taken, and many Enemy captured, The Company had also been given the task of getting to, and capturing, the lock gates at Ouistreham, in doing so, they captured officers and men.

But now, before us, lay the huge inland Enemy defensive position code named "Hillman" and a very tricky problem it was going to be. Quite a large area, (650 meters by 450 meters) Heavily mined, with underground passages, and with the whole front covered with artillery and mortar fire, with machine gun fire criss-crossing everything, it could not be by-passed, it was far to big, and far too dangerous, it had to be taken.

The problem being? how to get in among this defensive position. For it was a “horribly lethal” proposition, when the Germans build a defensive position you can bet it will be very efficient, and it will serve the purpose for which it was created. One of the newspapers at the time described it as a “Grisly business”

An officer from my company had been attached to the Suffolk Regiment and with a few Sappers, had been given the job of opening up a path through the barbed wire and mines under heavy fire. Lt Heal R.E. with Sappers, worked their way through the mines under very heavy fire, dealing with the mines by blowing them, as they opened up a "Sheep track" right into the heart of the position, in doing so, earned himself the French V.C. The Croix de Guerre. (My Hero) Later, we spent the night at this position, only to find in the morning that a large crowd of Germans came up from the underground passages to give their selves up, with their officers. During the taking of "Hillman" there had been some very unpleasant and dirty fighting down in the underground passages! Once we got the infantry through the Sheep track, the battle was won, then the company opened up a wider track to get the tanks in.

What was most peculiar about this was that not one bomb or shell had landed on this position. It was untouched, but through the bravery of dedicated Sappers “Hillman” was won. Much later, and for a little while, we used it as a base. As far as I know it is still there and virtually intact. I have never returned to Normandy.
Comments welcome.
Sapper.

 

Sapper, it does sound as if you are working from your diary..correct ? did think that possibly you had dated some of these exerpts. I am only guessing but as you describe some of these so livid actions we may be able to put a date(s) along with your actions. I do understand that what was going on in the air did not play much importance since you were so heavily engaged through the Normandy countryside. This if course would have changed if the Luftwaffe would of had air superiority.

E

 

Hi Erich. Thanks for you posting.
No, I do not quote from a diary, It is something that I have never possessed. But I do have a remarkable memory for some things. let me put it to you. Do you think you would remember the events you had taken part in at the young age of just nineten. Events like the greatest invasion the World has ever seen. And if you had been in the thick of the action, and had been wounded on two occasions, No need for a diary, I remember all to well, all those young men that paid the ultimate price for Freedom, and a better World that we have to day. I Know there are a lot of things wrong in this World, but just for a moment consider what it would have been like without the sacrifice of all those young lives. Data and statistics cut no ice when you are in action, and at my age, they mean little. By the way, if any one needs convincing that the World is a better place. Later,I have the description of Belson concentration camp from the Army medical staff that entered, and tried to save the inmates. There is one statistic that I am aware of. Those men that landed on D Day at what we term, "The Sharp End" had just six weeks to live, and in practise that is just what happened. Within six weeks you would have been wounded, and departed the battle field, or you would have joined those that did not make it. I would have liked to be able to quote numbers and statistics but unfortunately, I cannot.
Sapper

 

Hi Erich. Thanks for you posting.
No, I do not quote from a diary, It is something that I have never possessed. But I do have a remarkable memory for some things. let me put it to you. Do you think you would remember the events you had taken part in at the young age of just nineten. Events like the greatest invasion the World has ever seen. And if you had been in the thick of the action, and had been wounded on two occasions, No need for a diary, I remember all to well, all those young men that paid the ultimate price for Freedom, and a better World that we have to day. I Know there are a lot of things wrong in this World, but just for a moment consider what it would have been like without the sacrifice of all those young lives. Data and statistics cut no ice when you are in action, and at my age, they mean little. By the way, if any one needs convincing that the World is a better place. Later,I have the description of Belson concentration camp from the Army medical staff that entered, and tried to save the inmates. There is one statistic that I am aware of. Those men that landed on D Day at what we term, "The Sharp End" had just six weeks to live, and in practise that is just what happened. Within six weeks you would have been wounded, and departed the battle field, or you would have joined those that did not make it. I would have liked to be able to quote numbers and statistics but unfortunately, I cannot.
Sapper

 

Some valuable points well taken ! Incredible information and I can see how through those last two years of war, how it has been burned into you ! I will gladly follow along and add possible dates if applicable if this is to your agreeance ? I do not wish to take anything away from these memories......

E

 

Hello Again.
How I managed to get the same article posted twice, I shall never know, for I only sent it once!
The following story, some may find a bit odd. In war there are so many odd and peculiar things that happen. Some defy explanation.

Germans Smell!
Ah! But so did we!

