D-DAY 80TH ANNIVERSARY

D-Day Heroes

By Roy Palmer - Chelsea Pensioner and Herald

Performed by pupils from Kennet School

11am - 6th June 2024 – Greenham Control Tower Memorial

It is D-Day, the Sixth of June Nineteen-Forty-Four.

Operation Overlord commenced, leaving the world in awe.

The planning started in Nineteen-Forty-three.

Bringing Allies together, to make our World free.

Deception was used, codenamed Operation Bodyguard.

Making rubber tanks and wooden planes as a façade.

An American unit was formed for General Omar Bradley.

Then a web of lies was spread, by his Ghost Army.

Much more was done, to keep the Germans in the dark.

Before the Allies on foreign shores, could disembark.

Everything was Most Secret and kept Hush Hush.

As Allies gathered resources, for their big push.

The Allied Supreme Commander was General Dwight Eisenhower.

With General (Monty) Montgomery as Temporary Ground Commander.

Eleven Thousand Aircraft and Gliders with Paratroopers and Soldiers.

Were dropped behind enemy lines to secure the area.

More than Five-thousand ships, the biggest Armada ever seen.

Sailed from British shores and our fields of green.

Monty’s battle plan was written, on one sheet of paper.

Set for June the Fifth, the Day of their departure.

But bad weather, caused a Twenty-four-hour delay.

Then conditions changed, and they got underway.

British, American, Canadian and many other countries, were together thrown.

Going to fight a War, something many had never known.

Over One Hundred and Fifty-Thousand men of every creed.

Will perform acts of courage, that must succeed.

There were Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and the Merchant Navy.

Many Civilians who volunteered to fight against Nazi tyranny.

Over the English Channel and to Normandy, France will go.

To land on beaches called Sword, Gold, Utah, Omaha and Juno.

Were they afraid? Yes! they most certainly were.

But the world must be saved, that was their spur.

The German defences were called the Atlantic Wall.

Hitler told Field-Marshall Rommel, he must, the Allies stall.

The Allies landed Twenty-Four-Thousand troops on D-Day.

Commencing at Six-Thirty, then things went into disarray.

Wind and rough seas helped landing craft miss their mark.

Putting the plan in jeopardy from the start.

Fierce resistance was put up by Germans guarding the beaches.

The time had come to fight, no further need for speeches.

Beaches were Mined, Barbed wire laid, metal tripods and many hazards.

Were set to kill, maim and make things awkward.

Over Ten-Thousand casualties, the Allies had that first day.

With over Four-Thousand dead, a heavy price to pay.

D-Day made Heroes, in that hell unknown.

Helping turn the Tide of War, as the Enemy were overthrown.