6 KOSB 1st JULY 1944

Borderers,

on this day 1st July 1944 men of the 6th BN were engaged in heavy fighting against the men of the 9th SS Panzer Division in the area of Grainville-Sur-Odon, the entry for the BN war diary is below:

“A patrol led by Lt KG BUY went out at night to ascertain if wood at 900643 contained enemy and returned reporting it clear. In the morning, at approx 0700 hrs, the enemy attacked with tks. The attack came in on C Coy’s front and on the unit of the fmn on the right. A grim battle ensued in the course of which several enemy tks were knocked out. Eventually, however, through superiority in numbers and armament, all a/tk guns in the sector were knocked out and C Coy forced back. A gallant stand was made however on the Coy HQ line by Capt NC ROLLO and the remaining elements of C Coy. Acts of outstanding bravery were also performed by Capt J ELLIOT and Cpl WALLACE, both of whom continued to man and operate a/tk guns when the crews were killed until the guns were knocked out by direct hits. A few enemy tks succeeded in infiltrating round the right flank where the fmn on the right had fallen back, but the stand of C Coy prevented this taking place long enough for a strong armd counterattack to be put in in the evening which succeeded in restoring the situation. Two coys of 6RSF came under comd and by nightfall the line was again firmly est, if anything more strongly than before. The casualties for the day included Lt KG BUY, Lt HDP MINCHIN and 14 ORs killed, Maj RN GILBERTSON, Capt J ELLIOT and 53 ORs wounded and 41 missing (presumably wounded)”.