1st KOSB in Normandy

1st KOSB in Normandy An online archive for the 1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers actions during the D-Day/Normandy Campaign in World War 2.

An online archive charting the 1st Bttn KOSB during their time in Normandy. Comprises, War Diaries, Maps, Casualty lists and photographs.

Tuesday 5th September, 1944. Hacqueville to Etrepagny.1st KOSB War Diary Another draft of 30 ORs arrived, mostly from th...
05/09/2026

Tuesday 5th September, 1944. Hacqueville to Etrepagny.

1st KOSB War Diary

Another draft of 30 ORs arrived, mostly from the 59 Div.

"A" & "B" Coys moved to new position at ETREPAGNY, a village 5 kilometres distant.

*

From 9th Infantry Brigade War Diary for 5th September:

1 KOSB moved two of their coys into ETRAPAGNY where there was ample room for men to be accommodated under cover. Their pl weapon firing which was due to take place during the afternoon was, as a consequence, cancelled.

https://graylingmedia.wixsite.com/1stkosbinnormandy/day-by-day/92/91

Sunday 3rd September, 1944. La Chappelle Au Moine to Hacqueville. 1st KOSB are on the move again and slowly making their...
03/09/2026

Sunday 3rd September, 1944. La Chappelle Au Moine to Hacqueville.

1st KOSB are on the move again and slowly making their way out of Normandy in preparation for action in Belgium.

War Diary entry for today in 1944

The Bn left at 0525 hrs arriving at the new area in HACQUEVILLE, South West of ROUEN (5094) at 2100 hrs.

The journey of approximately 147 miles was uneventful and with the exception of one carrier all vehicles arrived without mishap.

The Bn is still in reserve and on short notice to move.

The country in this area shows very little signs of battle and the enemy has shown very little or no opposition in his quick withdrawal.

*

"On the 3rd September we moved by transport to the Pas de Calais, crossing the Seine at Les Andelys, where the 6th Battalion of our own Regiment had recently forced a crossing of the river. We arrived after a fine performance by the transport, at the small village of Hacqueville, not far from Rouen".

WIG Wilson's - A Short History of The First Battalion The King's Own Scottish Borderers in North-West Europe

https://graylingmedia.wixsite.com/1stkosbinnormandy/day-by-day/90/89

Saturday 2nd September, 1944. Preparing to leave La Chappelle Au Moine. From 9th Infantry Brigade War Diary for 2nd Sept...
02/09/2026

Saturday 2nd September, 1944. Preparing to leave La Chappelle Au Moine.

From 9th Infantry Brigade War Diary for 2nd September:

The remainder of the day was spent in preparation for the early move tomorrow morning. A feature of our stay in the FLERS area has been the sterling quality of entertainment provided for the men. Stars of the film and variety world such as Flanagen & Allen, Kay Cavendish, Florence Desmond all having contributed. The weather has been foul to the extreme for the past day or two. In such circumstances the need for an issue, to all ranks, of bivouacs small seems a necessity, the innovation of which would solve many billeting problems in these sparsely housed agricultural areas.

https://graylingmedia.wixsite.com/1stkosbinnormandy/day-by-day/89/88

Tuesday 29th August, 1944. La Chappelle Au Moine. Reinforcement draft arrived of 3 offrs and 7 ORs.Night attack exercise...
29/08/2026

Tuesday 29th August, 1944. La Chappelle Au Moine.

Reinforcement draft arrived of 3 offrs and 7 ORs.

Night attack exercise was carried out.

*

Whilst 1st KOSB were in La Chappelle Au Moine they paid tribute to an American Airman who was shot by the SS.

Summary of the story below and link to the full article here

https://graylingmedia.wixsite.com/1stkosbinnormandy/post/us-airman-shot-by-the-ss-found-by-1st-kosb

The US Airman in question was 2nd Lt Thomas Lee Crow Jr (navigator) aboard US B17 (Flying Fortress) serial No. 42-97353 named 'BEV' after the pilot's wife, Beverley, flying out of Chelveston, Northants, UK with the 305th Bomb group/366th Bomber Squadron.

They failed to return from a 'battle area support' mission when their aircraft was hit by flak over Flers - where the 1st KOSB and American Rainbow Division were meeting heavy resistance.

When 1st KOSB moved into the village of La Chappelle Au Moine and were told about what had happened, they set about finding Thomas' body and giving him a proper burial.

