My father in law Lt John Wilson was in D company and landed at 7am on Gold Beach with the Green Howards . I returned with him and his two grandsons for the 60th anniversary of D day and followed his route inland. On 6th June his platoon was accompanied by a Crocodile , a Churchill tank with a flamethrower ( and a telephone on the back so the infantry could talk to the driver). A squirt from the flamethrower was enough to persuade the Jerries in the gun battery to surrender. As John and his men were passing a burning tank with all the ammunition exploding, it looked like a real fire fight. A naval observer called up a salvo from the Royal Navy. John’s platoon heard it coming and hit the deck. The shells plunged deep into the ground. and the blast went straight upwards. Then they picked themselves up and carried on. At Creully they exchanged ‘friendly fire’ with the Canadians who in unfamiliar uniforms appeared at the opposite end of the deserted main street. By the end of the first day they were 5 miles inland and were the furthest forward of all allied troops, British and American. They were due to meet the Americans but the Americans didn’t turn up so they were pulled back. The following day they were retreating down a farm track in a mine field with the German prisoners they’d captured at a farm acting as a communications centre. As they struggled to open a gate, the German prisoners shouted “Nein, Nein” but a jerry fired on them with a machine gun. John was hit in the leg as he threw himself behind the gate post. The lad with him, from Halifax, was hit in the stomach. John held him as his life ebbed away and talked to him until he died. John was evacuated to Tilbury seaman’s hospital where on his high bed on the first floor he watched ‘doodlebugs’ going past up the Thames to central London. He said “He never felt more vulnerable”. When we returned on the sixtieth anniversary, only the concrete gatepost that saved John’s life remained. I recall reading in one of my father’s military books that the average life span of an officer in the campaign from Normandy to Germany was two weeks.
Just came across this - brilliant! My late dad landed at 0737 with the Green Howards but I never determined whether it was A or D Coy. I traced the same route as you in 2014 but I wish I'd had this video beforehand. Great job and I learned a lot. Many thanks.
Just come across this channel Paul so informative and so many topics ,we go back every year to commemorate all those brave men and women who secured our liberty keep up the good work 👏
Just seen your video, very interesting. However disappointed no mention of 90th field regiment Royal Artillery. After the run in shoot my father landed with 4 Sexton 25 pounders at 0825 hours about 200 metres to the east of wn35. They were in action at 0845 exactly at the beach exit wn35 ,their objective was the german emplacements just north of Asnelles.
My Grandad was in 341 battery 86th field regiment hertfordshire. We believe he landed in the King Sector in the second wave. He spoke about having to hide overnight on the beach because the Sexton tank he was looking after got stuck because of the pebbles. Do you think he would have hidden in one of those concrete bunkers rather than in the sand? Thanks
Thanks for the quick response. I've just come back from a holiday in Normandy. We visited Gold Beach but must have been in the wrong place. Assuming you know the area well, we were on the beach just down from the Sexton tank a few minutes. Looking at Google maps we were at near Mont Fluery/La Rivière. We knew he went to Crepon so through we weren't to far out. Do you have an idea how far away we were from where you are on your video?
@@lindagoldsworthy4944 My father was also in 341 Battery 86th Field Regiment he was B Troop Leader. There is an excellent account of their war in a book called D Day to Arnhem with the Hertfordshire Gunners by Robert Kiln. My father dies aged only 50 in 1974, He never talked about his wartime exoerieences all I have learned came from my own research
My father was also in the 341 battery of the Hertfordshire Yeomanry He was a troop leader (TLB) with B Troop. He passed away in 1974 and never talked about his experiences. He was injured in a traffic accident in October 1944 in Holland and later served in Iraq and India until demobbed in 1947. There is an excellent book about the Hertfordshire Yeomanry called From D Day to Arnhem with the Hertfordshire Gunners by Robert Kiln
The bunker made of natural stone walls is from my point of view not that bad. It has more than 1m concrete on its roof top. It won`t help against a direct hit of a bomb > 500lb, or a 15inch grenade from Warspite or an 8inch grenade from a heavy cruiser from above but against everything else. Acc. to the tactic used by German infantry in the late war bunkers were used to protect against bombs and artillery but it is better to fight against infantry outside the bunker to be more flexible.
