114 Lancashire Post www.lep.co.uk Wednesday, June 5, 2019 Wednesday, June 5, 2019 114 RETRO lep.co.uk | facebook.com/lancashireeveningpost | @leponline Ted recalls the painful loss of life

The number of fatalities during the D-Day Landings of 1944 is heartbreaking, says Padiham war veteran Ted Davidson, a tank driver who landed near Sword Beach on day 18 of the operation. Laura Longworth reports.

e has never forgotten the huge loss of life in the wake Hof D-Day. Padiham man Ted David- son reached the shore near Sword Beach with the 6th Guards Tank Brigade around day 18 of Operation Overload. “The first thing we saw when we eventually landed was devastation,” he said. “The beaches had been cleared of casualties but there was still aircraft and naval action going on.” Ted’s first target was to help free the port city of . But the men were am- bushed and lost 11 tanks. “We reached Caen in a matter of days, only to dis- cover it had been bombed. It was flat - just a pile of rubble. Even tanks couldn’t drive over it,” he said. “It was done by the Ameri- cans mainly. I thought that was terrible as there were an awful lot of civilians killed. It’s a wonder they don’t hate us; perhaps some do.” On July 7th, 450 heavy bombers blitzed the out- skirts of Caen during Opera- visiting in the aftermath of D-Day. Credit: Getty. tion Charnwood, repeating (s) the assault on July 18th for ing was about: they weren’t Tank Regiment in Yorkshire And driver Ted knows just . interested in the politics and for six months to learn how how deadly those 42 tonne Caen suffered heavy casu- they were completely igno- to drive and fix infantry vehicles could be. alties due to Allied bombing. rant to the circumstances Churchill tanks. He then re- He added: “Mine was a And around 20,000 French that led up to the mission.” turned to Bovington Camp in fighting machine. civilians were estimated to At the time, he was train- Dorset to join the 6th Guards “Germany had a big ad- have been killed during the ing as a foot soldier with the Tank Brigade, finally old vantage as their tanks had a Battle of Normandy. Black Watch in Edinburgh. enough to serve overseas, powerful gun but they were At 17-years-old, Ted was “The lads I worked with just in time for D-Day. also heavier than ours. We too young to predict the cha- were posted overseas but I The regiment sailed to could drive across fields os he would discover when was too young so I was left Normandy from Gosport and rough terrains while he signed up for D-Day. behind and I was a bit bored,” across the English Channel. the Germans had to stay on Now 93, he has the hind- he said. “We had to wait off shore roads. They also used to hide sight to see he had volun- “There was a request for for our turn and the weather in barns, factories and farm teered unwittingly. volunteers, 5ft 10 and over. was atrocious so we all got buildings which had been “When I joined the army, It didn’t say what it was for. I seasick,” Ted said. bombed so they could catch no-one explained what I was don’t whether you’ve heard “The tanks were chained you unaware. going in for,” he said. the expression, ‘Never volun- onto the decks but the weath- “A German tiger tank was “Young lads went in sort teer for anything,’ but I was er was that rough some of powerful and technical, with of innocent. Half of them that fed up I did.” them broke loose and started an 88mm gun which could go didn’t know what the fight- He was sent to the Royal sliding about.” straight through a Church- Ted Davidson drove a Churchill tank during D-Day. Wednesday, June 5, 2019 www.lep.co.uk Lancashire Post 115 Wednesday, June 5, 2019 lep.co.uk | facebook.com/lancashireeveningpost | @leponline RETRO 115

Ted arrived at Normandy near Sword Beach during the D-Day Landings, which started on June 6th, 1944. Credit: Getty. ill. If your vehicle was hit it of Royal duties at Wind- would explode because of the sor Castle and Buckingham fuel and ammunition, so you Palace, before joining the Ted (third from the top were lucky if you got out. A It’s‘’ hard to police force in the Midlands left) with comrades. lot of life was lost. It was ter- and marrying his late wife rible. get your head Dorothy. “Five men - a mechanic, a around that He settled in Padiham co-driver, a radio operator, a 34 years ago and worked for commander and a gunner - sometimes. 10 years at Burnley Football lived in each vehicle. Club where he was in charge “Being in the Scots You’re talking of the training ground at Guards, we were all at least about millions Gawthorpe. 5ft 10 inches tall so there These days he enjoys at- wasn’t much room. You’re of deaths. tending the charity concerts more or less locked in and it’s Ted Davidson, Padiham of his granddaughter, oper- dark inside so it was claus- D-Day veteran atic singing sensation Grace trophobic. But you got used O’Malley. to it. One time we were in After the D-Day Landings, there for 24 hours as we were Ted went on to live a vivid too vulnerable to go out. timated to be 4,413, of which and interesting life - but the “Although I was only 17, I 1,449 were British. Between atrocities of war still linger in think I took it pretty well. It’s 4,000 and 9,000 Germans his mind. a bit of a shock. were killed, wounded or tak- “I’m very proud to have “But in tanks there were en as prisoners of war. And done it but I don’t think I’ll only five of you and when more than 100,000 Allied ever brag about it. I just hope you’re in action you’re look- and German troops lost their it doesn’t happen again. ing after each other, so you lives during the whole of the There’s no point. become very close. There’s Battle of Normandy. “You know, it’s nice we the old saying, ‘band of “Everybody was vulner- still have Remembrance. It’s brothers’ and that’s what we able but the lads just got on not a lot to ask that once a were. with it. It had to be done. You year we remember the mil- “But my biggest memory focused on the moment in lions who were killed. is the loss of life. Young men time and every day was a bo- “It’s hard to get your died for all different reasons: nus,” said Ted. head around that sometimes. shootings, bombings, acci- After being demobbed You’re talking about millions dents.” in 1950, the veteran’s life of deaths. The number of Allied changed dramatically. “And it’s still going on - but people killed on D-Day is es- He undertook two years who are we to stop it?”