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History |
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Wars & Campaigns |
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►Boer
War
►First
World War
►►Western
Front
►►►Trench
Warfare: 1914-1916
►►►Allied
Offensive: 1916
►►►Allied
Offensives: 1917
►►►German
Offensive: 1918
►►►Advance
to Victory: 1918
►►Siberia
►Second
World War
►►War
Against Japan
►►North
Africa
►►Italian
Campaign
►►►Sicily
►►►Southern
Italy
►►►The
Sangro and Moro
►►►Battles
of the FSSF
►►►Cassino
►►►Liri
Valley
►►►Advance
to Florence
►►►Gothic
Line
►►►Winter
Lines
►►North-West
Europe
►►►Normandy
►►►Southern
France
►►►Channel
Ports
►►►Scheldt
►►►Nijmegen
Salient
►►►Rhineland
►►►Final
Phase
►Korean
War
►Cold
War
►Gulf
War |
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Operations |
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Battle Honours |
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Boer War
First World War
Western Front
Trench Warfare: 1914-1916
Allied Offensive: 1916
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►Somme, 1916 |
1
Jul-18 Nov 16 |
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►Albert |
.1-13
Jul 16 |
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►Bazentin |
.14-17
Jul 16 |
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►Pozieres |
.23
Jul-3 Sep 16 |
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►Guillemont |
.3-6
Sep 16 |
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►Ginchy |
.9
Sep 16 |
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►Flers-Courcelette |
15-22
Sep 16 |
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►Thiepval |
26-29
Sep 16 |
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►Le Transloy |
.
1-18 Oct 16 |
Allied
Offensives: 1917
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►Arras 1917 |
8
Apr-4 May 17 |
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►Vimy, 1917 |
.9-14
Apr 17 |
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►Arleux |
28-29 Apr 17 |
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►Scarpe, 1917 |
.3-4
May17 |
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►Hill 70 |
.15-25
Aug 17 |
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►Messines, 1917 |
.7-14
Jun 17 |
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►Ypres, 1917 |
..31
Jul-10 Nov 17 |
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►Pilckem |
31
Jul-2 Aug 17 |
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►Langemarck, 1917 |
.16-18
Aug 17 |
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►Menin Road |
.20-25
Sep 17 |
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►Polygon Wood |
26
Sep-3 Oct 17 |
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►Broodseinde |
.4
Oct 17 |
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►Poelcapelle |
.9
Oct 17 |
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►Passchendaele |
.12
Oct 17 |
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►Cambrai, 1917 |
20
Nov-3 Dec 17 |
German Offensive: 1918
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►Somme, 1918 |
.21
Mar-5 Apr 18 |
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►St. Quentin |
.21-23
Mar 18 |
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►Bapaume, 1918 |
.24-25
Mar 18 |
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►Rosieres |
.26-27
Mar 18 |
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►Avre |
.4
Apr 18 |
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►Lys |
.9-29
Apr 18 |
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►Estaires |
.9-11
Apr 18 |
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►Messines, 1918 |
.10-11
Apr 18 |
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►Bailleul |
.13-15
Apr 18 |
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►Kemmel |
.17-19
Apr 18 |
Advance to Victory: 1918
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►Arras, 1918 |
.26
Aug-3 Sep 18 |
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►Scarpe, 1918 |
26-30 Aug 18. |
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►Drocourt-Queant |
.2-3
Sep 18 |
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►Hindenburg Line |
.12
Sep-9 Oct 18 |
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►Canal du Nord |
.27
Sep-2 Oct 18 |
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►St. Quentin Canal |
.29
Sep-2 Oct 18 |
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►Epehy |
3-5
Oct 18 |
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►Cambrai, 1918 |
.8-9
Oct 18 |
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►Valenciennes |
.1-2
Nov 18 |
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►Sambre |
.4
Nov 18 |
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►Pursuit to Mons |
.28 Sep-11Nov |
Second World War
War Against Japan
South-East Asia
Italian Campaign
Battle of Sicily
Southern
Italy
The Sangro and Moro
Battles of the FSSF
|
►Anzio |
22
Jan-22 May 44 |
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►Rome |
.22
May-4 Jun 44 |
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►Advance
|
.22
May-22 Jun 44 |
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to the Tiber |
. |
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►Monte Arrestino |
25
May 44 |
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►Rocca Massima |
27
May 44 |
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►Colle Ferro |
2
Jun 44 |
Cassino
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►Cassino II |
11-18
May 44 |
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►Gustav Line |
11-18
May 44 |
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►Sant' Angelo in
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13
May 44 |
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Teodice |
. |
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►Pignataro |
14-15 May 44 |
Liri Valley
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►Hitler Line |
