D DAY

Busy on the road this year, so it is my pleasure today to link to an earlier post about Ben Leavell, Canadian veteran of the Normandy Campaign. Ben was the father of a good friend of mine - he departed this earth last summer, but not before seeing his story presented on STORMBRINGER - which I am told brought much pleasure to himself, his family and their circle of friends and acquaintances in the city of Collingwood, Ontario.

U.S. forces landing at Omaha Beach


When Americans think of the great Normandy Invasion, visions of the troops landing under terrible fire at Omaha Beach come to mind.

I must admit, for years I believed (falsely) that the Canadian landings at Juno Beach were a cake walk, that opposition was so light that Canadian troops were able to wade ashore with bicycles over their shoulders.

Au contraire - the Canadians faced a frightening Atlantic Wall, like the Americans at Omaha. Juno Beach was defended by elements of the 736th Regiment of the 716th German Infantry Division, composed of 29 companies and armed with 500 machineguns, 50 mortars and 90 various types of guns.

The main immediate opposition came from three, fairly low grade, battalions of the 716th Division, but the presence of offshore rocks meant that the tide would not be high enough for the landings to begin until half an hour later than those elsewhere, and so the Canadians faced an alerted enemy.

The Canadian landing took place on JUNO beach, on either side of the mouth of the River Seulles.


As on the other invasion beaches, the Canadian landings were preceded by heavy air and then naval bombardment, two hours before the beginning of the landing. Frogmen were charged to open several accesses to the beach, 20 minutes before H Hour, in order to facilitate the navigation of the landing crafts.

In the early morning of June 6, 1944, however the preceding days storm in the English Channel was still not over, although definitely less powerful than the day before. There was strong surge to the seas at Juno, and the waves increased progressively during the approach to the beach.

The attack start time of 0735 hrs was delayed by this strong swell and the lack of visibility affected navigation of the landing crafts. Because the high tide covered much of the beach defenses, the hulls of many landing craft were pierced, causing them to sink. Several of the amphibious "Duplex Drive" tanks became submerged by waves passing above the floating system.

Sappers - charged to open and mark out breaches through the forest of beach defenses - could not work efficiently in the heavy surge. As on Omaha Beach, not enough exits were created before the arrival of the tanks and the landing craft of the second wave.

Despite the risk, the ships transporting the amphibious tanks (Landing Craft Tank, LCT) had to approach close to the beach in order to limit the losses. Thus, some tanks crossed a distance of 600 meters, but the waves remained dangerous.

These delays made it possible for the Germans to reorganize and effectively defend the beaches. By the evening of June 6, 1944, the losses of the 3rd Infantry Division were very high: 1,074 soldiers were killed or wounded; it was the heaviest ratio of losses of the three Commonwealth invasion beaches.

Today's Bird HERE


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D-DAY - Fact & Fiction

Omaha Beach, 6 June 1944



Remember the opening scene in "Saving Private Ryan" where the officer takes over the beach breakout?



That really happened, and the guy's name was Brigadier General Norm Cota.




In World War II, (then Colonel) Cota was involved in the successful North African invasion Operation Torch. Next, he was instrumental in the conceptual planning for Operation Husky, the allied invasion of Sicily. Promoted to Brigadier General, he served as the United States adviser to the Combined Operations Division in the UK to observe and supervise the preparations for the seaborne invasion of France, Operation Overlord.

During the planning phases, BG Cota adamantly opposed daylight landings, believing pre-dawn landings would stand a better chance of success. Made Assistant Division commander of the 29th Infantry Division, slated to land on Omaha Beach, Cota pleaded for a night time assault; he did not get his way. Despite his protests, with time running out and a run of bad weather, the Allied high command had little choice.

