Australian contribution to the Battle of Normandy

The Australian contribution to the Battle of Normandy involved more than 3,000 military personnel serving under British command. The majority of these personnel were members of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF), though smaller numbers of Australians serving with the Royal Navy and British Army also participated in the fighting prior to and after the Allied landings on 6 June 1944. While all the RAAF units based in the United Kingdom (UK) took part in the battle, Australians made up only a small portion of the Allied force.

The Australians who supported the D-Day invasion included between 2,000 and 2,500 RAAF airmen in Australian squadrons and British Royal Air Force units, and approximately 500 members of the Royal Australian Navy serving on Royal Navy vessels, as well as a small number of Australian Army officers and merchant seamen. The army personnel and thousands of Australian airmen also took part in the subsequent Battle of Normandy between June and August 1944, and an RAAF fighter squadron operated from airfields in Normandy. Throughout the campaign, Australian airmen provided direct support to the Allied ground forces by attacking German military units and their supply lines, as well as forming part of the force that defended the beachhead from air attack and manning transport aircraft. Australians also indirectly supported the campaign by attacking German submarines and ships that threatened the invasion force. The 13 Australian Army officers who took part in the campaign filled a variety of roles in British units in order to gain experience that they could take back to Australia.

Australian personnel also took part in the invasion of Southern France in August 1944, and RAAF airmen continued to operate against German forces until the end of the war in May 1945. However, the relatively low casualties suffered by the Allied air forces during the fighting in Normandy and subsequent campaigns resulted in an over-supply of trained Australian aircrew in the UK, hundreds of whom were never assigned to a combat role. Australia's contribution to the fighting in Normandy is commemorated in memorials and cemeteries in London and Normandy.

Background

In 1944 Australia's war effort was focused on the Pacific War, and most elements of the country's military were in Australia and the islands to its north.Stanley (2004) Nevertheless, substantial numbers of RAAF personnel, most of whom had been trained through the Empire Air Training Scheme (EATS), were stationed in the United Kingdom (UK) and took part in operations against Germany. The Australian Government had very little influence over where Australian graduates of EATS were posted, and many were assigned directly to British units. As of 6 June 1944, 1,816 Australian airmen (including 584 pilots) were posted to RAF squadrons. Many of the thousands of Australian ground crew in the UK at this time were also serving with RAF units.Herington (1963), p. 17 In addition, ten RAAF flying squadrons were stationed in the UK. These included one regular RAAF unit, No. 10 Squadron, and nine temporary ''Article XV squadrons,'' which had been formed under the agreement that underpinned EATS. While the Article XV squadrons were nominally Australian, most included a substantial proportion of personnel from Britain and other Commonwealth countries; as of 1 June 1944 they were manned by 796 Australian aircrew and 572 airmen from other countries.Long (1973), p. 377 Owing to an over-supply of aircrew trained through the Empire Air Training Scheme, there were also hundreds of RAAF airmen in the UK who were assigned to personnel depots while they waited to be posted to a combat unit; prior to the invasion these unattached airmen were considered an asset by the Allied air forces as they could rapidly replace casualties.

The Australian air units were under the command of the RAF, which had 306 squadrons located in the UK at the time of the landings in Normandy.Herington (1963), p. 16 Two RAAF squadrons were assigned to the Second Tactical Air Force (2TAF), which was to provide direct support to the Allied armies during the campaign; No. 453 Squadron operated Spitfire fighters as part of No. 125 Wing and No. 464 Squadron flew Mosquito light bombers as part of No. 140 Wing.Stanley (1987), p. 149 Four Australian heavy bomber squadrons formed part of RAF Bomber Command; No. 460, No. 463 and No. 467 Squadrons were equipped with Lancasters and No. 466 Squadron flew Halifaxes. No. 456 Squadron, which was a specialist night fighter unit equipped with Mosquitos, formed part of Air Defence of Great Britain and was assigned to protect the invasion force.Stanley (1987), p. 149 Three other RAAF squadrons in the UK would also support operations in Normandy as part of Coastal Command; No. 10 and No. 461 Squadrons were equipped with Sunderland flying boats and flew patrols of the waters around the UK and France, while No. 455 Squadron operated against German surface shipping using Beaufighter strike aircraft.Air Power Development Centre (2004), p. 2

