D-Day (6th June 1944)
[New page 13 August 2015]
D-Day (6th June 1944) is commemorated with solemn ceremonies all over France. The canton of Cerisy-la-Salle is no exception. The usual format is a Mass in church attended by local dignitaries and anciens combattants, banners and live music: medals are worn, This is followed by a ceremony at the local war memorial in which wreaths are laid, a minute's silence observed, the last post played. Afterwards the band leads a procession to the local village hall where a glass of friendship is offered.
D-Day ceremony 2013 (Cerisy-la-Salle)
D-Day 70th Anniversary 6 June 2014 (St-Lô)
On the night of D-Day, 6 June 1944, a Lancaster bomber of 460 Bomber Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) based at RAF Binbrook took off at 22:02 hours. Around midnight it was shot down over Coutances and crashed in flames in a field near Cerisy-la-Salle: all seven of the crew perished. The pilot was Australian, the other six crew British.
Pilot Officer Frederick James Knight 422801 RAAF
Flying Officer, Air Bomber, William Lynam 152457 RAFVR
Flying Officer, Navigator, John James Read 154193 RAFVR
Sergeant, W. Op/Air Gunner, Farewell Harrison 1516172 RAFVR
Sergeant, Air Gunner, Leonard Wesley Hillman 1245750 RAFVR
Sergeant, Flt Engineer, Lionel Pearcey Croom 1587077 RAFVR
Sergeant, Air Gunner, Robert Elcombe 1811531 RAFVR
There is a memorial to the crew in Cerisy-la-Salle (at the foot of the hill on the crossroads of the D29 and D229). Each year there is a ceremony organised by Hilary Thompson to commemorate the crew. The local band leads a parade of veterans carrying their flags, wreaths are laid, the names of the crew read out and a small cross laid next to each name. To close the event glass of friendship is offered.
Pilot Officer Frederick James Knight 422801 RAAF
Flying Officer, Air Bomber, William Lynam 152457 RAFVR
Flying Officer, Navigator, John James Read 154193 RAFVR
Sergeant, W. Op/Air Gunner, Farewell Harrison 1516172 RAFVR
Sergeant, Air Gunner, Leonard Wesley Hillman 1245750 RAFVR
Sergeant, Flt Engineer, Lionel Pearcey Croom 1587077 RAFVR
Sergeant, Air Gunner, Robert Elcombe 1811531 RAFVR
There is a memorial to the crew in Cerisy-la-Salle (at the foot of the hill on the crossroads of the D29 and D229). Each year there is a ceremony organised by Hilary Thompson to commemorate the crew. The local band leads a parade of veterans carrying their flags, wreaths are laid, the names of the crew read out and a small cross laid next to each name. To close the event glass of friendship is offered.
Lancaster bomber crew (Memorial Ceremony 8 June 2011)
Lancaster bomber crew (Memorial Ceremony 8 June 2014)
Robert Elcombe was one of the crew who died, aged 18. In 2015 his nephew David Elcombe, was present for the first time with his wife Jenny and laid a small cross against his uncle's name.
Lancaster bomber crew (Memorial Ceremony 7 June 2015)
Also on D-Day 1944, Joe Hughes took part in the raid on the Merville Battery (simultaneous with the attack on Pegasus Bridge). His son now has a holiday home in N D de Cenilly and his daughter has one in Roncey. His grandson, Tony Hughes, came to live in N D de Cenilly in 1994 and in 2014 his great-grand-daughter (our French grand-daughter) started studying Medicine at Caen University Hospital.
Lancaster bomber crew (Memorial Ceremony 8 June 2014)
Robert Elcombe was one of the crew who died, aged 18. In 2015 his nephew David Elcombe, was present for the first time with his wife Jenny and laid a small cross against his uncle's name.
Lancaster bomber crew (Memorial Ceremony 7 June 2015)
Also on D-Day 1944, Joe Hughes took part in the raid on the Merville Battery (simultaneous with the attack on Pegasus Bridge). His son now has a holiday home in N D de Cenilly and his daughter has one in Roncey. His grandson, Tony Hughes, came to live in N D de Cenilly in 1994 and in 2014 his great-grand-daughter (our French grand-daughter) started studying Medicine at Caen University Hospital.