Falaise. Blood soaked Falaise

[sapper]

I do not know if I posted this before? It is my memory of the carnage of Falaise. I can still recall the stench of death Will never forget it.

Falaise. Blood soaked Falaise.
Carnage! Bloody carnage.

For here is war at it's most evil, this is where all the press reports and tales of courage in war, are stripped naked of any kind of veneer of patriotism, or humanity. For this was the real horror of war, and at its bloodiest. Destruction, utter and complete destruction, it is very hard to describe the scene in words.

The roads blocked with dead horses still harnessed to the carts they were pulling, in grotesque positions where they, in their panic, had charged about on broken legs pulling their wagons, swollen with feet stuck up in the air.

German soldiers dead, sometimes one on top of the other, further on, groups of German dead lying in twisted and grotesque positions. Tanks that finished tilted in crazy angles against the side of buildings, mobile guns and armoured troop carriers destroyed. Artillery twisted and abandoned. The whole paraphernalia of war turned into a massive mangled mess and covered with Normandy dust. Some soldiers burned as their vehicles caught fire.

Religious statues destroyed, one very poignant sight was that of a life size statue of Christ with his hands spread wide in supplication. But, with both hands blow off. This went on for miles as we chased the fleeing Enemy towards the hell that awaited them at the neck of the Falaise gap.

The Germans used any method to try and escape, in some areas it was not possible to cross the road for German dead.
The mighty Tiger tanks blown to smithereens and scattered in every direction. Wall to wall death, smashed houses and buildings with the roads between with so many dead it was difficult to walk, men half out of tanks and cars, burned alive before they could get out, blackened figures fixed in the position of trying to get out their vehicles, some even had their hand on the car door handles and fixed in that position as the flames overtook them.

The stench of death hung over everything like a sickening pall, the sun had already begun to cause early decay. An inferno beyond comprehension! Covering everything was a thick layer of grey dust, almost as though the scene had been sprayed with grey emulsion.

I remember very clearly, a young dead German sat on the road with his back to a grassy bank, just as though he was taking a rest and a short sleep, feet spread, hands in lap, head on chest covered in this thick grey dust, he looked as though he, and his uniform were fashioned from grey clay.

But, his sleep would last for all eternity. All this, as a complete German army had been caught in the terrible trap of the Falaise pocket. As the noose closed round the top of the bag, the way out narrowed.

The German army desperate to escape streamed through the neck of the bag, only to be fired on by our guns over "open sights" Sometimes at point blank range. Meanwhile the rocket firing Typhoons had a turkey shoot, the Enemy was subjected to continuous air attack with no help or protection, and caught in the open, the carnage was complete. For me personally, there was no satisfaction, "There but for the grace of God go I" Carnage on this scale was something we had not expected. I do not wish to see anything like that again.
Sapper




I just wonder what the younger generation think of my posting about Falaise?
Could you deal with it?
Have you changed your minds about Monty as an utterly ruthless general?
Do you thing you could live with the constant stench of death around?
Do you have views on death on this scale?
Could you walk over the dead bodies?
How do you feel about these slaughtered horses and young men?
Would you like to have been there. All that death and the stench?
Anyone really want to experience it?
Would you remember it clearly 62 years on?
Sapper

[Owen]

Brian,
Brillaint description.
The grey dust is something I've not read before.
The smell is something only you Veterans can comment on.
A Great War Veteran I knew used to mention the smell alot.
Would I want to experience it?
Not really, but if I had to go I would.

[handtohand22]

From an earlier post..
The Falaise Gap

After Normandy and Caen, the 6th LAA Battery was off again at the beginning of August 1944, covering The Falaise Gap.

Montgomery had repeated the strategy of the protracted operation. The British 2nd Army fought their way out of Caen and attacked the German defences to the north of Falaise. Again the Germans committed their reserves to the defence of Falaise. This allowed the American Army to break out from the west and capture Brittany. Montgomery then tasked them to close in on the south east of the Falaise Pocket in order to trap the German army.

This manoeuvre was not completed in time due to the unexplained intervention of Eisenhower. He was responsible for ordering Bradley to halt just before completion of the manoeuvre.

By the time this order was reversed over 40,000 German troops were allowed to escape and retreat towards Germany.

I have since found the theory that Bradley had suffered horrific losses on the beach head at Normandy in June.
He delayed the American advance until they were more consolidated and capable of to protecting themselves. When this was achieved, the Gap was closed and the slaughter started.

I have listened to other veterans describing this charnel house experience, they compared it to the sights and smells of Belsen.

[Gerard]

Excllent post Brian!!! Having worked in the Casualty Dept of a Hospital I have seen things that are not very nice so whilst I'm sure that I wouldnt be happy with being there I think that eventually I would harden myself to the task.

As to whether my opinion of Monty has changed absolutely not.

[Gnomey]

Excellent post Brian. Really brings home the horror of the war and in particular the battles around Falaise.

[sapper]

So what was wrong with Monty? The troops thought he was the best and he proved it.
Sapper

[handtohand22]

Hindsight is great if you want to be a critic. Monty had some faults but overall, the troops loved him.

Attached is a letter from Monty in response to a letter from Major Gage of 6LAA Battery. Major Gage asked for an audience with Monty and he obliged.

During the Battle of Alamein three Bofors from the Battery had provided Monty and his HQ with close protection.

This correspondence and eventual meeting expresses the affection the gunners had for Monty, 22 years after the war ended.

[Kyt]

Another term for hindsight is 'historical perspective' - an historical critique isn't necessarily critical.

Being loved by one's troops may make for a great leader but doesn't always make one a great general.

[sapper]

Monty was the victim of a great deal of mud slinging from those comfortably siiting in their warm armchairs back in the Uk. many USA Authors have indulged in Monty bashing. For no other reason than to make extra money from the publications. Truth has very little to do when books are published,
I challenge anyone to show Monty's wrong doings or failures.

He was a truly great tactitian and a ruthless war maker.
Any one that sells Monty down is either ill informed, or plain daft.
Seriously! All that mud slinging from the states has been repeated time and time again, each author quoting previous publications, without ever looking to see what they were prining had any basis of truth.
Sapper

[von Poop]

Great stuff on Falaise sapper.
Thanks for that.

I've never had any problem with Monty, I don't think I'd want to know him on the personal side, more than a little hard to get along with I fear and his demeanour surely contributed to the mud-slinging over the years. This doesn't stop me seeing him as an excellent Leader & planner from start to finish. What was achieved with a nation that had been stretched to the absolute limit of it's finances, manpower and tether truly does not deserve the bashing it often seems to get.
Cheers,
Adam.