Veteran remembers D-Day landings

AS one of the last living heroes of the Normandy anding, veteran Alex Reith from Margate, will celebrate the 70th anniversary of the historical World War II event.

A former British citizen, Alex (91), landed a glider in Normandy in France on June 6, 1944.

Without any engine assistance, Alex, at the age of 22, courageously flew a glider which carried a jeep, field gun and five airborne troops in Normandy.

The event has been considered to be the largest amphibious invasion in world history.

As this year marks the 70th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy in northern France, the Lower South Coast South African Airforce Association (SAAFA), is calling on anyone who can sponsor Alex to attend the celebration.

The anniversary will be commemorated by many Allied heads of state, as well as thousands of visitors from all over the world.

Queen Elizabeth II, Prime Minister David Cameron and US president Barack Obama will be in attendance.

Looking back, Alex explained that he joined the British army in September 1939, as a member of the bomb disposal squad of the Royal Engineers.

In 1942, he saw a notice advertising a post to be a glider pilot.

It seems he is the only person currently living in South Africa who was a glider pilot during this period.

“I haven’t got any tales to tell. I simply landed a glider in Normandy during the D-Day operation on June 6,” said Alex modestly.

However, he said the mind boggles as to what happened on that particular day.

“I was a fortunate fellow that I was part of a terrific operation,” he said.

Alex explained that the high death and wound rate was unbelievable.

“Anyone who survived D-Day was lucky. I was lucky enough to have survived without a scratch. Someone was looking after me,” he added.

During World War II, the Battle of Normandy, which lasted from June to August 1944, resulted in the Allied liberation of Western Europe from Nazi Germany’s control.

The battle which began on June 6, 1944, also known as D-Day, was when some 156,000 American, British and Canadian forces landed on five beaches along a 50-mile stretch of the heavily fortified coast of France’s Normandy region.

Prior to D-Day, the Allies conducted a large-scale deception campaign designed to mislead the Germans about the intended invasion target.

By late August 1944, all of northern France had been liberated, and by the following spring the Allies had defeated the Germans.

The Normandy landings have been called the beginning of the end of war in Europe.

Anyone who can sponsor his trip can contact Ken Bannister, the SAAF Association chairman, at 082 5575195.