The Day the Devils Dropped In

The 9th Parachute Battalion in Normandy - D-Day to D+6: The Merville Battery to the Château St Côme

Neil Barber

• Publisher: Pen & Sword Military
• Year: 2020
• Print ISBN: 9781844150458
• eBook ISBN: 9781783037056
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Military & Maritime History
• Index: History

This WWII history presents a vivid chronicle of the British Army's 9th Parachute Battalion and their operations in Normandy based on survivor interviews.
 
The first hours and days following the Allied invasion of Normandy were perhaps the most crucial moment of the Second World War. The Day The Devils Dropped In examines the pivotal role played by the 9th Battalion of the Parachute Regiment in the first week of the landings. These brave British soldiers were tasked with neutralizing the mighty Merville Battery, and capturing Le Plein and the Chateau St. Côme on the Breville Ridge. Failure by to achieve any of these objectives could have meant disaster for Operation Overlord—and catastrophe for the Allied war effort.
 
In his quest to uncover what transpired in the early days of the landings, historian Neil Barber tracked down and interviewed surviving participants in the operation. In The Day the Devils Dropped In, he presents the full story, largely in the very words of those who lived through the experience. Enhanced by wartime photographs throughout, this revealing chronicle is a fine tribute to those whose contribution must never be forgotten.

CHAPTER ONE

‘An Elite Club of Volunteers’

On 5 November 1942, the War Office authorized the formation of a brigade to strengthen the existing British Airborne Forces, namely the 1st Airborne Division. As part of this expansion, the 10th Holding Battalion, The Essex Regiment was chosen to be converted into a parachute unit. Major-General Frederick ‘Boy’ Browning, the ‘father’ of the Airborne Forces, subsequently visited the battalion and gave a talk about the objectives of a parachute force, and from a strength of 644 all ranks, 567 volunteered. However, before acceptance, the men were required to pass stringent mental and physical criteria. This began with a two-week selection course at Hardwick Hall near Chesterfield, which involved a strict medical, rigorous physical training and various tests. The survivors then went on a further two-week course for parachute training at Ringway in Manchester.¹ The first week was devoted to learning and practising the drill and culminated in two jumps from a balloon at 700 to 800 feet. During the second week the trainees had to make five jumps from aircraft. Around 150 successfully completed the course, and were duly presented with the coveted wings. One of them was Company Sergeant-Major Jack Harries:

Certainly the issue of Para wings, the Airborne shoulder flash and the red beret seemed to transform men almost overnight, and suddenly you were part of an elite club of volunteers.

Most of this successful group were experienced pre-war regulars, 1940 conscripts or members of the Territorial Army, and these formed the backbone of the 9th (Eastern and Home Counties) Battalion, the Parachute Regiment.²

Major General Frederick Browning. Taylor Library

The new brigade was designated as 3 Parachute Brigade and was completed by the 7th and 8th Battalions.

The structure of a Parachute Battalion basically consisted of a HQ Company, three Rifle Companies, ‘A’, ‘B’ and ‘C’, and the Reserve Company. HQ Company dealt with the administration of the Battalion and included the signals and intelligence sections plus an MG platoon of four Vickers heavy machine guns and a mortar platoon of six three-inch mortars. Each Rifle Company comprised of five officers and 120 men organised into Company HQ and three platoons of thirty-six men each.

‘Home’ for the 9th Battalion was Kiwi Barracks in Bulford Camp near Andover in Wiltshire, and Lieutenant-Colonel Tom Hearn, the greatly respected Commanding Officer of the 10th Essex, briefly continued in this role, but had to relinquish command as he was too old to jump. Colonel Stanley James Ledger Hill was appointed.

James Hill.