Most D-Day commanders assured their men that the Germans would be annihilated by the Allies' pre-assault bombardments, and that the defenders were outnumbered, inexperienced and demoralized. All of these assessments were revoltingly inaccurate. On the afternoon of June 5 Cota gave one of the few accurate estimates to the soldiers of the 29th Infantry Division:

". . . The little discrepancies that we tried to correct (in amphibious training) are going to be magnified and are going to give way to incidents that you might at first view as chaotic. The air and naval bombardment and the artillery support are reassuring. But you're going to find confusion. The landing craft aren't going in on schedule and people are going to be landed in the wrong place. Some won't be landed at all. The enemy will to some degree prevent our gaining 'lodgement.' But we must improvise, carry on, not lose our heads."

Despite his unique foresight, even Cota underestimated the utter carnage that awaited V Corps (the 29th and 1st Infantry Divisions) on Omaha beach on the morning of 6 June, 1944.


BLOODY OMAHA

Cota landed with a part of the 116th Infantry Regiment of the 29th Division, in the second wave, approximately one hour after H-Hour, on the Omaha sector known as Dog White. His boat came under heavy machinegun and mortar fire; when the ramp went down three soldiers were killed immediately.


Dead U.S. soldiers at the waterline, Omaha Beach, 6 June 1944


Cota was one of the highest ranking officers on the beach that day. He is famous for personally directing the attack, motivating the shell-shocked, pinned-down survivors into action, and opening one of the first vehicle exits off the beach. Two famous quotes are attributed to him during this time:

Encountering Max Schneider, commander of the 5th Ranger Battalion, Cota asked “What outfit is this?” Someone yelled "5th Rangers!" Cota replied “Well, goddamn it then, Rangers, lead the way!”.

"Rangers lead the way" became the motto of the 75th Ranger Regiment.


Robert Mitchum portrayed BG Cota in The Longest Day

Cota is also quoted as saying to his troops, "Gentlemen, we are being killed on the beaches. Let us go inland and be killed." In the 1962 film The Longest Day, Cota renders the similar encouragement. However, historical evidence suggests these words were actually said by Colonel George A. Taylor: "There are only two kinds of people who are staying on this beach: those who are already dead and those that are gonna'die. Now get off your butts, you're the fight'in 29th!"

Killed in Action, Omaha Beach, 6 June 1944

Cota received the Distinguished Service Cross for his heroism on Omaha Beach. In 2004 a movement arose to have the Army reconsider upgrading Cota's decoration to the Medal of Honor.

Both Gen. Cota and his high commanding officer, Dwight D. Eisenhower knew one another from early West Point Days while playing football. They remained good friends.


*********************************************************************


Matt Damon as the fictitious Private James Francis Ryan

Although the story for the search for Private Ryan is fictional, there was a real paratrooper in the 101st Airborne Division whose family apparently suffered the loss of three out of four sons in combat in a short period of time.


Sergeant "Fritz" Niland, 3rd Bn, 501st Parachute Infantry Regt, 101st Airborne Division

Sergeant Frederick "Fritz" Niland was a member of the 101st Airborne's 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment, and was one of those that made the drop into Normandy on June 6, 1944. He landed southwest of Carentan in Raffoville, and he was eventually able to make it back to his unit on his own.

Niland's three brothers served in other units; Technical Sergeant Robert Niland was a paratrooper in the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division, Lieutenant Preston Niland served in the 22nd Infantry Regiment, 4th Infantry Division, and Technical Sergeant Edward Niland was a pilot in the Army Air Force.


B-25 Mitchell in flight


Edward had been reported missing over Burma in the Pacific Theater on May 16, 1944. His B-25 had been shot down and he was reported as MIA and presumed killed. Robert was killed on D-Day at Neuville-au-Plain. Preston was killed on June 7th in the vicinity of Utah Beach.


Neuville-au-Plain, approx 3 miles north of Ste Mere Eglise (first town liberated in France, 6 June 1944)

Unlike the fictional Ryan, however, there was no need to send out a rescue mission to find Sergeant Niland. When Father Francis L. Sampson, chaplain of the 501st, learned that two of Niland's brothers were dead, and that a third was presumed dead, he began the paperwork necessary to send Niland home.


Soldiers of the 90th Inf Div linking up with 82d Airborne Division "All American" paratroopers in the Cretteville-Baupte sector of Normandy; June, 1944


Niland remained with his unit for some time, but once the paperwork cleared he was forced to return to the States, where he served in New York as an MP for the rest of the war.

