Thread by @mike_bechthold

Canadian Alamo in Normandy.
#OTD in 1944 Worthington Force, a battlegroup of the British Columbia and Algonquin Regiments, was destroyed after a hard day's fighting.
This air photo, the most remarkable I've seen in my years of research, shows the fight in progress.
A short🧵1/11

This RAF photo was taken at the height of the battle on 9 Aug. It shows the desparate drama of the fighting that day. The final location of WF is visible as the rectangular field on the left side of the photo. This is near Point 140 east of Estrees-la-Campagne. 2/11

Tank tracks scar the field; BCR Shermans are arrayed around the perimeter; Worthington’s tank and command post are by the tree at the centre of the position (zoom below). Algonquin halftracks are visible but not the men dug in amongst the screening trees and scrub. 3/11

The small white squares and the longer white line in the position are air recognition panels displayed to prevent attacks by friendly aircraft. 4/11

If you zoom out to the north, you can see burning Shermans at the top that were sent back the way they had come to deal with German tanks and anti-tank fire directed at their position. The 1st Polish Armoured Division is also somewhere near the top of the photo. 5/11

At the bottom of the photo is 30 Acre Wood and the still burning Sherman tanks of Major Carson, Captain Hope, Lieutenant Stock, and Sergeant Wallbank. They were ambushed when they were sent to deal with German fire eminating from that small wood. 6/11

Even more remarkably, the photo captures the ambushers. On the right edge of the photo are two German tanks, likely Panthers. We know that no Allied tanks were in that area as their tracks originate in the south/south-east and do not connect with WF location. 7/11

Worthington Force achieved the holy grail of Allied operations in Normandy: they broke through the German main line of defence and captured key terrain that invited counterattacks. It should have changed the nature of the Normandy Campaign but nobody knew their location. 8/11

With no artillery support and no reinforcements or supplies available, the Canadians were slowly attritted during the day's fighting. When Worthington was killed late in the afternoon, it was clear the only hope for the survivors was to make a break when the sun set. 9/11

The losses were terrible. The BCRs lost 47 tanks (44 Shermans, 2 Stuarts, 1 Crusader) and suffered 112 casualties (40 killed, 38 wounded and 34 prisoners of war). The Algonquins over two day (9-10 Aug) suffered 128 casualties (45 men KIA/DOW, 38 wounded and 45 POWs). 10/11

To learn more:
Read my article on WF: scholars.wlu.ca/cmh/vol19/iss2…

Read John Rickard's excellent staff ride handbook: canada.ca/en/army/servic…

Or watch my talk on @OTDCanMilHis's excellent YouTube channel:
Fin/11