A Bomb less for England

On the night of 29th August 61st Recce crossed the Seine at Vernon using the pontoon bridge built by the engineers.  Once across the Seine the Allied armies moved rapidly across France in what became known as the ‘great swan’. (From ‘The British Reconnaissance Corps in World War II’ by Richard Doherty, Osprey Publishing 2007)

Eric Brewer wrote in his diary for 30^th August : “Crossed the Seine last night and now about 20 miles inland. Plenty of prisoners coming in: about 100 taken today.  Pushing on to Elbeuf *.  We got to about 3 mile from there, harbouring the night. Had a whiskey...also rum.  Moving tomorrow at 4.30.  Monty said in a message to us to make every kilometre a bomb less for England.”

*Elbeuf is downstream along the Seine near Rouen. The town, on the other side of the river, had been liberated on 25th August by a mixed force of Americans (heading north-east along the south bank of the Seine, across XXX Corps' projected sector), Canadians and British and the Canadians had crossed the Seine near here on 26th and 27th August.

Eric's letter home that day included: "The Yanks seem to be doing very well at the moment, especially Patton’s men. I dare say the next I hear of him he will be in Germany or even Berlin. I am just beginning to catch on to this French language and hope to know enough to get me around by about two months' time, anyway I hope so. I don’t think I will have to ask you about the BB in a short while as the Yanks will soon be cutting that part of France off.  Then you will have no need to worry about them: that is how things seem to be or, or who knows the British might even make a dash forward."  *Buzz Bombs  (Extracts from Eric Brewer’s diary and letters included by kind permission of Derek Brewer and his family.)

 

On 30^th and 31^st August 50^th Division were based east of Vernon. 61^st Recce HQ was also east of Vernon, following the Seine crossing, then moved to ‘St Denis’ – possibly St Denis-le-Ferment near Gisors – and then to ‘Tilloy’ – possibly Beauvais-Tillé just north of Beauvais? (From Library of Congress frontline maps and 61st Recce regimental dinner menu.)  

Eric Postles continues: "Once over the river opposition was patchy and we moved very quickly ahead of the Division accompanied by French Resistance fighters who tagged onto us.  I remember us passing through a big forest and prisoners giving themselves up from out of the trees.  We carried as many as we could but they became such a problem that we handed them to the French who took them out into the woods and shot them. 

We shot up a German horse drawn artillery party, which was trying to cross the line of advance. 

We were overwhelmed when we passed through villages and towns by the welcome from huge crowds who lined the roads.  They were kissing us, throwing flowers and we were given so many bottles of wine that the carrier bottom was lined with them."   (Extracts from ‘My War Years’ by John Eric Postles ISO used by kind permission of the author.)

 

Colonel Brownrigg's account of 61^st Recce records:

“So to the Seine and over, and the most exhilarating days of the campaign.  Our task was to protect the left flank of XXX Corps in their armoured dash to the Somme and beyond.  We were on our own on a virgin route, anything up to seventy miles ahead of Divisional Headquarters.  One beautiful morning we drove forty miles before breakfast.  There were several engagements, some of them quite sharp, and we collected an enormous number of prisoners.”  (From ‘A Reconnaissance Regiment in the B.L.A.’ by Lieutenant-Colonel P.H.A.Brownrigg D.S.O.)

From the Seine to the Somme 61st Recce were covering the left flank of XXX Corps on a virgin route. B Squadron led the regiment for the greater part of the way in the advance from the Seine to Belgium (Major Harding's MC citation) and Don Aiken of B Squadron was in Beauvais (between Vernon and Amiens) on 30^th August, the day it was liberated by XXX Corps’ 8^th Armoured Division.

This was the beginning of the British ‘Race for Amiens’.  On the morning of 30^th August General Horrocks’ XXX Corps were 20 miles beyond the River Seine with 50 miles to go to Amiens on the next big river – the Somme.  2^nd Army needed to cross the Somme before the Germans could muster their defences along this natural barrier to the Allies’ advance.

11^th Armoured Division, now attached to XXX Corps, raced on to Amiens overnight, taking the town and its bridges at dawn.  Their prisoners included General Heinrich Eberbach, the commander of the beleaguered German Seventh Army.  At the same time the Guards Armoured Division crossed the Somme further south and succeeded in holding the bridgehead.  The German Army charged with holding the Somme was forced to withdraw.

 

The US 3^rd Army liberates Reims, east of Paris.  Rouen, the historic capital of Normandy east of Le Havre on the River Seine, is liberated by the 1^st Canadian Army now advancing along the north coast of France.

 

Eisenhower now set 21^st Army Group four main objectives – to cross the Somme, to occupy the Pas de Calais, to capture Belgian airfields for use by Allied forces and to take Antwerp.  Canadian First Army was tasked with taking the Channel ports while Second British Army, led by XXX Corps (including 50^th Division and the 61^st Recce) was to advance inland on the axis Amiens-Arras, able to cut off any German forces opposing the Canadians.  The right (southern) flank of the British was in turn protected by the 1^st US Army.    (From ‘The Advance from the Seine to Antwerp’.)