Clair Tizon was a Battle Honour granted to Canadian units participating in actions near this town from 11 Aug 1944 to 13 Aug 1944. These actions were among the last battles to close the Falaise Gap during the Battle of Normandy.

The town of Clair Tizon itself, located near the Falaise Road, was taken in a surprise attack by The Calgary Highlanders on the night of 12-13 Aug 1944. The action forced a German abandonment of positions during the Falaise Road fighting, and was executed with very few casualties. The Commanding Officer, of The Calgary Highlanders, Lieutenant Colonel DG MacLauchlan, was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his handling of this battle.

Strategic Position

The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division had been directed on 11 August 1944 to conduct a "reconnaissance in force", in the words of the commander of II Canadian Corps, south from Bretteville-sur-Laize with a single brigade. On the morning of August 12th, that reconnaissance became the main effort of II Canadian Corps, and the entire division was committed to the action, with two Army Groups, Royal Artillery (AGRA) and two regiments of the 2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade in support.
 

Early Advance - 4th Brigade

The operation was to be nothing out of the ordinary - or should have been.

General Foulkes decided that the 2nd Canadian Division would move on a single thrust line, with 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade leading. Although this particular type of operation had been practised many times in England, it had not previously been employed in action, and unfortunately the casualties in the infantry battalions of 4th Brigade had been so numerous that much of the benefit of the training was now lost.¹

The brigade moved out in the following order of march:

Unit	Order of March	Objective
The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment)	Lead	Barbery
The Royal Regiment of Canada	Centre	Moulines
The Essex Scottish Regiment	Rear	Point 184

Once Point 184 - two miles south of Moulines - was secure, the 8th Reconnaissance Regiment was to pass through and secure Ussy. Divisional support included a squadron of the 18th Canadian Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons), the divisional artillery with an extra regiment of medium guns, a battery of anti-tank guns, and machine guns of "B" Company of the Toronto Scottish.
 

Barbery - Royal Hamilton Light Infantry

The RHLI moved towards their start line at Bretteville late on 11 August and was in position by 05:00hrs on 12 August. The regiment stepped off at 07:30, supported by a troop of tanks, its ultimate objective Clair Tizon.

The RHLI passed Barbery, a hamlet of a few houses which was the half-way point. Nothing stirred there; not a person or farm animal...The men waded through the unharvested wheat on each side of the road. Major Joe Pigott's C Company was forward left and B under "Huck" Welch to the right, with Jack Halladay's A Company behind it. Major Dunc Kennedy commanded D, behind Pigott. The field narrowed about a thousand yards beyond Barbery where woods closed in on each side of the road. The men were sodden with sweat and chaff and pollen clung to their trousers as they walked resolutely through the woods. A breeze rustled the aspen and poplar, their whispers punctuated by the odd clink of equipment and the whine and slap of the Shermans coming up behind them. C Company was the first to come under fire from machine guns in a copse to the left. Then all the rifle companies were enveloped in a storm of bullets and shrapnel. Lyle Doering, the battalion Intelligence Officer, later recorded it as "the most intense mortaring and shelling the unit ever witnessed."

From the German point of view it was essential to hold the Falaise pocket open for a few more days..."They were fanatical devils and we started to have casualties right away," Pigott recalled later. "There was hand-to-hand fighting as these fellows came running out of their slits, firing rifles and grenades. The opposition was so bitter that I determined in my own mind that we were going to have to limit our objective."

...The companies had advanced 600 yards beyond Barbery when Pigott gave his order to stop and consolidate. The men dug in. A private in B Company paused from his labour long enough to glance toward the woods. "Sir, are those our tanks over there?" he yelled to his commander. "Of course they are," Welch replied, not bothering to look up. "Jesus, they sure don't look like it to me." Welch straightened. Trundling towards his company was a Tiger tank. "No, they sure don't," he said, and every man dropped into his half-scraped hole. The Shermans were no match for the massive Tiger, with its 88mm gun and the Tiger concentrated on knocking them out, while a couple of Panthers which had now joined it sprayed the RHLI with machine-gun fire. The German tanks were all out of PIAT range and German panzer grenadier infantry stopped the RHLI from closing with them.²

Counter-attacks continued into the afternoon, and at 18:00hrs, battalion headquarters took a direct shell hit, wounding the five soldiers there, including the C.O., all of whom had to be evacuated. The tanks eventually withdrew after 20 RHLI had been killed and 100 wounded. On 13 August, the RHLI captured 50 Germans before assaulting an enemy-held orchard, which turned out to be abandoned. The companies nevertheless came under shell fire during the advanced. Digging in on the objective, the RHLI was immediately ordered to move on Tournebu, a small hamlet from which the Germans were believed to be withdrawing. Forty more prisoners were collected with little resistance.³

Moulines - Royal Regiment of Canada

After a day of remaining in positions on the 9th and a day of training on the 10th, including zeroing of all rifles, The Royal Regiment of Canada was warned that they would be sent to attack Moulines on the evening of the 10th. After a restlessness night (unaided by a nearby battery of American 155mm guns firing into Falaise), patrols from the Royals reported early on the morning of the 11th that the west bank of the Laise River was clear of enemy from Pervouville to Bretteville, the enemy having withdrawn. The day was again spent in training, and at 21:30hrs the C.O. arrived back at the unit from 4th Brigade headquarters with order to move to Bretteville-sur-Laize.

