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Lost in Normandy: the Odyssey of Worthington Force, 9 August 1944

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Lost in Normandy: the Odyssey of Worthington Force, 9 August 1944 Lost in Normandy The Odyssey of Worthington Force, 9 August 1944 Mike Bechthold he lamentable story of speculated “it seems clear that the Abstract: The standard account of regiment, fighting its first battle, TWorthington Force is well Worthington Force is well known – on 9 known. During the second phase August 1944 during Operation Totalize and advancing across country with of Operation Totalize a battlegroup a battlegroup formed by the tanks of few landmarks and dealing with formed by the tanks of the British the British Columbia Regiment and scattered opposition as it did so, Columbia Regiment and the infantry the infantry of the Algonquin Regiment simply lost its way.”1 After setting was ordered to capture Point 195. of the Algonquin Regiment was Unbeknownst to anyone, including out for Point 195 in the early morning ordered to capture a piece of high the men of Worthington Force, the hours of 9 August the battlegroup ground known as Point 195. In the battlegroup lost its way in the dark encountered enemy fire diverting it pre-dawn darkness of 9 August 1944 and found itself on a different piece of from its intended route. As dawn the battlegroup set out on its mission. high ground, near Point 140, some six broke high ground, assumed to be kilometres northeast of their objective. Rather than capturing Point 195, Cut off from any support, Worthington their destination, was sighted directly they found themselves on a different Force was destroyed by concerted ahead. Stacey surmised that the piece of high ground, near Point 140, German attacks over the course of the battlegroup mistook a straight section some six kilometres northeast of their day. Based on new archival research and of the road running from Estrées-la- objective. Soon after daybreak the an examination of contemporary aerial Campagne to Mazières for the main photographs, this article will show how battlegroup was heavily attacked by the battlegroup lost its way as well as Caen-Falaise highway. After crossing German units in the area. Lieutenant- reveal that the battlegroup was not as this road the battlegroup found Colonel D.G. Worthington, the out of touch as previous accounts have a defensible position on the high commanding officer of the BCRs indicated. ground and dug in. The battlegroup and the overall commander of the was repeatedly attacked by German force, made the fateful decision to But nobody knew where to find forces until early evening when the stay put and await reinforcements. Worthington Force. Communications position was finally overun ending Unfortunately, nobody came to their with the battlegroup were lost before the desperate battle. How could this rescue. Though small bodies of troops noon on 9 August and the limited happen? That a battlegroup could get were able to escape, Worthington attempts to find it were focussed on lost and ultimately destroyed before Force was destroyed losing 240 men the vicinity of Point 195. Intermittent reinforcements could arrive was killed, wounded and captured, 47 radio communications between the unprecedented in Normandy, and tanks and numerous other armoured battlegroup and rear elements were perhaps in the course of the Second vehicles and half-tracks. made during the course of the day World War. The closest example was The odyssey of Worthington as were contacts with elements of the destruction of elements of the Force is one of the great enigmas of the Polish Armoured Division, the British 22nd Armoured Brigade at the Normandy campaign. In their artillery and aircraft of 2nd Tactical Villers-Bocage on 13 June 1944, but advance to Point 140 the battlegroup Air Force but the location of the it was never lost and its casualties crashed through the last major German battlegroup was never relayed to HQ were much lower than those of defensive line, effectively opening 4th Canadian Armoured Brigade Worthington Force.2 the way to Falaise. Reinforcing this (4th CAB). Until now this was our best breakthrough with additional troops How did Worthington Force understanding of the destruction might have caused the entire German get lost? C.P. Stacey, the official of the battlegroup. Recently, new front north of Falaise to collapse. historian of the Canadian army, photographic evidence has emerged. © Canadian Military History, Volume 19, Number 2, Spring 2010, pp.5-24. 