The Royal Air Force at Omaha Beach
About This Site
This website is dedicated to the men of RAF 21 Base Defence Sector (BDS), 85 Group, 2nd Tactical Air Force, who landed on Omaha Beach in Normandy, France, on D-Day, 6th June 1944.
Their story has remained relatively unknown, but they suffered 48 casualties out of a group of 180 or so, and only in 2012 was their heroism recognised by the unveiling of a monument at Vierville-sur-Mer. It is a remarkable and moving story.
A vast amount of information has been collected as well as interviews with veterans. In 2020, historian Mark Felton produced a very poignant programme for his YouTube channel called “The Brits who stormed Omaha Beach” which gave the story of these brave men a far wider audience. To date, just under 2 million views have been recorded. We recommend you view this and then turn to the Introduction page where you will be signposted to some of the most remarkable aspects of this mission.
The Defining Photograph for 21 BDS
The scene on Omaha Beach on the afternoon of D-Day, 6 June 1944, showing casualties on the beach, a bogged-down Sherman tank, several wrecked trucks and German anti-landing obstructions.
A LST is beached in the left distance and invasion shipping is offshore. More significantly, amongst the trucks in the centre are two burnt-out Crossley 409 receiver or 405 transmitter trucks of 21 BDS (see Radar Equipment section).
Official US Navy Photograph, collection in the US National Archives
I have only today discovered your splendid video – having on some previous years visited St. Mere Église at this time of year.
Those visits followed another discovery made some eight/nine years ago when, followong my mother’s demise I discovered the George Medal awarded to my late father, Ruben Robert Eckersall, along with a letter praising his role on Omaha beach as a member of 21 BDS.
With the medal was a personal diary describing subsequent activity in Paris.
Thank you for your message, Malcolm. We would certainly like to know more about your late father, plus any wartime photographs you have of him, especially any with comrades. Would you be able to send us a copy of the letter praising his role on Omaha Beach? His personal diary describing his activity after D-Day also sounds most interesting. Best wishes, David (admin, and son of Eric Heathcote)
I am researching information for a fellow veteran, Gordon Pointer from Oxted Branch of the RBL. His uncle was Signalman Stanley Walter Peckett of 15082 GCI. Thankyou for the information on this website I shall pass this on.
I’m delighted that you have found our website, Mike, and have gleaned information about Signalmen Peckett. If you (and Gordon) haven’t seen it, please check out the News section: I uploaded fresh photos of all the 21BDS headstones last night. The graves are being very well tended. And did you see the BBC presentation from Bayeux, with all the headstones lit up? Very moving. If Gordon has any photos of his uncle, please ask him to contact us. We would love to post copies on our website. David
Thank you, I have passed the message and asked Gordon to bring in any photos tomorrow. The Oxted Legion is holding D Day events this weekend. Afternoon tea with Spam Sandwiches etc.
On Sunday a challenge using gym bikes to race to Gold Beach money raised going to the Poppy appeal.
I spent his name wrong it is Gordon Poynter. He served with the RHA in the 1950s and proud of it. He said he was “Gobsmacked” to read that his uncle was on Omaha Beach. At our memorial yesterday at 1100 hrs after our wreath laying ceremony I provided the link between Gordon and Stanley Beckett and his sacrifice. Those assembled were quite moved. Thank you again for this amazing website.
Spam sandwiches?? I hope you make it VERY clear to the other members of Oxted Legion that the catering volunteers have had to save up their butter rations for a very long time! Best wishes, David
I now have some Photos of Stanley Peckett , how do I upload them to you?
Thanks,
Mike
Thank you very much, Mike. I will reply to you separately about uploading the photos. David
Good evening David,
I have found your very informative website after visiting the North Yorkshire Moors Railway today which has an American steam engine named Omaha dedicated to this very RAF unit.
I served many years in the RAF (late 80’s into the late 90’s) and lived next door to a very proud gentleman a Mr Thomas Cooper who survived the war and on occasion used to talk very little about what he did – but mentioned he was part of an experimental radar section to which he lost many colleagues as he fought and went to many places
In Europe. I don’t think he ever fully got over what he experienced…
I am out of touch with his family now as have moved away, but is there any way of establishing if Tom was part of this RAF unit and if they went through Europe?
Thanks
Thank you for your message, John. “Omaha” the locomotive is owned by Peter Best, one of this website’s research team and its sponsor. “Omaha” features in a number of articles in our News section.
