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Sgts, W. Burns and A.Thompson, were also lost at this early stage in the
proceedings.
The company was led on to its objective by the second in command,
Capt. R. C. Chambers, despite the fact that he had been hit on the back of the
head, and was bleeding profusely. When it reached the cover of the dunes at
the top of the beach, it was temporarily immune from fire. On taking stock,
it was found that the Company had sustained fairly heavy casualties, one platoon
having already lost twelve men out of its original thirty-three.
During the half hour on the beaches, when the Company was under heavy
mortar fire, Pte. S. Addis, a stretcher bearer, carried out his duties of
rendering first aid, with complete disregard for his personal safety, and with
unselfish devotion to his comrades. He was awarded the Military Medal.
"C" Company then proceeded to advance through "D" Company, which was
firmly established on the site of the coastal battery, which it had captured.
The next two objectives, well inland, were the 88 mm. gun position, and the
unspecified rocket projector hidden in a wood.
When the Green Howards arrived at the gun position, they found that the
crew had made good use of the gun's mobility, and had not waited for the arrival
of the British troops. Accordingly "C" Company pushed straight on to the rocket
projector site. This was in a wood, easy to recognise as there was a long tunnel
running away from the wood to a nearby road. The Green Howards approached to
within forty yards of the edge of the wood before the enemy opened fire.
Capt. J.D.E. Franklyn then crawled over the back of an unoccupied firing
position in the tunnel, and three in a hand grenade. There was no movement
after the explosion and the tunnel was found to be empty.
Meanwhile the 4/7th Dragoon Guards arrived with their tanks, and poured
a heavy fire into the wood. One lucky shot set off an ammunition dump in the
middle of the wood, and for a while it was better to watch from a distance.
When the ammunition dump began to quieten down, Capt. Franklyn and Lt. G. A. Kenny
led their men forward into the wood. On getting inside they found a maze of
underground tunnels and strongrooms, into which they lobbed a few grenades.
This was enough for the enemy, and forty sorry looking Germans, including a
Lt.-Col, gave themselves up. "C" Company left behind at least a dozen enemy
dead and twice that number wounded, its only casualty being one man wounded.