With the 80th anniversary of D-Day in 2024, one of our brilliant volunteers, Annie, has been reflecting on her parents’ roles during the Second World War, and what they were doing when the monumental landings took place in June 1945.
The 6th June 2024, the date when the country, particularly this part of the South West, will commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day.
As a volunteer at Shire Hall Museum, I’m often talking to visitors down in the cells below the courtroom. In one of those cells there is some graffiti carved by some American soldiers who were held there during WW2.
I often wonder who they were, what they had done, and what happened to them, and to all the other young men who had been stationed around the area. What did they and the other allied troops feel as they left Weymouth to take part in Operation Overlord?
That set me to think about my parents. They both served during WW2, my Father was a soldier in the 78th Reconnaissance Regiment, part of the 8th Army, and my Mother was in the WAAF (the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force).
So where were they on D-Day? Well, I know exactly where my Mother was…
When she first joined up she was trained as a barrage balloon operator. Barrage Balloons had been used during the First World War with some success after the Germans attempted to bomb London. The bombings resulted in the capital’s skyline being dotted with balloons. When war was declared in 1939, it was decided that barrage balloons would cover the sky all over the UK.
Many members of the WAAF were trained as barrage balloon maintenance technicians. They were responsible for fixing the balloons and then refloating them, no small feat when you consider the size of the balloons—typically 18.9 metres long and 7.6 metres in diameter.
The balloons had to be ‘wrangled’ by a team of WAAF split into two groups, one on either side of it. They used a winch and pulleys to manoeuvre them, and it took real brute physical strength to do this kind of work. Eventually, it was decided that it was an inappropriate task for women and the RAF took over. Faced with a choice my mother retrained as a telephonist (Mum said that she and the other members of her team had been very unhappy about the decision, they’d enjoyed the work and camaraderie).
She clearly became a very competent telephonist, so much so that she was sent to train female American recruits sent to the UK to support the American forces. She had many tales to tell about the confusion caused by the difference in language used. A British telephonist would say ‘you’re through caller’ and put the plug into the switchboard to connect a call, the Americans hearing ‘you’re through’ removed the plug thinking the call was over.
In the run up to D-Day, she worked at various American bases: Bushey, Bentley Priory and Bletchley, as preparations were made for Operation Overlord.
She was very impressed with American personnel and loved to tell us that General Eisenhower had once held open the door for her, ‘her a lowly Air craftswoman’ (her words) and been absolutely charming.
On the morning of D-Day she, like many other members of the Allied forces, received a letter from General Eisenhower. After the war she had it framed and it was, with this cigarette box, presented to her by VIII Fighter Command USAF, among her most treasured possessions.
But what about my Father?
Some years ago, someone left the framed words of a poem/song ‘The D-Day Dodgers’ by the Dorchester Cenotaph on Remembrance Day. It was written by a soldier after an M.P. commented in parliament, that any military personnel who didn’t take part in Operation Overlord (D-Day) was dodging!
My Dad was one of those ‘dodging’ soldiers, serving in the 78th Reconnaissance Corps., part of the 8th Army. They’d actually been fighting in Italy, at Monte Cassino amongst other battles. The battle for Monte Cassino lasted from January to May 1944 and was probably the bloodiest battle of the Italian campaign.
Many of the Allied personnel in Italy had reason to be bitter about the slur, particularly campaign veterans like my Father, who had been in action for eleven months before the Normandy landings and had served in Sicily and Tunisia before that.
I know it had caused great anger at the time, Dad spoke about the soldiers’ frustration, but I must admit, I had forgotten about it until I saw the poem propped up on the Cenotaph. There are several versions, this is one of them written by a British soldier, it uses typical Military humour. It should be sung to the tune of Lili Marlene, a popular song with both English and German soldiers.
‘We’re the D-Day Dodgers out in Italy
Always on the vino, always on the spree.
Eighth Army scroungers and their tanks
We live in Rome – among the Yanks.
We are the D-Day Dodgers, over here in Italy.
We landed at Salerno, a holiday with pay,
Jerry brought the band down to cheer us on our way
Showed us the sights and gave us tea,
We all sang songs, the beer was free.
We are the D-Day Dodgers, way out in Italy.
The Volturno and Cassino were taken in our stride.
We didn’t have to fight there. We just went for the ride.
Anzio and Sangro were really all forlorn.
We did not do a thing from dusk to dawn.
For we are the D-Day Dodgers, over here in Italy.
On our way to Florence we had a lovely time.
We ran a bus to Rimini right through the Gothic Line.
On to Bologna we did go.
Then we went bathing in the Po.
For we are the D-Day Dodgers, over here in Italy.
But if you look ’round the mountains, through the mud and through the rain
You’ll find the crosses, some which bear no name.
Heartbreak, and toil and suffering gone
The boys beneath them slumber on
They were some of the D-Day Dodgers, who’ll stay in Italy.
So listen all you people, over land and foam
Even though we’ve parted, our hearts are close to home.
When we return we hope you’ll say
“You did your bit, though far away
All of you D-Day Dodgers, way out in Italy.”
Someone, like me, on that Remembrance Day, obviously recognised that the D-Day Dodgers definitely did do their bit.
As a family, we’re very proud of them both. Thank you, Mum and Dad.