Kenneth Gordon Lilley
Below is part of the war diaries of the battalion from D-Day
6th June until 21st July, when Kenneth was killed.
6th June – Battalion was placed at six hours notice to move
to the Marshalling Area. The Advance Party consisting of Battalion 2IC and 1
rep from each Company was placed at 2 hours notice to move. All ranks were
confined within a radius of 5 miles from Battalion HQ.
All transport was loaded.
7th-12th June – Companies spent these five days in Admin and training, which
included of Fighting and Recce Patrols.
12th June – The Divisional Commander, Major-General RK Ross, DSO, MC addressed
the Brigade Group. He stressed the need for avoiding unnecessary casualties and
said that 53rd Division was the first Welsh formation to go into battle in this
War.
14th June – Imprest Acs were closed by Companies and all personnel were paid
the equivalent of £1 sterling in French currency. Personnel were also allowed
to change any sterling in their possession into French currency, and were also
given the opportunity of crediting their A/C [accounts?] with any surplus
sterling in their possession. Continental maps of battle area was issued. These
were of the scales 1-250000 and 1-50000.
16th June – Advance Party left billet area at 2300 hours and proceeded by road
to Canning Town, London. Party consisted of Battalion 2IC and five ORs.
Location: Canning Town
17th – 20th June – Advance party spent these four days in the Marshalling Area.
Location: East India Dock
20th June – Advance Party embarked at 1600 hours.
Location: France
27th June – Advance party landed at Jug Beach 37601883 at 1900 hours. They
passed through Assembly Areas at 37551865 and arrived at Concentration Area
37641745 at 2100 hours.
Location: Herne Bay
17th June – Marching Party entrained and proceeded to Marshalling Area at
Lingfield – Haywards Heath.
Location: Lingfield
18th – 24th June – Marching party remained in marshalling area.
Location: Newhaven
24th June – C and D Companies, and half of HQ and half of Pioneer Platoon
embarked at 1400 hours.
A and D Companies and remainder of HQ Company and Pioneer Platoon embarked at
1700 hours.
Location: France
26th June – C and D Companies, half of HQ Company and half of Pioneer Platoon
landed on Jig Beach 38831867 at 1330 hours. They then proceeded to Assembly
Area and reached Concentration area 37581728 the same day.
A and B Companies, half of HQ Company and half of Pioneer Platoon disembarked
on K Beach at 1500 hours. Proceeded to 37641745.
27th June – At 0400 hours, A and B Companies, half HQ Company and half Pioneer
Platoon left to join remainder of Marching Party at Concentration area 37581728
at 1230 hours.
18th June – Vehicle Party left for Marshalling Area at Purfleet, London at 0300
hours. It arrived 1200 hours.
Location: Furfleet
19th June – Vehicle party spent day completing Waterproofing.
Location: East India Dock
20th June – Vehicle party embarked on SS ‘Empire Portia’.
Location:Subles
28th June – Vehicle party landed and proceeded to Concentration Area Subles
7776.
Battalion concentrated and unpacked vehicles.
29th June – Battalion spent day reorganising and resting.
30th June – Battalion was ordered to move to area Bronay 889714. The move was
completed at 1500 hours. Companies took up positions as follows:- A Company at
895699, B Company at 889708, C Company at 898710, D Company at 892718 and
Battalion HQ at 889714.
1st – 31st July
Commanding Officer: Lieutenant-Colonel ERG Ripley
Location: Bronay
1st July – 0015 – Battalion left to take up position in line passing through le
Mesnil-Patry, Cheux, Coleville and Mondrainville.
Location: Coleville
- 0230 – As C Company marched down road from Coleville to Mondrainville, they
suffered 30-40 casualties through heavy shelling.
Location: Le Valtru
- [0600?[1]]
– The Commanding Officer, Lieutenant-Colonel ERG Ripley was killed in action.
The Battalion 2 IC, Major JS Morrison-Jones assumed command of the Battalion.
Commanding Officer: Major JS Morrison-Jones
0600 – Take over from a Battalion of Seaforths of 46 Brigade, 15 Division, was
completed. Battalion HQ was established at 911637.
0630 – Position was heavily mortared and snipers were active in Battalion area.
Mortaring continued all day.
2300 – An extensive minefield was laid across our immediate front to prevent
infiltration of enemy armour.
2nd July – 1300 – It was thought that the enemy had withdrawn on our immediate
front, and 2 platoons of infantry and the Carrier Platoon were pushed forward
along the road West from le Valtru. Their intended objective was the line South
and North from Bas des Forges to Hautes des Forges. This was not completely
realised, the enemy holding our advance up with light machine gun and mortar
fire.
- 1900 – Commanding Officer received orders to hand over Battalion position to 4
Welch and occupy positions in the area of Coleville by first light, 3rd July.
