SAINT-AIGNAN-DE-CRAMESNIL/CONTEVILLE
Calvados - 10 km and 14 km south of Caen
Totalize should not repeat Goodwood errors
Since the Operation Goodwood on 20 July 1944 the front line was stabilized south of Caen. The most coveted objective remained Falaise. At the beginning of August the IInd Canadian Corps commanded by General Simonds was assigned the mission of piercing the German lines. General Simonds and his staff proceeded with plans for the Operation Totalize by showing a lot of imagination. On 8 August after half an hour shelling tanks and carried infantry sprang about midnight. But smoke, dust and bombs craters where the spearhead tanks fell in, caused considerable chaos in combat units of the 51st Highland Infantry Division who attacked on both sides of Falaise main road. But the progression started again west of the road, supported by the Sherman of the 1st Northamptonshire Yeomanry of the 33rd Armoured Brigade, the 154th Brigade took Crasmenil and Saint-Aignan. On 9 August the following day the Scots liberated Conteville.
  
     
   
 
     
 
 43rd, 49th and 51st Infantry Divisions monument
Conteville
Monument in memory of soldiers of the 43rd Wessex Infantry Division, the 49th West Riding Infantry Division and the 51st Highland Infantry Division, who died for the liberation of the town on 13 August 1944.
Situation : north of the town, in a meadow behind the village hall

 
 

Northamptonshire Yeomanry stele
Saint-Aignan-de-Crasmenil
Stele dedicated to the Northamptonshire Yeomanry Regiment soldiers, who were killed to liberate Conteville on 7 and 8 August 1944.
Situation : in front of the town hall

  
 
  Major Donald Stokes stele
Conteville
Stele in memory of Major Robert Donald Stokes of the 4th Battalion Royal Lincolnshire Regiment, killed there on 13 August 1944 in the fighting to liberate the town.
Situation : at the eastern exit of the town, at the edge of the D80 road toward Beneauville
ROAD MAP
 
INTERESTING WEB SITES
Saint-Aignan de Cramesnil city web site - page about the liberation
http://www.saint-aignan-de-cramesnil.com
Personal web site about the Normandy battle - texts and photographs
http://www.warchronicle.com/dday/contents.htm
Web site about the Royal Air Force – squadrons and airfields
http://www.rafcommands.currantbun.com/home.html
Calvados departmental tourism office web site
http://www.calvados-tourisme.com/
 
All rights of photos, texts, maps and graphics design are reserved