Author’s Note

When describing the fighting in this book I have often referred to modern day road numbering in order to give the reader using current maps of the area a more precise location. While some of the abbreviations in the text are self explanatory others require a modicum of explanation. I have used a form of abbreviation when describing battalion formations, thus the 2nd Battalion Royal Norfolk Regiment becomes 2/Norfolks or more simply the Norfolks. German army units are a little more complex. Within the infantry regiment there were three battalions – each one approximately the size of a British battalion – and as with their British counterparts the battalion was broken down into four companies of riflemen who were given an Arabic numeral, for example, 3 Kompanie. Again, I have abbreviated when describing these units, thus Infantry Regiment 162 becomes IR 162 while the second battalion within that regiment is abbreviated to II/IR 162. Some of the other equivalent German and British ranks referred to in the text are as follows:

Colonel	Oberst
Lieutenant Colonel	Oberstleutnant
Major	Major, Sturmbannführer
Captain	Hauptmann, Hauptsturmführer
Lieutenant	Oberleutnant
Second Lieutenant	Leutnant
Sergeant	Feldwebel
Corporal	Unteroffizier
Lance Corporal	Gefreiter
Infantry Private	Infanterist, Schütze