AUSTRALIA AND THE BATTLE OF NORMANDY|NORMANDY 75
http://www.britainatwar.com^89Record
Casualties
Casualties among Australian aircrew
during the Normandy campaign
were high, with June and July 1944
being the worst month in terms
of casualties for the RAAF of the
whole war. Further, during the
period of the Normandy campaign
and its build-up, more than 1,100
Australians were killed and buried
or listed on memorials in Western
Europe and Britain.
Life was particularly dangerous
for pilots flying low-level operations
to support ground troops: of the 23
pilots with 453 Squadron at the start
of the campaign, 20 were no longer
with the unit by the end of September.
During this period 57 pilots served,
and almost the entire squadron had
been turned over, replacing those
killed, missing, wounded, captured or
“operationally tired”. Such turnover
was anecdotally recalled by pilots of
other squadrons, including Typhoon‘I had seen so many mates shot
down, that I realised
I was going to die.’
ABOVE
Ground crew
from 453 Sqn
show French
children one of
the squadron’s
Spitfires at the
advanced landing
strip at Longues.LEFT
Pilots and
groundcrew of
453 Sqn ferry
two 500lb bombs
on a roller
borrowed from
a French farmer.pilot Flying Officer Herbert Copeman
of Brisbane, who joined 137 Squadron
RAF in Normandy in July. After only
a handful of sorties, Copeman recalled:
“I had seen so many mates shot down,
that I realised I was going to die.”
Copeman did survive, flying all the way
to VE Day, but when the squadrons of
his wing were celebrating the Allied
victory he looked around and later
recalled: “I was the only ‘ex-Normandy’
pilot present at the party and felt very
strangely sad and lonely.”
D-Day has become the most
prominent international
commemorative event of the Second
World War and it is important
to remember and recognise the
efforts of all of the Allied nations
that participated. In Australia’s case,
recognising our Normandy veterans
and honouring their brave efforts and
sacrifices is a tribute to the nation’s
wider contribution to the war.
From the outbreak of war in
September 1939 to the final day
of victory in 1945, Australia was
committed to the defence of Britain
and the free world and to the defeat
of Nazism and fascism in Europe, as
well as Japanese militarism in Asia
and the Pacific.