HISTORICAL CONTEXT

He was a passenger in Horsa Glider Chalk 35 which was due to land near Hauger and Ranville on the eastern flank of the British sector in the early hours of D-Day. This was part of Operation Tonga (6th Airborne Division's parachute and glider assault in the early hours of D-Day).

The glider took off from RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire at 01:10 on D-Day. It was was towed by Albemarle piloted by Flying Officer Halpin of 296 Squadron (RAF) and carried men of 13th Parachute Battalion, 5 Parachute Brigade and one man from 6 (Airborne) Division Signals.

The glider was due to land at Drop Zone N at Ranville, but the tow rope broke when the plane reached the French coast, probably due to the anti-aircraft fire. The glider crashed in a wood at Ferme de Manoir, St Vaast-en-Auge, Calvados around 02:45, killing the two pilots and three of the passengers.