Page 20 - Chiron Calling Autumn/Winter 2022

Ex CHIRON OVERLORD – Normandy Battlefield Study
by Pte Emmilee Green, 105 Sqn, 1 MWD Regt
Ex CHIRON OVERLORD was a regimental battlefield study to highlight the hardships of
operating during World War 2 and to improve 1 MWD service personnel’s knowledge of the tactics used during the war. All 25 attendees split into small groups and delivered presentations considering the events of D-Day and how these relate to the British Army’s current operations. Each presentation included: offensive and defensive principles, logistic principles, the use of Military Working Dogs, multinational operations and medical
the five gliders made it to Merville Battery. The lost glider meant the 9th Parachute Battalion were left without ammunition. Our last location was Ranville War Cemetery where many British Soldiers were laid to rest after being killed during the early stages of the Battle of Normandy.
One soldier buried at Ranville
is Private Emile S Corteil. Emile was a British Dog Handler in World War 2, teamed with MWD Glen. They served in the 9th Parachute Regiment and took part in the D-Day landings of Normandy. The
planning. For
each of these
presentations,
we travelled
to different
locations that
related to the
event being
analysed. The following sites were visited over the course of the three- day visit:
Day 1: Pegasus Bridge, Merville Battery and Ranville Cemetery.
Day 2: Sword beach, Gold beach and Bayeux War Cemetery.
Day 3: Omaha Beach, La Pointe Du Hoc and Sainte Mere-Eglise.
DAY 1: AIRBORNE INVASION
The first day was spent at Pegasus Bridge. Here the first presentation was delivered outlining how this bridge protected the Allies’ eastern flank from German counter attacks. The UK’s 6th Airborne Division captured this bridge extending over the Caen Canal, with the overall objective to capture two road bridges in Normandy across River Orne
and Caen Canal. The next location was Merville Battery, which is a decommissioned coastal fortification in Normandy, France. This was built as part of the Germans’ Atlantic Wall to defend continental Europe from Allied invasion. Only four out of
team both died on D-Day and are now buried together and will forever be side-by-side at Ranville War Cemetery.
DAY 2: SEABORNE INVASION
Day 2’s first location was Sword Beach. This is where the invading forces landed on D-Day and were greeted with moderate fire. Sword Beach was assaulted on 6 June 1944, by units of the British 3rd Division, with French and British Commandos attached.
Our second location was Gold Beach. This was the centre beach
of the five designated landing areas of the Normandy invasion. It was assaulted and taken over from defending German troops on 6 June 1944 by 50th Infantry Division.
Lastly, we visited the Bayeux War Cemetery. This is the largest Commonwealth Second World War Cemetery in France. It is located at Bayeux, Normandy and contains 4,648 graves, mostly from the invasion of Normandy.
DAY3: THE AMERICAN INVASION
The final day, and my highlight of the trip, saw us visit Omaha Beach, La Pointe Du Hoc and Saint Mere-
Eglise. Omaha Beach was one of the landing areas in Normandy used by Allied Forces on the D-Day invasion. It was assaulted on 6 June 1944 by units of the US 29th and 1st Infantry Divisions. Many of the soldiers drowned during their approach from ships offshore or killed by defending fire from German troops placed in high, fortified bunkers surrounding the beach. Omaha Beach was surrounded by steep hills and was heavily defended. Omaha was the bloodiest of the D-Day beaches,
with roughly 2,400 US troops dying, wounded or missing. This is largely the result of Allied intelligence underestimating the number of German soldiers in the area.
Pointe Du Hoc was the location
of a series of German bunkers
and machine gun posts. Prior to
the invasion of Normandy, the German Army fortified the area with concrete casemates and gun pits.
Finally, we visited Saint Mere- Eglise. This was a key location
in the line of defence along the
road to Omaha Beach. During the Normandy invasion 30 paratroopers landed in the town of Saint Mere- Eglise, including 20 on the church square. German soldiers hurled into the attack and the battle continued for 48 hours.
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The team both died on D-Day and are now buried together and will forever be side-by-side
Private Emile Corteil’s grave- stone in Ranville cemetery, where she is buried with MWD Glen.