LE MESNIL-PATRY Calvados - 10 km west of Caen The Canadians were kept in check by the Hitlerjugend On 7 July 1944, the 7th Brigade under Brigadier Foster progressed easily west of Caen. The Royal Winnipeg Rifles took Secqueville-en-Bessin and Putot-en-Bessin, meanwhile the Regina Rifles Regiment captured Norrey-en-Bessin and Bretteville-l’Orgueilleuse. But the Canadian offensive was stopped by the 12nd SS Panzer-Division that just had arrived on the battlefield. On 11 June, the Canadians launched an attack in the Mue valley; the Germans used this wooded and deep valley to harass the Canadians. The infantry of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada were riding atop the First Hussars tanks, they started the attack from Norrey, they went through Le Mesnil Patry but a violent counter-attack of mixed infantry and Panzers of the 12nd Hitlerjugend Division pushed back the Canadians with heavy losses. Le Mesnil Patry had been lost, and was seized again with the Operation Epsom, on 25 June.
The Queen's Own Rifles monument Monument in memory of Canadian soldiers of The Queen's Own Rifle of Canada of the 5th Brigade (3rd Infantry Division) killed during the Battle of Normandy, and for liberation of Le Mesnil-Patry in June 1944. Situation : in the town, facing the church
ROAD MAP			INTERESTING WEB SITES Web page about the Operation Epsom http://www.valourandhorror.com/DB/ISSUE/Epsom.htm Personal web site about the German Army http://www.feldgrau.com/index.html Personal web site about the Canadian Army http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/ Calvados departmental tourism office web site http://www.calvados-tourisme.com/ Personal web site about the German tanks http://www.achtungpanzer.com/profiles.htm   All rights of photos, texts, maps and graphics design are reserved