I’m always on the lookout for any undiscovered docs/photos/info on my grandad’s unit, 7 Para. So I was delighted to come across this story. 95th birthday memories: Fife Parachute Regiment veteran recalls being 'accidentally' dropped behind enemy lines on D-Day - The Courier I’ve since spoken with Mr Tandy’s daughter and Mr Tandy has been brilliant with filling in some gaps to do with his stick list for Normandy ( stick 129). I’ve passed this info on to Michael Pine-Coffin to add to his 7 Para files. Up until now Mr Tandy was not known by the families association of 7 Para and has been off the radar since 1945! He may well go over to Normandy this year which will be great. Just goes to show, keep looking and good things do turn up! Alex.
A Coventry man UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 Name: E W Tandy Rank: Serjeant Army Number: 14202427 Regiment: Army Air Corps POW Number: 82202 Camp Type: Stalag Camp Number: 357 Camp Location: Oerbke, Lower Saxony TD The oddity in the article is that I thought Para's were supposed to be dropped behind enemy lines - so why was he surprised??
I get what you mean, but I think the paper has just made it sound more dramatic. His stick was separated by quite a few miles as there were problems with getting everyone out. So he ended up way West of the DZ. Alex.
Excellent find Alex and Guy! If he was with Stick 129 he was flown by F/L. Hannah 620 squadron in Stirling LK432 no mention of the wounded medic or aircraft being hit but there is a map refrence 143768 (1:25,000) which puts them between Sallenelles and Gonneville sur Merville south of Les Marmiers. Which would make sense if they bumped into Commandos in that area. 620 Squadron ORB states: Tricky Dicky I think he was surprised he was not dropped on the DZ, paras dropped astray on D-Day was not uncommon, at the end of the 6th June 1944 something like 1,000 British and Canadians paratroopers were missing with almost that many taken prisoner. Here is Tandy in the unit photograph. brithm