I take your points on board, but despite some strengths, the German bunkers were definitely deteriorating in quality from the earlier poured and re-inforced concrete
@@WW2TV Rundstedt who was in command in the West from 42 got his experience in the East. Like most German commanders he preferred a mobile defence. His experience from Dieppe supported his view. Thus there were only a few high sophisticated bunkers built at the Pas de Calais and the North tip of Denmark. Rommel got his mission in 43. He knew from Africa that a mobile warfare was not possible in the west against the allieds with its efficient air forces. That is why he preferred a static defence at the coast line. He knew that the mass of soldiers and their guns needed protection against 1000nds of bombs and an artillery barrage of 1000nds of guns. He knew that the Allieds will land in spring or summer 44. All in all the required quantity of fortifications the time line forced Rommel to move to more improvised fortifications. With some experience from the East he would probably have built more bunkers made of wood earth and sand for the artillery. This would have been perhaps even more efficient.
Those brick and stone bunkers would not have been where you wanted to be if a couple of RN destroyers got the range. 4.7 inch HE would have demolished them quickly. Interesting. I watched your program on WN10, which seems to have been mostly defended by Germans and much better constructed. Did it make a difference if it was defended by Ost-Bataillone or Germans?
Bentley is Duncan's dog, very much part of the team. Yep you are right about the later period bunkers being weaker. In terms of the defending troops, there are examples of both German and Osttruppen units both holding well and not holding well on DDay. The terrain and tenacity of their commanders seems to make a difference
@@WW2TV I meant did the ethnicity of the troops make a difference in the construction of the bunkers? Not using solid cast concrete for Osttruppen, that sort of thing.
My father in law Lt John Wilson was in D company and landed at 7am on Gold Beach with the Green Howards . I returned with him and his two grandsons for the 60th anniversary of D day and followed his route inland. On 6th June his platoon was accompanied by a Crocodile , a Churchill tank with a flamethrower ( and a telephone on the back so the infantry could talk to the driver). A squirt from the flamethrower was enough to persuade the Jerries in the gun battery to surrender. As John and his men were passing a burning tank with all the ammunition exploding, it looked like a real fire fight. A naval observer called up a salvo from the Royal Navy. John’s platoon heard it coming and hit the deck. The shells plunged deep into the ground. and the blast went straight upwards. Then they picked themselves up and carried on. At Creully they exchanged ‘friendly fire’ with the Canadians who in unfamiliar uniforms appeared at the opposite end of the deserted main street. By the end of the first day they were 5 miles inland and were the furthest forward of all allied troops, British and American. They were due to meet the Americans but the Americans didn’t turn up so they were pulled back. The following day they were retreating down a farm track in a mine field with the German prisoners they’d captured at a farm acting as a communications centre. As they struggled to open a gate, the German prisoners shouted “Nein, Nein” but a jerry fired on them with a machine gun. John was hit in the leg as he threw himself behind the gate post. The lad with him, from Halifax, was hit in the stomach. John held him as his life ebbed away and talked to him until he died. John was evacuated to Tilbury seaman’s hospital where on his high bed on the first floor he watched ‘doodlebugs’ going past up the Thames to central London. He said “He never felt more vulnerable”.
When we returned on the sixtieth anniversary, only the concrete gatepost that saved John’s life remained. I recall reading in one of my father’s military books that the average life span of an officer in the campaign from Normandy to Germany was two weeks.
Excellent video. I was there this week and wish I had watched this beforehand!
Really enjoyed Paul. Thank you.
Always amazed at how many new things I learn every time I watch one of these shows.
Such an excellent production
Thnx++++
I’ve visited many of these sites before but this format and your knowledgeable presenters really bring it to life. Thank you.
Just came across this - brilliant!
My late dad landed at 0737 with the Green Howards but I never determined whether it was A or D Coy. I traced the same route as you in 2014 but I wish I'd had this video beforehand. Great job and I learned a lot. Many thanks.
Just come across this channel Paul so informative and so many topics ,we go back every year to commemorate all those brave men and women who secured our liberty keep up the good work 👏
Thanks and welcome Rich. Pardoning the pun, you have a rich back catalogue of content to wade through
Great production! Really enjoyed the program! Keep up the wonderful programs!
