It was intended that No 2 Squadron of the Grenadiers carrying the Gordons, proceed down the main road from Aunay-sur-Odon and capture Estry, after which Left Flank, with the Highland Light Infantry, would pass through and capture Le Theil, a mile or so to the south-east. At the same time Right Flank would push down the Vassy road from La Caverie
and take the high ground above Canteloup, which forms the eastern edge of the Le Theil ridge. On their left, the Coldstream with 46th Brigade, would also push south, and, after capturing Lassy and La Rocke, drive on to Vassy—this whole operation being necessary to cover the left flank of an offensive which the Guards Armoured Division were about to undertake.
Intelligence reports stated that the Brigade was unlikely to encounter opposition. This turned out to be a case of profound misinformation. A thick fog covered the countryside that morning and the attack by the Coldstream was delayed on account of it. The Grenadiers moved off at 9.30 having been told that the Welsh Guards might well be in Estry by the time they arrived. All went well until the leading troop was within 50 yards of the cross-roads at Estry where the Infantry reported a minefield as well as an anti-tank gun. Repeated attempts by the tanks and the Infantry to get round this cross-roads to the left met with no success and it soon became obvious that enemy armour, surrounded by mines and supported by anti-tank guns, was defending the village and intended to hold on to it at all costs.
A gallant attempt to knock out a German Tank by Lord Oliver Fitzroy did not succeed and after he had expended all his armour piercing ammunition and was backing his tank out of an orchard, a German sniper in a tree directly above fired, and killed him instantaneously. By 4 o'clock the situation was becoming extremely unpleasant. The Infantry were having heavy casualties from incessant mortaring and machine-gun fire and the tanks had no room to manoeuvre. Every attempt they made to advance was doomed to failure.
Left Flank and the Highland Light Infantry who had followed close behind the Grenadiers, expecting to go through Estry and straight on to Le Theil, had been forced to halt when the
Grenadiers had been held up. They were compelled to remain at a point where a sunken lane leaves the main road until early evening and both the Infantry and the tanks suffered casualties from mortar and shell fire which descended on them all day.
At 7 o'clock it was decided that what was left of No. 2 Squadron of the Grenadiers should be withdrawn and that the Highland Light Infantry and Left Flank should make a final attempt to
capture the cross-roads at Estry. Although a promised artillery barrage did not materialize the attack started at 7.15 with two troops supporting a Company of the Highland Light Infantryon either side of the road.
On the right of the road very little opposition was encountered. Lieut. Marshall and Lieut. Duffin soon reached the cross-roads, but Lieut. Marshall's tank, coming down onto the
sunken road from a high bank, went up on a mine and his co-driver, Gdsm. Finch, was killed. On the left, the Infantry were immediately held up by machine-gun fire in very thick
country and a spirited fight ensued during which the Infantry directed the fire of the tanks and successfully completed the silencing of the machine-gun posts.
Just as Lieut. Barne emerged from the last orchard before the village church, he saw a Panther in a shed two hundred yards ahead of him. He quickly traversed his gun and scored a hit with H . E . but the Panther replied setting his tank on fire and causing the crew to bale out: two of them were shot by machinegun fire as they tried to get away. After this the troop withdrew under smoke and joined Lieut. Lord Bruce who was using his revolver to shoot the leader of a party of Germans who were calling on him and Sgt. Coleman to surrender. Lieut. Barne then directed the S.P. guns on the Panther which was soon destroyed.
The tanks remained where they were and helped the Highland Light Infantry to overcome numerous machine-gun nests, but when the light began to fade the whole Squadron manoeuvred into a hedgehog position in the orchard at the north-east corner of the cross-roads. The two platoons of the Highland Light Infantry which had managed to advance beyond the cross-roads were withdrawn, and since both Battalions of Infantry had
suffered severe casualties, they took up positions protected by the tanks and so spent the night...........................................