18-24 May 44 |
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►Melfa Crossing |
24-25 May 44 |
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►Torrice Crossroads |
30
May 44 |
Advance to Florence
Gothic Line
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►Gothic Line |
25 Aug-22 Sep 44 |
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►Monteciccardo |
27-28 Aug 44 |
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►Point 204 (Pozzo Alto) |
31 Aug 44 |
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►Borgo Santa Maria |
1 Sep 44 |
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►Tomba di Pesaro |
1-2 Sep 44 |
Winter Lines
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►Rimini Line |
14-21 Sep 44 |
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►San Martino- |
14-18 Sep 44 |
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San Lorenzo |
. |
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►San Fortunato |
18-20 Sep 44 |
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►Sant' Angelo |
11-15 Sep 44 |
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in Salute |
. |
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►Bulgaria Village |
13-14 Sep 44 |
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►Pisciatello |
16-19 Sep 44 |
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►Savio Bridgehead |
20-23
Sep 44 |
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►Monte La Pieve |
13-19
Oct 44 |
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►Monte Spaduro |
19-24 Oct 44 |
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►Monte San Bartolo |
11-14
Nov 44 |
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►Lamone Crossing |
2-13
Dec 44 |
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►Capture of Ravenna |
3-4
Dec 44 |
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►Naviglio Canal |
12-15 Dec 44 |
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►Fosso Vecchio |
16-18 Dec 44 |
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►Fosso Munio |
19-21 Dec 44 |
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►Conventello- |
2-6 Jan 45 |
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Comacchio |
. |
Northwest Europe
Battle of Normandy
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►Quesnay Road |
10-11 Aug 44 |
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►St. Lambert-sur- |
19-22 Aug 44 |
Southern France
Channel Ports
The Scheldt
Nijmegen Salient
Rhineland
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►The
Reichswald |
8-13 Feb 45 |
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►Waal
Flats |
8-15 Feb 45 |
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►Moyland
Wood |
14-21 Feb 45 |
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►Goch-Calcar
Road |
19-21 Feb 45 |
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►The
Hochwald |
26
Feb- |
| . |
4
Mar 45 |
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►Veen |
6-10 Mar 45 |
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►Xanten |
8-9
Mar 45 |
Final Phase
|
►The
Rhine |
23
Mar-1 Apr 45 |
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►Emmerich-Hoch
|
28
Mar-1 Apr 45 |
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Elten |
. |
Korean War
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Domestic Missions |
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►FLQ
Crisis |
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International
Missions |
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►ICCS
Vietnam 1973
►MFO
Sinai 1986- |
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Peacekeeping |
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►UNTEA |
W. N. Guinea 1963-1964 |
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►ONUCA |
C. America
1989-1992 |
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►UNTAC |
Cambodia
1992-1993 |
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►UNMOP |
Prevlaka
1996-2001 |
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|
Exercises |
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Dives Crossing
|
Dives Crossing
was a Battle Honour granted to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion
for an action
following D-Day during the Battle
of Normandy, the first phase of the North-West Europe campaign of
the Second World War.
Background
The 6th Airborne
Division had preceded the Allied seaborne invasion forces into
Normandy on the night of 5-6 June 1944. They remained on the eastern
flank of the Allied bridgehead, guarding against German
counter-attacks. On 7 August 1944, after a long period of static
warfare on the flank of the Orne bridgehead which nonetheless had
left them in continuous contact with German patrols, I British Corps
informed the division that German forces in Normandy were at last
retreating and that the division should prepare to pursue the beaten
enemy to the next major defensive obstacle, the Seine River. The
corps at this time consisted of 6th Airborne, 49th and 51st
(Highland) Divisions. The 6th Airborne was also reinforced by the
1st and 4th Special Service Brigades as well as Belgian and Dutch
units - in other words, mainly infantry forces "woefully deficient
in transport and supporting arms."1 |
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During their advance
they were to apply constant pressure on the enemy's rearguard and limit
their demolition work intended to delay the Allies. The paratroopers
were to harass and occupy the right flank of the retreating German
forces. Their actions would enable the 1st Canadian Army to move
southeast from Caen toward Falaise and then turn eastwards toward the
Seine River.2
Crossing the Dives
The battalion did not
receive another warning order until 16 August, and Operation PADDLE went
ahead on 17 August. The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion was held in
reserve while the 8th and 9th Parachute Battalions advanced at 03:00hrs.