Moulines itself lay in a valley, with high ground to both north and south. The main road through the town ran north-to-south, where it met a small stream running east-to-west. The battalion plan was for "A" Company to advance west of the road, followed by "C" Company, with "B" Company on the left, or east, of the road, with "D" behind. Each assaulting company had a section of carriers, a section of 3-inch mortars, a section of anti-tank guns, a section of assault pioneers, and an artillery forward observation officer (FOO). "A" and "B" Companies were to establish positions on the stream while "C" and "D" mopped up by-passed pockets of resistance. Their attack went off during the night of 11-12 August, and while slow, continued "without incident until the R.H.L.I. in the van deployed for their attack."

The R.H.L.I. were held up by enemy fire in Favrolle, just north of Barbery, and at approximately 4:30 in the morning the Royals were therefore ordered to advance to a point half a mile north of Favrolle and deploy astride the axis of advance, with "A" and "C" Companies on the right and "B" and "D" Companies on the left. This movement was carried out under intermittent shell and mortar fire, which caused some casualties in all companies.⁴

In mid-morning, as the RHLI consolidated south of Barbery on high ground, the Royals continued to Moulines, bypassing Barbery to the east with the same order of march for their companies, with a squadron of tanks in support. "A" Company came under heavy machine-gun fire about 800 yards south-east of Barbery, passing through open grain fields. The company started working forward to a small wood near a crossroads, where it found a company of the RHLI under shell, mortar and small arms fire. The company sheltered in old slit-trenches and folds in the ground, but was unable to entrench due to the high volume of enemy sniping.

The tank support attempted to move up and deal with an enemy gun on the right flank, but the lead Sherman was hit coming up a sunken road immediately ahead of "A" Company, and when it brewed up the rest of the tanks withdrew.

Captain J.E. Strothers, who was acting company commander while Major Whitley was left out of battle, was now called back for a battalion orders group. He returned soon afterwards bringing with him a new plan of attack. The Royals were to clear Moulines as far as the bridge over the river and secure the high ground on the left of the stream about 1000 yards short of Point 151. "A" and "C" Companies were to advance on the right, and "B" and "D" Companies on the left, this time with "C" and "D" Companies leading.

"C" and "D" Companies moved off again at 5:30 in the afternoon, only to find that most of the enemy had by now withdrawn. Three German snipers, including a sergeant, were captured in Moulines. Well before last light the new position was secured. The day's fighting had cost the Royals ten other ranks killed and 57 wounded.

...During the course of the night the R.H.L.I. passed through to secure some high ground about a mile to the south-east, and the Essex Scottish moved forward to capture Point 184, two miles to the south. The Essex Scottish, however, did not take their objective and by morning had consolidated a defensive position on the Royals' left flank.⁵

Point 184 - Essex Scottish and The Royal Regiment of Canada

The Essex Scottish were warned at 20:00hrs on 11 August to prepare to move to take Point 184. An elaborate fire plan was devised using the divisional artillery, with extra artillery support, two squadrons of tanks, a platoon of MMGs from The Toronto Scottish Regiment, a troop of anti-tank guns, and a section of engineers.

B Company, the right forward company, ran into trouble at the forming up point as the enemy had not been cleared from that area. It was engaged with the enemy before it crossed the start line. As a result of this early action, the Company veered to the right and headed for the village of Tournebu instead of directly to Point 184. The two officers with B Company were wounded along with thirty men. At that juncture Acting Company Sergeant Major Stuart Kirkland took command and placed himself at the head of the remaining sixty riflemen. He ordered his Bren gun and mortar crews to direct their fire on a hedgerow that screened the village and held at least two machine-guns. He then had his men fix bayonets and led them in the charge to the hedgerow where they quickly overcame enemy resistance and captured thirty prisoners. they then moved into the village and began clearing the houses of Germans, capturing another nine. With the village clear, Kirkland sent a runner to battalion headquarters with the news and quickly consolidated his position before gathering the wounded for evacuation...

Lieutenant Ashbury noted that the carrier platoon had played a major part in the success of the operation when it stormed onto a field surrounded by a ditch, which held at least twelve machine-gun posts and five bazookas. They took seventy-five prisoners...Altogether, 150 prisoners were captured along with a good deal of equipment in exchange for twenty men killed and numerous wounded. The survivors dug slit trenches on the objective and remained there over night.⁶

CSM Stuart Kirkland received the Distinguished Conduct Medal from Field Marshal Montgomery in October 1944.

