On June 6, 1944, fourteen thousand Canadian troops landed at Juno Beach in France, a contingent of the D-Day invasion. By August 2, the Canadian forces had successfully advanced further inland than the American army. The Canadians were the tip of the spear and met the most resistance, resulting in a long stalemate. Canadian troops successfully progressed to Bourguébus, but further advance was difficult. On July 31, the Lincoln and Welland Regiment arrived in Bourguébus. Seizing Tilly was the next objective, but the Germans fought hard to keep it. Tilly was defended by the 1st Panzer Division Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler—a group of battle-hardened and vicious German soldiers.
The heavy defences, however, did not deter attempts to capture the village. The North Nova Scotia Highlanders made multiple attempts throughout late July, but some were captured and murdered. On August 1, the Calgary Highlanders breached Tilly, but they were repelled.
This story recounts the attempt that the Lincoln and Welland Regiment made on August 2, specifically the platoon led by Lieutenant Ernie Phair.
Tilly was eventually captured on August 8, after a concerted effort by British, Polish, and Canadian forces. Taking Tilly was part of the turning point for Canadian troops. Their advance after the battle at Tilly was rapid.
This project began in the Fall of 2000, when I was approached by a man at my mother’s funeral who had only just learned that she had been the sister of Lt. Ernie Phair. His name was John Martin and—as a Lieutenant in charge of his own platoon—had been ordered to follow Ernie’s men into the wheat field at Tilly. We sat and talked, and I heard a story that he had never told anyone before. The soldiers under his command had been close enough to witness the debacle that ensued when Ernie’s men were caught in that deadly crossfire, with no ability to fight back. They knew then that none of those men would be able to return to their own lines. The commanding officer came to Martin and told him to proceed into that horror. Martin replied, “be my guest!”—refusing to go, and so likely saving his life and the lives of his men. John Martin went on to engage in many subsequent battles, successfully leading the soldiers of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment.
─── Jim Dolmage (Publisher)