A D-Day beret, insignia and photographs were presented to the museum earlier this month by the daughters of a Commando who landed on Sword Beach on 6th June 1944.
Charles Mager served as a Royal Engineer in N° 3 Commando of Lord Lovat’s 1st Commando Brigade. The brigade made the junction with 6th Airborne Division at Pegasus Bridge and served alongside it for much of the Battle of Normandy.
A grateful thanks to Rayner Walden and Carole Simmons, Jack’s daughters, for the exceptional artefacts that will enable us to enhance our Commando display case and perpetuate the memory of this gallant man.
Brave parmi les braves
✊✊✊respect
Charles MAGER à droite de cette photo.
Magnifique
How wonderful my uncle was also in 3 Cdo.
What a lovely gesture
Great post, thank you for sharing
Will be back to the museum to see this excellent
The family of a D-Day and Arnhem glider pilot visited the museum yesterday.
Sergeant Walter Bird flew a Horsa glider into Normandy on the evening of 6th June in Operation Mallard, transporting troops of the Royal Ulster Rifles. In September 1944, Walter piloted a Horsa during the Market Garden Operation in Holland where he was wounded but he managed to rejoin the Allied lines.
Sally Small, his granddaughter, her husband and Walter’s great grandchildren were amazed to learn the story of the glider pilots and their role during the 2nd World War.
Fantastic, I know a Glider Pilot who had a similar story, flew in on DDay and also at Arnhem and was injured, I will show your photos to him when I see him next. They did an amazing job!
I am fascinated to read your story, my father and the RAF crew towed a Horsa glider in Operation Mallard. Sadly my dad, who was a Navigator, and his colleagues after successfully dropping their Horses were hit by German flax and lost their lives, they are buried together in the village of Beuville-Beaville.
Aw that's a lovely article Sally and very touching xx
Thank you so much for spending time with us. Was absolutely fascinating.
Sally, please visit our FB page. We would be delighted to welcome you all into the GPR Family... www.facebook.com/groups/GPRFamilyMembers/
Hero
Following a moving ceremony at the Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery at Ranville, where wreaths were layed at the grave of Edouard Gerard, the first Belgian soldier killed in Normandy, a delegation from the Belgian Brigade "Piron" visited the museum where a bag pipier welcomed them.
The Brigade landed in August at Arromanches and served alongside the 6th Airborne Division on the eastern flank of the D-Day Coast during the advance to the River Seine.
Leading the group were four wartime veterans including Peruvian Jorge Sanjinez, 102 years old, who was invited to attend the 75th Anniversary commemorations of the Battle of Normandy by the local communes and the association “Les Amis du Mont Canisy”.
The following day, after a discrete visit to the Memorial Pegasus, King Phillipe of Belgium payed a visit to the four Veterans and The Brigade Piron Association at Cabourg.
Au nom de nos chers vétérans et des familles, nous remercions de tout cœur monsieur le Directeur et le personnel du Musée Memorial Pegasus pour leur chaleureux accueil. Jean-Louis Marichal Secrétaire FRNAC Brigade Piron.
Respect à vous messieurs
N’oublions pas les disparus
Steven Goethals
Merci à vous Messieurs 🛡⚔️ 🇧🇪
Les luxembourgeois de la "Brigade PIRON" « Suite aux accords signés entre d'une part le Gouvernement luxembourgeois en exil à Londres et d'autre part, le Gouvernement britannique ainsi que les gouvernements en exil de la Belgique et de la France libre, un groupe de soixante-dix volontaires luxembourgeois fut affecté en mars 1944 au "Groupe d'Artillerie" de la 1 re Brigade belge "Libération" (appelée aussi "Brigade Piron"). Dans le cadre de ce groupe, commandé par le major belge B. DE RIDDER, fut constituée alors avec ces hommes une unité luxembourgeoise : LA LUXEMBOURG BATTERY. Celle-ci fut placée sous les ordres des officiers belges : Lieutenants P. RAQUET et J. DANKAERT. Plus tard, à partir du mois d'août 1944, ceux-ci seront assistés des aspirants luxembourgeois : L. JACOBY, J. JUTTEL et R. WINTER, formés entre-temps aux écoles militaires anglaises. Le Battery SgtMajor M. KRIER et les quatre chefs de pièce W. DOERFEL, J.P. PUTZ, E. WAGNER et A. GOEREND de même que quelques autres sous-officiers et la moitié des soldats avaient déjà reçu une bonne instruction militaire et acquis une certaine expérience en Afrique du Nord, dans le cadre de la "Légion étrangère française". Les