Saunders, Tim In Company with Tanks

8th Rifle Brigade in Normandy

With the approach of World War II, the Territorial Army was doubled in size, and the 2nd Battalion of the London Rifle Brigade was formed. This name, however, was short-lived, as in the spring of 1941 the 8th Rifle Brigade joined the newly formed 11th Armoured Division. Three years of training followed, marked by regular changes in tactics and advancements in weapons and equipment. Some of these innovations were implemented shortly before the invasion of northwestern Europe, including the issuance of US half-tracks through the Lend-Lease program. The companies of the 8th Rifle Brigade were transferred to Normandy, assigned to their respective Sherman regiments of the 29th Armoured Brigade, and were well-prepared for their deployment in Operation Epsom. At the tip of the salient, which had advanced across the Odon River, the riflemen experienced their first bloody battle on Hill 112. In mid-July, Operation Goodwood followed, with successful infantry assaults on villages, before tank losses and heavy rain brought the battle to an end. At the end of the month, as the American breakout gained momentum, the 11th Panzer Division was transferred west into the Bocage as part of Operation Bluecoat. In completely different terrain, the riflemen played a leading role in the advance south. After reaching Preseles, once again at the forefront of a thrust, the 8th Battalion of the Royal Rifles (8RB) engaged in a desperate defensive battle against an SS Panzer Division. But the Germans were by then exhausted, and for over two weeks the pattern repeated itself: a thrust of about 16 kilometers against delaying positions before encountering a serious German position, usually behind an obstacle at dusk. Overnight, the enemy would withdraw again, and this pattern was repeated daily as far as Falaise and beyond. The distances covered to the Seine were greater, but with the capture of a crossing at Venon, the division advanced hastily and, in a remarkable push of many kilometers against disorganized German units, captured Amiens and secured bridges over the Somme, thereby thwarting enemy attempts to form a defensive line.