Northumbrian Gunner

Wednesday, 20 August 2014

D-Day Pegasus Bridge

To safeguard the right flank and to prepare for subsequent operations it was essential that two bridges, one over the CAEN CANAL, one over the RIVER ORNE, at BENOUVILLE were captured intact.

Bridge over Caen Canal

Bridge over River Orne

Operation on the Caen Canal and River Orne

The operation would be carried out by Air landing troops from the Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light infantry deploying in Horsa Gliders.

Horsa Glider

Horsa Glider interior

Air landing soldier in Horsa Glider

At 22:26 the gliders took off bound for Normandy. En route one of the gliders destined for the bridge on the R.ORNE tow roped snapped.

Horsa Glider being towed

At the CAEN CANAL, the first glider landed at 00:15, on LZ X, impacting an earth bank and stunning the crew and passengers. One minute later the second glider landed breaking in two, the third glider landing at 00:18 skidded into a pond causing several injuries and a fatality.

Gliders landing on the Caen Canal

Glider positions at Pegasus Bridge

Glider positions marked by memorial stones at Pegasus Bridge

The troops emerged from the gliders, engaged trenches, gun pits and a concrete bunker which it was believed held the demolition trigger.

Troops assault the bridge

After a brief fire fight, the bridge was secured at 00:24. The first house liberated in France was the Café Gondralle

Café Gondralle

Northumbria ACF
Pegasus Bridge

Original Pegasus Bridge

Ian / Lee Pegasus Bridge

Op Ducy - Omaha American Cemetery

NORMANDY AMERICAN CEMETERY AND MEMORIAL

Op Ducy - Omaha Beach

D-Day OMAHA Beach

Omaha Beach

The operation to land on OMAHA Beach commenced 11 miles offshore as men transferred from their transport ships onto landing craft. Rough weather and darkness meant many of the assaulting troops were out of position, particularly the specialist engineers required to clear beach obstacles.

Six thousand yards from the beach DD Tanks (Double Duplex Tanks) capable of swimming to the beaches were launched.

In the heavy swell most sunk, only two made it to the breaches. The weather also caused the loss of many guns as well as troop carrying landing craft.

The infantry approaching OMAHA BEACH were therefore without specialist beech clearing engineers, no armoured support, and short on artillery. The 3 hour journey left many sea sick, and as they arrived at the beaches, difficulties in navigation due to smoke and mist obscuring landmarks, meant the majority of landing craft missed their intended locations. In most cases the landing craft found themselves on sandbars 50 to 100 yards short of the beach, and consequently had to wade through water, often up to neck height, before they could reach the beach.

Omaha Beach - Landing 6th June 1944

Defences on OMAHA were stronger than expected, the air and naval bombardment were ineffective, and therefore the Germans were able to bring the full weight of machine gun fire from interlocking positions on to the beaches as well as artillery and mortar fire.
The first wave were unable to move off the beach, and the problem was made worse by the arrival of the second wave. At 08:30 landings were suspended, the assaulting craft being required to circle off the beach. At 09:50, destroyers were ordered to get as close to the beach as possible to provide covering fire, some coming so close the bottom of the ship scraped the sea bottom.

Eventually small penetrations were made by impromptu assaults of groups scratched together from different units, aided by tank fire and naval gun fire support. This allowed two exits from the beaches to be formed. These were exploited to create a small bridgehead; however none of the original objectives were achieved.

Over 2,000 casualties were incurred establishing the beachhead.

Omaha Beach - 2014

Omaha Beach Memorial

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Op Ducy - Airborne Museum Ste Mere Eglise

Musee Airborne St Mer Eglise

Op Ducy - Ste Mere Eglise

D-Day - Ste Mer Eglise

The 101^st Airborne Division were to seize and hold the exits from UTAH BEACH capture the LA BARQUETTE LOCH and destroy or capture bridges over the R.DOUVRE. They were then to establish a defensive line to protect the southern flank.

American Airborne Operation Plan

The parachute drop commenced around 01:40 6th June 1944. In the town of Ste Mere Eglise a fire was burning, illuminating the area, those descending in the area making easy targets for the defending German forces.

Ste Mere Eglise - Night sky illuminated June 6 1944

101st Airborne Drop Pattern

Among those dropping was Private John Steele of the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment whose parachute was caught on the spire of the church. He feigned death so the Germans would not shoot him and hung there for two hours. He was eventually rescued and imprisoned by the Germans, but escaped and linked up with his unit.

A memorial on the church commemorates the event.

Paratrooper Memorial Ste Mere Eglise

Church St Mere Eglise 2014

The town was captured at 05:00 by the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment who met little resistance from a confused German garrison. The town was one of the first liberated on 6th June 1944.

Church St Mere Eglise 1944

Church St Mere Eglise interior

Church St Mere Eglise
Paratrooper Memorial Window

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Op Ducy - 1TS Commemoration

On 12th June 1944 the 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch) landed on GOLD Beach as one of the follow on Divisions of XXX Corps who would be part of the break out operations from the Normandy beachhead.

The Battalion moved to an assembly area at ESQUAY SUR SEULLES. Three days later they moved to the village of DUCY STE MARGUERITE.

The villagers of Ducy Sainte Marguerite never forgot the men of the Tyneside Scottish. They hosted returning veterans and the serving soldiers of the Tyneside Scottish Royal Artillery on may occasion.

In 1979 a memorial to the 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch) was unveiled at the edge if the village.

As part of the commemorations of the 70th Anniversary of the Liberation of Normandy the villagers of Ducy Ste Marguerite invited the Tyneside Scottish Branch RAA to share in their celebrations.

Supported by the TS Detachments of Northumbria ACF, nearly 50 people deployed on Operation Ducy at the end of July 2014.

Main effort for the commemoration was the placement of a Roll of Honour in the church at Ducy Ste Marguerite listing the men of 1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch) who lost their lives in Normandy

Attending was 1TS Veteran 92 year old Brian Stewart, 2IC of the Anti-Tank Platoon, who was wounded during the Battle of Rauray 1st Jul 1944.

Supporting Brian was his son Rory Stewart MP, Chair of the Defence Select Committee, and Kevin Baverstock (author of Breaking the Panzers—Story of the Battle of Rauray)

A splendid lunch was provided in the Cider Farm prior to the main commemorative event.

Lunch at the Cider Farm

Tyneside Scottish Association and Northumbria ACF TD Detachments
Brian Stewart CMG & Rory Stewart MBE MP

Brian Stewart
2 I/C Anti Tank Platoon 1TS

The commemoration commenced with a march to the TS Memorial at the edge of the village where a remembrance ceremony was conducted followed by the laying of wreaths.

TS March to the Church at Ducy

Commemoration at 1 TS Memorial

The TS contingents then marched to the village church where a service was held and the Roll of Honour was dedicated.

Church Ducy Ste Marguerite

Roll of Honour
1st Battalion Tyneside Scottish (Black Watch)

La dernière cérémonie du 70e anniversaire a ému

Duty completed attentions turned to renewing the friendship the people of Ducy have extended to the TS over the 70 years since their Liberation. Once again the skirl of the pipes sounded in Ducy Ste Margueritte and a fine occasion was enjoyed by all.