In addition to the RAAF airmen operating as part of the RAF in the UK, hundreds of Royal Australian Navy (RAN) personnel were serving with the Royal Navy (RN) at the time of the Battle of Normandy. No Australian warships took part in the operation, however. Most of the Australian officers serving with the RN were members of the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve (RANVR).Gill (1968), p. 445 Four RAN sub-lieutenants who had been sent to the UK to undergo training were also assigned to RN landing craft units to help address a shortage of officers capable of coordinating operations by these vessels.

Thirteen Australian Army officers were attached to the British Army units that fought in Normandy. These officers had been posted to the UK to gain experience in planning and conducting large-scale amphibious operations, which would improve the army's procedures ahead of Australian landings in the Pacific. A single officer represented each of the Army's corps, and the personnel sent to the UK included some of the most talented and experienced members of the service.Jackson (2004), p. 13

Pre-invasion preparations

Few Australians were involved in planning the invasion.Herington (1963), p. 13 Some of those who had planning responsibilities included Lieutenant Colonel Ronald McNicoll, who served on the Operations Staff of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force;Jackson (2004), p. 14 Air Commodore Frank Bladin, Senior Air Staff Officer for No. 38 Group RAF; Lieutenant Commander Victor Smith, Flag Officer for British Assault Area's air planning officer; and Major Douglas Vincent, a signals officer attached to the headquarters of the British XXX Corps. Australian-born Air Commodore Edgar McCloughry, who had served with the RAF since 1919, headed the Allied Expeditionary Air Force Bombing Committee, which prepared air plans for the invasion.

During April and May the Allied air forces struck at German airfields as well as aircraft factories and repair facilities in France. No. 463 and No. 467 Squadrons participated in raids on airfields and factories near Toulouse on the nights of 5/6 April and 1/2 May, and bombed an airfield near Lanvéoc on the night of 8/9 May. The first of these raids involved 148 aircraft and was led by No. 467 Squadron's commanding officer, Wing Commander John Balmer. 2TAF also conducted 12 raids on German airfields during this period, of which eight involved individual Australians posted to RAF light bomber squadrons.Herington (1963), p. 21 Australians serving in the fighter squadrons of No. 10 Group RAF also occasionally took part in "ranger" operations over northern France in search of German aircraft. In addition, the 31 Australian pilots posted to RAF photo reconnaissance units frequently conducted sorties to monitor German dispositions along the coast of the English Channel.Herington (1963), p. 25 On 29 May Squadron Leader Douglas Sampson, who was posted to No. 16 Squadron RAF, took detailed photographs of Utah Beach which enabled the American force which was to land there to locate most of the German positions in the area.

The Allies also conducted a major air offensive against the French railway network and bridges over the river Seine from April to June. Bomber Command made 53 raids against these targets, of which 25 involved the four Australian heavy bomber squadrons. A total of 17 Australian bombers were lost during these operations, including six that German fighters shot down during an attack on the marshalling yards at Lille on the night of 10/11 May. In addition, Australians took part in 29 of the 46 raids conducted by 2TAF's light bombers against French railway infrastructure.Herington (1963), p. 31 Australian fighter pilots, including all of No. 453 Squadron on occasion, escorted some of these raids and conducted ground attack sorties targeting railway rolling stock. 2TAF's fighter-bombers also attacked bridges over the river Seine from April as part of an effort to seal off the Normandy region, and Australian pilots posted to British squadrons were involved in a small number of these operations. No. 453 Squadron attacked bridges and viaducts near Normandy on 27 April and 2 May.

