Which D-Day beach ?

Discussion in 'British Army Units - Others' started by swoopingmagpie, Jul 23, 2011.

  1. swoopingmagpie

    swoopingmagpie Junior Member

    I'm trying to locate the beach my father landed on D Day. His regiment was the South Staffordshires and his unit were sappers. They were sent in, in the second wave I believe to clear mines and tank obstacles
     
  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Just move dyour post to it's own thread.
    I'm sure you'll get lots of advice now.
    Welcome to the forum.
     
  3. Trux

    Trux 21 AG

    Could your father have been in the Staffordshire Yeomanry, a Sherman equipped armoured regiment? They landed on Sword on D Day.

    There were four battalions of the South Staffordshire Regiment with the 59th Division but they did not arrive until the end of June.

    Mike
     
  4. swoopingmagpie

    swoopingmagpie Junior Member

    Thanks Owen. Mike, my Father was a regular from 1928. He was definitely in the South Staffordshire Regiment and served with them until demob in 46. I'm certain that he was in the first hours of the landings because his job was to de mine and remove landing craft obstacles.
     
  5. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Have you got any photos of him in uniform we can have a look at please ?
    Have you got his Army Number on any paper work?
    Have you sent off for his Service Records from the MoD ?
    That'll answer alot of questions of who & where he served .
     
  6. Trux

    Trux 21 AG

    There are still many mysteries about D Day. This one interests me since you are sure that your father was in the South Staffordshire Regiment. There are many examples of personnel from units which were not due to go to Normandy for some time 'lending' personnel. This is most common with artillery observers but there are others.

    One thing I have been puzzling over concerns some hundreds of men simply described as reinforcements. These landed on D+1. No other descriptions or references have been found except one note that they were for Beach Groups. They were not replacements for Beach Group personnel and several infantry War Diaries say they did not get replacements for some time. Could be that these were working parties from infantry units that were not due to go overseas for some time.

    I have no evidence apart from that given above. Maybe someone has South Staffordshire Regiment War Diaries which would mention this.

    Mike
     

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