125:
105:
435:
406:
He managed to silence the left German machine-gun post at the western bank of the Caen Canal; he and his platoon then came under attack by machine gun fire from the direction of the
Gondree Cafe on the far side of the canal. Brotheridge was hit in the back of the neck by the machine gun fire and
33:
473:
platoon was killed during the operation. Lance-Corporal Fred
Greenhalgh of No 14 platoon, 2nd Ox and Bucks, was knocked unconscious following the crash landing and thrown out of his glider and died by drowning.
918:
933:
923:
411:
without regaining consciousness in the early hours of 6 June, aged 28, in a
Casualty Collection Post situated in a trench between the Caen Canal and Orne bridges, where
210:
399:
at 00:16 on 6 June less than 50 ft (15 m) from the water tower of the
Benouville Bridge. Brotheridge led the first charge across the bridge, now known as
343:
327:
259:
175:
245:
155:
928:
362:, however shortly before D-Day Howard changed the order of landing and Brotheridge was selected to lead the first platoon across the bridge at
278:: the British airborne landings which secured the left flank of the invasion area before the main assault on the Normandy beaches began.
874:
859:
844:
822:
807:
792:
777:
762:
737:
718:
383:, at 22:56 on 5 June 1944 on a moonlit night, initially flying 70 mi (110 km) eastwards and crossing the English coast over
339:
355:
195:
913:
830:
Gliderborne: The story of the 2nd
Battalion, The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (The 52nd) in World War II
190:
496:
A memorial plaque, intended to commemorate
Brotheridge's life and the circumstances of his death, was unveiled at
450:"in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Normandy". He had been granted an immediate award of the
517:
462:
on 16 June 1944, however regulations for the award of the MC at that time prevented confirmation of the award by
493:
and is widely recognised as being the first Allied soldier to be killed by enemy action on D-Day, 6 June 1944.
455:
294:, the son of Herbert Charles and Lilian Brotheridge. He was educated at Smethwick Technical College and played
497:
363:
314:
Borough
Council. He married Margaret Plant on 30 August 1940 who was eight months pregnant when he left for
237:
347:
267:
255:
447:
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351:
307:
908:
903:
295:
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operation to be killed in action. Brotheridge was the first man to be wounded in action during the
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646:
580:
477:
Major John Howard's D Company 2nd Ox and Bucks (the 52nd) was the first Allied unit to land in
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855:
840:
818:
803:
788:
773:
758:
733:
714:
490:
335:
271:
200:
815:
Redcoats to
Riflemen: A short History of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire County Regiment
575:
214:
141:
485:, 6 June 1944 and Brotheridge was the first soldier from the glider-borne 2nd Ox and Bucks
459:
275:
205:
683:
463:
451:
408:
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359:
162:
110:
64:
434:
897:
661:
619:
291:
56:
392:
371:
331:
263:
252:
185:
130:
882:
An
Outline History of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry 1741–1992
553:
299:
888:
The
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry War Chronicle Vol 1V 1944/45
318:. His daughter Margaret Brotheridge was born two weeks after he was killed.
311:
287:
52:
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439:
424:
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81:
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as the citation had not been initiated until after Brotheridge's death.
32:
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338:. He was chosen to command 25 Platoon (also known as first platoon) in
303:
60:
388:
380:
482:
433:
419:
took care of him. Lt. Herbert Denham Brotheridge is buried in the
800:
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Famous Regiments)
310:, Smethwick. He became an inspector of weights and measures with
730:
The Pegasus Diaries: The Private Papers of Major John Howard DSO
428:
416:
529:
527:
391:. Brotheridge's platoon's glider piloted by Staff Sergeant
711:
The Devils Own Luck Pegasus Bridge to the Baltic 1944-45
919:
Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry officers
500:
on 2 April 1995 by his daughter, Margaret Brotheridge.
326:
On 4 July 1942, Brotheridge was commissioned into the
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136:
116:
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70:
39:
23:
934:Military personnel from the West Midlands (county)
211:Capture of the Caen canal and Orne river bridges
620:"Casualty Details: Brotheridge, Herbert Denham"
650:(Supplement). 26 September 1944. p. 4474.
344:Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
328:Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
260:Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
176:Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry
924:British Army personnel killed in World War II
8:
554:"D-Day: Discovering the father I never knew"
533:
31:
20:
266:. He is often considered to be the first
850:Shannon, Kevin; Wright, Stephen (2001).
606:
594:
509:
354:. The original plan was for Lieutenant
732:. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military.
713:. Barnsley: Pen & Sword Military.
251:(8 December 1915 – 6 June 1944) was a
215:
548:
546:
544:
542:
358:to lead the first platoon across the
7:
664:. Commonwealth War Graves Commission
662:"Casualty Details: Greenhalgh, Fred"
622:. Commonwealth War Graves Commission
274:, 6 June 1944. He was killed during
728:Howard, John; Bates, Penny (2006).
