Thread by @Kormin_

#Normandy Pointe du Hoc is one of the most famous story of DDay. Many knows what the 🇺🇸 Americans Rangers have achieved there. But very few know about the 🇬🇧 British who participated alongside the Rangers and sometime, gave their lives. A thread🧵:

Lt Col Thomas Trevor, a commando who became Liaison Officier with the US Rangers. He coached the Rangers in cliff-climbing. Landed with them on DDay, exposed himself under fire to motivate the men to climb. Was wounded in the head doing so.

Ronald F. Eades, RNVR, helped to develop special weapons for the attack, wanted to join for DDay, landed as Trevor assistant, mistakenly taken for a German and fired upon by Rangers while looking for snipers. Killed 4 days later, buried in Tilly sur Seulles

The British crew of LCA 914, transporting supply and ammo for the Rangers. The craft sunk. Donald Harris, John McCoy, Ronald Church and Wilfred Gross went down with it. They are buried in Bayeux, except for Gross, buried in Southampton

Another LCA went down with 21 Rangers. Most were rescued. But Stoker 1st Class William H Pusey, a British crew member, disappeared. His name is on the Portsmouth Memorial.

Arthur Taylor, LCA 1003 transporting supplies and ammo. His Mention in Despatch: "showed skill and resource in keeping his craft afloat whilst carrying essential ammo supplies. His craft, partly swamped by heavy seas and likely to founder was kept afloat by his skill and courage"

Stoker 1st Class William Ingram received the DSM: "He showed conspicuous skill and courage when his craft LCA722 was damaged by enemy action whilst under MG fire, he made great effort to repair his craft’s engine, although unsuccessful, his devotion to duty was a great example."

Pvt Blackmore and Cpl Good, RASC, were both DUKW driver on modified DUKW carrying firefighters ladders for the Rangers. The modified DUKW proved useless due to the amount of bombs craters on the beach. They both landed and scaled the cliff, fighting as infantry...

They went down the cliff to recover a Vickers MG and ammo from the DUKW, climbed again and put the MG into action. Pvt Blackmore was wounded on the foot. He evacuated a wounded Ranger under heavy fire, carried ammo to the front, repaired MGs and rifles....

Pvt Blackmore was evacuated from the Pointe on June 7th. Cpl Good kept fighting until the battle was over on June 8th. They both received the Military Medal.

The crew of the Lancaster ND739, shot down after they dropped bombs on Pointe du Hoc early on June 6th. No survivors.
- Edward Carter
- Guy Dunning
- Ronald Conley RAAF
- Herbert Rieger RCAF
- Henry Jeffery
- Albert Chambers
- Frank Watson
- Martin Bryan-Smith

The crew of Lancaster ND815, same fate. The crew was mostly Norwegians, with 1 Brit and 1 Canadian:
- Finn Jespersen
- Gerald Ashpole RAF
- Christian Munster
- Knut Magnus
- Kare Petersen
- William McCutcheon RCAF
- Jon Evensen

The crew of Lancaster ND874, same story. Some buried in Bayeux, some in the Runnymede Memorial:
- Roland Ward
- Denis Mangan
- Kenneth Smith
- Richard Haine
- George Livingstone
- S. Reading (survived)
- Malcolm Burgess RAAF

This entire list is incomplete. Many more British participated in the Navy or the RAF in the operation in Pointe du Hoc, but also in the landing of the Rangers on Omaha.
Although not perfect, I hope this thread can highlight better the British contribution to Pointe du Hoc.

Source: Thomas Hatfield "Rudder: From Leader to Legend", Robert Black "The Battalion", Gary Stern "Cover-up at Pointe du Hoc", Steven Zaloga "Smashing Hitler's Guns". Website: francecrashes39-45

Special thanks to @SeaSpitfires @seanboy_50 and Stuart for the idea about this thread.