CAMBES-EN-PLAINE Calvados - 2 km north of Caen
Guerrilla and trench warfare
The British troops still hoped to seize Caen on 7 June 1944. But that day, they encountered an enemy they learned to fear : the SS of the Hitlerjugend Panzer-Division. Facing the onrush of the 1st Grenadier Battalion Regiment 25 in front of Cambes-en-Plaine, the British had to fall back. On 9 June, the Irish of the 2nd Battalion The Royal Ulster Rifles, supported by tanks attacked toward Cambes-en-Plaine. They reached a little wood in the north cleared by the Germans, but they were soon taken under a shower of shells from the German artillery. The German grenadiere diged in and strengthen their positions. For a month, it delimited the front line and a no man’s land delivered to commando actions of the two sides. Cambes-en-Plaine was taken during the Operation Charnwood launched on Caen on 8 July.

   
 
 
 
British cemetery
224 British soldiers are buried in this cemetery, located in the vicinity of Cambes-en-Plaine. They belonged in majority to two regiments which fought to liberate Caen : the 7th Battalion The South Staffordshire Regiment and the 6th Battalion The North Staffordshire Regiment (59th Staffordshire Infantry Division)
Situation : in the vicinity, north of the town (follow the road-sign)

 
   
Royal Ulster Rifles monument
Monument in memory of soldiers of the 2nd Battalion The Royal Ulster Rifles who liberated Cambes-en-Plaine on 9 June 1944, and gave their life for freedom in Normandy, from 6 June to 16 September 1944.
Situation : near Cambes-en-Plaine cemetery

  59th Division, 43rd Division and Royal Ulster Rifles monument
Monument in memory of the 59th Staffordshire Infantry Division and the 3rd Infantry Division soldiers, who liberated Cambes-en-Plaine. A plaque commemorates the 2nd Battalion The Royal Ulster Rifles.
Situation : in the town centre

ROAD MAP
 
INTERESTING WEB SITES

Cambes-en-Plaine city web site
http://perso.wanadoo.fr/cambesenplaine/

Commonwealth War Graves Commission web site

http://www.cwgc.org
Personal web site about the German Army
http://www.feldgrau.com/index.html

Calvados departmental tourism office web site
http://www.calvados-tourisme.com/

 
All rights of photos, texts, maps and graphics design are reserved