258:who served with the 2nd Battalion,
322:Military service and commemoration
270:soldier to be killed in action on
14:
828:Massy-Beresford, Michael (2007).
196:Western Allied invasion of France
929:Burials at Ranville war cemetery
123:
103:
16:British Army officer (1915–1944)
867:Pegasus Bridge and Horsa Bridge
813:Draper, Robin Anthony (2015).
785:D-Day: The Battle for Normandy
1:
584:. 10 July 1942. p. 3087.
869:. Pen & Sword Books Ltd
770:The Pegasus and Orne Bridges
438:Brotheridge's gravestone at
286:Den Brotheridge was born in
950:
890:. Gale & Polden. 1954.
755:Pegasus Bridge 6 June 1944
375:glider-borne platoon left
249:Herbert Denham Brotheridge
518:"CWGC - Cemetery Details"
30:
854:. Wrens Park Publishers
835:Ryan, Cornelius (1959).
772:. Pen & Sword Books
753:Ambrose, Stephen (1985)
456:Field Marshal Montgomery
865:Shilleto, Carl (2010).
839:. Simon & Schuster
783:Beevor, Antony (2009).
757:. Simon & Schuster
709:Edwards, Denis (1999).
534:Howard & Bates 2006
498:Smethwick Council House
238:Mentioned in dispatches
798:Booth, Philip (1971).
684:"Lt H. D. Brotheridge"
469:Another member of the
443:
348:6th Airlanding Brigade
262:(the 52nd) during the
914:People from Smethwick
880:Tillett, JMA (1993).
768:Barber, Neil (2009).
686:. Imperial War Museum
448:mention in despatches
437:
352:6th Airborne Division
308:Mitchells and Butlers
282:Early life and family
137:Years of service
377:RAF Tarrant Rushton
340:Major John Howard's
93:Ranville Churchyard
647:The London Gazette
581:The London Gazette
556:. BBC. 3 June 2014
444:
852:One Night in June
491:Normandy landings
427:Churchyard, near
360:Caen canal bridge
342:'D' Company, 2nd
336:second lieutenant
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201:Normandy landings
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264:Second World War
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186:Second World War
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140:1942–1944
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837:The Longest Day
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748:Further reading
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206:Operation Tonga
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50:8 December 1915
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25:Den Brotheridge
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875:978-1848843097
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860:978-0905778556
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845:978-0671890919
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823:978-0954937034
811:
808:978-0850520293
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793:978-0241968970
781:
778:978-1848840416
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763:978-0671523749
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739:978-1844158829
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720:978-0850528695
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538:
536:, p. 124.
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464:King George VI
458:the C-in-C of
452:Military Cross
446:He received a
409:died of wounds
401:Pegasus Bridge
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111:United Kingdom
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78:(aged 28)
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65:United Kingdom
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802:. Leo Cooper
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431:, in France.
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415:John Vaughan
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292:Staffordshire
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191:Western Front
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688:. Retrieved
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666:. Retrieved
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624:. Retrieved
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607:Edwards 1999
602:
595:Edwards 1999
590:
579:
570:
558:. Retrieved
512:
495:
487:coup de main
486:
476:
471:coup de main
470:
468:
445:
421:War Cemetery
405:
393:Jim Wallwork
372:coup de main
370:
368:
332:British Army
325:
285:
253:British Army
248:
244:
182:Battles/wars
143:
131:British Army
76:(1944-06-06)
18:
909:1944 deaths
904:1915 births
642:"No. 36720"
576:"No. 35629"
300:Aston Villa
74:6 June 1944
898:Categories
504:References
442:Churchyard
395:landed in
369:The first
364:Benouville
356:David Wood
302:Colts and
246:Lieutenant
156:Lieutenant
99:Allegiance
46:1915-12-08
787:. Viking
312:Aylesbury
288:Smethwick
53:Smethwick
479:Normandy
440:Ranville
425:Ranville
397:Normandy
385:Worthing
316:Normandy
298:for the
296:football
117:Service/
84:, France
82:Ranville
703:Sources
668:20 June
626:28 July
413:Captain
334:, as a
304:cricket
256:officer
213: (
144:†
61:England
873:
858:
843:
821:
806:
791:
776:
761:
736:
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690:12 May
560:12 May
389:Sussex
381:Dorset
268:Allied
234:Awards
167:237676
128:
119:branch
108:
89:Buried
483:D-Day
272:D-Day
80:near
871:ISBN
856:ISBN
841:ISBN
819:ISBN
804:ISBN
789:ISBN
774:ISBN
759:ISBN
734:ISBN
715:ISBN
692:2021
670:2014
628:2006
562:2021
429:Caen
417:RAMC
306:for
172:Unit
152:Rank
71:Died
40:Born
481:on
454:by
423:in
216:DOW
900::
817:.
644:.
578:.
541:^
526:^
403:.
387:,
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44:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
