How County Soldiers Helped Bring an End to the War in Europe

Members of the ‘1st Worcs’ in a Normandy field -1944

In the summer of 2016 we all enjoyed International Travel and walked the streets without a face covering to meet friends for a Coffee! It was also the year when ‘Discover History’ went on a pilgrimage to follow the route of the Worcestershire Regiments, through Normandy, in the days after D Day in 1944.

Today the Normandy countryside is beautiful. As many of the soldiers said in 1944, the countryside was not dissimilar to parts of Worcestershire. Especially the small picturesque villages and bountiful Orchards. However when you look closer you will always find well-manicured Commonwealth War Cemeteries, solid concrete gun emplacements and churches pock-marked from the heavy fighting.

People will always commemorate and remember the D Day landings on June 6th 1944. However the Battle for Normandy went on for weeks and saw some vicious fighting that took the lives of many people - both Combatants and Civilians alike.

Caen was an objective for D Day itself. The beautiful Medieval Cathedral lay in ruins and was liberated months later than originally planned! The 1st Battalion of the Worcestershire Regiment landed at Ver sur Mer on June 22nd 1944. The County Infantry Regiment had a long and proud history dating back to 1694.

Local Gunners from the 179th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery also landed at about the same time. During the battles for Hill 112, these gunners supported their own County Infantry Regiment.

We must also remember the Queens Own Worcestershire Yeomanry too. After riding into battle during the Great War, they had become the 53rd Air Landing Light Regiment, Royal Artillery. 211 Battery landed by glider, with the famous 6th Airborne Division, in the early hours of D Day. The other Batteries landed by Landing Craft in the days that followed.

The Worcestershire Regiment fought their way inland, through battle scarred farmland and ruinous villages. One of their most famous actions was at Mouen, at the end of June. The Divisional Commander - General Thomas, praised the Regiment afterwards, saying it was ‘one of the slickest attacks of the whole war.’

Meanwhile the Yeomanry from Worcestershire supported the airborne troops in a rather stagnant battle area around Ranville and Breville. Their role in supporting the paratroopers was extremely important, as airborne forces were usually lightly armed and equipped.

The Worcestershire Regiment was heavily involved in the Battles for Hill 112 throughout the long hot summer. By the end of July, these men had seen the most vicious fighting since the actual beach landings back in June.

The Second World War in Europe would last for almost another year and by the end of it memorials would list the names of the dead and missing in their thousands.

When Lockdown eases please do visit the Worcestershire Soldier Galleries in the City Museum and Art Gallery in Worcester. Maybe take a few minutes to reflect on those events, at your nearest War Memorial and maybe sit for a short while in St Georges Chapel inside the beautiful Worcester Cathedral.

Just as the war affected the County in the Second World War, Covid-19 has had a devastating impact too! Just as the war came to an end in 1944, one day soon, we will reflecting on the events that took place in these more recent times.

Please support our Heritage by visiting the vast array of fantastic Museums our County has. Please support the veteran community by buying a poppy on what will hopefully be a more normal Remembrance period in November 2021. n

By Paul Harding Discover History Facebook and YouTube - Discover History Instagram and Twitter -DiscoverHISTPH www.discover-history.co.uk

Discover History is an award winning education and Living History Performance Company based in Worcester. They specialise in the local history of Worcestershire and deliver school workshops and history days, living history performances and talks cross Britain. Their popular walking tours of Worcester will resume after Lockdown at the end of March 2021.