D Day 80


D-Day 80

On Thursday 6th June we mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day.


The Group is assisting village organisations with events on the day to commemorate the occasion.

One of the fallen remembered on Saxilby’s war memorials is Ronald Arthur Britt.

He was the son of Harry and Eleanor Britt, the Foss swing bridge keepers, and the husband of Catherine Britt of Galashiels.

He was a private in the 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment, which played a significant role in the events of D-Day landings.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, the 2nd Battalion was stationed in England. However, when the situation escalated in late 1939, they were deployed straight to France. After 9 months, the Battalion was evacuated from Dunkirk.

Following this, they remained in Britain, primarily engaged in home defence duties and training exercises.

On the 6th of June 1944, the 2nd Battalion took part in the Normandy landings.


They landed at Hermanville-sur-Mer, codenamed ‘Sword Beach.’


This extract from the Regimental War Diary reads ‘1200 hrs. – Main body Battalion landed, very wet landing, waist deep in water. Beach being slightly shelled. Battalion moved to assembly area in southern outskirts of Lion. Snipers very active, 6 enemy aircraft attacked beaches – all brought down by AA fire’.

The 2nds were subsequently engaged in intense fighting for many months across North-West Europe.

By the Spring of 1945, the Battalion had reached the Dutch/German border close to Nijmegen.

Following intense fighting, Ronald was reported missing on 5th April at Wettringen, some twenty miles into Germany. He subsequently died of his wounds on 15th April, aged 25.

He is buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery, Kleve, Germany.

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