The Bloody Battle for Tilly

The fierce battle to capture the French village of Tilly-la-Champagne was an exceptionally bloody episode in the story of the allied breakout from Normandy in the summer of 1944. Small Allied infantry units faced an almost impossible mission, hampered by the proximity of the elite German 1st SS Panzer Division and 'friendly fire' from the erratic USAAF bombing raids. If that was not enough, appalling tactical errors by Allied commanders resulted in infantry attacks which were as costly pro rata as the losses suffered on the first day of the Somme. Drawing on vivid eyewitness accounts and the recollections of many who were there in 1944, Ken Tout's masterly portrayal of the bloody battle is a fitting tribute to the British and Canadian youth, who fought, and the many who died, during the breakout from Normandy in the last summer of the war in Europe.

Auteur

Ken Tout landed on the D-Day beaches as a Sherman tank gunner and later, after heavy casualties, commanded a captain's tank whilst only a lance-corporal. After the war he worked for many years with international charities and, apart from his many war books, is known for early research and books on ageing in developing countries. In 1994 he was awarded the OBE for his work with the elderly and also received a United Nations citation. He is Vice-President of his regimental association and has lectured to junior soldiers and their trainers during WW2 battlefield tours. His other books include The Bloody Battle for Tilly, A Fine Night for Tanks and In the Shadow of Arnhem.

Résumé
The fierce battle to capture the French village of Tilly-la-Campagne was an exceptionally bloody episode in the story of the allied breakout from Normandy in the summer of 1944. Small Allied infantry units faced an almost impossible mission, hampered by the proximity of the elite German 1st SS Panzer Division and 'friendly fire' from the erratic USAAF bombing raids. If that was not enough, appalling tactical errors by Allied commanders resulted in infantry attacks which were as costly pro rata as the losses suffered on the first day of the Somme. Drawing on vivid eyewitness accounts and the recollections of many who were there in 1944, Ken Tout's masterly portrayal of the bloody battle is a fitting tribute to the British and Canadian youth, who fought, and the many who died, during the breakout from Normandy in the last summer of the war in Europe.