Germans do actually have a very different smell! Now for heaven’s sake, I don’t wish to upset anyone with what follows, But, it is true that we could smell the enemy, sometime before we could see him! When we took over his dug-outs, or rooms where he had been, this smell was always present. It was a sickly, scented, pungent smell, very distinctive, and one that I have never forgotten for it is associated with death, woundings, and the fear of being killed..

Lots of suggestion on the cause of this smell came from other ex-service men, but nothing conclusive, The late Captain Edwards R. E. of my old company, suggested it came from the oil he cooked his bread in, others have put it down to his Ertzats soap. I have heard so many other causes, such as a preservative on his uniform, but none that can be proved, even today, after all these years I can still recall that smell, I do not think that I will ever forget it.

Near the Chateau de la Londe, we found, quite by accident, a German soldiers “home from home” The entrance had been camouflaged so that it would not be found, and was quite obviously a place they had made to get away from the rigorous life of a soldier. It had been lovingly constructed as a square room dug into a steep bank of earth, in it, they had made a complete “home from home”, it had a table, with chairs and bits of furniture, with a stove, cups, saucers and plates, everything to make life a bit more comfortable.

This room dug out of the earth had a small door for an entrance, the roof was earth, with a bit of support, just a square room dug inside the bank! But, most of all, the German smell, in that room it was very strong, while we were there, we found in one corner of this room quite a large amount of 303 type, rifle ammunition, all with bright red wood bullets, since then, I have talked to other Veterans who have seen the same thing, nobody has yet come up with an answer to what they were used for?

The smell of Germans in the vicinity is not that surprising when one considers the smell of our battle dress, after it had soaked with rain and sea water, any service man who wore battle dress will be only too aware of the smell, if he has ever entered a Nisson hut after battle training. But I shall never forget the German smell. It will remain with me for the rest of my life. Comments?
Sapper.

 

Hi Sapper. I kinda know of the smells your talking about--it reminds me of my month long vacation in Germany.

I had just arrived back in Frankfurt, was finally seated in a van that was going to take us to the Hotel Steinberger Esprix.

Some of the passengers must not have bathed in weeks. I had the unfortunate displeasure to be seated next to a man from Turkey, and on my right was a person from I think Italy.

Needless to say--I never tried so hard before in my life to hold my breath as much as I did during our 15 minute or so ride to the hotel. I never smelt anything so bad as the person from Turkey.

I remember him well as he was wearing a black turban, and a tailored Italian suit--nice suit I might add.

As for the ammunition: Could it possibly be that the Germans were very short for lead as bullets so they used wood instead? Just a thought

 

Guys :

The smell might be indicative to the diet that the Landser ate. Brothers and friends of mine Helmuth and Otto Reichert both served on the Ost front in 1945. Helmuth in the 1st Infantrie Division and Otto in a Kriegsmarine flak later Land division. They ended up on the East Prussian front not to far away from one another. I have asked them both about smells, theirs and the Soviets. They both told me that each side had some peculiarities and they could smell each other coming when a counterattack was immenent. Helmuth noted that they ate many wurst's and of course when flatulating, gave off the characteristic.......ugh ! Phew In fact since he was a waffenmeister and he and his soldiers would many times come to the forward positions at night with arms and ammo; he told his men never force a fart as the Soviets would know where they were and you'd get a bullet in the head......

E

 

Great story Erich and I have one to add of my own.

Remy told me that they could always smell the Russians. This wasnt by only Flatulence but also by the tobacco they used in their cigarrettes. The Russians used Makhorka Tobacco--which has a strong pungent odor. Russian officers had the sctual leaf tobacco--whilst the common Russian G.I. only had the ground up stems of the tobacco leaves.

 

The Doodle Bug.
Why fire on it when it was going back where it came from?
I know it's silly what we remember, some things that really are of no consequence at all, but for some reason we recall everything about that incident, in this case, because it was so bizarre. We were on high ground to the North of the City of Caen, That battle scared area I have always looked on as the ‘Killing Ground’ This was the high ground in front of Caen. Here we we could look out over the channel, the site was incredible, I must admit to just standing looking at the thousands of ships of every description, 11,000 at one time, spread as far as the eye could see, it looked as though it would be possible to walk back to England from ship to ship. I still have a clear picture of that view.

What we saw next was a bit of pure theatre, a Buzz bomb, Doodle bug! came throbbing overhead, heading straight for England, half the battle field, British, Canadian, and German, stopped what they were doing to watch this bit of entertainment, no one fired at it as it winged its way towards England. As it approached the coast, a spitfire dived on it at high speed and tipped its wing, loud cheers from the thousands of ‘Allied’ watchers, it then chugged steadily away, back where it came from, on it's return trip, all of our anti aircraft guns started firing at it. Now, why for heavens sake? Bizarre! Absolutely Bizarre.
Sapper.