Australians participated in attacks on German defences in France in the weeks before D-Day. No. 453 Squadron made four raids on radar stations in late May and early June, and RAAF pilots serving with British fighter and fighter-bomber squadrons took part in other such attacks. The four Australian heavy bomber squadrons contributed aircraft to raids on radar stations and communications facilities in the week before the landing. These units also struck German coastal batteries along the channel coast on nine occasions between 8 and 29 May; Australians serving with British light bomber units took part in a further 14 raids on German batteries. The RAAF heavy bomber squadrons and Australians in RAF light and heavy bomber units also participated in raids against German Army camps in France and Belgium during May. The Australian squadrons suffered heavy losses in several of these attacks, including seven aircraft lost during a raid on the 21st Panzer Division's facilities at Mailly-le-Camp on the night of 3/4 May. In addition to these attacks on German positions, Bomber Command struck the seven largest German munitions factories and ammunition dumps in France during late April and early May; the four Australian squadrons participated in five of these operations, and no Australian aircraft were lost.

Leading up to the invasion, the RAF intensified its operations against German submarines and ships operating near France. Coastal Command aircraft destroyed six submarines within eleven days during May; Australian aircrew contributed to three of these sinkings.Long (1973), p. 379 Bomber Command also expanded its program of laying naval mines from April, and No. 460 Squadron as well as Australians posted to RAF light and heavy bomber units took part in several minelaying operations in the Baltic Sea and Heligoland Bight. Coastal Command's anti-shipping force, which included the RAAF's No. 455 Squadron, mainly undertook training exercises from April, but occasionally attacked German convoys in the English Channel.

Australian airmen were also involved in protecting southern England from German air attack in the lead-up to the invasion. From late April to early June No. 456 Squadron was part of a force that defended port cities in southern England from a series of air raids. The Australian squadron accounted for eight of the 22 bombers shot down by Air Defence of Great Britain night fighters during this period.Herington (1963), p. 23 No. 464 Squadron also conducted "intruder" raids that tried to destroy German bombers as they returned to their bases in France. During this period, No. 453 Squadron and 36 Australians posted to eight RAF units took part in defensive patrols which sought to prevent German reconnaissance aircraft flying over southern England during daylight hours, but no German aircraft attempted this.Herington (1963), p. 24

In addition to the air campaign, a small number of Australians took part in special operations ahead of the invasion. In January 1944, RANVR officer Lieutenant Ken Hudspeth, who commanded the midget submarine , transported a party of specialist personnel to inspect and collect soil samples from French beaches being considered for the invasion. This operation was successful, and earned Hudspeth his second Distinguished Service Cross (DSC).Worledge (2002), p. 51 Nancy Wake, an Australian serving with the British Special Operations Executive, was parachuted into France in April 1944 and subsequently helped to organise the French Resistance in the Auvergne region.

Australians at D-Day

On the night of 5/6 June Bomber Command conducted precision attacks on ten German coastal artillery batteries near the beaches where Allied troops were to land. Each battery was targeted by approximately 100 heavy bombers, and all four Australian heavy bomber squadrons took part in the operation. No. 460 Squadron dispatched 26 aircraft, which were evenly split between attacking the batteries at Fontenay-Crisbecq and St Martin de Varreville. No. 466 Squadron provided 13 aircraft to the raid on batteries at Merville-Franceville Maisy, 14 aircraft from No. 463 Squadron struck Pointe du Hoe and No. 467 Squadron dispatched 14 against batteries at Ouistreham. The RAAF squadrons did not suffer any losses.Herington (1963), p. 120 Many Australian aircrew posted to British units also participated in this attack, and 14.8 percent of the 1,136 Bomber Command aircraft despatched were either part of RAAF squadrons or were flown by Australians.Stephens (2006), p. 90

Australians posted to RAF units also landed paratroopers in Normandy and took part in diversionary operations. On the night of 5/6 June several Australian airmen served in heavy bombers that dropped "window" chaff in patterns that, on German radar, simulated the appearance of convoys headed for the Pas de Calais region of France. Other Australians served in aircraft that dropped dummy paratroopers and jammed German radar. One Australian pilot posted to No. 139 Squadron RAF took part in "intruder" bombing raids against targets in western Germany and the Low Countries that sought to divert German aircraft away from Normandy. Australian aircrew also served aboard the transport aircraft of No. 38 Group RAF and No. 46 Group RAF, which flew the British 6th Airborne Division from the UK to Normandy on the night of 5/6 June. About 14 percent of the transport aircraft in No. 38 Group were piloted by Australians, though the proportion of Australians in No. 46 Group was much lower. There were no completely Australian aircrews in either group.