Captain Edward Dishington and members of the Support Company of 1st KOSB carried his body to the local church, flanked by pipers, and gave him a military burial and both a Catholic and Protestant service.

21/08/2026

Developing a series of WW2 Home Front educational activity sheets for primary schools, which will accompany a small hands-on museum display where children can explore and learn about wartime life through artefacts and interactive activities. I'm also exploring how Microsoft Copilot can be used to create engaging, museum-branded worksheet headers.

Monday 21st August, 1944. Boat training near La Chappelle Au Moine, Normandy The Bn carried out special training* for an...
21/08/2026

Monday 21st August, 1944. Boat training near La Chappelle Au Moine, Normandy

The Bn carried out special training* for an assault river crossing operation, using the equipment as follows :-

(a) Class 9 FBE Bridge

(b) 9 Close Support Raft

(c) Storm boats.

This trg was designed for an assault crossing of the SEINE. Owing to recent news bulletins, however, it does not appear probable that this will be necessary.

Read the detailed plan for 1st KOSBs preparation for crossing the Meuse later next month.

Sunday 20th August 1944. Flers to La Chappelle Au Moine. Advance party left to recce new area in the vicinity of LA CHAP...
20/08/2026

Sunday 20th August 1944. Flers to La Chappelle Au Moine.

Advance party left to recce new area in the vicinity of LA CHAPELLE AU MOINE at 0645 hrs.

Main body arrived at Bn HQ 851161 at 1215 hrs.

The rest of the day was spent getting the troops settled in the new area.

An invitation was extended to all RCs in the Battalion to attend a Service at the local church.

https://graylingmedia.wixsite.com/1stkosbinnormandy/day-by-day/76/75

Thursday 17 August, 1944. LandisacQ to Foret D'Halouze1st KOSB War Diary The Bn was ordered to sweep a large area of cou...
17/08/2026

Thursday 17 August, 1944. LandisacQ to Foret D'Halouze

1st KOSB War Diary

The Bn was ordered to sweep a large area of country SOUTH of FLERS.

Companies were taken out in 3 ton lorries and at 1100 hrs the sweeping started. A holiday atmosphere was obvious ahead, and the men and vehicles were soon covered with flowers pressed on them by the French.

Five prisoners only were found although the area included the large FORET D'HALOUZE.

An enemy gun park and three tanks - one of them a Panther in good condition were found. It was evident that a fairly large proportion of German armour had used this area in its retreat towards the gap between FALAISE and ARGENTAN.

*

From 9th Infantry Brigade War Diary for 17th August:

A quiet day; 6 German prisoners, mainly deserters and stragglers of Russian origin were brought in. On being interrogated, they all gave evidence of the complete state of chaos existing among the Wehrmacht in this area, and confirmed the stories of hy cas sustained through the med of our arty. The prisoners represented 84 Inf Div, 9 SS Div and 3 and 5 Para Divs.

The search, (Landisacq area) which commenced at 0900 hrs, brought to light quite a number of interesting items of enemy eqpt, chief among these being a Panther tk in good condition abandoned at LE CHALIER 853133 - other items were a gun dump containing 10 guns of varied calibre, most of them in good condition, at 847175 and three burned out tks scattered around the area.

https://graylingmedia.wixsite.com/1stkosbinnormandy/day-by-day/73/72

Wounded in Normandy. Pte Fred Tattersall. Fred Tattersall was born on 12 March 1920 in Smallbrook, Lancashire. He left s...
16/08/2026

Wounded in Normandy. Pte Fred Tattersall.

Fred Tattersall was born on 12 March 1920 in Smallbrook, Lancashire. He left school at 14 to work as an apprentice artisan, but soon enlisted (under age) into the Territorial Army in 1936.

Two years later, he joined the King’s Own Scottish Borderers and, after completing his depot training at Berwick-upon-Tweed, was posted to the 1st Battalion in Portsmouth. Upon the outbreak of WWII, the battalion was sent to France as part of the 9th Brigade, 3rd Division which was commanded by General Montgomery, returning via Dunkirk on 02 June 1940.

He was wounded again in April 1945 in Germany when he stepped on a land mine and was ferried back to England for treatment. He ended up having his lower leg amputated and was discharged from the Army.

There's a remembrance plaque for Fred, and his wife, Marian in Sannerville in Normandy. (Bottom right on photo - courtesy of Rob Bowie)

Photo from the BLESMA website.

https://graylingmedia.wixsite.com/1stkosbinnormandy/1st-kosb-wounded/3189428

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