 

Sapper :

You have seen the gun-cam films of the RAF fighters downing these slow machines......correct ? We would of course need several of our UK friends....Martin, Jumbo and others !, to give us the stats of how many were shot down while over the Beaches as well as England. Also the 9th A.F. P-61's were able to intercept over a dozen on missions in August of 44......

good stuff sir !

 

I actually do have a vague idea what these were for, because I know that we have blue plastic bullets today and I assume that these were used for the same purpose.

Naturally I am merely guessing here, but I assume that these bullets were used for training. Wood or plastic bullets have much worse flight characteristics and are a lethal at much shorter ranges, so these would be (or in the case of plastic bullets are still being) used to train in areas close to habitation. You get the proper recoil and the feel of firing your weapon but the bullet cannot kill somebody a mile away.

 

The previous article about the flying bombs may have given the impression that the flying bomb was slow in flight. Not a bit of it, The blasted thing flew so fast that only by diving on it could the Spitfire gain enough speed to catch it…
They could be caught by the very fastest of the later fighter planes. But, God help the pilot that shot it down, for he may well have been carried away with the blast.

The Bloodiest Square Mile in Normandy!
The Chateau de la Londe.

Modern war is not fought by massive lines of troops who line up and advance in the face of withering shell, mortar, and machine gun fire. Having said that, strangely enough, there were times when we went into battle “En-mass” But for the most part, modem war is a series of local, but bloody actions, that are fought out virtually face to face. When one hears of huge losses incurred in battle, the total is usually made up of the casualties from many local actions. 100 here, 200 there, 350 somewhere else. It is the total of local actions that so often make up a large casualty list. There is another factor that one constantly comes across in war, and that is, 500 yards away from a violent and fiercely fought, hand to hand battle, there can appear to be an entirely different war.

What follows; is a description of a very violent, and bloody, hand to hand battle, that became known as the “Bloodiest Square Mile in Normandy” A battle that is still talked about in hushed tones by those survivors who fought there. For this was PURE SAVAGERY, where the combatants were intermingled and fought it out face to face, and to the death.
The Chateau stood fair and square in the centre of Third British Infantry Division’s thrust towards Caen. It had to be taken. What follows are the personal memories of men who took part in that battle. “The Chateau de la Londe” This is what happened
To be continued, bit busy at present!
Sapper

 

All one can say is: Thank you! Your work here is well appreciated. We are looking forward to hearing more, as this is the kind of information we cannot hear elsewhere, and a chance of changing thoughts with someone who was taking part in operation Overlord and Battle of Normandy is totally "out of range" if compared in value to anything.

 

Sapper, can I just say thanks ?

I've been away for a few days and have been 'back-reading' your posts - fascinating stuff !

Just a quick footnote to Erich's question above about V1 shootdowns. As the forum's resident 'Mosquito bore' I'll confirm that Mosquito units alone accounted for 471 flying bombs - mainly over the sea. Sqn Ldr R N Chudleigh DFC of 96 Sqn destroyed 152 ! And that's without the Tempests, Spitfires, etc....

 

Before Sapper devels into this major battle let me share if I may. The 422nd P-61 night fighter squadron claimed 7 V-1's and 3 damaged. The 425th P-61 night fighter squadron claimed 4 V-1's in August of 44.

Cheers !

EB

 

Hello, gentlemen und specially mr. Sapper:

My name is Gottfried von Hammerstein und Hartmann, you probably me know because my of my grandson, Friedrich, he show me this writings days ago and i wanted to talk with another veteran, because a liaison of blood and tears we have togeter. i could tell many stories about the war auch, but i dont think it is worth it to relive such horrible things again. it is very good to express myself agin because i havent been able to speak in 57 years and i want this words to mean a reconciliation between veterans and men in both sides. Because we were only young men serving our Vaterland. thanks for read. And mr. Sapper: sorry and regards. God not permit this to hapen again.

Regards.

 

Well. That was my Opa's words. He really like Herr Sapper's tale and I persuaded him to write him and all to you a note. He came to my flat to have a meal (Friedrich is also a chef) and I helped him to use this white man's device as he calls it.

 

Thank you so much Gentlemen for your interest, and for your input. Your comments are always very welcome and are studied at length to see what you have to say, For me that is very important.

This moment I am off to have a shower, later I hope to add (tonight) the Bloodiest Square Mile in Normandy. There are three who lived to tell the tale. My old 246 Field Company R.E. officer, the late Captain Edwards.R.E. Then, a very dear old friend on mine who served with the 1st Suffolks, Richard Harris. and finally my knowledge of events. Bear with me! Will be back to start this latest recollection.
Sapper.