autres soldats étaient soit des évadés, soit des réfractaires à la Wehrmacht, arrivés en Angleterre. Le débarquement des alliés en Normandie eut lieu le 06 juin 1944. Lors du débarquement de "La Luxembourg Battery" en Normandie deux mois plus tard, le 06 août 1944, l'unité luxembourgeoise comprenait 3 aspirants-officiers luxembourgeois, 9 sous-officiers et 68 soldats. En septembre 1944 quarante-six autres volontaires luxembourgeois ont rejoint la Brigade Piron sur le terrain d'opération en Belgique, après une instruction rapide reçue en Angleterre. Une partie de ceux-ci fut affectée à une unité spéciale, la "Scout Section" (éclaireurs), d'autres furent versés soit à la batterie luxembourgeoise soit à l'unité d'autos-blindées ou à l'infanterie. La Batterie luxembourgeoise était équipée de quatre canons-obusiers, appelés d'après leur calibre "25 pounders" dont la portée max. est de 12 km. Grâce à leur plate-forme spéciale, leur mise en batterie se fait en 3 minutes et des tirs "tout azimut" sont possibles dans les moindres délais. Les canons étaient tractés par une voiture spéciale Morris suivie d'un caisson à munitions. Les canons de la batterie luxembourgeoise étaient baptisés aux noms des Princesses Elisabeth, Marie-Adelaide, Marie-Gabrielle et Alix. » Lëtzebuerger Arméi www.armee.lu/historique/les-luxembourgeois-de-la-brigade-piron
Centre Juno Beach / Juno Beach Centre
🇨🇦 Et les vétérans, qu'ont-ils pensé de ce 75è anniversaire ? Réponse dans cette vidéo 👇
Un grand merci à Eric Brunt pour la réalisation de cette vidéo.
ericbruntmedia.com
🇨🇦 And veterans, what did they think of this 75th anniversary? Answer in this video👇
Many thanks to Eric Brunt for making this video.
ericbruntmedia.com
Merci
Bravo et respect à tous les vétérans..
I was there for the 75 anniversary of D-Day back in June
Stephane Eloi
The daughter and granddaughter of one of the Pegasus Bridge hero’s visited the museum today.
Mary Ann Thomas and her daughter Kate were visiting the museum for the first time to learn about the role John Ainsworth played on D-Day 1944.
John was co-pilot to Jim Wallwork and navigated the first glider to land next to Pegasus Bridge early on 6th June 1944. Using only a compass and stop watch, John guided the aircraft to within 47 metres of Pegasus Bridge. Considered one of the most precise landings of all time, and in a 7 tons glider, at night, with a 20 knots wind!
Prior to D-Day, John had flown a Horsa glider into Sicily and, after D-Day, into Holland on the Market Garden Operation.
Sadly, John died young and his family never really knew about the extraordinary role he played on D-Day.
Mary-Ann and Kate, and their husbands, were guided in the museum by the curator who proposed that they come to Normandy in 2020 for 76th Anniversary of D-Day to be present at the commemorations alongside the families of the other veterans who took part in the “Coup de Main” operation to liberate the Caen Canal and River Orne Bridges.
My father's name was Pvc Ralph S Monteleone.
How lovely for you all
Hope they can come back for the anniversary celebrations.
My father ,William Stone banks , flew A Horsa Glider into France. On D Day. He crashed close. to the Pegasus area . Landed. In small village called Brucourt The people there are wonderful they hold a celebration ever year close to D day Remembering th men that died . My father was unfortunately killed , I was only a tiny baby. My husband and I went to France 2 years ago. The mayor of the town Marie she. Is lovely. Met mark the curator also. I married an American so we cannot go As often. We live in Florida
That is so wonderful that they visited. May your father rest in peace. My Dad was in a horsa glider LK-135 that crashed on DDay plus1 and survived with serious injuries. 14 men were killed in that glider. My husband and I are visiting in Oct.Going to crash site, Heisling Cemetery and then praying at the graves of 4 of the men killed and interred at Normandy Amer Cemetery. We will visit the museum. Hard to believe how much they all endured. So proud of them. My Dad passed at the age of 86 in 2009.
It would be lovely to meet them next year xx
This is amazing xxx
Wonderful- I’m sure it was a very emotional and special day 🥰. Give your Mum a hug from me Kate Wargen xxx
Fabulous xxx
How wonderful
I have been doing research on my Uncle and the other men on the Coup de Main but had trouble finding anything on John Ainsworth now I know why. I didn't find out about my Uncle Fred till 1993.X
Wow. 🙂
What a time in history.
Sean Wheeler The co-pilot of your dad... 😉