Fortunately for the Niland family, Edward Niland had not been killed, but had spent almost an entire year in a Japanese prisoner of war camp before being rescued by British forces.


Thanks, Veterans.



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SIR RICHARD TODD . . . Dead At Age 90

Somehow this one zipped by me . . . S.L.


"Bullets zipped by as I jumped. I hit the ground 6 seconds later and came under intense fire . . ."




Sir Richard Todd (11 June 1919, Dublin, Ireland - 3 December 2009, Little Humby, Lincolnshire, England, UK)

Actor, World War II Veteran; officer, 7th Battalion (LI) The Parachute Regiment. On D-Day this Battalion made contact with Major Howard at the Orne Bridge now called Pegasus Bridge.


Sir Richard Todd's acting career spanned his World War II exploits. He played out his wartime heroic exploit at Pegasus Bridge twice in films; in the The Longest Day (1962) he played Major Howard meeting with Todd (himself), and in D-Day the Sixth of June (1956) he played the commander of his Battalion in the filming of the same scene.


He was a hell of a great actor, apparently - a little before my time; His performance as Lachie in The Hasty Heart (1949 - also starring Ronald Reagan, with whom he became lifelong friends) earned him an Oscar nomination as Best Actor.


He did some great roles in the film noir niche:







He played opposite Marlene Dietrich in Alfred Hitchcock's Stage Fright (1950)


Sir Richard's most memorable role was that of Wing Commander Guy Gibson, VC, in The Dam Busters (1955):




Todd was Ian Fleming's first choice to play James Bond in Dr No (1962), but a scheduling clash gave the role to Sean Connery. He would have made a terrific Bond - S.L. Instead he played Inspector Harry Sanders in Lawrence Huntington's Death Drums Along The River (1963), a role he reprised in Coast of Skeletons the following year. In a rather more unlikely casting, he played a counter-culture hippie guru professor in The Love-Ins (1967).

By the late 1960s Todd's star had waned, and his later film parts were mostly forgettable, with the possible exception of Michael Winner's remake of The Big Sleep (1978), in which he played the police commissioner opposite Robert Mitchum's Philip Marlowe.


Personal Quotes

"I let myself become a willing workhorse. The roles were good, bad and indifferent, but I always gave a part my best shot and tried to enjoy it."

"I have no idea why but acting was in my blood. God knows how I managed it, but none of it was spilled in the war."

"I wish I had half the courage of some of those chaps I've played on the screen."

"I am not going around saying, 'Why me? Why me?' What helps me is accepting it, getting on with things. You can't let yourself go on wallowing."
- in a 2006 interview regarding the suicide deaths of two of his sons.

"You don't consciously set out to do something gallant. You just do it because that is what you are there for."
- referring to his heroism during WWII


In May of 2008 he laid poppies on the water of Derwent Reservoir, Derbyshire, UK, in honor of the 65th anniversary of the "Dambusters" mission in WWII.




Pegasus Bridge, June 1944


He was a Hero of the British Empire . . . he was Class Personified - "All The Way" (as we say in the Airborne) - AND he was IRISH ! ! ! If I had a choice of any life to lead, he'd be right up there at the top of my list. - Sean Linnane


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HERO of NORMANDY

BENJAMIN FLOYD LEAVELL joined the militia in Collingwood, Ontario as a teenager. At the age of 21, his unit, part of the Grey and Simcoe Forresters, was called into active duty on June 1, 1940. The Forresters were originally scheduled to go to Hong Kong. They moved from their base at Camp Borden to Nova Scotia to ship out, but the fall of Hong Kong precluded this so they were converted to a mechanized regiment and were sent back to Camp Borden for further training been prior to leaving Canada.

A Canadian regiment marching off to war in 1940.

