nor8

The 6th Airborne Division's task on and after 'D' Day, 6 June was to secure the eastern flank (right of Sword) of the Allied landings which were to take place on the beaches of Normandy. This flank had to be held as it would eventually be the hinge on which the Allied armies would pivot as they broke out of thebridgehead to sweep on to Paris, Brussels and the Rhine.

The objectives for the 6th Airborne Division were the high ground east of the River Orne which over-looked the beach-head and the seizure, intact, of the bridges of the Caen Canal and the River Orne, the destruction of

the five bridges in the flooded valley of the River Dives some seven kilometres beyond the high ground, and finally the silencing of the strongly fortified, major coastal defence battery at Franceville Plage - the Merville Battery.

.....Although the night drop was accomplished in less than ideal conditions and the troops were widely scattered, all the divisional objectives were achieved. The Germans quickly mounted counter-attacks against the entire beach-head, in particular, on the vital ground held by the 6th Airborne Division. Heavy fighting continued for some weeks. When the counter-attacks were finally stopped the airborne troops held their positions by vigorous patrolling actions. On 17 August the 6th Airborne Division advanced eastwards, overcoming German resistance at Cabourg, Dozule, Putot-en-Ange and Pont L'Eveque and on 26 August they reached the Seine. In this hard-fought but successful operation, the 6th Airborne Division suffered the loss of 1166 men, either killed or missing.