My Dad - Alfred Wyles - fought in the Ox & Bucks Light Infantry (Territorials) and was involved in the Normandy D-Day Landings around Sword Beach and the Caen area of Northwest France! The Ox & Bucks landed on Sword Beach and had to fight their way in-land to 'relieve' the Ox & Bucks Unit (Professional) that had landed earlier as 'Glider Troops' (British Airborne) around the Canal System at Caen. It seems that the 'Territorial' and 'Professional' Ox & Bucks trained together in preparation around the similar-looking Exeter Canal System! As the 'Light Bobs' (as the 1st Buckinghamshire Battalion was known) had to join-up with their counter-parts in that formed the Glider Troops - it is only logical that they got to know the area and conditions of operation. Of course, there are conflicting stories which are probably the products of incomplete or muddled thinking. As my father bequeathed a 'Winged Pegasus' badge apparently from his Uniform - some say he took part in the Glider Landings (his wife - my Mum - Gladys Kilmurray always maintained that he was a 'Commando' who received 'Hazardous Duties' payments! The strange thing is that the NOD - when providing his War Record - would not give any details of his exact deployment and would not confirm or deny any of our family stories. Still, younger members of our family did find out (through a historian in an Oxford Military Museum) - that out exactly what his British Army Unit was and that it had landed on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day 1944! Further credibility to the family stories was given by the uncovering of the connection with Caen! Whatever the case, my father's Unit suffered heavy casualties on D-Day (he lost all his friends) and thereafter - making him fight for his life in the French countryside as a 'Straggler' - who was eventually taken in by the Gordon Highlanders! He fought his way to Hamburg over the next year or so - before he was eventually granted 'Leave' from the stresses of continuous 'Frontline' duty! He returned to the UK in late 1945 and remained a soldier in the British Army until mid-1946 when he was Demobilised. I believe he ended his formal military career in the Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry. I am told that 'Light Infantry' Units are flanking formations comprised of 'Sharp-Shooters'! In other words, my father would have been a very good shot!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorMoses 'Wave' Man of Torquay! I will try and blog a short extract each day to inspire and uplift! ArchivesCategoriesAll Balance Birthday Charity Clothing Design Life Light London Love Magic Merchandise Moses Peter Moses Waveman Mystery Picture Pixie Stones Sutton Teespring Torquay T-Shirt Video Calling Zen |
©opyright: Site design, layout & content (2015) Adrian Chan-Wyles. No part of this site (or information contained herein) may be copied, reproduced, duplicated, or otherwise distributed without prior written agreement from [email protected]