A Bomb less for England

On 28^th August Eric Brewer recorded that they “Moved to near Seine getting ready for a push towards the Belgium border”.  He shared champagne with some local French people who invited him to stay with them in Paris after the war.  On 29^th August he writes “we are moving tonight across the Seine.” (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)

 

Colonel Brownrigg continues the story of 61^st Recce:

“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.)

 

This was the beginning of the British ‘Race for Amiens’.  On the morning of 30^th September 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.

VIII Corps’ 11^th Armoured Division were sent on a nonstop race towards Amiens. After a 30 mile night walk through enemy territory they succeeded in surprising the Germans and were able to take the town and cross the river.

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.

 

XXX Corps liberated Beauvais (between Vernon and Amiens) on 30^th September.

The US 3^rd Army liberates Reims east of Paris and 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’.)

 

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…..Monty said in a message to us to make every kilometre a bomb less for England.”

 (From ‘Beaten Paths are Safest’ by Roy Howard, Brewin Books 2004)