On the 13 August 1944, the battalion [Essex Scottish Regiment] was ordered to attack the feature point 184 and the woods 0544. "B" Company, with Sergeant Kirkland as Acting Company Sergeant-Major, was the right forward company. The forming up position had not been mopped up by the troops proceeding, with the result that the company became committed before crossing the start line. As a result of this, direction was lost and the company's axis of advance was interpreted as being towards Tourneau. On the outskirts of Tourneau, the only two officers in the company were wounded by heavy machine gun fire from the hedges which pinned the company down. Despite the loss of about 30 men from a company of 90, Sergeant Kirkland immediately took hold. Placing himself at the head of the remaining riflemen, he ordered the Bren guns and mortars to give covering fire while he led a bayonet charge against at least two machine gun posts in the hedge on the outskirts of the village, resulting in the destruction of the enemy position and the capture of about 30 prisoners of war. Following the assault, Sergeant Kirkland carried on the attack against the buildings on the outskirts of the village, directing the fire and leading his men in to clear the houses and more. Having completed this, he consolidated the company about the houses despatching a runner to report to Battalion Headquarters. Then he started arranging the collecting [and] evacuation of the wounded. During the whole of this action, communications over the wireless with Battalion Headquarters were spasmodic and he was left to his own resources. The fact that the company overcame the opposition which had pinned them to the ground was due entirely to the initiative and the gallant and spirited leadership of Sergeant Kirkland who, discarding any thought of personal safety, placed himself at the head of his men for the assault. His display of courage and singleness of purpose to come to grip and destroy the enemy was a source of inspiration to his men and is, and will be, an example to the regiment for all time.⁷

On 14 August, the Royals were once again tasked, this time to capture Point 184.

The route was to be along the main road to the south, and the order of march was to be "D" Company leading, with under command one troop of tanks, followed by "C", "B", and "A" Companies.

After moving off at nine o'clock (p.m. on August 14), "D" Company, under Captain A. Macmillan, had advanced about 500 yards down the road when the leading tank was knocked out by a (German) bazooka. At this, the remaining tanks withdrew and did not reappear till later in the afternoon. Thus deprived of its tank support, "D" Company was pinned down by severe machine-gun and mortar fire from both flanks. Nevertheless, by eleven o'clock the infantry had worked forward and occupied the ground in the vicinity of the knocked out tank; but when Lieutenant M.G. Berry's platoon attempted to drive off the enemy on the left flank, it made no progress and suffered heavy casualties...

Lieutenant Colonel Anderson thereupon ordered the companies to withdraw about 400 yards so that artillery fire could be brought to bear on the enemy positions. Unfortunately, before the artillery support could materialize, the Battalion Command Post was shelled, and, among other casualties, the artillery representative, Major Gordon Wren, was mortally wounded and his command vehicle put out of action. This delayed the artillery programme for about two hours, by which time the fire plan was cancelled by higher authority.⁸

At 14:00hrs, the divisional and brigade commanders arrived at battalion headquarters with information which led them to believe the enemy was withdrawing, and so "D" Company went forward without artillery support. The heavy volume of fire they received made it appear the Germans were, in fact, reinforcing their positions. "D" Company was left in place to provide fire support for "B" and "C" Company to make simultaneous attacks to the flanks, with tank support. "A" Company also provided fire support from its positions. The enemy, probably already beginning his withdrawal, was easily overwhelmed, yielding 60 prisoners and 12 machine-guns. The Royals consolidated atop Point 151 and the Essex were finally able to secure Point 184. Total losses for the Royals had been three killed and 41 wounded.⁹

Clair Tizon - Calgary Highlanders

By mid-August 1944, it began to look to many like the German Army in Normandy was finally collapsing, and the 5th Brigade War Diary reflected on the 10th that German forces opposite were mainly low-grade battle groups. The Calgary Highlanders' regimental newsletter noted in July 1945:

The tempo of the fighting decreased as we fought our way through Bretteville and Clair Tison. However, the fatigue of the pursuit increased as we tried, generally in vain, to engage the enemy at Urville, Fontaine-les-Pin, through the shelling at Orbec to Ste. Germain-la-Campagne. It was on the way to Orbec, as we passed through Vimoutier and Laboscraie, that we felt the first collapse of the German Army.

Nonetheless, despite the breakthrough to Falaise and the rout of the German 7th Army, there was still work to be done. A period of rest ended on the 12th by orders to move southwards again. On entering Mesnil-Touffrey in the late afternoon, enemy artillery fire killed Private Wallace Bradley, the C.O.'s driver. By last light on 12 August 1944, the Calgary Highlanders were ordered to pass through Moulines and move south to Clair Tizon, described as "a few stone farmhouses lying mostly on the north side of a narrow east-west blacktop road." It was located in a valley, with high ground to east and west, with the River Laise flowing through the town and irrigating the orchards and farmland that surrounded the small hamlet.