You might find a moment to visit this laddie:- THOMSON, ALEXANDER R G. Rank: Corporal. Service No: 3060087. Date of Death: 16/07/1944. Age: 26. Regiment/Service: Royal Scots. 8th Bn. Grave Reference: XII. B. 15. Cemetery: BANNEVILLE-LA-CAMPAGNE WAR CEMETERY Additional Information: Son of William and Elizabeth Jane Thomson; husband of Joan Fairbairn Thomson, of Cockburnspath, Berwickshire. Location Information: Banneville-la-Campagne is a village in Normandy, which is 10 kilometres east of Caen. The cemetery is on the main road (D675, "route de Caen") between Caen and Troarn, about 8 kilometres east of Caen. Historical Information: The Allied offensive in north-western Europe began with the Normandy landings of 6 June 1944. For the most part, the men buried at Banneville-la-Campagne War Cemetery were killed in the fighting from the second week of July 1944, when Caen was captured, to the last week in August, when the Falaise Gap had been closed and the Allied forces were preparing their advance beyond the Seine. As they were from the same town, I imagine they must have known each other quite well.... Charlie is in the same Plot, just a few rows away:- McCANN, CHARLES. Rank: Private. Service No: 3133830. Date of Death: 27/06/1944. Age: 28. Regiment/Service: Durham Light Infantry. 11th Bn. Grave Reference: V. J. 1. Cemetery: ST. MANVIEU WAR CEMETERY, CHEUX For an overview of the D Day landings and the operations to take Caen, then Googling may help in the broad sense to understand a little of what went on. For June it was pretty stormy and overcast, and determined resistance from virtually every piece of high ground being held by the Germans. Lousy for the infantry, being ambushed in every piece of open ground and no room for tanks to manoeuvre to help, without being outgunned by Panzers.
That's funny that you mentioned Alexander Thomson as I found that interesting too as his wife was Joan Fairbairn I thought maybe perhaps they might have been related somehow. I gather cocksburnspath isn't that big a place so I imagine it would be highly likely Joan and James maybe related. I'm going to google the operation to cean tonight as my brother is visiting tomorrow. I will definitely pay a visit to Charlie next year.
Doh! How could I have missed the Fairburn connection! Sorry, I was thinking more of him coming from the same place, not expecting any further link, but as you say, it's a small place.
I copied the pages from the war diary covering the 26th June today just before I left the National Archives. I only copied them on my iPhone though and I'm not home until tomorrow night. Does anyone want to PM me their email address and I'll email them to you so you can post them up. There's five pages. Cheers Andy
Drew, that's really helpful in giving a flavour of what happened that day, the first action the Battalion had sustained since its formation. The 16 killed and 2 missing tie in with the 18 casualties shown in CWGC and it might be inferred that at least 3 later died of wounds at Hottot les Bagues (perhaps a Field Hospital site? The 3 wounded officers all seem to come from B Company, so that looks as if sustained the brunt of the casualties.
Drew: Thanks for kindly putting up the 8RS War Diary pages. Kevin: Two of the wounded officers still alive to day and keep in touch with each other! Joe Brown
Have put up eight pages in my Gallery Section under title 8RS: Extracts from from Augustus Muir's "The First of Foot" which was published in 1961 by The Royal Scots History Committee. Reminder to use 'Options' to enlarge the page. Joe Brown.
