On D-Day, 6th June 1944, sappers of 591st (Antrim) Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers were among the first Allied soldiers on the ground in occupied Normandy.
Antrim Fortress Company, Royal Engineers (T.A.) formed in 1937, becoming one of the first Territorial Army units in Northern Ireland. They converted to Antrim Field Company, Royal Engineers in 1940. In 1941, the unit designated 591st (Antrim) Field Company, Royal Engineers. As part of 2 Corps, the unit moved to Halifax, West Yorkshire in January 1941, then on to Ely, Cambridgeshire, then joining 54th Division at Woodbridge. In May 1943, the company converted to a parachute unit.
It was then they joined 6th Airborne Division as 591st (Antrim Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers. Around half of the soldiers in the redesignated company were original members of the territorial outfit. The remainder were volunteers from 249th Company, 286th Company, and a fresh intake. On D-Day, 6th June 1944, 591st (Antrim) Parachute Squadron commanded by Major Philip Andrew Wood were among the first to land in occupied Normandy.
A little after midnight on 6th June 1944, No. 1 Troop commanded by Captain Frank Harbord and No. 3 Troop commanded by Captain Fergie Semple M.C. landed to the east of the River Orne. Their objective was to clear the area for the landing of 6th Airborne Division’s gliders expected at 0330hrs. They successfully completed the task, clearing mines, reconnoitering routes, and laying mines.
While this was happening, No. 2 Troop commanded by Captain Tony Jackson landed as part of the force tasked with taking out the gun battery at Merville. Scattered throughout the area, only a few sappers reached the Merville guns. The rest joined with other units, fighting alongside them until they rejoined the 591st.
On the night of 5th-6th June 1944, Short Stirling IV EF295 QS-J took off from R.A.F. Fairford, Gloucestershire, England as part of Operation TONGA. The plane flew in over the Normandy coast at a lower altitude than normal. When hit by flak, explosives carried by the the 15 sappers of 591 (Antrim) Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers on board ignited. The fire quickly took hold and those onboard began to jump. The Stirling crashed to the west of Château de Grangues, one of two Stirlings and four Horsa Gliders to crash in the grounds and surrounding land.
A German military unit based at the château were dug into slit trenches and based in tents close to the stables. They used the servants’ quarters as a makeshift kitchen banishing servants to love with the owners in the basement.
The first four to make the jump from the burning plane were Major Philip Andrew Wood, Lieutenant Anthony Benjamin Oliviera, Sapper C.M. Bartlett, and Driver F. Jacklin. The first three were captured and remained prisoners of war until the end of the conflict in 1945. Company Second-in-Command Captain Gordon Findlay Davidson (166499) received a promotion on 7th June 1944 to Acting Major of the 591st taking command from the captured Major Wood. Jacklin evaded capture for several weeks, eventually rejoining the squadron.
| Last Name | First Name(s) | Rank | Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wood | Philip Andrew | Major | 41207. Jumped. Survived. P.O.W. |
| Oliviera | Anthony Benjamin | Lieutenant | 277794. Jumped, Survived. P.O.W. |
| Bartlett | C.M. | Sapper | 5669776. Jumped. Survived. P.O.W. |
| Austin | Albert Edwin | Sapper | 14404888. Jumped. Died as a Result. |
| Jacklin | Frank | Driver | 14275964. Jumped. Survived. Evaded Capture. |
Sapper John Joseph Evans and Sapper John R. Youell both died as a result of the crash along with four members of the plane’s crew. All are buried at Ranville War Cemetery, Ranville, Calvados, Normandy, France.
| Last Name | First Name(s) | Rank | Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Evans | John Joseph | Sapper | 2116526. Killed in Crash. |
| Youell | John R. | Sapper | 1877562. Killed in Crash. |
Sapper C.T. Law survived the crash although sustained serious injuries. He received medical aid before evacuation to a German Military Hospital at Pont-l’Évêque. Like Wood, Oliviera, and Bartlett, he remained a prisoner of war until 1945. Sapper John Reardon-Parker also survived initially but succumbed to his injuries at the château on 7th June 1944.
| Last Name | First Name(s) | Rank | Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law | C.T. | Sapper | 14504398. Crashed. Survived. P.O.W. |
| Reardon-Parker | John | Sapper | 14550031. Crashed. P.O.W. Died of Wounds. |
Of those on board the Stirling, ten survivors were either uninjured or only superficially. They became prisoners of war. Within this number, were six members of 591st (Antrim) Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers. At approximately 0600hrs on 6th June 1944, the prisoners were taken from the château, forced to lie face down, and were shot in the back.
| Last Name | First Name(s) | Rank | Information |
|---|---|---|---|
| Branston | Kenneth William | Lance Corporal | 1878189. P.O.W. Shot and Killed. |
| Fraser | Thomas Andrew | Lance Corporal | 882124. P.O.W. Shot and Killed. |
| Kelly | William Alexander | Corporal | 1944972. P.O.W. Shot and Killed. |
| Thomson | George | Driver | 14283438. P.O.W. Shot and Killed. |
| Wheeler | David Henry | Sapper | 14537569. P.O.W. Shot and Killed. |
| Wolfe | Frank | Sapper | 14422902. P.O.W. Shot and Killed. |
591st (Antrim) Parachute Squadron, Royal Engineers remained in Normandy until August 1944.