Chateau St Come & Bois des Monts

The Château St Come was a stud horse farm that was present here during the Second World War. It is still active today and is private property. The chateau and farm sit to the eastern side of the road, and a long driveway leads to it through the grounds. The grounds and farm buildings were heavily contested between the German forces and the men of the British 6th Airborne Division and the 51st Highland Division.  

​Up until 13 June 1944, neither side controlled the grounds of Chateau St Come. Accounts state that at numerous times either the British or Germans occupied it, until attacks came in and forced one side or the other out. One account even recalls British paratroopers got into the main chateau to find the Germans had left in a hurry leaving rations that had recently been cooked. 

​The British frontline was positioned on the western side of the road and then crossed into the grounds of the Chateau St Come, and then cut southeast through the woods. 

​To the western side of the road is the Bois des Monts Bungalow; this is a private house. The bungalow and grounds were used by Lieutenant Colonel Otway of the 9th Parachute Battalion as his Headquarters. This also included a tool shed building being used as an aid post. The frontline defensive positions here were incorporated into the sunk lane, which runs parallel to the grounds. Slit trenches were placed parallel to the road, looking out towards Château St. Come. This included Private Ron Jepp’s machine gun position, where the green gate is located at the top of the sunken lane, looking straight down the driveway into the Château's grounds. He would be killed at this position on 12 June 1944; he is now buried in Ranville War Cemetery. 

​During the day of 12 June, ‘day of day’s, the Germans launched several attacks towards the frontline of the 9th Parachute Battalion at Bois des Monts. The line stood firm, and Otway was proud of his men, who took many casualties, but not once did the Germans break through the line. At one point during the fighting, a Padre, Captain John Gwinnett, ran across the road whilst German fire was incoming. He pinned a pendant of Pegasus, the emblem of the Airborne Division, to the large oak tree that is still there today on the corner by the memorial. 

​In this area, you can find numerous memorials, including one to the 9th Parachute Battalion on the driveway to the Chateau St Come and the piper of the 51st Highland Division that remembers the men of the 5th Black Watch and their failed attack on Breville from 10 June 1944.