From Dawn to Midnight, We Remember The Heroes of the Past Who Fought To Give Us Our Freedom: Your Special D-Day 65th Anniversary Edition 2009

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PRESS Your special D-Day 65th Anniversary Edition – 2009

D-Day: the biggest wartime operation The bravery and courage of hundreds of thousands of men made them heroes. ‘We cannot afford to fail.’

These were the words of General Eisenhower, the Supreme Commander in the run-up to D-Day. Failure would give Hitler the opportunity to initiate an eleventh-hour attempt to save Germany and launch his new V-weapons against British cities. Success would mean the beginning of the end of the Third Reich.

Stan’s D-Day: 1944

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s light crept into the sky during the early hours a 13,878 strong fleet of Allied vessels was massing off the Normandy coast. On a LCM (Landing Craft, Medium) that was part of 606 Flotilla was Marine Stanley Blacker, proud to be a “small cog in a big wheel”. At 3.00 pm the previous day, his squadron was ordered to stand to. One of the officers in charge, Lt. Jimmy Ball announced to the men, ‘This is it, chaps.’ Stan remembers that as they sailed away in their craft they thought they were sailing to their death. With rain and very rough seas, the crew were wet through before leaving Portsmouth Harbour. Eventually, Stan’s Flotilla reached its position off Gold Beach, ready to form part of Operation Neptune’s third wave assault on the beach.

Midnight had not long struck when the British and American ‘Way out to sea,’ Stan recalls, airborne armada began its mission on ‘the sky was lit up as though the 6th June, 1944 in the moonlight. They whole coast was on fire. As we landed at the edges of the invasion got nearer, we saw green flags in area on the Normandy coast to secure the sea and as we sailed towards the western and eastern flanks of the them a Merchant Ship signalled beachheads and protect them from ‘minefield ahead’. We avoided it, German attacks. After two years of but no one had told us about meticulous preparations and high green flags marking minefields. level planning by the most senior British and American commanders, ‘On reaching Gold Beach, we Operation Overlord, their audacious had to steer between the bodies strategy to invade and liberate north- of many soldiers, face down at the water’s edge with the west Europe, was underway. waves lapping over them. They had given their lives.’

D-Day 65

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t was the unrelenting courage of ordinary men like Stan and William, just doing their jobs, that made D-Day one of Britain’s most historic days. They made history by giving Europe its freedom and in turn became heroes. Those who survived are now very elderly gentlemen and the Legion is honouring their bravery, along with that of their fallen comrades, by planting remembrance flags on 6th June on the beaches of Normandy. Please take part and return your flag with your own message of thanks for the bravery of the men who lost their lives.

William’s D-Day: 1944 ‘I flew covert operations as a rear gunner during D-Day. As part of a plan to confuse the enemy we had to drop miniature model parachutes which exploded when they landed.’

Attack from the air and sea

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he men who made it onto the Normandy beaches were covered by support fire from the sea and air. 11,590 aircraft, including gliders, were available to support the amphibious landings – without the might of this airpower the success of D-Day would have been far from certain. Operation Neptune comprised navies from 8 countries and mustered a total of 6,939 vessels: warships, transport vessels, ancillary craft and merchant ships. During the day, the Allies landed around 156,000 troops – men from Great Britain, Canada, USA, Australia, Belgium, Czechoslovakia, France, Greece, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway and Poland. Once the beachheads had been established on D-Day, the Allies then pushed through Normandy, and then to Paris during June and July.

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years ago, on 6th June, 1944 the Allies mounted the largest operation of World War II. The men who have shared their memories with us in this special D-Day 65 Poppy Press were there on that momentous day. It was a day that shaped the rest of their lives. When most of us think about D-Day, we automatically think about that day in June, 1944. However, many members of our Armed Forces who are currently serving in Iraq or Afghanistan find themselves facing their own personal D-Days. It is the date that changes their lives, often through horrific injuries, and they have to turn to the Legion for support. We must be there for these D-Day heroes, as well as older veterans.

Plant a D-Day flag The 65th anniversary of D-Day affords us all a great opportunity to honour the courage of the day’s heroes. Please be a part of this historic event and return the enclosed D-Day Flag with a personal message of thanks by 29th May, along with a donation. We will plant it on the beaches of Normandy, in the sand where they fought so many years ago. It will be a testament to their bravery – it is the very least they deserve, especially to all those who met their end fighting for the freedom we enjoy today. Thank you.