5 The Laurier Centre for Military (Gouvix) could not be identified. Strategic and Disarmament Studies Unfortunately a number of American possesses a collection of Second aircraft dropped their bombs short World War aerial reconnaissance hitting Canadian and Polish troops photographs. Among the hundreds causing over 350 casualties (including of boxes of images are a number more than 65 men killed). This friendly containing images taken on 9 August bombing caused serious difficulties 1944. A careful examination of these in the rear area, and to the Polish photographs reveals a great deal Armoured Division in particular, about the odyssey of Worthington but it did not prevent 4th Canadian Force. The entire path of the Armoured Division (4th CAD) from 113649 PA Canada (LAC) Library and Archives battlegroup can be traced, from the starting their attack on time. The 10th British Columbia Regiment (BCR) Archives (BCR) Archives British Columbia Regiment time it left its harbour north of Canadian Infantry Brigade, led by the Cintheaux until its final arrival Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders southeast of Estrées-la-Campagne. of Canada, captured the villages of The air photos reveal information Cintheaux and Hautmesnil by last about the route of the battlegroup, light. Renewed German resistance, the resistance it encountered along however, prevented the expected the way, locations where tanks breakout. Lieutenant-General Guy and vehicles were destroyed and Simonds, the commander of 2nd evidence regarding German reactions Canadian Corps, was not satisfied to the breakthrough of the Canadian with this progress and during the force. Most importantly, the air course of the day was constantly photos provide evidence to support urging the armour to move faster.4 a new hypothesis about how the The disappointing pace on battlegroup got lost. This article will 8 August led Simonds to order re-examine the events of 9 August his armoured units to continue 1944 which culminated with the advancing in the dark. However, destruction of Worthington Force and night operations for tanks are difficult provide a better understanding of and Canadian and Polish armoured why and how things went so terribly units generally halted operations wrong. and withdrew to harbours to await Lieutenant-Colonel Donald Worthington dawn.5 The lack of a breakout also was the commanding officer of the * * * * * British Columbia Regiment. He was forced a reshuffling of assignments peration Totalize, launched late considered by Major-General George for the next day. Halpenny Force, Oon 7 August 1944, was a major Kitching, the commander of 4th composed of the Canadian Grenadier armoured offensive designed to break Canadian Armoured Division, to be “the Guards (CGG) and the Lake Superior outstanding regimental commander through the German positions south Regiment, was originally tasked in the armoured brigade…he was the of Caen and open the way to Falaise. youngest, full of energy and quick to to capture Point 195. The control At 2300 hours 1,020 Lancasters and seize an opportunity.” of this high ground was seen as Halifaxes of RAF Bomber Command essential for any advance to Falaise. commenced dropping 3,462 tons The momentum of the attack However, Halpenny Force had been of bombs to open the attack. The was to be maintained in the second unable to advance past Hautmesnil ground attack started 30 minutes phase of Totalize by committing 4th on 8 August. Brigadier E.L. Booth, later. The first phase of Totalize was Canadian and 1st Polish Armoured commander of the 4th CAB, now remarkably successful. The attack Divisions. Again the attack was ordered Halpenny Force to capture did not go exactly as planned but to be led by heavy bombers, this the village of Bretteville-le-Rabet in less than 24 hours the infantry of time supplied by the US Eighth Air while a fresh formation - Worthington the 2nd Canadian and 51st Highland Force. The bombing started at 1226 Force – was ordered to reach Point Divisions, supported by the 2nd hours on 8 August and was largely 195 by first light. The stage was Canadian and 33rd British Armoured accurate, hitting three of four targets now set for the dramatic events of 9 Brigades, had pushed more than (Bretteville-sur-Laize, St. Sylvain and August 1944.6 nine kilometres into the German Hautmesnil/Cauvicourt) with good defences.3 concentrations while a fourth target * * * * * 6 Library and Archives Canada (LAC) PA 113649 PA Canada (LAC) Library and Archives Sherman tanks and other vehicles of the 4th Canadian Armoured Brigade await the order to move, 8 August 1944. this advance, unlike the Governor officer, Lieutentant J.T. Jenkinson, The Breakthough General’s Foot Guard which lost two recorded, “As we left the conference, tanks to mine strikes. At last light, Col. Worthington commented quietly or the Algonquin Regiment, the the BCRs pulled into a laager north and off the record about the changes Ffirst day of operations was one of of Cintheaux where it “blackhorsed in the original plan. He recounted slow advances and great monotony. in an open field.”8 the Principles of War and how so The men boarded armoured half- Just before midnight on 8 August, many of them had been violated tracks in Vaucelles (just south of Lieutenant-Colonel Worthington was and that we would need luck if we Caen) before midnight on 7 August called to the brigade orders group (O were to, ‘bring it off.’”9 By the time shortly before the column headed Group).
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