When he arrived in England in August of 1943 Leavell was transferred to the First Hussars. He was assigned to “C” Squadron of the 1st Hussars, where he met his crew: Roger Pilon, Gaston Pilon (no relation – Roger was from Cornwall and Gaston was from Timmons, Al Messer and John “Maddie” Paterson (Maddie was from Saskatchewan but later lived on Vancouver Island). Roger Pilon named their tank “Cherchez Les Femmes” (Looking for Women). They trained together for about 10 months prior to D-Day and like so many Normandy vets in those small, tight units, they became lifelong friends, practically brothers.

A 1941 poster showing Canadian support for Allied British troops.

On 5 June they loaded onto a tank landing craft along with 2 other tanks and 2 trucks and made the voyage to Juno beach through heavy seas. When the Landing Craft doors opened and the ramp lowered, a wave hit the craft and broke the chains holding the ramp. The ramp collapsed under the landing craft making it impossible to launch the tanks. A couple of large men were able to close the doors and the water on board was pumped out but the ramp remained unusable. Ben spent D-Day watching the action from off-shore and it was not until the tide was out on the 7th that he was able to get his tank off the landing craft.

Canadian soldiers landing on Mike Beach, Juno sector of the Normandy beachhead. June 6, 1944.

As Corporal of 3d Troop Ben had his driver, Roger Pilon, ease the tank into the water but even still had a steep drop into deep water. That night he re-joined the regiment. The Regiment had re-organized after D-Day and all C Squadron tanks were assigned to B Squadron. On the night of 10 June reinforcements arrived and C Squadron was reformed - Ben and his crew returned to C. That was fortunate because on Sunday 11 June the regiment, in support of the Queens Own Rifles (QOR), left the railway line at Brettville and entered Norrey-en-Bessin. B Squadron went along the road to Le Mesnil Patry while C Squadron supported them on the left (there were British on the right).

The task was to go through the village of Le Mesnil Patry; there were expectations that opposition would be light. SS General Kurt Myers had other ideas and had decided to launch a Division strength attack with the 12th SS Panzer Corp in an attempt to split the Canadians and British and get his tanks to the beach. Had he done so the outcome of the war may have been very different. When B Squadron entered the village with the QOR riding atop their tanks they met the German attack and a fierce battle ensued that cost the lives of 61 Hussars and 96 QOR.

The Canadians were outnumbered and outgunned and sustained appalling losses in what one historian called the Hussar's and QOR's own version of the 'Charge of the Light Brigade.'

Leavell was on the flank in support of B Squadron when German 88s opened up on them. Receiving no information or instructions from his Troop Commander (who was a replacement) he backed up his tank towards Norrey-en-Bessin and ended up in an orchard just outside of the town. He stopped before the minefield laid by Canadian troops the night before to protect them from a German attack.

From their position in the orchard Leavell saw two Panther tanks which had by-passed Le Mesnil Patry and were heading for the coast. He gave his gunner, Maddie Paterson, the range and they opened fire on the lead tank and then on the second. Both tanks were destroyed; Ben saw the crew of each bail out and head back towards the German lines. When they attempted to move out, the tank stalled and would not restart.

Leavell dismounted and walked into Norrey-en-Bessin, which was under heavy fire. There he talked to an officer, then returned to his tank. Roger (his driver) did not want to get back into the tank but Ben took his elbow and directed him towards the turret, the tank started this time and they were able to move back towards Brettville.

The regiment laid-up for about 3 weeks in Happy Valley (outside Buron) while they re-fitted and received replacements. On 8 July they attacked Buron, Authie and L’Ancienne Abbey. Ben Leavell’s Troop Commander Lt. Caw had his tank disabled (3 pads were blown off one tread); Caw took Leavell’s tank “Cherchez Les Femmes” and crew. Leavell was able to get the Lt Caw’s tank back for repairs.

Canadian forces in combat in the European Theater of Operations, World War II.

On the night of July 17/18 C Squadron headed towards Colombelles in OPERATION CHARWOOD. They drove over temporary pontoon bridges (just south of Pegasus Bridge) across the Orne river and the canal north of Caen. Once over the bridges their tank hit a mine but they were able to continue for a while. When they stopped to repair the tread the driver and gunner were injured so Leavell had to drive the tank.