Australian aircrew supported the fighting on 6 June. No. 453 Squadron was one of 36 Allied squadrons that provided low-altitude air defence for the invasion fleet and landing force. Many of the squadron's pilots flew several sorties during the day, though they did not encounter any German aircraft.Herington (1963), p. 124 No. 456 Squadron also formed part of the force that provided air defence for the invasion area at night. In addition, about 200 Australian pilots were spread across the dozens of RAF fighter and fighter-bomber units that supported the landings.Herington (1963), p. 123 A small number of Australian aircrew also served in RAF reconnaissance units and 2TAF's light bomber squadrons, which also saw combat over France on D-Day. The three Australian squadrons assigned to Coastal Command flew only a small number of sorties on 6 June as few German submarines or E-boats put to sea.

About 500 RAN personnel served on board RN ships involved in the operation. While most formed part of the crew of RN warships, several Australian officers led flotillas of landing craft and others commanded individual craft. For instance, Sub-Lieutenant Dean Murray commanded a force of six RN Landing Craft Assault that landed soldiers of the British 3rd Infantry Division at Sword Beach. Hudspeth also took ''X20'' across the channel to mark the edge of Juno Beach during the landings there; he received his third DSC for completing this mission. Some of the warships with Australian crew members that supported the landings were (which had three RANVR officers on board), , , , , and . Australian members of the Merchant Navy also participated in the D-Day landings, though the number of sailors involved is not known.Sharpe (2004), p. 35

Few of the Australian Army officers attached to British units landed on D-Day. Major Jo Gullett, who was the second in command of an infantry company in the 7th Battalion, Green Howards, came ashore on Gold Beach as part of the invasion force. In his memoirs, Gullett described the landing as "easily the most impressive occasion of my life". He subsequently led a company of the Royal Scots until he was wounded by German machine gun fire on 17 July. Most of the other Australian officers served in staff positions; for instance Lieutenant Colonel Bill Robertson was the chief of staff of the 51st (Highland) Infantry Division when that unit arrived in Normandy and was later posted to the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division where he served in the same role. Vincent came ashore on 7 June and served with XXX Corps, 7th Armoured and 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Divisions during the campaign.

Due to the lack of a nominal roll or other records listing the Australians who took part in the D-Day landings, it is not possible to determine the exact number involved. However, it has been estimated that about 3,000 Australian military personnel and merchant seamen participated in the operation.Sharpe (2004), p. 35 Historians also give slightly different figures for the number of Australians killed on 6 June. Peter Stanley wrote in 2004 that there were 14 Australian fatalities, of whom 12 were RAAF airmen and two members of the RAN, and in 2019 Lachlan Grant put the number killed at 13.

Subsequent fighting

The fighting in Normandy continued until August 1944, when the Allies broke out of the region and rapidly advanced to the German border. This campaign dominated the activities of eight of the ten Australian squadrons in the UK, as well as most of the airmen posted to RAF units. During July and August the RAAF units operated at or near their highest level of activity in the war to that point, but morale remained high as the airmen perceived that the contribution of air power to the campaign would be decisive. Large numbers of Australian airmen who were undergoing training or awaiting a posting on D-Day were assigned to combat units during the fighting to replace casualties of the Normandy campaign.

A small number of Australian served in Normandy with the British Army. These included a truck driver who served with the Mechanised Transport Corps, two Australians in Queen Alexandra's Imperial Military Nursing Service and a member of the Territorial Army Nursing Service.

In addition to the military personnel involved in the fighting, several Australian war correspondents reported on the Battle of Normandy. Chester Wilmot landed with the 6th Airborne Division on D-Day, and his coverage of the fighting for the BBC
...