Wartime Heritage

MALCOLM RUDOLPH ROSE The 99th Name on the World War II YARMOUTH WAR MEMORIAL BAYEUX WAR CEMETERY France Malcolm Rose served as a Lieutenant with the Royal Cana dian Infantry Corps. He died at the age of 26 on August 6th, 1944 while serving with the 1st Battalion of the King’s Own Scottish Bor derers (3rd “Iron” Infantry Division) as a CANLOAN Officer. The town of Bayeux, in Normandy, lies 24 kilometres north west of Caen. Bayeux War Cemetery is situated in the south-western outskirts of the town. The Allied offensive in north-western Europe began with the Normandy landings of 6 June 1944. There was little actual fighting in Bayeux although it was the first French town of importance to be liberated. The Bayeux War Cemetery is the largest Commonwealth cemetery of the Second World War in France. and contains 4,144 Commonwealth burials of the Sec ond World War, including 181 Canadians, among them "CANLOAN" officers, young Canadians lent to the British Army. In early 1944 the British military were short of officers and Canada had a surplus. Lieutenants and Captains of the Canadian military were asked to go on loan to the British Army. Under the CANLOAN plan, some 6,223 infantry and 50 ordi nance officers were attached to the British army. These officers received a month of special training and assessment at Sus sex, New Brunswick before being sent to Britain. The first of the officers on loan arrived in the British Isles early in April 1944. The last group arrived late in July. The infantry officers were attached to about 60 different British regiments. Some of the CANLOAN officers landed in Normandy on D Day, June 6, 1944. Most went i nto the Normandy Campaign during the summer and fall of 1944. 1st King's Own Scottish Borderers crossed to France on D-Day, June 6th, 1944, landing at ‘Queen’ Beach. They fought around Caen until the town capitulated on July 9, 1944. In early August of 1944 the 1st King's Own Scottish Borderers encountered the German resis tance near Estry in Normandy. Heavy fighting continued around Estry between August 5th and 8th. On August 5th the Germans crossed Estry under heavy shelling of the British artillery and on August 8th German artillery stormed Estry to prevent the British from entering the town. The battle ended in this area of France on August 13th when the Germans pulled back. A monument stands in Estry, France in memory of the 1st Battalion King's Own Scottish Bor derers, of the 9th Brigade (3rd British Infantry Division) who participated in the liberation of the town in August 1944. The final resting place of Malcolm Rose is found among the thousands who gave their lives during the Normandy Campaign and are buried in the Bayeux War Cemetery. The red roses that adorn the stones are perhaps most appropriate to those who served in the King's Own Scottish Bo rderers. The King's Own Scottish Borderers are one of the six infan try regiments which 'gained immortal glory' at the Battle of Minden in 1759 by advancing against a superior force of French Cavalry. This battle commemorated annually on August 1st when the Regiment wear red roses in their headdress following the tradition that the soldiers had picked roses as they advanced through gardens before the battle. This custom was observed by Borderers in 1944 when they mounted an attack on Minden Day during the invasion of Nor mandy - for they attached to their helmets the roses which they plucked from the hedgerows. On July 10th, 2009, members of the Wartime Heritage Asso ciation visited Bayeux Cemetery and placed a Canadian flag and poppy at the stone of Malcolm Rose. Published by the Wartime Heritage Association (2009)