They headed back, although they were not supposed to drive back across the pontoons, and found HQ where Leavell got a replacement crew and headed back towards Colombelles and Ifs. It took him 2 days to find the regiment; he met them as they were assembling for a push south through Verreries - OPERATION SPRING. On the night of 24 July they were heavily bombed in Ifs - even though they were sleeping in their tanks the ground shook.

July 25th 1944 was one of the bloodiest days for Canadians of World War II. 450 Canadian soldiers were killed, and 1100 were wounded in the French town of Verrieres, during the Anglo-Canadian battle for the city of Caen.

On the morning of 25 July they had to maneuver around the tank in front of them, as it had been hit the night before. They advanced towards Verrieres and as usual were directed to fire at many targets. As German fire became more accurate they backed into a hedgerow for cover but were soon spotted and heavily shelled by 88s. Ben Leavell’s tank was hit and he was severely wounded - he took several rounds from a German machine gun in his left leg.

Ben's daughter Helen says: “My father told me the tank hit by a German shell, and they all jumped out. Then he thought his gunner was still in it, so ran back and that's when he was shot. His gunner, Roger Pilon, confirmed that to me a few years ago.”

Leavell was taken by jeep to an aid station where he talked to Trooper J.J. McLeod, whose wounds was about the same as his. He spent time in hospital in England before being shipped home. On his trip home Ben Leavell remembers Mcleod coming to visit him one time. When later asked about him, Leavell said that McLeod was alive because he saw him on the ship. Later he knew it was a dream because he only saw him one time on the 3-week voyage home. He still remembers the dream meeting in detail.

Ben Leavell spent several months in hospital, and to this day still suffers pain and disabililty from his wounds. He subsequently spent 28 years working in the Collingwood Shipyards before retirement.

Ben Leavell was a fresh-faced young man of 21 when he shipped over to England to fight in World War II.




Ben Leavell lives in Collingwood, Ontario with his wife of 60 years Florence. Their four kids (three girls, one boy) five grandchildren, and six greatgrandchildren live in Ontario and Alberta. His daughter Helen Leavell, a moving force behind Project STORMBRINGER, contributed to this post.

THIS DAY IN HISTORY: JULY 25th, 1944

July 25th 1944 was one of the bloodiest days for Canadians of World War II.


450 Canadian soldiers were killed, and 1100 were wounded in the French town of Verrieres, during the Anglo-Canadian advance toward Caen, part of the Normandy campaign.

Canadian soldiers display a Nazi flag captured during the Battle of Normandy.

Following the D-Day landings 6 June 1944, the Normandy campaign continued until 25 August. During this time some of the bloodiest combat experienced during World War II took place in and around the major objective towns and cities Caen, Bayeux, St. Lô, Carentan, and Cherbourg.

At various phases of the Normandy campaign, casualties approached World War I proportions. Because of the continual increase of Allied forces as they moved across the beaches to the battle fronts, and a similar dynamic commitment of Wehrmacht forces, it is difficult to put a measuring rod on the troop numbers involved in the Normandy campaign.

The total number of casualties suffered by the Allied forces up to the end of August: 36,976 killed, 153,475 wounded and 19,221 missing. (Anglo-Canadian: 16,138 killed, 58,594 wounded and 9,093 missing; American: 20,838 killed, 94,881 wounded and 10,128 missing.)

These figures represent a little over 10% of the 2,052,299 Allied forces present in northern France by 21 August.

The Canadian cemetary at Beny-sur-Mer, Normandy.

German Wehrmacht casualties during the Normandy campaign were approximately 240,000 killed or wounded, 210,000 taken prisoner. This is represents about 55% of the estimated 1 million committed to the Normandy Campaign

As many as 70,000 French civilians may have been killed during the liberation of France in 1944. 19,860 French civilians were killed during the liberation of Normandy, and an even greater number were wounded. Furthermore, in preparation of the invasion 15,000 civilians killed and the 19,000 wounded in the bombings of Normandy from January to June of 1944. Many cities and towns in Normandy and northern France were totally devastated by the fighting and the bombings.

