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BP A Borne MAJOR J. A. N. Sim, M.C. ON D-DAY a newly promoted Captain.
6th Airborne Division had magnificent morale. In pre-invasion exercises, men were absolutely on top of form, absolutely confident ... wonderfully fit. In anti-invasion exercise with 1st Airborne, who had plenty of previous battle experience, it was obvious that the 6th were in much better condition, keener, etc.
They were sealed in camp for fortnight before D-Day, where they had a much-needed rest. They had been so highly trained up to then that they were really tired, slightly over-trained if anything. They spent the time lazing, playing cricket, briefing, etc, spending hours pouring over maps.. Gale himself was like an excited schoolboy about the invasion. Lot of men didn't like him. A windbag, kind of "Colonel Blimp” ... but majority of men were heart and soul for him. Sim was pleased to serve under Gale. He was a junior officer and yet he knew him. Gale would often pass time of day with him ... he was no stranger to officers or men.
Had a tremendous briefing, with photos as big as blackboards. Knew dropping zone like back of hand, didn’t have to look at map at all. We liaised with R.A.F. men, they were entertained in our mess, we in theirs.
Sim had been detailed to hold southern slopes of highground south of Ranville to protect H.Q. He had to plan defensive position. Fellow officers ragged him: [crossed out]illegible[end crossed out] "You're crazy, John, its a suicide job. You’ll get killed or get the V. C." "I didn’t like it too much myself."
I was to take up position with 12 men, most of whom I hardly new. Being a recently promoted Captain I wasn’t very well acquainted with the Bttn. I briefed them in the transit camp ... "It was all damn new to me."
June 5th was a nice sunny day. We weren’t worried about what was ahead of us. I was only 23 at the time, maybe I lacked imagination ... It was just another job, to me and the rest of the Div. We knew we would probably be the furthest point south and closest to Gerry but it didn't worry us. War was new to all of us. This was my first action. It was glorious adventure ...
We had emplaned just as if it were an exercise. Little talk from the padre previously, NAAFI waggons came up with tea, the pilot came over and assured us "Its going to be a piece of cake." It was indeed, and I always wished I’d got his name so I could have thanked him afterwards for taking us right bang on the dropping zone. Nobody seemed pent up or excited .... just like an exercise.
We dropped on position, mustered at the quarry - all as planned ... and I set off with small party, including Sgt. from yorkshire , to recce. Came across farm house. Light burning, knowcked on door. Opened by fully-dressed woman, family behind her, didn't say a word. Sim, in haltering school-boy French ... "Nous sommes les soldats Anglais .." "Ou est les boches ?" "Nous sommes ici pour la liberation ... nous avons tombes par avion ..." "Ou est les boche?" Impasse. Not a word from anybody ... Sim tried again: "Nous sommes les soldats Anglais ......" He turned to his Sgt ... who tried in his own broad Yorkshire accent to convey to the woman who they were ... Still no response ... Sim and the Sgt. conferred ... Once more: "Ou est les boche? ... After what seemed like hours - two minutes, in fact - the woman said "You are British soldiers, aren't you?" ...... Relief all round. When Sim asked her why she hadn't spoken sooner, she told him that the Germans were in the habit of dressing up in British battledress, doing precisely this, testing the French ... "But, she said, nobody could mistake your French." Or, for that matter, the look of frustration when I didn't answer ..."
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She told us that there were about 150 Germans who had moved out from Ranville and that three men of the Todt organisation were living in the next house. She told them that she was English, married to a french farmer. "We had to be careful; Germans have been masquerading as Airborne soldats from England.” "Your French is hopeless!"
All this took place at about 1.0 a.m. We gave her the leaflets we had been issued with, told her to keep indoors as this was likely to be a battle area. Said I would tell our Intelligence Officer that she was English and he would take good care of her and the family.
Dawn came, a beautiful sunny day ... still no sign of war ... still rather like an exercise ... peaceful, quiet.
Moved down to our position, about 300/400 yards in front of main ”C ” company lines. Dugg in about two hours, using length of piping to drop in explosive to deepend and loosen earth. Spent the time preparing defensive position, scattering mines. Weren't conscious we were at war, couldn’t anticipate Gerries' arrival all was so quiet. Casually smoking, chatting, ... Went along visited section throughout trench. "C" Co. Commander came down to inspect us ... [crossed out] [illegible] [end crossed out]
A f. o. b. type was attached to us ... communicating with cruiser in channel, should have had her support. But at about 10.30 a.m. this man came along "Sorry, old chap; just had a message that the cruiser has had to move off to an important job ..." Felt a bit put out, the navy type was casually attached to us, and just as casually told us we weren’t to have cruiser support.
I had twelve men in the trench spread out across the field. Didn't know these men well as I had only recently been attached to Bttn, just promoted Captain. I had an anti-tank gun, crew, a naval observer - 12 men in all. Sgt. Jones was covering extreme right flank, Sgt. Millburn extreme left ... the rest of us spread out ... I, in H. Q. near left flank, with navy type to my right ... In front of us was a wooden fence, about 100 yards ahead ... Field was about 800 yards long ... river to extreme right ...
