Glanwyn Williams was my cousin, once removed, so the son of my great uncle and aunt. I only knew him from an old picture my father came across whilst looking through my grandmothers papers and many years, when researching my family history, I came across him again. Using the original war diaries at the National Archive and Michelin maps, I followed his path across Normandy, and so to his final resting place. He came from Trefil, a small quarrying village on the edge of the Brecon Beacons, home to most of his extended family, including his cousin, my father. This is his journey.
Glanwyn Williams was a member of the 1st Battalion (Bn) of the Welsh Guards. He set sail for France with the Bn on 19th June 1944 from Tilbury and the Bn went into camps near Bayeux. For most of July the Bn moved and camped in the area around the South-West of Caen. In the rest of Normandy, the German Army was being surrounded in a area known as the Falaise pocket. The Guards Division (which was armoured) was moving South West into the area occupied by the Germans.
On 4th August, the Bn had advanced to an area a few miles north of the town of Vire. This is typical Normandy countryside, rolling hills, rural, dotted with small villages. They attacked and captured a village called Montchamp, where a fierce battle took place. The Welshmen (who had no Tanks or Anti Tank guns) were then pushed out by a counter attack by the 9th SS Panzer Division. The 1st Bn dug in to the north of the village. This action cost them 33 killed and 78 wounded.
A plaque was erected in 1994 on the wall of the Masion (village administrative house) commemorates the ‘Liberation’ of the village by the Bn. Also in the village is a large memorial to the members of the French Resistance who were killed around the same time.
There were then a few quiet days and the on 9th August the Bn moved to the south of Montchamp to an area called Le Bas Perrier. This is in the small river valley of the River Alliere, which has a few villages dotted in it. The actual ‘hamlet’ of Le Bas Perrier is little more than a row of houses. On August 9th, the area was a salient of British territory surrounded by the 9th Panzers. On the 10th, the Bn was shelled and dug itself in.
On 11th August, a Friday, the Guards Division attacked. There is fierce fighting in the close countryside and the six tanks of the Irish Guards are destroyed. The Bn Aid post takes a direct hit from a shell and the Medical Office is wounded. There is a lull at Midday but by 1600 all the Companies had reached their objectives. The 5th Coldsteam Guards took the village of Chenededolle which overlooks the valley. Later some of the Companies withdraw as the Germans still held the flanks and the Le Bas Perrier area remained the Bn pivot. A memorial now stands beside the road to commemorate the battle.
At the end of August 11th , 34 men of the 1st Bn Welsh Guards have been killed and 84 wounded. One of these was Glanwyn Williams. He was 20 years old.
On August 14th, the Bn log records that all the dead were given a ‘proper and reverent’ burial in tended ground near the Bn HQ. Later many of these men were then re-interred at the small Commonwealth War Cemetery at St Charles-de-Percy, about a mile from Monchamp. On August 19th, the Bn moved on
For some reason Glanwyn’s body was moved to one of the principal Normandy War Cemeteries, in Bayeux. Other Welsh Guardsmen killed around the same time are buried near him. The cemetery contains the graves of 4000 men killed in the Normandy battles. The inscription on Glanwyn’s tombstone reads,
“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die”.
Glanwyn Williams was a member of the 1st Battalion (Bn) of the Welsh Guards. He set sail for France with the Bn on 19th June 1944 from Tilbury and the Bn went into camps near Bayeux. For most of July the Bn moved and camped in the area around the South-West of Caen. In the rest of Normandy, the German Army was being surrounded in a area known as the Falaise pocket. The Guards Division (which was armoured) was moving South West into the area occupied by the Germans.
On 4th August, the Bn had advanced to an area a few miles north of the town of Vire. This is typical Normandy countryside, rolling hills, rural, dotted with small villages. They attacked and captured a village called Montchamp, where a fierce battle took place. The Welshmen (who had no Tanks or Anti Tank guns) were then pushed out by a counter attack by the 9th SS Panzer Division. The 1st Bn dug in to the north of the village. This action cost them 33 killed and 78 wounded.
A plaque was erected in 1994 on the wall of the Masion (village administrative house) commemorates the ‘Liberation’ of the village by the Bn. Also in the village is a large memorial to the members of the French Resistance who were killed around the same time.
There were then a few quiet days and the on 9th August the Bn moved to the south of Montchamp to an area called Le Bas Perrier. This is in the small river valley of the River Alliere, which has a few villages dotted in it. The actual ‘hamlet’ of Le Bas Perrier is little more than a row of houses. On August 9th, the area was a salient of British territory surrounded by the 9th Panzers. On the 10th, the Bn was shelled and dug itself in.
On 11th August, a Friday, the Guards Division attacked. There is fierce fighting in the close countryside and the six tanks of the Irish Guards are destroyed. The Bn Aid post takes a direct hit from a shell and the Medical Office is wounded. There is a lull at Midday but by 1600 all the Companies had reached their objectives. The 5th Coldsteam Guards took the village of Chenededolle which overlooks the valley. Later some of the Companies withdraw as the Germans still held the flanks and the Le Bas Perrier area remained the Bn pivot. A memorial now stands beside the road to commemorate the battle.
At the end of August 11th , 34 men of the 1st Bn Welsh Guards have been killed and 84 wounded. One of these was Glanwyn Williams. He was 20 years old.
On August 14th, the Bn log records that all the dead were given a ‘proper and reverent’ burial in tended ground near the Bn HQ. Later many of these men were then re-interred at the small Commonwealth War Cemetery at St Charles-de-Percy, about a mile from Monchamp. On August 19th, the Bn moved on
For some reason Glanwyn’s body was moved to one of the principal Normandy War Cemeteries, in Bayeux. Other Welsh Guardsmen killed around the same time are buried near him. The cemetery contains the graves of 4000 men killed in the Normandy battles. The inscription on Glanwyn’s tombstone reads,
“To live in hearts we leave behind is not to die”.