This was completed, the anti-tank platoon being left with 4 Welch to assist
them until 1100 hours 3rd July 44.
Location: Coleville
3rd July – 0430 – Battalion occupied position with Battalion HQ established at
39231651. The remainder of the day was spent reorganising and resting. The
Battalion was now in Brigade reserve.
The casualties incurred in the previous 2 days fighting amounted to
approximately 150.
4th July – Battalion spent a quiet day. At 1400 hours, Lieutenant-Colonel ERG
Ripley was buried at Bronay. The burial was attended by Major BEW McCall and
Captain FE Crane. A Company came under command 2 Mons to fill a gap between
their left forward Company and right hand forward Company of 159 Brigade.
5th July – A Company remained under command 2 Mons. Battalion received 32
replacements, 25 from RHU and 7 from 4 Welch Another 7 were loaned to us from 2
Mons on instructions of South Wales Infantry Brigade. A counter-mortar
observation post was set up to try and discover the location of enemy mortars
by flash spotting and bearings to sound.
6th July – Battalion remained in area of Coleville with A Company still under
command 2 Mons. The Battalion was given a counter-attack role onto 2 Mons and 4
Welch positions. A squadron of tanks was placed under command. The Battalion
was not required to counter-attack.
7th July – The Battalion area remained in Coleville. A system of rest for
Battalion personnel was instituted. These LOB personnel.(50 each day) were sent
back to A Echelon area at Louielles for 48 hours complete rest out of enemy gun
range. The Battalion was not used in its counter-attack role.
8th July – The Battalion remained in area of Coleville. The only activity was a
certain amount of spasmodic shelling.
9th July – There was little activity on Battalion front. The Battalion area was
shelled spasmodically.
10th July – The Battalion spent another quiet morning. CO received orders at
1300 hours from Brigadier that the Battalion was to take over positions in the
line, 6 Royal Scots at are Tourmaville les Vilains. A recce party went out at
1400 hours and take over was completed by 0100 hours 11 July 44. The Battalion
remainder under command 44 Brigade.
11th July – There was very little activity on Battalion front. Spasmodic mortar
and shelling caused 4 casualties. The Battalion sent out one recce patrol at
2300 hours and an ambush party of 1 Officer and 10 ORs laid up in an area 300
yards forward of our forward defended localities.
12th July – Patrols returned at 0330 hours and reported no enemy activity on
our front. Royal Artillery 53rd Division counter-mortar, Intelligence Staff
issued a report on the progress made in location in enemy mortars (Appendix
II). Lieutenant-Colonel JT Gibson, The Welch Regiment, assumed command of the
Battalion, taking over from Major JS Morrison-Jones.
5 Officers and 55 ORs were sent to A Echelon for a rest of 48 hours.
Commanding Officer: Lieutenant-Colonel JT Gibson Morrison-Jones
13th July – Patrol returning at 0130 hours had made contact with the enemy in a
gully 926618. They were fired upon by a machine gun at 10 yards range. AN agent
was passed through our lines on the road Tourmaville – Esquay at 0015 hours. At
0403 hours the Battalion area was mortared by an enemy Nebelwerfer, firing from
area Gavrus 9161. No casualties suffered.
1300 – A force consisting of the battle cadre and 1 platoon of A Company, the
whole commanded by Captain WJ Picton, was briefed with a view to going out at
2100 hours to the gully 926616 and Gvrus 9261 for the purpose of obtaining a
prisoner.
2140 – The force was engaged whilst in the area of the Gully by six enemy
machine guns from 926614, 926617, 922618, 923616, 923618. They attempted to get
forward under covering fire of our own light machine guns but were unable to do
so.
2200 – D Company forward platoon reported an enemy machine gun firing on fixed
line from area 9462 across the front to the Gully.
2210 – Mortar Platoon were told to stand by.
2220 – Fighting force withdrew slightly in order to reorganise. Two casualties
had been reported.
2315 – One Regiment of Arty laid down a concentration of high explosive on the
area of the Gully. Mortar platoon fired sixty rounds.
2320 – Force was ordered to stand by and await orders. Commanding Officer asked
Brigade for permission to withdraw force as the making of a completely new plan
for attack on the enemy position was not considered feasible.
2330 – The Brigadier left the decision as to whether the force was withdrawn or
not to the Commanding Officer. The force was withdrawn at 2335 hours, having
suffered 2 casualties.
14th July – 0200 – A concentration of arty was laid on the Gully supported by
fire from the Battalion Mortar Platoon.
0430 – This was again fired at 0430 hours.
0900 – Owing to the fact that the fighting patrol failed to capture a prisoner
last night, the Division Commander asked for a report and marked aerial
photograph showing details of located enemy machine guns. The Division Commander
ordered that another attempt be made tonight.
1400 – An O Group was held at Battalion HQ to plan for the night’s attack.