We appreciate your mentioning Thomas Cooper and his work on an experimental radar section. The RAF radar unit that landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day sustained the most casualties of any such team, so it is quite possible that Mr Cooper was referring to that band of men. Although we have no record of his serving in GCI 15082, we are the first to admit that our records are incomplete. Assuming that Mr Cooper has now passed away, if you wished to research his wartime service, the way forward is to obtain his Service Record. This line of enquiry is normally restricted to his next of kin, and is fraught with bureaucracy. You may well feel this is a research step too far.
It is fair to assume that Thomas Cooper’s unit pressed further east after D-Day. Men from GCI 15082 give eyewitness accounts of Paris’ liberation, and maintain that Paris was “liberated” twice – once by Allied troops, and then again (for diplomatic reasons) by the French Resistance! It’s a good story.
Hi David, I don’t know if you could help me. I looking for information/ photos/ family in respect of John Godwin Attrill. The reason for this is my Surname is Godwin and my wife’s maiden name is Attrill. My wife rus a Podiatrists in Streetly, not far from where John lived. We don’t think there is any family connection from either side, but we would like to remember this young man who was only 19 when he died on Omaha Beach on 6th June 1944. Any information that you could provide would be greatly appreciated. Kind Regards
Hello Simon – thank you for contacting us. I can confirm the following from our website:
“Some accounts give the number of 21 Sector personnel killed as being eleven. While the ten listed above are considered to be definitely from No. 21 Sector or attached Units, there is one other soldier from No. 16 Air Formation Signals whose remains are buried sufficiently close to the other ten fatalities to be a possible contender for the eleventh fatality, but there is insufficient evidence to state this conclusively He is:
ATTRILL, Signalman, JOHN GODWIN, 14431405, Age 19, 6 June 1944. Grave Ref. XI.D.22. Son of Roland Charles and Florence Elizabeth Attrill, of Streetly, Staffordshire.”
An online search for John Godwin Attrill gives some listings, but nothing that adds more detail to the above. I wonder, though, if your local library in Streetly might have more information – perhaps a listing in a local newspaper? If the newspaper has not yet been digitised, an obituary for John may not appear in a digital search. It is likely that John attended a local school up to the age of 14: Birmingham History Society lists a Sandwell School in Streetly pre-WW2. Might that be a useful source?
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/threads/sandwell-school-streetly.42253/
Good luck with your researches. Please let us know if you can add anything to John Godwin Attrill’s story. David
Hi David,
I have recently returned from Omaha beach where my Dad landed on D-Day. He was with the RAF and I am pretty certain therefore that he was part of the 21 Base Defence Sector. He was based in or near Northallerton before he went to France and his name was Robert (Bob) Dixon. Try as I might, I cannot find anything proving he was part of the Unit and wonder if you might be able to point in in the right direction. I have quite of lot of photos of him during the war if you would be interested. Thanks
Thank you very much for contacting us. Do you have your Dad’s service number and record? If you send us copies of the photos you have of your Dad, our experts may be able to spot details which will add to what you know him. Best wishes, David (admin)
Thanks for getting back to me David. I dont have his service number and record unfortunately and that has been a barrier to finding out any more. What’s the best way to get you the photos? best wishes Diane
I’m happy for you to email me directly with any photos: david.heathcote@mac.com
Does that help? David
Thanks for this David. I’ll email you the photos. and have a look at the national archives records.
Diane
David, I have sent you a few emails but haven’t heard back from you. Hope you are OK.
Hello Diane. I’ve not received any emails from you recently. Where are you sending them, please? David
I’ll check and send again David.
I’ve sent the latset again to the address you gave me and which was working fine until recently.
I served in 38 Group’s TCW during the 70’s an am proud to learn about the BDS. Thanks you very much.
Thank you very much for your interest, Martin. Best wishes, David (Admin, son of Eric Heathcote)
It is great to learn more about British Forces on D-Day, etc. we hear all the time that the yanks did it all, they won WW11. Even in British documentaries, very little is said of the RAF’s contribution, on D-Day the RAF Regiment has units go ashore along with RAF Servicing Commandos (to learn more may I suggest you look them up) But I had not heard about 21 BDS. This is fantastic and i thank you for this post and teaching me something new. a Chaplain, RAF radar techs and Royal Corps Of Signals, an RAF Doctor were part of this unit, amazing story that has been mostly lost or ignored. Thank you, from an RAF Rock Ape Veteran
Thank you for your interest and comments, Trevor. Best wishes, David (Admin, son of Eric Heathcote)