Monty's Men Commemorative Trip to Normandy - June 2014

 

2014 saw Monty’s Men once again return to Normandy, this time as 4th Battalion Somerset Light Infantry (SLI) Regiment as part of the 129th Infantry Brigade of the of the 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division during Operation Bluecoat and subsequent actions. The 43rd Wessex (otherwise known as "The Fighting Wessex Wyverns") suffered the highest rate of casualties of all Divisions engaged in North West Europe campaign. An example being that of the original 37 members of 18 Platoon that landed in Normandy, only one remained when the war ended. The tactical phase was centered around Mont Pincon where on the slopes approaching the high ground the platoon dug in and patrolled in readiness for a dawn assault on the summit of Mont Pincon.