At 08:00hrs the Canadian paratroops went into the Bois de Bures to clear
it of enemy, but "B" Company lost six men to booby traps, including
bouncing "S" mines. The battalion nonetheless pressed on to the Dives,
crossing over on bridges constructed by 3 Para squadron, Royal
Engineers. "A" Company kept contact with enemy rear guards, despite the
opinion of some officers that their employment as line infantry was not
in keeping with their training or equipment. On 18 August, Operation
PADDLE II began at 23:00hrs when the battalion was ordered to capture
five railway bridges and a highway bridge over the St.-Samson-sur-mer-Canal
near Goustranville. "A" Company managed to capture a small cow bridge
intact, naming it "Canada Bridge" and taking 35 prisoners.3
Captain John Clancy and
Sergeant George W. Green were awarded the Military Cross and Military
Medal respectively for their efforts in getting "A" Company onto the
objective.4
Captain Clancy's citation
read in part:
On 18 August 1944
at 2230 hours at Goustranville, "A" Company was given as an
objective in a battalion night attack, the south bridge over the
eastern tributary of the River Dives. Captain Clancy was acting
second-in-command of the company at the time. He led No.3 Platoon on
an assault against one machine gun position, and when pinned down by
another off to a flank he personally organized and led a small group
armed with grenades, silenced this second enemy position and took
five prisoners. The momentum with which this officer led his platoon
enabled them to capture the bridge, vital to his brigade, before the
enemy could demolish it. Numerous prisoners and a considerable
amount of arms and equipment were captured by his command. This
splendid effort by Captain Clancy is but one concrete example of his
outstanding courage, initiative and leadership which has been so
much in evidence and a characteristic of his work throughout the
whole period.5
Sergeant Green's Military
Medal was awarded in March 1945, and the citation read:
Sergeant Green
proved a great inspiration to the men of "A" Company, 1 Canadian
Paratroop Battalion, throughout the campaign in Normandy until he
was wounded at Goustranville on 18 August 1944. His never failing
good humour and superb courage at all times endeared him to all
Officers and Men alike who knew him. On 18 August 1944 at 2230 Hours
at Goustranville, "A" Company was given an objective in a Battalion
night attack on the south bridge over the eastern tributary of the
River Dives. Sergeant Green was Platoon Sergeant of No. 1 Platoon
and acting Platoon Commander on this attack. His Platoon suffered
heavy casualties but he reorganized it swiftly and led it on two
separate assaults on enemy positions, killing and capturing well
over twenty-five Germans; as he brought his platoon on to its
objective on the left flank of the bridge, he was badly wounded in
the leg. Ignoring his wound he placed his sections in position for
all round defence, got ammunition and casualty states and reported
to his Company Commander. He refused to be evacuated until after
every one of his men who had been wounded had been attended (to).6
Aftermath
By 19 August the 744th
Grenadier Regiment of 716 Infanterie Division "had ceased to exist as a
fighting force." By the 25th, the 6th Airborne Division had been
responsible for the liberation of over 400 square miles of French
territory and had taken 1,000 German prisoners, for the loss of 14 Other
Ranks killed and 24 wounded. On 2 September 1944 the 1st Canadian
Parachute Battalion received its orders to return to England with the
remainder of the division. As specialist troops, they were intended to
be pooled and used for special missions. Actual events led to their
employment in the Ardennes in December as ground troops once more. Of
547 paratroops that jumped into Normandy, just 197 returned to England
alive and unwounded.7
Over half their casualties had been suffered in the first two weeks of
fighting when the fate of the bridgehead was still to be determined, and
85 of the 87 men captured were as a result of being dropped in the wrong
place on D-Day.8
Battle Honours
The following unit was
awarded the Battle Honour "Dives Crossing":
British 6th Airborne Division
Notes
-
McKay, A. Donald Gaudeamus Igitur
"Therefore Rejoice" (Bunker to Bunker Books,
Calgary, AB, 2005) ISBN 1894255534 p.250
-
Horn, Bernd and Michel Wyczynski Paras
Versus the Reich: Canada's Paratroopers at War, 1942-45 (Dundurn
Press, Toronto, ON, 2003) ISBN 1-55002-470-1, p.154
-
Joyce, Ken Into the Maelstrom: The History,
Uniforms, Insignia and Personal Equipment of the 1st Canadian
Parachute Battalion and Associated Units, 1942-1945 (Service
Publications, Ottawa, ON, 2007) ISBN 978-1-894581-39-4 pp.37-38
-
McKay, Ibid
-
Blatherwick, John and Hugh Halliday. Courage &
Service: Second World War Awards to Canadians (Service
Publications, Ottawa, ON) ISBN 1894581229. Clancy was captured
during the fighting following the Rhine landings, but subsequently
escaped. He stayed in the military after the war, commanding Prairie
Command, and was made a Member of the Order of the Bath for service
in the Korean War with 1 RCR. He commanded the 2nd Battalion
following the war from 1960 to 1963 and retired as a
Lieutenant-Colonel in 1965.
-
Ibid. As a Company Sergeant Major in the Rhine
crossing, Green was later awarded the DCM.
-
Horn, Ibid, p.158
-
McKay, Ibid
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