Renewed uttacks on Estry from the north-west by all three Squadrons of the Grenadiers during the next four days were no more successful. On the 8th of August, after Corps Artillery
had hammered at Estry for a full hour. No. 3 Squadron, the RSF and the KOSB did their best to help six Crocodiles and 6 AVRE manoeuvre into position so that they could throw their missiles against the enemy defences. However, as far as was known, not one of these special tanks was able to get near enough to fire its weapon, because as soon as they approached
Estry, the banks and sunken lanes made it quite impossible for them to proceed. After the second attempt to take Estry had failed. No. 3 Squadron remained in close support of the Infantry and for many hours was given a very unpleasant reception by the dug-in Tigers, snipers and mortars.
During the early hours of the 9th, No. 1 Squadron took over from No. 3. They also found it impossible to advance and spent a long and tiring day being continually attacked by mortars,
bazookas, 150 mm. S.P. guns and snipers, one of the latter seriously wounding Lieut. Verney in the head. Just as No. 1 Squadron about to rally a few hundred yards behind the front positions, they were ordered by the Brigadier of 44th Brigade to remain where they were, since he felt that the Germans would counter-attack if they heard the tanks withdrawing.
The Infantry therefore provided a Company to guard the Churchills against tank-hunting parties. Small arms fire and innumerable eerie noises helped to keep everyone on the alert
throughout the night. When No. 2 Squadron took over from them at dawn the next morning. No. 1 had been in the line for eighteen solid hours.
It had now become obvious that the Germans intended tofight to the last man, so the Grenadiers were ordered merely to cover the enemy's line of escape and wait until he withdrew, which was inevitable in the near future. A whole Infantry Brigade, a tank Battalion, Flails, Crocodiles, AVRE , Corps Artillery, and air bombardment had failed completely to drive the Germans out of Estry, and it was clear that they would not give in until their supplies had run out.
The sleepless nights, and the exhausting hours spent in the tanks with all hatches closed, and the sickening smell of dead cows scattered all over the fields, combined to make this vigil
over Estry one of the most unattractive tasks of the whole campaign. The enemy finally withdrew from Estry on August 11th and 12th and the Grenadiers were relieved by the 11th Armoured division who were to push on after the fleeing enemy to Vassy and beyond.
From War Diary:
The undermentioned personnel who are reported as “Missing” are so reported in the following circumstances. They were:-
2697719 Paid Lance-Corporal D. SUTHERLAND - Driver
2701138 Guardsman I. WALLACE - Gunner
2697876 Guardsman H. THOMPSON - Co-Driver
2698814 Guardsman T. McINTYRE - Operator
They were the crew of the tank “TAY” of which 2696468 Serjeant J. BIRSS, was the commander. On 6th August 1944, during the attack on the crossroads at ESTRY, this tank was seen to go forward through a hedgerow to engage a PANTHER tank which had just knocked out a tank of the troop in front. The tank was seen to swing off to the left away from the main axis of the attack and into the middle of a cluster of German machine gun nests. Nothing more was heard of seen of the tank as the direction of the attack swung off to the right, but a fire was seen later in the place where the tank had been last seen.
It was impossible to get to the place until the 14th August owing to the presence of the enemy. The tank was then found burnt out and holed through the front plate by a large projectile. Serjeant BIRSS was found and indentified dead on the ground some 5 yards from the tank. Two charred and unrecognisable or identifiable bodies were found in the turret which in all probability, were Guardsman WALLACE and Guardsman McINTRYE, the gunner and operator. Of Lance-Corporal SUTHERLAND and Guardsman THOMPSON, the driver and co-driver, no trace could be found. The tank had obviously been looted by the enemy as kit belonging to the tank was strewn all around. A blood-stained gaiter, a boot and two stretcher slings were found outside the tank. A little hut, but the other side of the hedge against which the tank was stopped, contained a tank first aid kit which had been opened and used. This coupled with the fact that the pannier doors were open give rise to the supposition that Lance-Corporal SUTHERLAND and Guardsman THOMPSON may have escaped, though wounded and possibly been made prisoners.
Signed Captain BALFOUR, Second-in-Command, Left Flank, 3rd Tank Battalion SCOTS GUARDS.
17th August 1944
Map in book:
