Need info on proposed British Op in Normandy

[Kingfish]

Sometime during the first weeks of the Normandy campaign Monty had talked about enveloping Caen from both sides, with 7th Armored coming in from the west via Villers-Bocage (Operation Perch), and 51st Highland passing thru the 6th Airborne's bridgehead over the Orne and hooking up with the Brit 1st Airborne, who themselves were to have been dropped to the south of Caen.

Does anyone have any info on this proposed operation? Name of Op? Possible units involved / available? Possible drop zones / attack routes?

[John D Salt]

Originally posted by Kingfish:

Does anyone have any info on this proposed operation? Name of Op? Possible units involved / available? Possible drop zones / attack routes?

That'll be Operation "Wild Oats".

Here are some extracts from PRO document WO 171/392, 1 Abn Div War Diary, which are unfortunately not as useful as they would be if read in conjunction with a map on the theatre grid and the traces referred to, but still give some idea:

"Notes on GOC's verbal orders - Operation "WILD OATS" (dated 11 Jun 44)

INTENTION

1. 1 Airborne Div will prevent enemy from withdrawing from CAEN 0268 in the direction of EVRECY 9259 and in conjunction with 7 Armd Div will destroy him wherever he is found

METHOD

2. 1 Para Bde with under comd

1 A/Tk Bty

1 Para Sqn RE

16 Para Fd Amb

One Sec Pro

will drop on DZ A (see Trace 'A') and:

(a) seize areas A and K for subsequent glider landings (see Trace 'A' attd).

( seize area NW of EVRECY and east of ODON River 9161.

© be prepared to operate in conjunction with 22 Armd Bde (7 Armd Div) in area BOUGY 9161 - GAVREUS 9161.

(d) provide one company for occupation of ESQUAY 9460 and protection of Div HQ, until released.

3. 4 Para Bde with under comd

2 A/Tk Bty

4 Para Sqn RE

133 Para Fd Amb

One Sec Pro

will drop on DZ E and:

(a) seize area about Pt 112 9561 and approaches from CAEN.

( be prepared to operate with 22 Armd Bde (7 Armd Div) in area around BARON 9462.

4. 1 Airlanding Bde with under comd

One pl 9 Fd Coy RE

181 A/L Fd Amb

will land in LZ H, move to conc area about ST MARTIN 9760 and:

(a) seize and hold area ST MARTIN 9760.

( be prepared to operate in wooded area MELTOT 6862 - BULLY 6959.

© recce and picquet crossings over the River ORNE within area BULLY-ETAVAUX 0062.

[Paragraphs 5 to 12 snipped; mention is made of using 30 Corps artillery in support]

TIMINGS

13. 0330 hrs 21 Ind Para Coy land.

0420-0510 hrs Parachute force lands.

0530-0630 hrs Glider force lands.

DATE

14. The operation may be required to take place on 13 Jun or it may be postponed to a later date. The operation will not take place on 13 Jun without confirmation from Comd Second Army, who will make his decision not later than 1900 hrs 12 Jun.

ALTERNATIVE OPERATION

15. It is possible that the Div may be required to land and operate in an area east of CAEN instead of according to the above plan..."

The Divisional War Diary then contains the following messages from 1 Abn Div Tac HQ to various recipients, with date-time:

"121027 TAC 26. SECRET. WILD OATS postponed 24 hrs. all preparations will be completed by tonight. Ack.

131308B TAC/30. SECRET. WILD OATS postponed further 24 hrs. All Ack. All inf.

14 1030 TAC35. SECRET. WILD OATS postponed 24 hrs. gliders will be unloaded at 141200 and reloaded by 151200. containers will NOT repeat NOT be loaded until further orders are received from this HQ. Ack. all infm

15 0045 TAC 38. SECRET. operation WILD OATS at present suspended but may be called for at 48 hrs notice. no glider landing till further orders. orders ref unsealing of camps follows. orders for unloading containers and return of parachutes later. Div HQ rear infm Recce Sqn. Div HQ main infm CRE ADMS and all transit camps. all infm

17 1700 TAC 49. SECRET. WILDOATS is dead. Div to remain at three days notice. ACK. all infm"

When one considers the similar chopping and changing before cancelling operation "Comet" in the breakout and pursuit, one can imagine that 1st Airborne were positively bursting to go by the time "Market-Garden" came round.

All the best,

John.

[JonS]

WILD OATS. WILDOATS. WILD-OATS. Hmm. Is this one of those MARKET-GARDEN deals where WILD is the airborne component and OATS was the ground component?

TIMINGS

13. 0330 hrs 21 Ind Para Coy land.

0420-0510 hrs Parachute force lands.

0530-0630 hrs Glider force lands.

* whistles *

Wow. That's an ambitious landing schedule. I wonder if it took account of any lessons learned from NEPTUNE. Too, I suppose 38 Gp and IX TCC would both be available in full for this op, not being required to lift in two other divisions.

[Paragraphs 5 to 12 snipped; mention is made of using 30 Corps artillery in support]

But no mention of organic artilery landing with the gliders? Odd. Edit: although, I suppose there would have been a bit of a shortage of gliders available in England at this time.

Kingfish,

I'm pretty sure I've got some oblique references to WILDOATS in various books at home, but nothing much more than John has already posted, and certainly nothing down to that level of detail. Interested? It'll take a wee while to ferret out.

Regards

Jon

[Kingfish]

The internet mentions [cheesy English accent] bugger all [/cheesy English accent] about this. No surprise really, given it never got past the planning stage.

Jon,

Only if you just happen to be ferreting them out for other reasons. Like you said, the info is probably no more detailed than John Salt's.

I may have to just wing this one.

One thing I do find interesting is the DZs being concentrated more to the west, with anticipated linkups between 7th Armored and 1st Airborne. For some reason I was thinking more of a 51H/1Ab linkup, and south of Caen.

[John Kettler]

Kingfish,

Can't resist asking, but would the execute order have been "Sow WILD OATS!"? On a more serious note, this is an op I've never heard of before. Hope someone can come up with the maps and overlays cited.

Regards,

John Kettler

[ February 02, 2006, 05:36 AM: Message edited by: John Kettler ]