Thank you very much Gene and please help us by sharing links with your friends
Brilliant thanks for your hard work
Great show. Really enjoyed it.
My father landed on this sector Lt W E Needler with the 5th East Yorks fought all the way to Berlin
TY 🙏🙏
Just seen your video, very interesting. However disappointed no mention of 90th field regiment Royal Artillery. After the run in shoot my father landed with 4 Sexton 25 pounders at 0825 hours about 200 metres to the east of wn35. They were in action at 0845 exactly at the beach exit wn35 ,their objective was the german emplacements just north of Asnelles.
There are always going to be unit commissions in a show like this. There are simply too many units landing in each sector to give every one a mention
My Grandad was in 341 battery 86th field regiment hertfordshire. We believe he landed in the King Sector in the second wave.
He spoke about having to hide overnight on the beach because the Sexton tank he was looking after got stuck because of the pebbles.
Do you think he would have hidden in one of those concrete bunkers rather than in the sand? Thanks
Quite possibly yes
Thanks for the quick response. I've just come back from a holiday in Normandy. We visited Gold Beach but must have been in the wrong place. Assuming you know the area well, we were on the beach just down from the Sexton tank a few minutes. Looking at Google maps we were at near Mont Fluery/La Rivière. We knew he went to Crepon so through we weren't to far out. Do you have an idea how far away we were from where you are on your video?
500 metres maybe
@@lindagoldsworthy4944 My father was also in 341 Battery 86th Field Regiment he was B Troop Leader. There is an excellent account of their war in a book called D Day to Arnhem with the Hertfordshire Gunners by Robert Kiln. My father dies aged only 50 in 1974, He never talked about his wartime exoerieences all I have learned came from my own research
My father was also in the 341 battery of the Hertfordshire Yeomanry He was a troop leader (TLB) with B Troop. He passed away in 1974 and never talked about his experiences. He was injured in a traffic accident in October 1944 in Holland and later served in Iraq and India until demobbed in 1947. There is an excellent book about the Hertfordshire Yeomanry called From D Day to Arnhem with the Hertfordshire Gunners by Robert Kiln
What does the "WN" designation mean?
Wn = Widerstandsnest Or resistance nest
@@WW2TV Thank you!
The bunker made of natural stone walls is from my point of view not that bad. It has more than 1m concrete on its roof top. It won`t help against a direct hit of a bomb > 500lb, or a 15inch grenade from Warspite or an 8inch grenade from a heavy cruiser from above but against everything else.
Acc. to the tactic used by German infantry in the late war bunkers were used to protect against bombs and artillery but it is better to fight against infantry outside the bunker to be more flexible.
I take your points on board, but despite some strengths, the German bunkers were definitely deteriorating in quality from the earlier poured and re-inforced concrete
@@WW2TV Rundstedt who was in command in the West from 42 got his experience in the East. Like most German commanders he preferred a mobile defence. His experience from Dieppe supported his view. Thus there were only a few high sophisticated bunkers built at the Pas de Calais and the North tip of Denmark.
Rommel got his mission in 43. He knew from Africa that a mobile warfare was not possible in the west against the allieds with its efficient air forces. That is why he preferred a static defence at the coast line. He knew that the mass of soldiers and their guns needed protection against 1000nds of bombs and an artillery barrage of 1000nds of guns. He knew that the Allieds will land in spring or summer 44.
All in all the required quantity of fortifications the time line forced Rommel to move to more improvised fortifications. With some experience from the East he would probably have built more bunkers made of wood earth and sand for the artillery. This would have been perhaps even more efficient.
Those brick and stone bunkers would not have been where you wanted to be if a couple of RN destroyers got the range. 4.7 inch HE would have demolished them quickly. Interesting. I watched your program on WN10, which seems to have been mostly defended by Germans and much better constructed. Did it make a difference if it was defended by Ost-Bataillone or Germans?
PS, I like your dog.
Bentley is Duncan's dog, very much part of the team.
Yep you are right about the later period bunkers being weaker. In terms of the defending troops, there are examples of both German and Osttruppen units both holding well and not holding well on DDay. The terrain and tenacity of their commanders seems to make a difference
@@WW2TV I meant did the ethnicity of the troops make a difference in the construction of the bunkers? Not using solid cast concrete for Osttruppen, that sort of thing.