The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, the same group of regiments that participated in the Dieppe raid (qv) in 1942, captured Verrières Ridge 19 to 21 July 1944. The South Saskatchewan Regiment led the charge up the gentle slopes of the ridge between Caen and Falaise, but were forced to withdraw in disarray after a fierce enemy counterattack. It was the second bloodiest day of the war (after Dieppe) for the regiment which suffered 66 fatal casualties, 116 wounded and lost 26 prisoners. The Essex Scottish and the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders followed the prairie men into the line and the march to Falaise continued.

Saskatchewan casualties at Verrières Ridge included:

South Saskatchewan Regiment – all SSR casualties were killed 19440720

 

JL Baldhead                            JH Becker                               CE Beed

CH Bell                                   CO Bourassa                           JH Brown

M Copeland                            LA Elliott                                DW Ellis

F Ens                                       J Fenuik                                   T Furulie

CD Grayson                            T Heinz                                   AR Hunt

W Huntley                              A Kelly                                   CD Killian

NP Knobel                              K Kubian                                H Kvam

HW Mackie                             RA MacNeil                            S Martynuik

GR Matthews                         TR Mortenson                         WJ Muirhead

WH O’Dell                             HF Palmer                               M Perpete

RJ Pulley                                 DE Purvis                                RL Reid

RB Robb                                 J Sava                                      P Serwatka

MH Stewart                            WCO Swanson                       LT Swiderski

RA Thompson                         RG Wallace                             RS Wells

RL Smith died of his wounds the next day.

 

Essex Scottish – all were killed 19440721

HL Godfrey                            FT Jackson                              M Kurkowsky

GEL Neyrinck de Roy            TP Patton

 

Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders – all were killed 19440721

JJ Abel                                                AE Beeds                                VE Brown

ES Eyahpaise                          PJ Lindenbach                                    EA Roper

JP Saleski                                EG Stewart                             J Tocher

 

See Mark Zuehlke, Breakout from Juno (2011) and http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Verri%C3%A8res_Ridge