South Alberta Light Horse

The Victoria Cross and The South Alberta Light Horse
Citation for the Victoria Cross

Major D.V. Currie VC
Officer Commanding C Squadron, South Alberta Regiment (29th Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment) August 1944

On 18th August 1944, C Squadron of 29th Canadian Armoured Reconnaissance Regiment, with under command, B Company, Argyle and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada and one troop of 17 Pounder Anti-tank guns (SP), was ordered to advance to St. Lambert sur Dives to cut the Chamois-Trun escape route. This would materially assist in closing the Falaise Pocket. Major D.V. Currie was in command of this force, the strength of which was 175 all ranks, fifteen tanks and four self-propelled anti-tank guns.

By 2000 hours the armoured element of the force, moving in advance of the infantry, had reached the outskirts of the village where it was engaged by strong enemy forces. The two leading tanks had entered St. Lambert but had been knocked out by 88 mm guns. Their crews were unable to get out of the village. Major Currie realized that only by immediate infantry attack could the village be captured that night and, since the supporting infantry had not yet arrived, requested permission to dismount his squadron and attack the enemy position on foot. This request was not granted.

At last light Major Currie was given permission to proceed into the village to reconnoitre the enemy defences and to extricate the crews of the disabled tanks. Although his approach route was under heavy mortar fire, he proceeded into the village on foot through the enemy outposts, made his reconnaissance, personally directed the evacuation of the tank crews, remained until they were clear and then returned to his headquarters.

Major David Vivian Currie VC

On his return, the supporting infantry and anti-tank guns had arrived, and Major Currie visited their positions to co-ordinate their defences and resite their weapons to cover all possible enemy approaches to his position. He then reported to his Commanding Officer and was ordered to attack the village at first light the following morning.

At 0535 hours, 19 August, ten minutes before the attack was to start, he was advised that the expected artillery support would not be available since the guns were out of range. Nevertheless, Major Currie personally led the attack in the face of intense opposition by enemy armour, artillery and infantry, and by noon succeeded in reaching a point approximately half-way into the village. Here, realizing his attack was losing its impetus in the face of increasing enemy reinforcements, he decided to consolidate this position before proceeding further. He organized the position accordingly, and again made a tour of weapon pits, gun sites and tanks encouraging the men by his calmness, his sound orders and his complete disregard for the numerical superiority of the enemy.

The enemy promptly counter-attacked this position but so skillfully had Major Currie's defence been organized that the attack was repulsed with severe casualties to the enemy. During the following 36 hours, a series of further counter-attacks was mounted on his defensive positions. Although these attacks increased in strength and ferocity throughout the period, they were successively beaten off in very heavy fighting by stubborn resistance of Major Currie's force.

At dusk on 20 August, from the squadron position, enemy infantry could be seen massing for an attack which later proved to be the final effort on the enemy's part. Major Currie personally sited one troop of tanks to engage this force and directed their fire so effectively that the attack was never mounted. The destruction of this attack was the turning point in the action. During the morning of 21 August, 800 all ranks from this force alone surrendered; by noon the German morale was broken and Major Currie's force had completed the capture of the village. As a result the Trun-Chambois escape route was completely denied to the remnants of two German Armies.

During this action Major Currie's force accounted for seven tanks destroyed, two probably destroyed, at least twelve 88mm and other guns destroyed, forty armoured and other vehicles destroyed, as well as approximately 500 enemy wounded, 300 enemy killed and over 2100 prisoners of war.

Major David V. Currie VC pictured above holding the pistol (third from the left) as German soldiers are being taken prisoner at St. Lambert-sur-Dives.
Photographer: D.I. Grant. PA111565
This is the only known picture of a soldier in the act of earning the Victoria Cross.
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Throughout the three days action Major Currie's conduct and self-sacrifice were a magnificent example to all ranks of the force under his command. On one occasion he personally directed the fire of his command tank onto a Tiger tank which had been harassing his position and succeeded in knocking it out. During another attack, while the guns of his command tank were taking on other targets at longer ranges, he used a rifle from the turret to deal with individual snipers who had infiltrated to within fifty yards of his headquarters. On the one occasion when reinforcements were able to get through to his force, he led the forty men forward into their positions and explained the importance of their task as a part of the defence. When, during the next attack, these new reinforcements withdrew under the intense fire brought down by the enemy, he personally collected them and led them forward into position again, where, inspired by his leadership they held for the remainder of the battle. His employment of his artillery support, which became available after his original attack went in, was typical of his cool calculation of the risks involved in every situation. At one time, despite the fact that short rounds were falling within fifteen yards of his own tank, he ordered fire from medium artillery to continue because of its devastating effect upon the attacking enemy in his immediate area.

During this operation the casualties to Major Currie's force were very heavy. However, he never considered the possibility of failure or allowed it to enter the minds of his men. In the words of one of his non-commissioned officers, "We knew at one stage that it was going to be a fight to the finish, but he was so cool about it, it was impossible for us to get excited." Since all the officers under his command were either killed or wounded during the action, he had virtually no respite from his duties and in fact, obtained only one hour's sleep during the entire period. Nevertheless, he did not permit his fatigue to become apparent to his troops and throughout the action took every opportunity to visit weapon pits and other defensive posts to talk to his men, to advise them as to the best use of their weapons and to cheer them with words of encouragement. When his force was finally relieved and he was satisfied that the turnover was complete, he fell asleep on his feet and collapsed.

There can be no doubt that the success of this force's attack on, and stand against, the enemy at St. Lambert sur Dives can only be attributed to this officer's coolness, inspired leadership and skillful use of the limited weapons at his disposal.

The courage and complete disregard for personal safety shown by Major Currie will forever be an inspiration to his regiment; his conspicuous bravery and extreme devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy an example to the Canadian Army for all time.

The Final Resting Place For Maj. Currie