About 11.0 a.m. a party of men appeared from hedgerow on left-hand side of field. They were wearing parachute helmets and camouflaged smocks like our own. Thought they were our men .... Then suddenly they turned and started advancing up the field towards us ... Germans ..... There were about 40 of them all told. I told our men to hold their fire until they got up to the wooden fence; the signal to fire would be a red Verey light. We opened fire, they immediately dropped into the long grass ... Then suddenly from behind them appeared two tanks, came up close to give German infantry support .... I waited for our anti-tank gun to open up ... Nothing happened. Gerry 88mm. started firing on us, we were sitting targets ... Still no antitank fire from our lines .... then up crawled a soldier, saluted, "Sorry, sir, the gun breech was damaged when we dropped ..." By this time I discovered that the wireless set wasn’t working ... no anti-tank gun, no communication with main company position. Suddenly there was silence. By this time a number of my men had been killed or wounded ... Out of one of the tanks stepped a German officer ... dressed in full regalia, sam browne, etc .... (one can almost visualise a monocle!) He climbed out of turret, leisurely lit cigarette .... I told man to my right ..."Give him two puffs" ... we did , and then whoosh .... The Gerries opened fire again. The navy type got wounded in the thigh ... chap next to me got shot in the head ... We were in a bad way ... silence from Sgt. Jones. Gerry had killed him and his crew.
I decided we couldn’t do much there, so I sent two of my men back to Company lines, as runners, with messages, and told them not to come back ... Seemed sensible to save as many lives as I could, they couldn ’t do
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anything against those gerry tanks.
In the middle of this maelstrom, a Farmer walked calmly across the field taking no notice of the Germans or the British.
I then noticed some of the German infantry crawling towards my extreme left flank. I called out to Millburn "Have you got a smoke bomb and grenade." "No grenade." So I threw him a gammon bomb ... then waited ... Millburn started off as I instructed .. "Try to get that tank under cover of a smoke screen .." But hardly had he started when Gerry opened up, shelled them and killed both Millburn and his pal ... "His little party copped it." Then there was another lull. Not a sign from Sgt. Jones ... not a move from anywhere up the trench. Now there seemed only four of us left, myself, Batman Harris, a gunner with half his cheek blown off and a fourth chap. The Navy type was badly wounded in the thigh.
By this time I decided there was not much we could do: we could either stick it out and all get killed or try to make our way back to "C" company and "live to fight another day.” Began to think the sooner we are out of this the better. Said to the men "Let 's get out of this; we are the only four left on our feet." We couldn't call on "C" company for support cause our wireless was out of action ...
We drew out of the position covering each other, two by two. When finally I got back to "C" company I found Harris lying on a bank. "That was a near shave, Harris .." No answer, Harris pointed to his open mouth, trying to speak but not a word came out...He was numb and absolutely shocked. "You're shocked, Harris ... I'll get you to the M.O." Comforted man with cheek blown off, told him our doctor was good ... sent them both back to first aid post. (Major Stevens , I think)
"C" company commander made no comment when I told him what had happened up in the forward position ... Gale was also there. Commander's attitude implied I should have stuck to position ... atmosphere unfriendly ... I began to wonder if I had done right ... I decided to go back and see what was going on. Got machine gun boys to cover me as I walked back along lane on right hand flank ... just as I got near, where there was no sign of life from the trench, gerry opened up again so I returned pretty damn quick. Later, went back with new platoon of men to collect our dead and wounded. Lt. Gordon took over position.
Got back to lines, there was nothing for me to do. I was only secnd-in-command, others counterattacked in afternoon , but there was no job for me. I felt lost body wandering around, "kicked my heels", feeling of anti-climax, confused and bewildered , wandered whether I should have stayed. Later took Sgts. Jones and Millburn up to Ranville Churchyard in a cart ... left their bodies there they are still there, buried against the wall of the churchyard instead of in the Airborne Cemetery close to the church.)
Coming back from Church there was Gale, Same Browne, riding breeches, riding crop, oblivious to hail of bullets coming down (the church was being fired on) ... "Get a move on" to men in ditch, he yelled ... He was eventually persuaded to take cover by staff officer ... Later, Gale remarked "It was rather hot up there.”
NB There seems to have been something of a postmortem on Sim's action that morning .... He is still wondering, it would appear, if he really did the right thing - the right thing by the Amry Manual would have been to stay and fight to the last man ... The sensible thing, which he in fact did, was to bring out as many men as he could without unnecessary waste of life .... That he was right is supported by the award of the M.C. to him for this gallant action.
AMEN
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Capt. 2nd in command - 3 wks before in June 43. 2nd in command C Co. His objective: to command 12 men (anti-tank gun crew & a naval observation and 8 other C Co men) to hold southern slopes of ridge beyond Ranville where HQ was.
[drawing to show men's locations]