Commemorating Smethwick-born war hero Den Brotheridge - the first casualty on D-Day
Smethwick-born war hero Lt Den Brotheridge who was the first casualty on D-Day on June 6, 1944 will be among those commemorated in a civic ceremony to mark the 80th anniversary of the Normandy landings.
A number of servicemen from Sandwell saw action on D-Day, which marked the beginning of the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi control. Among them was Smethwick-born Lt Den Brotheridge who is widely recognised to be the first Allied serviceman to have been killed by enemy action on D-Day.
As part of the Ox and Bucks Light Infantry, Lt Brotheridge led his platoon in 'Operation Deadstick'.
By landing gliders close to bridges in Normandy, this operation aimed to capture them from the Germans, preventing the enemy tanks from reaching the Normandy beaches and, therefore, the Allied soldiers landing there.
Lt Den Brotheridge, was killed as his unit stormed Pegasus Bridge, Normandy, early on June 6, 1944.
