“13/18th Royal Hussars” - The early morning of the 6th June 1944 was dry but a stiff breeze was blowing. Dawn found the East Yorkshire Regiment preparing to load into its landing craft, and although there were distant sounds of war, the whole atmosphere was exactly as though this was just another exercise.The landing craft were lowered into the heavy swell, took up their appointed stations and commenced the run in. The landing craft pushed on, just a little behind the amphibious 'D D' tanks of A & B Squadrons of the 13/18th Hussars and as the landing craft approached the shore of 'Queen Red' beach, Major C K 'Banger' King, commander of A Company, read the words of Shakespeares Henry V to his men to calm their nerves.
“US 2rd Armored Cavalry Division” - The division "Hell On Wheels " the US First Army through Normandy, taking part in a number of engagements, notably including the Battle of Saint Lo, where it suffered significant casualties. After facing heavy fighting in the hedgerows, and developing methods to overcome the vast thickets of brush and earth that constrained its mobility, the unit broke out at Marigny, alongside the Big Red One 1st Infantry Division, and swung south to Mayenne.
“899th Tank Destroyer Battalion” - Company “A” and Company “C” landed on Utah Beach on D-Day, with the remainder of the 899th arriving D plus 4 and 5. The 899th, the first TD Bn to land in France, teamed with four infantry divisions, including the Fourth Infantry Division, until D plus 11, when it was attached to the Ninth Infantry Division. objective Cherbourg.