The strategic crossroads of St. Lô was so thoroughly destroyed it was even questioned whether to rebuild it or to leave the ruins intact as a testimony to the bombing.

Following the landings, securing the beachheads and the initial objectives, the Normandy campaign developed into two sub-theaters; American and Anglo-Canadian. Some historians have criticized the British Commonwealth forces for failing to seize one of their initial objectives - the city of Caen - until July 9th. This criticism is undeserved; British forces tied down major German armor formations to the eastern side of the battlefront, which assisted Americans in seizing their key objectives of Carentan on 14 June, and Cherbourg on 26 June.

It is also significant to note that despite American maneuverability, German forces investing the hedgerows of the Norman bocage countryside were able to keep Amercan forces from liberating the critical road junction at St. Lô (a D-Day objective) until July 18th. American forces did not reach the western end of the Cotentin Peninsula until 28 July

Key phases of the Normandy campaign include:

Battle of the Hedgerows: July 7-15, 1944
American military units encountered stiff resistance from German armed forces in the broken farmlands around St. Lo. Progress was slow. Costly German counterattacks continued.

US 1st Army Advance to St. Lô: July 10-18, 1944
American efforts to breakthrough to St. Lo remained slow. German armed forces put up a determined defense. The US armed forces advanced at less than one mile per day.

Operation Goodwood: July 18-20, 1944
British armored forces attempted to outflank Caen from the left while Canadian units continued to press forward through and and to the right. German military units, primarily of the Waffen SS, fought an aggressive defensive battle and withdrew before being trapped by Allied advances.


Operation Spring: July 25, 1944
Canadian forces advanced towards Verrieres.

The final two major phases of the campaign represent the American and Anglo-Canadian forces working toward the final breakout from the Normandy, and the beginning of the drive toward Paris:



Operation Cobra: July 24-31, 1944
Benefiting from the British-led operations around Caen, American armed forces made somewhat better progress in the effort to breakout on the right flank of the Allied line. German counterattacks continued, however, and progress remained relatively slow.

Operation Totalize: August 7-11, 1944
Canadian II Corps drove southwest from Caen in the direction of Falaise. Royal Air Force heavy bombers provided support for the effort.

WWII PARATROOPER MAKES FINAL MOVEMENT

Darrell “Shifty” Powers, one of the soldiers depicted in “Band of Brothers,” passed away on Wednesday, June 17, 2009.

Powers, United States Army paratrooper and sharpshooter, Easy Company, 2d/506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, died 17 June 2009 of natural causes at age 86.

Like millions of Americans, "Shifty" answered the call of World War II. A quiet, unassuming man, Shifty joined the Army and then volunteered for the Airborne. After intensive training, Powers was assigned to the famed Easy Company 2nd Battalion 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, where he jumped into Normandy on D-day. He was involved in the assault on Bracore Manor, which saved thousands of lives on Omaha Beach.

Powers fought in the battle of Carentan and the airborne invasion of Holland as part of Operation Market Garden, where millions of French and Dutch citizens were liberated.

During Hitler's final offensive, what came to be known as the Battle of the Bulge, the 506th was encircled by superior German forces in the Belgian town of Bastone. The 101st held out against incredible odds; their successful defense of bastogne was critical to turning the tide of the German offensive and ultimately the war in the Western Front. Powers and the 506th then entered Germany, liberated concentration camps and captured Hitler's "Eagles Nest" in Berchtesgarden.

Powers got the nickname "Shifty" playing basketball as a youngster. He served three years in the Army during World War II and later worked as a machinist for Clinchfield Coal Corp. He found renewed notoriety when Stephen Ambrose wrote about Easy Company in the World War II history Band of Brothers; Shifty’s experiences were depicted on the film of the same name.

"He actually hadn't talked about it, his war years, until the book came out," said his daughter-in-law, Sandy Powers.

In the second-to-last episode of "Band of Brothers," an HBO miniseries that documented Easy Company's wartime exploits, Powers spoke on camera about combat, the soldiers he served with and the German enemy he fought.

