"NEWS HEAD LINES" "NORMANDY." "On Normandy Front, full scale counter attacks by German Forces have been held. Americans massing new attacks on ST LO. Enemy man power difficulty is reported - Artillary being used as infantry.
"The following is the text of a broadcast by the BBC reporter in NORMANDY on 18 July 44.
Hello BBC. This is Frank Gillard with the Second Army in Normandy.
If you read the history of the last war, you will find the 15th, Scottish Division cropping up time and again in the really big battles - the Somme, for instance, and the battle of Loos. It was there that the 15th Scottish made the deepest penetration of any Division.
Today we are able to say that this famous formation, Highlanders and Lowlanders, with a sprinkling of English among them, is back in France again.
You will remember the battle of the corridor. Over here we called is the Scottish Corridor, because it was this division, the 15th. scottish which drove a way forward through the crust of German defences 5000 yards deep, to seize these crossings over the River Odon and to form a bridgehead on the far side. The attack started at 7-30 in the morning on June 26th. By 11 o 'clock all the first objectives had been seized, the group of villages round LaHaut Du Bosq. The reserve Brigade was thrown in. Next day, the Infantry, with close support from Churchhill Tanks, seize the bridge across the Odonat Tourville, and seize it intact. This same battalion was swing round to seize a second bridge and thereby earned for itself the proud title of "The Crossing Sweepers". There was the corridor: The Scots had done amazingly well, but they had stuck their necks out a long way. The Germans began to attack on the flanks. In places the Divisions maintenance route was in a precarious state, but they held firm. There was one furious clash in particular, when a Scottish force, setting out to widen the corridor ran head-on to a German counterattack. You'll remember that day when twelve enemy jabs were made into our salient in twelve hours - you'll remember all the fighting round Cheux, St Mauvieu, La Gaule. It was from the west that they took the soundest beating, for these men from Scotland were determined not to be driven back over the river. With their PIATs' and their infantry 6-pounders, and with massive artillary support and the fire from their Churchills, the held on to their bridgehead.
Thas's all from Frank Gillard."
Stuff from workmates attic
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