Bill Sykes' Newsletter
from America.
(Midsummer 2004)
An ex-Brit gives his views-(without fear
or favor)---of the American Scene
The 60th Anniversary of the 1944 “D” Day
Normandy Landings.
My wife and I travelled to Normandy to
be present at the 60th Anniversary of the 1944 “D” day
invasion landings in order pay tribute to the thousands
of Allied soldiers and French civilians who died during
those initial days of the battle to free Europe from
the devastating tyranny and oppression that took so many
lives during World War Two.
This may be a controversial statement to some, but
without fear or favour I must also include the young
German soldiers of the Third Reich who died during the
Normandy invasion and who are buried in the German Military
Cemetery at La Cambe, as many of them were conscripted
into the German forces to do the bidding of the Nazi
Government.
One must remember that they too had families who grieved for the death of
their loved ones.
Ten years ago on the 6th of June 1994, (the 50th
Anniversary of the ”D” day invasion landings),
I was deeply honoured to be invited by a group of American
Airborne Veterans to join them in a re-enactment of their
6th of June 1944 “D” day parachute jump
into Sainte-Mere-Eglise located on the Cherbourg Peninsular.
I was again invited to join them this year in a proposed
parachute jump on the 60th Anniversary, but due to a
great deal of negative opposition from the United States
Pentagon and the American Administration, (which made
the situation very nebulous), it was with mixed feelings
that I graciously declined and decided to go it alone
and spend more time with the British colleagues that
I parachuted with on the night of the 5th/6th of June
1944. Unfortunately, (although we don’t like to
admit it), we are a dying breed and I had great difficulty
putting names to the faces of the few remaining veterans
that I met on this auspicious occasion who were members
of the 7th Battalion (L.I.), 6 th Airborne Division,
The Parachute Regiment, who I parachuted with into Normandy
on the night of the 5th/6th of June 1944.
I did however meet up with a young Belgium historian
who I have corresponded with for the last three years.
Carl, who has been dedicated to researching the history
of the 7th Battalion for many years, sought me out in
the vast assembly of people.
We met in the Ranville Cemetery - talk about finding a needle in a haystack.
The ceremonies were very moving, and the ancient, (if
I may use that word), veterans stood in a silent tribute
to the memory of friends and comrades of the Battalion
and all the Allied military and French civilians who
died during the invasion landings in the cause to free
the people of Europe from German oppression.
My personal tribute was to two members of the eighteen-man
stick that I parachuted with into Normandy on that night
of the 5th/6th of June 1944 who were killed in action
during the days following our landing. Private George
Sydney Roberts, (Ginger to his friends), from Stepney,
London, who was killed in action on Sunday 11 June, 1944,
aged 23 years, who is buried in Ranville War Cemetery,
and Corporal Charlie Sheldon, from Stow-on–the-Wold, Gloucestershire,
who was killed in action on Saturday the 10 June, 1944, aged 28 years. Charlie
has no known grave but his name is inscribed on the Bayeux Memorial. It was
a terrible tragedy that these two members of the team, the only married men
in the stick of eighteen men, were killed in action.
The other sixteen members
of the group, including myself, survived and eventually became guests of
the German Government.
Wars may come and wars may go, but I firmly believe
that World War Two was one of the few occasions in history
when war was morally justified and the people of this
world stood shoulder to shoulder in order to fight against
oppression and tyranny regardless of the personal consequences.
By the way the weather was marvellous throughout our entire
three weeks visit to France and the UK.
In fact it was so hot in Normandy that we veterans of the Parachute Regiment,
the Glider Pilot Regiment, and the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry,
(forgive me if I have left anyone out), nearly fried whilst waiting on the
banks of the River Orne close to the Pegasus Bridge for a fleeting review by
Prince Charles.
We welcome feedback about any of the contents of these
newsletters. Please send all correspondence to bill_sykes@huddersfield1.co.uk
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