Monument Green Howards

Monument to the soldiers of the 6th and 7th Battalions Green Howards of the 69th Infantry Brigade.

Small portion of the text on one of the panels:

On June 6 a British force landed at "Gold Beach", code name for the beach area between Port-en-Bessin and La Rivière (Today's beach district in Ver-sur-Mer)

This force was mainly made up of the British 50th Infantry Division (Northumbrian), reinforced by the 8th Armored Brigade, the 56th Infantry Brigade and many other specialized units.

The 69th Brigade, one of the division's three brigades, lands on the "King Beach" sector from "Gold Beach" to the River. It was made up of three infantry battalions totalling around 2,500 men.

The brigade was reinforced by an armored regiment, the 4/7th Royal Dragoon Guards equipped with 61 Sherman tanks, including 38 amphibious tanks, as well as the 86th Royal Artillery Armored Artillery Regiment (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) 

equipped with 24 Sexton self-propelled guns. After capturing its initial objectives on the beaches of "King Beach", the brigade had to dig in 13km and establish itself on the heights of St-Léger near Martragny-Carcagny

then secure control of the important national road 13. It also had to link up on its left wing with the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division landing to the east on Juno Beach.

From 5:30 am on June 6, the landing was preceded by a bombardment by naval artillery, heavy bombers, then by artillery embarked in the landing barges.

The pounding of the German defenses ceased only minutes before the arrival of the amphibious Sherman tanks of the 4/7th Royal Dragoon Guards, whose first tanks hit the beach at 7:20 am.

Then follow the units in charge of breaching the beach exits, with their panoply of special vehicles, mine-clearing tanks, armored bulldozers, etc.

At 7:25 am, the 5th East Yorkshire lands in two waves opposite La Rivière and neutralizes the German defenses of the beach and Mont Fleury. It suffered heavy losses.

At 7:40 am, the 6th Green Howards landed in two waves and assaulted the German battery known as "Mont Fleury" located just opposite Paisty Vert. After a brief battle, the battery is captured.

The battalion neutralizes other German defensive positions to the west on the beach "du Pont Chaussée", on the "Monts" (Hauteurs de Meuvaines), the upper Cormell northwest of Crépon, 

and the small wood of "Montaigu" at the northeast exit of Bazenville.

The 7th Green Howards disembark at  8:10 am at Paisty Vert. The battalion crosses Ver-sur-Mer unopposed, then heads for its objective, the German Marefontaine battery(southeast exit of the village).

A company and two "Crocodile" flamethrower tanks from the 141st Armored Regiment (RAC) capture the battery and its garrison after a brief exchange of fire.

Late morning, the 6th Green Howards are shelled as they approach Crépon from the west of the village. The fire appears to be coming from the village, and "D" company is ordered to search the approaches to the main

streets there. The other companies bypass the village to the west and advance towards Villiers-le-Sec....

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Monument to the soldiers of the 6th and 7th Battalions Green Howards of the 69th Infantry Brigade.Small portion of the text on one of the panels:On June 6 a British force landed at Gold Beach, code name for the beach area between Port-en-Bessin and La Rivière (Today's beach district in Ver-sur-Mer)This force was mainly made up of the British 50th Infantry Division (Northumbrian), reinforced by the 8th Armored Brigade, the 56th Infantry Brigade and many other specialized units.The 69th Brigade, one of the division's three brigades, lands on the King Beach sector from Gold Beach to the River. It was made up of three infantry battalions totalling around 2,500 men.The brigade was reinforced by an armored regiment, the 4 7th Royal Dragoon Guards equipped with 61 Sherman tanks, including 38 amphibious tanks, as well as the 86th Royal Artillery Armored Artillery Regiment (Hertfordshire Yeomanry) equipped with 24 Sexton self-propelled guns. After capturing its initial objectives on the beaches of King Beach, the brigade had to dig in 13km and establish itself on the heights of St-Léger near Martragny-Carcagnythen secure control of the important national road 13. It also had to link up on its left wing with the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division landing to the east on Juno Beach.From 5:30 am on June 6, the landing was preceded by a bombardment by naval artillery, heavy bombers, then by artillery embarked in the landing barges.The pounding of the German defenses ceased only minutes before the arrival of the amphibious Sherman tanks of the 4 7th Royal Dragoon Guards, whose first tanks hit the beach at 7:20 am.Then follow the units in charge of breaching the beach exits, with their panoply of special vehicles, mine-clearing tanks, armored bulldozers, etc.At 7:25 am, the 5th East Yorkshire lands in two waves opposite La Rivière and neutralizes the German defenses of the beach and Mont Fleury. It suffered heavy losses.At 7:40 am, the 6th Green Howards landed in two waves and assaulted the German battery known as Mont Fleury located just opposite Paisty Vert. After a brief battle, the battery is captured.The battalion neutralizes other German defensive positions to the west on the beach du Pont Chaussée, on the Monts (Hauteurs de Meuvaines), the upper Cormell northwest of Crépon, and the small wood of Montaigu at the northeast exit of Bazenville.The 7th Green Howards disembark at 8:10 am at Paisty Vert. The battalion crosses Ver-sur-Mer unopposed, then heads for its objective, the German Marefontaine battery(southeast exit of the village).A company and two Crocodile flamethrower tanks from the 141st Armored Regiment (RAC) capture the battery and its garrison after a brief exchange of fire.Late morning, the 6th Green Howards are shelled as they approach Crépon from the west of the village. The fire appears to be coming from the village, and D company is ordered to search the approaches to the mainstreets there. The other companies bypass the village to the west and advance towards Villiers-le-Sec.....