4th – 8th June 2024
Earlier this month, Piers Storie-Pugh (9.63-67) took an American group, drawn from across the States, to the American and British Sectors of Normandy. The group visited The British Normandy Memorial, met a sprightly and very impressive veteran of the 82nd US Airborne Division in St Laurent American Cemetery and gathered on Utah Beach.
Here is what Piers told the Society:
“I met my American group at Charles de Gaulle Airport on the morning of 4th June and we headed to St Laurent US Cemetery and Omaha Beach. The nearer we got, the worse became the traffic; reenactors, WW2 vehicles of all types and sightseers!
We stopped at the memorial to the 29th National Guard commemorating the many young men who died there and walked on the sacred sands. We did our best to acknowledge the sacrifice by laying a cross and I read the poem which starts: “I walked wherein their talking graves and shirts of earth 5,000 lay… I am Christ’s boy I cried. I bear in iron hands the bread, the fishes; I hang with honey and with roses this tiny wreck of all you wishes…”.
“The tiny town of Bedford in Massachusetts alone lost three sets of brothers within minutes of landing. The day was probably saved by Brig General Norman Cota who showed inspired leadership on Omaha Beach when it was most needed; finding a way off the beach to attack the Germans from the rear.
“The following day we visited Colleville-Montgomery where there is a statue of FM Montgomery and also of Piper Millin who I met in June 1984 on the 40th anniversary.
“We also went to The British Normandy Memorial (pic x 2 of memorial with aircraft flying past and pic of PSP holding map) overlooking Gold Beach, with its poignant silhouettes for each serviceman killed there on D-Day. Further inland we watched a fabulous parachute drop which went on for hours and as a former member of the 10th Parachute Battalion, I was in my element.
“On 6th June I guided the group around the lovely oasis of sacrifice talking about the Niland brothers who gave rise to the film Saving Private Ryan, pointed out the grave of Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt, Medal of Honour and cousin of the President.
“We then took our seats for the breathtaking and sincere D-Day ceremony which included a moving welcome the US Veterans. There was time to walk to the edge of the cemetery overlooking Omaha Beach from the German point of view and realising what an awesome task the Americans had been given. As we exited the cemetery we met US Veterans – one a Hellcat fighter pilot called Drummond from the Pacific War; my goodness what tales he could tell and a splendid veteran of the 82nd US Airborne Division.
“The following day we covered the US Airborne operations including the little known Battle of La Fiere during which Major General Mathew Ridgway, Brigadier General Jim Gavin, a Battalion Colonel and four GIs were fighting alongside each other to open the causeway. General Marshall described it “one of the most hotly contested pieces of ground in WW2”. We drove a short way to Easy Company 506 PIR’s Battle of Brecourt Manor made famous in the series Band of Brothers; and at Utah Beach I explained the pivotal role played by Brigadier General Theodore Roosevelt who landed with the leading formation and who died in July 1944. We also visited the memorial to the 946 killed in the Slapton Sands disaster in SW England during a rehearsal for Utah. Nearly four times as many Americans died in the rehearsal as did on the actual landing. Finally I showed them Neuville au Plain where the first Niland brother was killed.
“On the final day we raced westwards to Pointe du Hoc where US Rangers had climbed 100 feet climb to destroy the 155mm guns which in the event had been hidden by the Germans in the local orchard. There we met another wonderful veteran before departing to Pegasus Bridge where, by good fortune and friendship of 40 years, my group met Arlette Gondre at her house. As a girl of five Arlette heard the fighting outside as Major John Howard’s Airborne force arrived by glider and took the bridge.
“A wonderful group, a very full programme, unforgettable veterans and memorable trip to Normandy for all.”
Piers specialises in First and Second World War Battlefields and War Cemeteries and is available to give presentations. Visit his website for further information.