ABOUT THE EVENT

The Normandy Campaign

8^th Battalion (Lothians and Peeblesshire)

 The Royal Scots (The Royal Regiment)

The 8^th Battalion landed on Sword Beach between 13 and 18 June 1944 for the initial assault of the Normandy Campaign.  The majority of personnel arrived early in the period with transport and other equipment arriving later.  The Battalion regrouped in a concentration area near Brecy, 10 miles northwest of Caen, on 18 June and was then involved in operations throughout the Normandy Campaign from 19 June – 23 August, mainly in the area between Bayeux and Caen and around Tourville.  The Battalion sustained 89 killed, largely during actions during 16 – 19 June and 26 – 29 July.  Most of those killed from the 8^th Battalion are buried or commemorated in cemeteries in the local area.

The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary’s)

The Canadian Scottish Regiment has been affiliated to The Royal Scots since the 1927 and is commemorated by a memorial in the main hall of The Royal Scots Club.  The 1^st Battalion landed on Juno Beach on D-Day (6 June 1944) and advanced 6 miles inland on the first day of the Normandy Campaign, more than any other battalion of the British Second Army.  On the night of 8 – 9 June the Battalion prevented a German counter-attack near Putot-en-Basin from reaching the beaches; this action was a major contributory factor to establishing a secure beach-head and thus the success of the landings.  During the period 6 – 9 June the Battalion suffered 2 officers and 61 men killed and 7 officers and 124 men wounded, with a further 13 men missing.

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