James Hill’s path to the Battalion had been eventful to say the least. While commanding the 1st Parachute Battalion in North Africa, he had been shot three times when leading a raid behind enemy lines. One bullet went straight through his chest, while the other two hit him in the neck and shoulder. He was placed in the sidecar of an Italian motorcycle with his badly wounded adjutant and rapidly driven back to Beja where he was operated upon by a forward parachute surgical team. Here, his life was saved and after three weeks in a casualty clearing station, was evacuated to a hospital in Algiers. To regain fitness, as soon as he was able, at night he started slipping out of the French windows of his room for illicit walks in the hospital gardens. Seven weeks later, considering himself fit enough, he just walked out of the hospital and set off to report to his superior, Brigadier Edward Flavell. The front had by then moved on into Tunisia, a journey of 400 miles. He hitchhiked the whole distance. Unfortunately, Flavell could not return command of the Battalion to him so he put Hill on a plane back to England, whereupon he was immediately sent to hospital in Tidworth.³ Whilst here he received the offer of the 9th Battalion, but his first problem was getting passed fit to command again. He was friendly with the hospital’s commanding officer, Major Salmon, and so one afternoon, while she was at dinner, he left a note saying that he apologised for missing her, but that General Browning required him back immediately. He also asked that a medical certificate be forwarded to him.^{4, 5}

Hill duly assumed command of the Battalion and his impact was immediate. The officer commanding ‘A’ Company was Major Allen Parry:

The Colonel invariably picked on a different officer each day and said ‘Come along and walk to the office with me.’ The walk was a breathtaking experience. James Hill invariably carried a thumb stick, which increased the length of his stride. His speed of movement often left the unfortunate officer trotting a couple of paces behind his master, trying to answer his questions but with insufficient breath to do so. The Colonel quickly earned the name ‘Speedy’ from the soldiers.

Sergeant Doug Woodcraft, ‘A’ Company:

When Colonel Hill took over the Battalion, he took us all on a forced march. At the end he addressed us, saying ‘Gentlemen, you are not fit, but don’t let this worry you because from now on we are going to work a six and a half day week. You can have Saturday afternoons off!’

And he meant it! Even Sunday Services at the Garrison Church provided only a brief respite. Company Sergeant Major Harries:

We were required to attend in full battle order with weapons and leave them outside on the lawns, and at the end of the Service Brigadier {sic} Hill would arrive and suggest we all went on ‘a nice stroll’ before lunch. No one could refuse of course but the stroll usually consisted of anything up to ten miles which usually developed into more of a run than a march, such was the pace of Brigadier Hill at the front.

Hill placed great emphasis on both physical and mental endurance. Everything was done ‘at speed’, and all movement during working hours was carried out at the double. This was necessary because when the men initially went into battle, they would be carrying all of the Battalion’s equipment and ammunition with them, and would also be facing numerically superior and more heavily armed opponents.

*

On 23 April 1943, the War Office issued orders for the formation of the 6th Airborne Division, which was to comprise of 3 Parachute Brigade, transferred from the 1st Airborne Division, and two new brigades, 5 Parachute Brigade and 6 Airlanding glider-borne Brigade.⁶

Major-General Richard Gale. Taylor Library

The Divisional Commander was Major-General Richard ‘Windy’ Gale, a veteran of the First World War and a straight talking ‘soldier’s soldier’ who set the tone for the character of the Division when he introduced the motto, ‘Go To It!’:

9th Battalion officers.

This motto will be adopted by 6th Airborne Division and as such should be remembered by all ranks in action against the enemy, in training and during day to day routine duties.⁷

James Hill was duly promoted to Brigadier and given command of 3 Parachute Brigade.⁸ Colonel Martin Lindsay, another experienced parachutist, became the new CO of the 9th Battalion. Training continued with the same intensity, under the watchful eye of his second-in-command, Major Terence Otway.

*

To bring the Battalion up to its fighting complement of a...

Table of contents

• Front Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Contents
• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• List of maps
• List of abbreviations
• Chapter 1. ‘An Elite Club of Volunteers’
• Chapter 2. Ready to ‘Go To It!’
• Chapter 3. ‘Gentlemen, The Operation is On!’ – Monday 5 June
• Chapter 4. The Drop – Tuesday 6 June
• Chapter 5. The Attack
• Chapter 6. Onward
• Chapter 7. Consolidation – Wednesday 7 June
• Chapter 8. The Château St Côme; Opening Skirmishes – Thursday 8 June
• Chapter 9. Pressure Mounts – Friday 9 June
• Chapter 10. Onslaught – Saturday 10 June
• Chapter 11. Tragedy – Sunday 11 June
• Chapter 12. Day of Decision – Monday 12 June
• Chapter 13. Relief – Tuesday 13 June
• Aftermath
• Today
• The Fates of those mentioned in the text
• Sources
• Notes