Dr Andrew Wheale on the British 6th Airborne Division in Normandy
Monday 24th June 2024
Dr Andrew Wheale spoke to the SAHR about the British 6th Airborne Division in Normandy on Monday 24 June at 7pm BST.
A recording of the talk can now be viewed on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ua3-Hw9UpDw
This talk is based on Andrew's Ph.D thesis which was subsequently published in 2022 by Helion and Company as Ham & Jam: 6th Airborne Division in Normandy - Generating Combat Effectiveness: November 1942 – September 1944. The book was awarded the Society's Templer First Book Prize for 2022.
Synopsis
2024 is the 80th Anniversary of the D-Day Landings and ensuing Normandy Campaign, during which carefully prepared Allied forces and plans overcame Hitler’s waiting defences. British 6th Airborne Division performed a key role on the night of 5th/6th June 1944, destroying and capturing key objectives to secure the eastern flank of the seaborne landings. 6th Airborne was essentially a completely new formation but in essence achieved all of its D-Day goals. How was it able to do that? This talk will explore the Division’s background, formation, moulding and combat performance.
The lecture will begin with an outline of the development of airborne assault warfare during the Second World War, linking to a review of the decisions made by Britain’s wartime leadership regarding the development of Airborne Forces.
Second the creation of the Division and the methods used to recruit the personnel required will be described. Did Second World War airborne and commando units take the cream of the infantry? Leader selection and leadership style will be discussed. Richard Gale, as a British Airborne Forces pioneer dominated the formation process, and the influences that shaped his outlook will be summarised.
The Airborne Establishment and Gale had clear ideas on how the Division would be prepared for operations. Tough selection, Corps culture and identity, and relevant pre-operation training all contributed to how 6th Airborne was moulded.
6th Airborne’s role in the overall NEPTUNE Plan was critical, and Gale embarked on a schedule of realistic and relevant training to prepare his troops. Bridge capture and repair, street-fighting and anti-tank tactics were all included. The Divisional plan included the sober understanding that the heavy artillery firepower of nearby conventional role army formations and the Royal Navy would be needed. A review of the waiting enemy formations and their plans and preparation will be included at this point. The mission for each individual battalion involved in Operation TONGA (the night of 5th/6th June) will be outlined, and their relative success will lead the talk into the final lecture section.
This will follow Gale’s troops into action. Near catastrophic scattering of the night parachute drops created a formidable challenge from the outset, but was often significantly offset by the shock/surprise effect. The evening landing of 6th Airlanding Brigade (Operation MALLARD) had a profound impact on all the combatants who witnessed it. Between 6th and 12th June the Division was involved in intense combat in small but crucial battles along the Orne front of British Second Army, culminating in the fierce struggle for the village Bréville. The line was then held for the next two months until breakout operations carried 6th Airborne out of the Orne bridgehead and across the Seine. The lecture will conclude with an identification of key influences and themes, and a review of the resource cost versus operational effect of 6th Airborne Division in its Normandy operations.
Speaker biography
Andrew Wheale has enjoyed a life-long interest in military history and lives in Oxfordshire. His research interests include the World Wars, the Napoleonic Wars, Special Forces, combat effectiveness, leadership and military technology. In 2019 he was awarded his DPhil by the University of Buckingham. He is a member of the British Commission for Military History and the Society of Army Historical Research.