Russell Thompson OBE, Editor

Stuart’s D-Day: 1997 Over 50 years after the Normandy Landings, Stuart Warner faced his own D-Day.

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tuart served in the Army for 6 years, 5 of which he spent in Dortmund, Germany. He then spent a further 6 years in the Reserves. Whilst on training for his last tour of active duty, Stuart sustained injuries that caused such a massive deep vein thrombosis in his leg, that eventually he had to have both legs amputated above the knee.

“THE longest day”

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ome of the Allies’ major D-Day objectives, such as reaching the city of Caen, were not met due to high tides, congestion on the beaches and strong German defences. However, D-Day went largely as planned and by the evening the operation was declared a success. By midnight total Allied casualties on the Normandy beaches numbered 10,000. Of that number, 2,500 men did not live to see the sunset on D-Day. Today, the remains of soldiers from both sides who fought in the Battle of Normandy lie in 27 cemeteries in the area.

After his operations, he found it very difficult to cope financially. Stuart turned to the Legion. It was one of the organisations that helped to secure Stuart a full pension which has made his family’s lives easier. ‘I always thought there was no point trying to claim a pension because I had not been injured whilst at war. I was so wrong.’ Stuart had to spend a long time in hospital and it became very difficult for his wife and two young children to visit him. ‘The bus services in Cornwall are non-existent and she had to rely on friends for a lift,’ he recalls. ‘The Legion offered to pay for driving lessons for my wife. I was so proud of her when she passed her test – I can’t thank the Legion enough’. The Legion also stepped in to help fund a powered wheelchair for Stuart, along with a vehicle that can accommodate his chair so that he has some mobility and can maintain an active lifestyle. ‘None of these things would have been possible without the support of The Royal British Legion,’ Stuart says. ‘All our troops put their lives at risk 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. They may all face their own D-Day and need help one day.’

‘Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen of the Allied Expeditionary Force! You are abou t to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward wh ich we have striven these many months...Your task will not be an easy one...I have full conf idence in your courage, devotion to duty and sk ill in battle. We will accept nothing less than full Victory! Good Luck!’ General Dwight Eisenhower, Suprem e Allied Comman

MEETING OF THE SUPREME COMMAND, ALLIED EXPEDITIONARY FORCE, LONDON, 1st FEBRUARY 1944: Left to right: Front row: Air Chief Marshal Sir Arthur W Tedder, Deputy Supreme Commander, Expeditionary Force; General Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Commander, Expeditionary Force; General Sir Bernard Montgomery, Commander in Chief, 21st Army Group. Back row: Lieutenant General Omar Bradley, Commander in Chief, US 1st Army; Admiral Sir Bertram H Ramsay, Allied Naval Commander in Chief, Expeditionary Force; Air Chief Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh-Mallory, Allied Air Commander in Chief, Expeditionary Force; and Lieutenant General Walter Bedell-Smith, Chief of Staff to Eisenhower.

Day of Destiny On a day like no other Europe has known, these are just a few of the key actions on 6th June. 00.00 Hours Airborne landing begins British 6th Airborne Division successfully capture and hold Pegasus Bridge

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sea, sand and air: the D-Day theatre of war N 0

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15 M

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AMERICAN SECTOR ANGLO-CANADIAN SECTOR

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82nd & 101st US Airborne Divs 4th US Div 29th US Div 1st US Div

00.20 – 04.15 US 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions dropped at base of Cherbourg peninsula British 6th Airborne Division dropped east of Caen

CHERBOURG

02.30 – 06.00 Bombardment and assault fleet of Eastern and Western Task Forces arrive and anchor 06.30 – 07.45 H-Hour: Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno, Sword 09.00 German 84th Corps learn of Allied amphibious landings 09.30 Press is informed of D-Day landings 10.15 Rommel is informed of the Allied invasion 12.30 On Sword Beach, British 185th Brigade (3rd Br Div) moves inland

‘Andrew Higgins...is the man who won the war for us... If Higgins had not designed and built those LCVPs, we never could have landed over an open beach. The whole strategy of the war would have been different.’

