Service in Sandwell to mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day

The service, which is open to anyone who wishes to pay their respects, will be held outside Sandwell Council House, Freeth Street, Oldbury, from 11am to 11.30am. It will include a flag raising and a minute’s silence, with light refreshments served afterwards. Participants are asked to be outside the Council House by 10.45am.

The Royal British Legion worked closely with Sandwell Council to organize this event. Anyone is welcome to proceed to Oldbury British Legion in Windsor Road after the service and refreshments have finished at the Council House.

A number of Sandwell servicemen saw action on D-Day, which marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control.

Among them was Smethwick-born Lieutenant Den Brotheridge, who is widely recognized as the first Allied soldier to be 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 near the bridges in Normandy, this operation aimed to capture them from the Germans, preventing enemy tanks from reaching the Normandy beaches and thus preventing Allied soldiers from landing there.

The operation was a success and the bridges were taken. However, in leading his platoon across the Pegasus Bridge, Lieutenant Brotheridge was hit by enemy fire and died shortly afterwards.

Lieutenant Brotheridge’s daughter Margaret was born three weeks after his death. She said: “I hope the D-Day commemorations and the stories of servicemen like my dad will make a difference. It is important to think about what happened on D-Day and 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 didn’t want to talk about what happened there, so we need to make sure their stories are told now and for generations to come.”

There is a memorial plaque to Lieutenant Brotheridge at Smethwick Council House.

Councilor Syeda Khatun MBE, Mayor of Sandwell, said: “Stories like that of Lieutenant Brotheridge really show how much our armed forces gave up in the fight to free Europe from Nazi tyranny. It is important on the 80th anniversary of D-Day to remember these sacrifices.

“I am proud to join the Royal British Legion and the Sandwell families in marking this historic occasion.”

An article about Lieutenant Brotheridge from The Smethwick Telephone newspaper from 1944 is held at Sandwell Archives, based at Smethwick Library, and is available to view on request during Sandwell Archives opening hours.

Thanks to Chris Sutton of Smethwick Heritage Center for the photos used with this story.