On the 4th and 5th of July, after the allies tried various strategies to take Caen, it was decided that the next attack on that city would occur after taking Carpiquet. This was due to the high ground the town's airport had and the taking of it would allow for a better command position and for the calling of artillery. Defending it was the first SS Panzergrenediers, 15 tanks and flak guns. On the allies side was the North Shore Regiment, Queen's Own Rifles, Royal Winnipeg Rifles and Le Regement de Chaudiere; who were all Canadian. In support was the Fort Garry Horse and Sherbrooke Fusiliers in Sherman's, Cameron Highlanders with machine guns and mortars; also Canadian.
Fighting was fierce and it was the heaviest looses for my Grandfather's Regiment, the North Shore's. I am not certain if he joined his unit just before or just after this battle. What I am sure of is that he was placed in charge of a unit of Cameron Highlanders as a Sergeant in support of North Shore Regiment activities for the rest of the war. I have also been told that he did not like this battle as he lost 130 of his comrades here.
This monument is for the Fort Garry Horse, who lost 15 tanks here.
This is one of the old walls that existed here. The population has more than tripled since WW2 so there are many new buildings and it was difficult to get a feel of the hand to hand and building to building fighting that went on.
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