Volognes

UTAH

• Montebourg

GOLD

• Courseulles • Villers-le-Sec

• Isigny

Bayeux

18.00 The British advance towards Caen halted 20.00 Allies secure Colleville-sur-Mer 00.00 All 5 Allied beachheads secured, but many D-Day objectives remain unachieved

JUNO SWORD

Bazenville •

Carentan

16.00 German and British forces see combat between the areas of Bazenville and Villers-le-Sec

OMAHA

• • Pointe Du Hoc • Grandcamp Vierville Les Bains

General Dwight Eisenhower

13.30 On Omaha Beach, American troops advance inland

6th Airborne Div 50th Br Div 3rd Br Div 3rd Can Div

A fleet of Landing Craft Assault passing a landing ship during exercises prior to the invasion of Normandy.

St-Lô Coutances

• Tilly-sur-Seulles

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• Lion Sur Mer • Ouistreham

• Cabourg

CAEN  reas held by Allies at 24.00hrs on D-Day A Front line by 12th June Airborne landings

C o d e s

D - D a y

of Europe in up to the Allied invasion d lea and ng nni pla the In nket covered every unt. A huge security bla 1944, secrecy was paramo and date. including the exact place aspect of the operation, just a few. became vital. These are Code names and acronyms ration D- Da y: the date of the ope asion H- Ho ur : the hour of the inv D-Day in Britain B o l e r o : the build up to on plan e r l o r d : the overall invasi

O p e r a t i o n O v seaborne invasion Op er at io n Ne pt un e: the g-term operation to Fo rt it ud e So ut h: A lon e location Mu lb er ry :



conceal the tru of the D-Day landings artificial harbours towed  across the Channel

April 1944. The floating harbour, codename: Mulberry. Lieutenant Commander R A Lochner, RNVR, who originally proposed the floating breakwater (Bombardon) and led the team that developed it, at work on graphs which record the amount of swell, at the “Hut” (Short Lake House, Weymouth) where the scientists connected with the experiment worked and lived for two months.

The Met Office: a vital role

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t was General Dwight ‘Ike’ Eisenhower, the Allied Supreme Commander, who originally chose 5th June as the date for the Normandy Landings. The weather was crucial for Operation Overlord and Operation Neptune, the sea attack assault. A moonlit night was necessary, dawn at low tide, light winds and little low cloud throughout the day and for several following days. Astronomical and tide tables showed that 5th, 6th and 7th June would be the optimum dates for both tide and moonlight. Two weeks later, the tide would be right but not the moonlight.

5th April 1944. Men of 4 Commando being briefed by Lt Col R Dawson in preparation for D-Day.

5th June was chosen as D-Day, but early June brought unseasonable westerly winds with moving low pressure areas and

weather fronts. By 3rd June, Group Captain Stagg told Eisenhower that he expected the weather to be too bad for the landings to be successful on 5th June. The forecast for Tuesday, 6th June gave the Allies a temporary window in the unsettled weather over the Channel. When asked his opinion, Field Marshal Montgomery said, ‘I would say “Go!”’. On 6th June, wind and weather permitted and the largest ever wartime operation was mobilised.

‘…the most complicated and most difficult [operation] that has ever taken place. It involved tides, winds, waves, visibility, both from the air and sea standpoint, and the combined employment of land, air and sea forces in the highest degree of intimacy and in contact with conditions which could not and cannot be fully foreseen.’ Winston Churchill

david’s D-Day: 2004 ‘I awoke from a coma after two weeks with severe arm and head injuries following a suicide bomb attack on my vehicle.’

22nd July 1944. The Prime Minister, the Rt Hon Winston Churchill, MP, with men of the 50th Division who took part in the D-Day landings. Behind the Prime Minister is General Sir Bernard Montgomery.

On the beaches

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riginally, the British and Canadian beaches had the codenames Goldfish, Swordfish and Jellyfish. For Prime Minister Winston Churchill, the names did not bear sufficient authority: ‘If men are being asked to die on and for these beaches, the names should be more dignified than “Jellyfish”.’ The names were changed, and for the last 65 years have been renowned as Gold, Sword and Juno.

