By 1943, the Allies realised they would need a ground operation to defeat Germany on the Western Front. They launched it in 1944 from Britain, landing on the coast of France.
This action is now known as D-Day. Australian sailors, soldiers and airmen were involved in its opening hours. Some 2,000 Australians were serving in Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) units. Around 500 Australian sailors were serving on Royal Navy (RN) vessels. About 12 Australian soldiers were attached to British Army formations. They were gaining experience in amphibious operations for possible actions in the Pacific.
Fourteen Australians were killed on D-Day, including 2 sailors and 12 airmen. Many other Australian airmen died in related operations.
Planning the beach landings
Planning for the invasion of Europe began almost as soon as the British Expeditionary Force retreated from Dunkirk in 1940. However, many challenges delayed the invasion of north-west Europe.
In 1943, the Anglo-American Combined Chiefs of Staff created the position Chief of Staff to the Supreme Allied Commander (Designate), or COSSAC. COSSAC Lieutenant General Sir Frank Morgan began the process of detailed planning for the invasion of Europe. By early 1944, key senior commanders, including the Supreme Allied Commander, US General Dwight Eisenhower, had been appointed.
It was decided that the invasion site would be the Normandy coastline, not Pas de Calais, the closest point in occupied Europe to Britain. Although Pas de Calais was closer, it was heavily fortified by the Germans and bordered by rivers and canals. This would have made it difficult to expand the operation. In contrast, Normandy provided a broad front that would allow the Allies to attack various coastal ports simultaneously.
Early on 6 June 1944, thousands of British, Canadian, French and US paratroopers landed at Normandy. They aimed to secure the Allied flanks and destroy enemy artillery positions. They also wanted to seize and hold vital points until infantry and armoured divisions arrived.
Involvement of Australians
Australians, mostly serving in the RAAF and the Royal Australian Navy (RAN), played a role in both the invasion of Europe and the subsequent campaign in north-west Europe. Many Australians were posted to RAF squadrons even though they were members of the RAAF.
Around 12 Australian Infantry Force personnel were attached to various British Army units. They were there to learn lessons that might be applied to the campaign in the Pacific.
No RAN ships served at the D-Day landings because the last Australian ship had returned to the Pacific in 1943.
Around 500 RAN personnel served on board RN vessels, mostly landing craft. Many had emerged through the Dominion Yachtsman Scheme, which sought recruits with experience handling small vessels. A small number of Australian officers commanded British destroyers, corvettes, minesweepers, landing craft and torpedo boats.
Australia's most significant contribution to D-Day came from the RAAF.
Several RAAF Article XV squadrons were attached to the RAF's Second Tactical Air Force. This force had been formed to support the Canadian ground forces involved in D-Day and the subsequent campaign in Europe.
RAAF Article XV squadrons that formed part of RAF Bomber Command were also involved. Bomber Command flew in support of Operation Overlord for months before the operation actually started. They bombed transport targets across France and western Germany to cut off reinforcements from the Normandy battlefields. They also supported the invasion.
Many Australians served as both air and ground crew in RAF units assigned to support the invasion.
Australians also served in senior positions within the Allied Expeditionary Air Force (AEAF).
Air Commodore Edgar Kingston-McCloughry, an Australian who had joined the RAF in 1922, was a senior officer with the newly formed AEAF.
Air operations began before D-Day to prepare the battle-space for the invasion. Air power was also used to attack targets in the Pas de Calais as part of the deception plan that sought to convince the Germans that this was where the invasion would occur.
By D-Day, there were around 14,000 Australian airmen in Britain.
On D-Day itself, RAAF units had many different duties, such as:
- providing air cover to the invasion fleet
- bombing targets in Normandy
- escorting bombers
- flying fighter sweeps.
Continued service in Europe
After D-Day, Australians continued to serve in Europe.
Airmen served:
- with RAAF squadrons or in RAF units in the skies over Europe and in defence of Britain against the V-1 offensive
- in Bomber Command in the skies over Germany
- with the RAF's Second Tactical Air Force in support of ground operations from Normandy to the Baltic.
Australian sailors continued to serve on Royal Navy ships in British waters and in the final phase of the Battle of the Atlantic.
