Service in Sandwell marks the 80th anniversary of D-Day
On Thursday 6 June 2024, Sandwell commemorated the heroes of D-Day on the 80th anniversary of the historic Normandy landings.
The service was held outside Sandwell Council House, Freeth Street, Oldbury from 11am – 11.30am. It included a flag-raising and a minute’s silence.
The Royal British Legion worked closely with Sandwell Council to organise this event.
A number of servicemen from Sandwell saw action on D-Day, which marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control.
We were proud to join the Royal British Legion and Sandwell families in marking this historic occasion.
More information on the D-Day 80 campaign
Lieutenant Den Brotheridge
Smethwick-born Lieutenant Den Brotheridge is widely recognised to be the first Allied serviceman to have been killed by enemy action on D-Day.
As part of the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry, Lieutenant Brotheridge led his platoon in ‘Operation Deadstick’.
By landing gliders close to bridges in Normandy, this operation aimed to capture them from the Germans, preventing the enemy tanks from reaching the Normandy beaches and, therefore, the Allied soldiers landing there.
The operation was a success, and the bridges were taken. However, in leading his platoon across Pegasus Bridge, Lieutenant Brotheridge was hit by enemy fire and died soon afterwards.
Lieutenant Brotheridge’s daughter, Margaret, was born three weeks after his death. She said: “I hope the D-Day anniversary commemorations and the stories of servicemen like my father will make a difference. It is important that we think about what happened on D-Day and to feel proud of what my father’s generation did and their commitment to freedom for Europe.
“So many people lost their lives and many of the soldiers who came back wouldn’t talk about what happened there, so we need to make sure that their stories are told now and for future generations.”
There is a commemorative plaque to Lieutenant Brotheridge at Smethwick Council House.
An article about Lieutenant Brotheridge from The Smethwick Telephone newspaper from 1944 is stored at Sandwell Archives, based at Smethwick Library, and is available to view upon request during Sandwell Archives opening hours.
With thanks to Chris Sutton at Smethwick Heritage Centre for the photo used with this story. (Please credit Smethwick Heritage Centre wherever the photo is used).