Attending was Officer Commanding 133 Field Regiment RA, Officer Commanding 1st
Manchester. A fire plan was decided upon including field arty, 4.2” mortar, 3”
Mortars, Machine gun platoon.
1445 – A standing patrol was sent forward by A Company to area 925621. Line
communication was established from them to A Company HQ.
1715 0 A Company standing patrol reported no movement in the Gully 926617 but
that enemy mortars were active in the area 921619.
2040 – Observation post reported that an enemy tank had been seen at 927606 but
later opinion changed and tank was identified as a gun.
2045 – 3 patrols of 6 Battalion, Kings Own Scottish Borderers reported to
Battalion HQ on the way out. They were held at Battalion HQ in view of the fact
that the attack was going in by A Company and the shelling, mortar and machine
gun fire would be coming down on their route out.
2400 – Supporting arms opened up on fire plan, and the raiding force consisting
of 3 platoons commenced the attack to obtain prisoner.
15th July – 0020 – Leading platoons reached the Gully and prepared to progress
further west.
0104- The Code word ‘Alexander’ was received which meant that a prisoner had
been taken.
0105 – The force was ordered to withdraw. The prisoner was identified as
belonging to 2 Battalion, 991 Grenadier Regiment. The casualties amounted to 2
ORs killed, 9 wounded. Lieutenants DR Morgan and AM Davis were wounded.
1030 – The remainder of the day was spent quietly. 44 Brigade of 15 Scottish
Division moved into the Battalion area for preparation of their attack on
Esquay, Gavrus and Bangy tonight.
2330 – Battalion area was very heavily shelled and mortared all night.
Vehicle casualties suffered.
16th July – 0800 – Mortaring and shelling of Battalion continued on a less
severe scale all morning.
1200 – An enemy counter attack was reported to be forming up East of Esquay,
but by 1530 hours this counter attack had been repulsed.
17th July – Battalion spent a quiet day, but at 1400 hours were ordered to take
up positions captured by the Glasgow Highlanders in the area between Baron
Church and the road Croix de Filandriers – Le Bon Repos.
18th July – 0005 – The Battalion moved up and occupied new positions.
The Battalion spent a fairly quiet day in their new positions but movement was
prohibited. The men were forced to remain in their trenches throughout the day
owing to the fact that the positions were overlooked by he enemy.
19th July – A fair amount of shell and mortar fire was experienced but the
situation was otherwise quiet.
20th July – The shelling and mortaring of our positions continued but there was
little enemy activity on our front. Patrols managed to establish that the enemy
was in the area of Esquay in one Company strength.
21st July – The morning was spent fairly quietly.
1500 – Shell and mortar fire laid by the enemy on Battalion positions was
intensified and smoke was laid on our front.
1600 – A Company, our right hand forward Company, reported that they were being
attacked by a Company of infantry and four tanks.
1800 – A platoon of B Company which was holding a left forward position south
of the road Croix de Filandriers – Le Bon Repos was overrun by enemy infantry
and four tanks.
1930 – Two squadrons of tanks which were in support of the Battalion went out
to the left flank to attempt to get the enemy in enfilade. They were
unsuccessful.
2000 – A Company reported enemy tanks 50 yards from their positions and that
they were firing. During this time appropriate targets were being engaged by
arty, medium machine guns, and mortars.
2130 – A Company reported that enemy tanks were within 10 yards of their
position and that enemy was in their immediate front. There was no further
communication by any means from A Company.
Location: Baron
C Company reported that the enemy was attacking on their front with 4 tanks
supporting infantry. They held the attack, two Mark IV tanks being destroyed,
one by PIAT and the other by a 6 pounder anti-tank gun. C Company’s position
became practically untenable now as they were out on their own without
anti-tank guns and with the enemy within 50 yards of their positions.
Kenneth was born September 1911, the son of William Edward
Lilley and Hannah Waters, who were married in 1905.
Recorded on the Census of 1921, the Lilley family were
residing at 69 Ysgol Street.
 |
| 1921 Census |
William, 38, was a Railway Engine Driver, employed by
Baldwins Ltd., Steel Manufacturers, however, out of work. Hannah, 36.
Their children were
John Ferriss, 15, a General Labourer, employed by F.F. Association
of Works Ltd. and Kenneth Gordon, 9, who
attended school.
Also present was Elizabeth Burns, 31, who under household
duties and here two sons, Sydney, 5 and 4-year-old Ronald, who were boards.
In December 1935, Kenneth married Dorothy K. O. Coleman and
by the time of the 1939 Register, the couple along with their children were
living at 8a Pinkey Street. Kenneth’s
occupation is recorded as Warehouseman Docks.
 |
| 1939 Register |
 |
| South Wales Daily Post |
 |
| Kenneth Gordon Lilley Banneville la Campagne War Cemetery credit - findagrave |
Banneville la Campagne War Cemetery
Comments
Post a Comment