He recalled a bitterly cold day in the Ardennes when he was able to draw down on a German sniper, sighting his target by the misty cloud of the man's breath. He killed him with one shot.

"Right there," he said, touching his forehead. "Between the eyes."

He was reflective of such matters, "We might have had a lot in common. He might've liked to fish, you know, he might've liked to hunt. Of course, they were doing what they were supposed to do, and I was doing what I was supposed to do . . . under different circumstances, we might have been good friends."

"For me and my kids, it's just amazing that our regular, sweet uncle was such a hero," said his niece, Cheryl Gilliland of Roanoke. "It sure changed his life in later years. He went places and met people he never would have otherwise."

Darrell Powers met a German soldier in 2005 who had fought against him at the brutal siege of Bastogne during the winter of 1944.

According to his son, Wayne, he had been scheduled to travel to Iraq to meet with U.S. soldiers in September 2008, but health problems prevented it. "He was so disappointed. He wanted to meet with the soldiers so badly," Sandy Powers said.

One of his closest friends, Earl McClung, of Colorado, in 2001 called Darrell Powers "a heck of a good soldier and a heck of a good shot."

"And he was there every time I looked up," he added.

"Our family had four boys and one girl, and I'm the only one left," said Powers' sister, Gaynell Sykes of Roanoke, Virginia. "He was a great brother. I know he was great at a lot of other things, too -- great father, great son, great husband."

Blue Skies, and Godspeed to you Darrell "Shifty" Powers, Airborne Paratrooper - we know you're in that Great Big Drop Zone in the Sky, making linkup with the rest of your Band of Brothers.

D DAY: ALLIED ORDER OF BATTLE

Operation Overlord, the Allied Invasion of Northern France, was a combined effort of many countries. I wish to give tribute to the brave men & women of the British Commonwealth, and Free France - they fought the Germans in France years before the United States entered the war, of course. Future postings will explore these historical events; Dunkirk, Dieppe, Gold, Sword and Juno Beaches.

Supreme Commander--General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Allied Expeditionary Naval Forces--Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay
21st Army Group--General Sir Bernard L. Montgomery
Allied Expeditionary Air Forces--Air Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh- Mallory
United States Army United Kingdom Land Forces

First Army Second British Army
V Corps 1st British Corps
VII Corps 30th British Corps
1st Infantry Division 3rd British Infantry Division
4th Infantry Division 6th British Airborne Division
29th Infantry Division 50th British Infantry Division
82nd Airborne Division 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
101st Airborne Division

Air Forces

U.S. Army Air Forces Royal Air Forces

Eighth Air Force 2nd Tactical Air Force
Ninth Air Force

Allied Expeditionary Naval Forces

Western Task Force Eastern Task Force
(United States) (British)


NOTE: This Order of Battle does not mention the Free French forces included in the first wave at the British beaches, nor the Free French forces that jumped in with the British Special Air Service Brigade. Of course, French Resistance forces are not ennumerated here either.

See all STORMBRINGER D-Day posts here

PARATROOPERS

Much has been written about the Normandy Jump; an Airborne operation of that magnitude had never been attempted. Despite navigational difficulties and heavy anti-aircraft fire that dispersed the air Armada, the widely-dispersed paratroopers of the 101st and 82D Airborne Divisions were able to band together in LGOPs (Little Groups of Paratroopers) and seize their objectives - sometimes with as few as ten percent of their planned strength.

The Internet is a wonderful resource; I found this incredible site: US Airborne in Cotentin Peninsula.

Over the years I have had the blessed good fortune to meet with WWII veterans of the 101st and 82D Airborne, to hear firsthand their accounts. Most of them, sadly, are now in that Big Drop Zone In The Sky. What they did in Normandy was as heroic as anything ever done, before or since. They saved the World for Democracy.

HERE THEY ARE TODAY

Veterans of the Normandy Jump revisit Ste Mere Eglise, the lucky ones who survived the battle, and the war. These men are my heroes.