D-DAY DOCUMENTS

6th Airborne Division - 5th Parachute Brigade - 7th Parachute Battalion - War Diaries

5th June 1944
Place: Tilshead
Bn moves to rest camp in FAIRFORD PARK where short service was held by Rev PARRY - 1900 hrs bn moves to airfd - 2320 hrs Bn takes off.

6th June 1944
Place: Ranville
0100 - Bn completed drop but went into action with Coys at half normal strength due to some plane loads being dropped in wrong places and one load not dropping at all.
Place: Le Port and Benouville
0325 - Bn occupied objective and held it against various counter-attacks "A" and "B" Coys being heavily engaged. Cas - killed 3 Officers, Capt Parry (Padre), Lt Bowyer and Lt Hill, and 16 ORs. Wounded 4 Officers, Major TAYLOR, Capt WEBBER, Lt HUNTER & Lt TEMPLE & 38 ORs. Missing, 170 ORs did not R.V. after drop.
1325 - Bn of Commandos passed through bn posns.
2200 - Stick from a/c which failed to drop arrived by glider - included Major TULLIS and Lt THEOBALD and R.M.O. Capt YOUNG.
2230 - Bn of Royal Warwicks arrived and put in an attack on BENOUVILLE.

7th June 1944
Place: Le Port & Benouville
0015 - Bn relieved by Royal Warwicks.
0045 - Bn arrived in Bde res and rest area at 105734. Odd ptys of men rejoined the bn at various times during the day.
Place: Le Hom
1330 - Bn moved out and took up a defensive posn in area 112735 (Div res).

8th June 1944
Place: Le Hom
Bn posns shelled and mortared at various times during the day, some times heavily.
2100 - Bn seaborne pty arrived.