D-DAY: ALLIED ORDER OF BATTLE

Operation Overlord, the Allied Invasion of Northern France, was a combined effort of many countries. I wish to give tribute to the brave men & women of the British Commonwealth, and Free France - they fought the Germans in France years before the United States entered the war, of course. Future postings will explore these historical events; Dunkirk, Dieppe, Gold, Sword and Juno Beaches.

Supreme Commander--General Dwight D. Eisenhower
Allied Expeditionary Naval Forces--Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay
21st Army Group--General Sir Bernard L. Montgomery
Allied Expeditionary Air Forces--Air Marshal Sir Trafford Leigh- Mallory
United States Army United Kingdom Land Forces

First Army Second British Army
V Corps 1st British Corps
VII Corps 30th British Corps
1st Infantry Division 3rd British Infantry Division
4th Infantry Division 6th British Airborne Division
29th Infantry Division 50th British Infantry Division
82nd Airborne Division 3rd Canadian Infantry Division
101st Airborne Division

Air Forces

U.S. Army Air Forces Royal Air Forces

Eighth Air Force 2nd Tactical Air Force
Ninth Air Force

Allied Expeditionary Naval Forces

Western Task Force Eastern Task Force
(United States) (British)


NOTE: This Order of Battle does not mention the Free French forces included in the first wave at the British beaches, nor the Free French forces that jumped in with the British Special Air Service Brigade. Of course, French Resistance forces are not ennumerated here either.

PARATROOPERS

Much has been written about the Normandy Jump; an Airborne operation of that magnitude had never been attempted. Despite navigational difficulties and heavy anti-aircraft fire that dispersed the air Armada, the widely-dispersed paratroopers of the 101st and 82D Airborne Divisions were able to band together in LGOPs (Little Groups of Paratroopers) and seize their objectives - sometimes with as few as ten percent of their planned strength.

The Internet is a wonderful resource; I found this incredible site: US Airborne in Cotentin Peninsula.

Over the years I have had the blessed good fortune to meet with WWII veterans of the 101st and 82D Airborne, to hear firsthand their accounts. Most of them, sadly, are now in that Big Drop Zone In The Sky. What they did in Normandy was as heroic as anything ever done, before or since. They saved the World for Democracy.

HERE THEY ARE TODAY

Veterans of the Normandy Jump revisit Ste Mere Eglise, the lucky ones who survived the battle, and the war. These men are my heroes.