[John McGillivray]

A recce troop going toward Authie got as far as the crossroads and then were fired on by enemy in Authie. They returned to Buron and a shelling and mortaring of the town began, increasing in intensity as the first elements of D Company reached it More enemy were captured in an air raid shelter on the northern edge of the town, and as D Company entered in strength some firing came from the large chateau in the centre of the place. Another air raid shelter was found and in it were two German officers, one of them wounded. Sgt. "Moose" Schurman and Pte. Eddie Mack, of the Carriers, had found the two men. Schurman asked the officers questions but was rewarded by a blank stare. Schurman then indicated by signs that he wanted the unwounded officer to help his mate out of the shelter. The German haughtily refused. Schurman promptly urged him with an inch of bayonet in a fleshy part of the anatomy and the German called him all the vile names he could think of — in good English! Schurman soon cowed him, and when he had been booted outside he was searched and found to have a trace showing enemy dispositions in the area. The paper was at once sent back to Brigade. A final clearing of the town, east to west, was ordered to round up any remaining snipers, but later events showed the work was not completed. Five Sherman tanks had now arrived in Buron.

A patrol of three carriers under command of Sgt. A. G. Peppard went to Authie. It reached the outskirts and reported on its return that small arms and automatic fire had come from an orchard on the far side of the village. Those engaged in cleaning up Buron suddenly came upon an enemy lorry which had just driven in from the south. It was promptly shot up and found to contain such technical equipment as range finders and binoculars. The lot was sent back to Brigade headquarters. Three Germans were seen digging in a garden. One was shot and the other two surrendered.

More Sherman tanks arrived, and B Company now passed through Buron, excepting Lt. Brown's platoon, which had not arrived. Major Douglas got his men through to the orchard on the Authie side of the village. The foremost tanks went on to the crossroads and made ready to deploy to engage targets in Authie. C Company, under Captain C. F. Fraser, was now under way again and two platoons mounted on two sections of carriers, rode on to Authie, meeting only light fire at the outskirts.

When the shooting became close the carriers stopped, and the two platoons quickly dismounted, with Lt. Langley taking his men to the right and Lt. Veness taking his to the left It was discovered that the third section of carriers with Lt. Bob Graves' platoon had somehow missed the order to advance, and were still waiting on the road to Buron. A carrier was sent back to fetch them as the other platoons worked their way into Authie on foot. Captain E. S. Gray now ordered one carrier section to outflank Authie on the left and join up with C Company as they emerged from the south end of the town, which was largely contained north and south along the main road. The second carrier section was sent along the same road to make a recce as far as Franqueville. Both sections came under light mortar fire at the southeast corner of Authie and returned to their former position at the northeast corner. The third section of carriers arrived, with Graves' platoon following on foot, and it too, was ordered to make a recce to Franqueville. But it was turned back by the mortar fire after making some distance.

In the meantime the two leading platoons of C Company had gone into action. They had unloaded some fifty yards from the first houses and Captain Gray shouted at them: "Start clearing up. I'll call up some tanks and support you on the left flank." The men started on a run for the first buildings.

Lt. Veness and Cpl. Maclntyre of his platoon were first at a wall and they saw many of the enemy running away. Maclntyre, ahead, had a Sten gun, but it jammed and the Germans vanished in safety around a corner. As soon as all the platoon were in position Cpl. Maclntyre took a section and advanced on the right. Cpl. Sterling Bell had another section on the left, and Cpl. O'Leary had a third section about fifty yards behind in reserve. Every attention was given to keeping pace with Lt. Langley's platoon which was advancing through yards and alleys on the right. Muffled sounds came from an open cellar door and Lt. Veness cautiously poked his head around to look in, keeping his pistol ready. He found the place jammed with French civilians who were extremely glad to see Canadians. They warned Veness that many Germans were in buildings just ahead.

The platoon went on. Lt. Veness went with Cpl. Bell and as they rounded the next building they came upon two Germans standing by a wall. One ducked quickly, but the other started shooting with a rifle. He was about fifteen yards away and he fired three shots, missing entirely, as Veness emptied his pistol at him. The German fell and never moved. Bell had been changing magazines on his Sten and had not been able to shoot. Two of Bell's men had thrown grenades and the first German had been a victim, too.

By this time the platoon could see the Sherbrooke tanks swinging along the left of the village and picking off any of the enemy who were running to escape the advancing platoons. Lt. Langley and his men were routing all before them and the tanks were having a field day, potting groups of the enemy in all directions. No real resistance was offered either platoon after the initial entry into Authie and soon they were astride the road at the southern outskirts. It was now about 1330 hours and everyone rested and ate some rations. As they waited, Lt. Graves arrived and only a few of his men were with him. He reported the shelling that had been heavy on B Company and others behind and told how his platoon had been caught in it. Strangely, up to that time, very few shells had fallen on Authie.

But now they came. The tanks surviving had to hunt cover. All the carriers retired to cover by a hedge, where more men of Graves' platoon were pinned down. Then the fire became hotter and the carriers, except Captain Gray's, returned to Buron. Captain Gray remained to find out what was happening, and Captain Fraser at once began to get C Company established in defensive positions. Lt.-Col. Petch, with his Command Post at the road junction back of Buron, had tried to get cruiser fire on enemy guns at St. Contest and Gruchie, but communications had failed. No artillery fire could be had as the artillery had been delayed and were not in range of the position. There was no relief on the flanks as the 7th Brigade units on the right, though they reach the Caen-Bayeux highway before dark, were at such a distance that no contact was made with them, while the British 3rd Division on the left was some distance back and didn't get into Galmanche, far back of St. Contest, until a week later. Some German tanks were spotted and C Company dug in on the south side of Authie. They did not know it then, but they had been spotted by a Kurt Meyer force, a Regimental Battle Group from the 12th S. S. Panzer Division, including a battalion of Mark IV Tanks. Meyer was attempting to drive to the coast between the 3rd Canadian Division and the 3rd British Division, but was diverted by running into the Novas at Authie — so much so that he never got his original plan under way.

