Buron
Bretteville-l'Orgueilleuse
Canadian Memorial
Early on June 7th the 7th Canadian Brigade reached RN 13, Regina Rifles stepped in Bretteville-l'Orgueilleuse and Norrey-en-Bessin without fighting. Royal Winnipeg Rifles Regiment were west of Putot-en-Bessin. On the 8th, 12th SS Panzer-Division was driven out Norrey. In Putot the Winnipeg were overwhelmed. Canadian Scottish Regiment counters attack Putot and secures it. In the evening the kampfgruppe Meyer-Wunsche attacked Bretteville; Canadian anti-tanks destroy several panzers.
At Bretteville main road (N13) 2 Panthers engage fighting just before the church, Joe Lapointe fired with his Piat 2 rockets, the head tank reversed and hit a pile of anti-tank mines stored along the road. The tank was rendered useless but the occupants, still alive tried to escape and then were killed by Sergeant Allen Kennedy signal platoon who passed away in 1996/97. The second tank totally panicked and fired all around, until it fired a direct hit in the front tank turret.
On 11 June, the Winnipegs counter-attacked with support of The First Hussars tanks, but don't break the German defences. Then the front line was stabilized for two weeks. Take few minutes to enter the church, on the nave left side there is a magnificent plaque dedicated to the 6th Canadian Armored Division, 1st Hussards, Regina...