D-Day 80: Memories of local residents

By Matthew Jones, Assistant County Archivist

Residents of towns and villages along the south coast of England would have been only too aware of the huge build-up of military personnel, vehicles and equipment as the preparations for D-Day gathered pace in early 1944.

As we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the Allied invasion of Europe, there aren’t many people around today with memories of this defining event of the Second World War.

I still remember my great uncle Ben, who was just a boy at the time of D-Day, telling me that he and his brother Ernie helped their mother to run a “D-Day tea shop” for troops waiting to embark for Normandy. Even while the vehicles were on the move, he recalled running up and down his road giving soldiers mugs of tea, rock cakes and spam sandwiches.

Sadly, my great uncle and great grandmother have passed away, like so many people with a story to tell about D-Day.

But, with West Sussex having played such a prominent role in the preparations, there are memories recorded here at the Record Office that we can draw upon.

Ron Ham of Storrington recalled that the Downs provided a realistic training ground for British and Canadian troops stationed in the area:

“From soon after the Dunkirk evacuation to the Normandy landings, gunfire and the screech and clatter of tank tracks became familiar sounds on the Downs and in the surrounding towns and villages. Once peaceful hilltops and farms were pounded by all types of ammunition fired from light and heavy artillery guns, trench mortars and machine guns, tanks, and small arms. This all became more intense prior to D-Day.”

Leslie Howell remembered the roads in Midhurst suffering during the build-up:

“With the approach of D-Day….the movement of vehicles of all sorts increased. Low flying aircraft sported the black and white invasion stripes and the white star appeared on less glamorous machines. Probably the highlight for Midhurst at this time was the passing through of an armoured division on their way to their assembly point. They were routed via North Street, Knockhundred Row, West Street and Petersfield Road. With the narrow roads, the tanks could only follow one line and with the swivel action of their tracks were soon through the metalling of the road surface on the corners. So after each tank went by a gang of council workmen were there to shovel back into the hole what the tank had turned out.”

Keith Downer was a 17-year-old living in Worthing as D-Day approached:

“The last few days before 6 June 1944 endless convoys of troops and tanks passed through the town. When the Royal Scots Greys passed with their Sherman tanks, we were surprised to see two local lads, Bob and Frank Collins from King Street, among the troops as they made a brief stop outside the old Boys’ High School in Broadwater, and we managed to exchange a brief conversation.”

On the night of 5-6 June 1944, there was little sleep for the residents of Bognor, Littlehampton and Worthing as 6th Airborne Division flew overhead en route to Normandy.

Next morning, the army camps were empty and the streets clear of invasion vehicles. Keith Downer said of Worthing: “Where for weeks before the Brighton Road, Broadwater, Goring and Findon areas had been packed with vehicles and troops, all was suddenly empty.”

The people of West Sussex, who had observed the build-up at close quarters, now knew that the long-awaited liberation of Europe was underway.

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You can also read an article by the late Alan Readman [https://westsussexrecordofficeblog.com/2019/05/21/d-day-the-west-sussex-story/], a former County Archivist, who wrote about D-Day at the last anniversary in 2019.

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