The platoon of Cameron machine gunners arrived and it was expected that the Pioneers and others would soon make their way through Buron and arrive on the scene. No one was worrying too much; none of those dug in at Authie. They still kept watching the flanks for signs of the British or the 7th Brigade, but everyone felt it was simply a matter of an hour or so before they would be seen.

In the meantime A Company had arrived at Buron from the right side and found that C Company had already passed through. Some prisoners were picked — each succeeding Nova group seemed to find more skulking Jerries in Buron — and four German wounded were found by a wall. On orders from BHQ, Major Rhodenizer then took up a defensive position to the right of the village, a position from which Gruchy was in plain view on the right, and Authie straight ahead. The Intelligence Officer reported that a Panzer Division was moving up to counter-attack and would be a day earlier than had been previously expected. A Company waited in the position for an hour and then was ordered forward to Authie to take up a firm position on the right and so support the vanguard.

As A Company rode forward on the tanks, it came under heavy fire from St. Contest, and Lt. Lou Sutherland with one platoon was carried into Authie, before orders to stop could reach him. The rest of A Company dismounted .from the tanks, which turned back for cover, and began to dig in around a rectangular hedge row on the right of the road, the rear of the company position being just ahead of a wagon road leading over to Grouchy. Major Rhodenizer sent a runner to order Sutherland's platoon back to A Company's area and got busy preparing as good a defensive position as possible. He heard on his wireless that B Company was in trouble, and heard orders for Major Douglas to move his company up and dig in nearby, on the left side of the road. Soon after Major Douglas arrived, walking, to recce a position for his company. Then he started back to get it. Just then word came that the vanguard was being heavily attacked by infantry and tanks, and Major Rhodenizer made ready for an attack on his position. Lt G. A. P. Smith had his platoon on the right of A Company's area, and Lt. J. L. Fairweather was to the left with the other platoon.

Lt. Sutherland, meanwhile, not knowing about the order to stop, dismounted from his tank at the first buildings in Authie and led his platoon forward on foot. Shortly after devastating fire of 88's knocked out the tanks his men had been on. Sutherland then placed his men along the Authie-Cussy road and lent support to the defence of the village. Captain E. S. Gray, who stayed until then observing proceedings, returned to Buron in his carrier and reported there to Major Learment and Lt.-Col. Petch. Captain Fraser reported on his set to Learment that a number of German tanks were closing in on his position. Lt.-Col. Petch ordered Learment to dig in with what men he had, company headquarters and some from Graves' platoon, at the crossroads about 500 yards north of Authie, to conceal his position as much as possible and await the outcome of the tank battle which seemed to be developing.

In the meantime Major Douglas had moved his men behind Captain Gray's carriers, advancing toward Authie with Lt Campbell and his platoon, with some men from Grieve's platoon and Sgt. Bill Baillie with Lt. Brown's platoon except a section leader and two other ranks. Four tanks were going along at the time and B Company kept up with them. Then one tank was knocked out by fire from an 88 based near St. Contest and the other three veered across to the cover of a hedge. The shelling became heavier. Sgt. Baillie took half the men and moved up one side of the road and Lt. Campbell had the rest on the other side. They worked along carefully, crawling most of the time though Major Douglas walked up the centre of the road, but had three more casualties in one hundred yards. They finally reached a hedge near Authie but it offered no defence whatever, and Major Douglas could not see anything that could be used as coyer for his men. The shelling was becoming heavier every minute and there were further casualties. Sgt. Crosson, with his Mortar Section, had been held back by congested traffic after doing his shooting at Les Buissons. He had tried to get up with the two carriers of the Cameron Highlanders but they were too far in advance and he finally made his way through Buron and; went along up the road with B Company and had his carrier at last just outside the first Authie buildings. Now the shelling was at its hottest and Crosson and his men took cover in a ditch. A near burst killed the carrier driver, Foster Daries, and wounded Pte. Tommy Mont in the arm severely. Sgt. Crosson bandaged Mont as best he could, hailed a walking wounded case and told him to help Mont back to Buron. C.S.M. Mackey, of C Company, came along and said it would be better to fall back as the other carriers had returned to Buron, and it would be impossible to go on. So Crosson got his section and went back with Mackey.

Major Douglas decided it would be best to withdraw to a better position, so he moved his men back, taking the wounded along. A carrier going back with several wounded reported that orders were to consolidate at Buron, so Major Douglas tried to check the information. He placed his men in the orchard in front of Buron with Lts. Campbell and Grieve and went to ask Lt.-Col. Petch about the situation. He was told to take B Company up on the left of the road and to dig in, in line with A Company, and as firmly as possible. Major Douglas went up at once and made another recce of the position, which he discussed with Major Rhodenizer, then returned to get his company. But Major Douglas' luck had come to an end. He had seemed to bear a charmed life as he twice gathered his company under shellfire. He had led it up to Authie and back again, losing many but making sure none were left behind, and now he was wounded. His men went to ground in the orchard and Lt. Grieves took over temporarily. B Company up to that time had endured the heaviest shelling and suffered the most casualties.