The curious case of the crossword

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he Daily Telegraph crossword has always been very popular, and no less so than during the war when solving its puzzles became a way of whiling away the hours spent in air raid shelters or in tube stations. In the month leading up to D-Day, members of MI5 discovered to their consternation that some of the highly secret code names appeared as answers in several crosswords. Were they being used to tip-off the Germans? The headmaster who had set the crosswords was brought in for the most strenuous questioning. Eventually he convinced them that he was innocent but “the great crossword scare” was an astonishing coincidence in both the answers and timing.

Memories of D-Day

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hilst members of the Armed Forces in Normandy actually witnessed the events of the day on the beaches, back home many other people sensed the different atmosphere. From the early hours they realised that it was a day of destiny and that something momentous was taking place that could influence the outcome of the war. Here is what Tibbie Brown, Derrick Truman and Ed Noone recall about 6th June, 1944.

‘Walking from Quarters in Iffley Road, Oxford to the new Bodlean library for duty at 7.00 hours, a glorious sunny morning, the blue sky was alive with planes towing gliders. We had been working up to this for months but this was our first knowledge that the invasion of Europe had begun.’ Tibbie Brown, nee Glas ‘As a schoolboy of 14 years old I well remember standing in our back garden watching those white striped planes and gliders flying overhead. We had heard on the radio that morning that the invasion had started, as school children of course we were very excited.’ Derrick Truman

‘D-Day, 6th June 1944. My older brother shook me awake to point out of the window at the sky. There was hardly a space to be seen between the heavy bomber aircraft towing gliders as large as themselves. The heavy drone was deafening, and we sat awed at the sight knowing something big was happening.’ Ed Noone

Gustav: D-Day+1 Beach casualties being helped to the sick-bay on board HMS FROBISHER. The cruiser had helped bombard the enemy coastal positions during the week before D-Day.

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AF Pigeon Gustav was carried on a Dakota with the first wave on D-Day. At a time when no signals were allowed, Gustav made history by flying over 150 miles from Normandy to Thorney Island, near Portsmouth in 5 hours and 16 minutes with the first news of the operation. To carry out this mission, he bravely withstood the threat of gunfire and hawks trained by German forces to kill Allied carrier pigeons.

Back to the beaches 60 years on

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ive years ago, the Legion launched a big thank you to commemorate the 60th anniversary of the extraordinary bravery displayed by the men who took part in the D-Day operations. A dozen veterans recalled their memories, impressions and the role they played during the historic day.

There was also an opportunity for all our supporters to show their gratitude by paying tribute to not just our ‘D-Day Dozen’ but to every soldier, sailor and airman prepared to sacrifice their lives. Every one of them helped to change the outcome of World War II on 6th June, 1944 and liberate Europe from the grip of the Nazis. In their honour, we planted 1,520 flags, one for each of our men who fell on that day. We also took every one of the flags returned to us to Normandy in their honour.

D-Day 65

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e want to make this year’s anniversary commemoration even bigger. We are asking our supporters to help us raise £1 million towards the refurbishment of Halsey House, one of the Legion’s seven Care Homes. It is home to veterans, both old and young and we believe they deserve the best facilities possible. You can help to make D-Day 65 the biggest ever thank you by returning the enclosed flag with your personal message of thanks. It will be planted alongside thousands of others in the sands of Normandy. This year we want to plant more flags to show the nation’s appreciation for the courage showed by so many on that June day so long ago.

Making Halsey House a home fit for heroes

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alsey House in Norfolk is one of the Legion’s seven Care Homes. For the last two years this beautiful Victorian building has been undergoing an extensive programme of muchneeded refurbishment. Phase 1 is completed and Phase 2 and Phase 3 are now underway. On completion, each resident will have a modern, en-suite room and there will be better access to inner courtyard gardens, especially important for disabled residents. Corridors will be lighter, airier and wider, making it easier for wheelchairs to pass. The 16-bed dedicated dementia wing will open later in the year. A beautiful new conservatory will link the new building to the old.

Some images courtesy of the Imperial War Museum

www.britishlegion.org.uk/DDay Registered Charity No. 219279 8735-POP-A

Halsey House. Work has begun but more funding is needed to complete it.

‘For a home like Halsey House, it is the essence of care that is paramount. When Halsey House is completed it will, most of all, enhance the quality of life for each resident. They will all be able to receive better individual care. Halsey House will provide a safe, comfortable and caring environment to live in.’  Sally Mills, Matron