Devon men who landed in Normandy

30 years ago as liberators returned to mark the anniversary of D-Day and found themselves still regarded as heroes.

At the British war cemetery at Bayeux, Messrs D W Slee and T E Cann, of Bradworthy, and A R Broad of Buckland Brewer

Among the 32 soldiers and sailors who made the pilgrimage were Mr Austin Broad, of Buckland Brewer: Mr Ted Coombe, of The Stores, South Zeal, who landed with Mr Broad on D-Day; Mr T E Cann, of The Square, Bradworthy; and Mr D W Slee, of Higher Terrace, Bradworthy.

Mr Broad, formerly of Shebbear, and now making his home at Galsworthy Farm, Buckland Brewer, told the Gazette: “We had a terrific welcome: it was marvellous. They looked upon us a heroes and just could not do enough for us.” Mr Broad, a builder, was 19 when on June 6, 1944, as a member of the Sixth Airborne Division (12th Devons), he landed behind enemy lines. “Everything happened to go right” he said.

A clearance force had landed three to four hours earlier. They had silenced the enemy guns and captured the bridges leaving those who came later to mop up. “But it was not so good after two or three days,” he admitted.

Mr Broad and Mr Coombe together explored old familiar places. “We passed the spot where we landed, but it has completely changed and we could not recognise it.” Another disappointment was that in the vast cemetery at Caen they had been unable to find the graves of fallen comrades.

The party were taken around in a coach and everywhere found crowds to wave to them in flag bedecked villages and fete them when they stopped, often for a champagne reception. But there were moments of sadness. “It was impossible not to feel moved at such places as Omaha Beach,” said Mr Broad.

Gazette article dated June 1974