The Memorial Orchard was established in 2014 to commemorate the centenary of the start of The First World War and the 70th anniversary of the D-Day Landings. Now, 10 years later, we commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-Day Landings and the apple trees that we planted are well established and beginning to mature.
The part played by the Merchant Navy in the war is often forgotten. Convoys of cargo ships carrying provisions, ammunition and fuel were needed to support the troops involved in the invasion. One of these ships was the steam powered cargo ship S.S. Brackenfield (registered in Liverpool) which was en route from the Isle of Wight to Juno Beach on Saturday, 10th June 1944 when it was torpedoed and sunk by a German E-Boat 50 miles south of the Nab Light vessel.
The code name for the Allied invasion of north-west Europe was Operation Overlord. The assault phase of Operation Overlord, known as Operation Neptune, but often referred to as D-Day, took place 80 years ago, on Tuesday, 6th June 1944. It was preceded by extensive aerial and naval bombardment and marked the start of the Allied invasion of Normandy. It was the largest seaborne invasion in history and the operation began the liberation of German-occupied France (and later Europe) from Nazi control and laid the foundation for the Allied victory on the Western Front.
One member of the crew who went down with the ship was 22 year old Ordinary Seaman Geoffrey Neville Brough of Mere Bank, Sandy Lane, Weaverham. Born in 1922 Geoffrey was the son of Harry and Nina Elizabeth (nee Birtles) Brough and younger brother of William Michael. His father, Harry was managing director of a shipping company. Geoffrey is remembered on the Tower Hill Memorial, London C.W.G.C. Ref: – Panel 18 and also on the Weaverham Memorial..
I THINK OF HIM IN SILENCE AND OFTEN SPEAK HIS NAME.
SADLY MISSED. LOVING WIFE KATHLEEN.
These are the words on the gravestone of Lance Corporal Edward McKenzie, 3600810, 5th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders. He is buried in Banneville-La-Campagne War Cemetery, France. Edward had married Kathleen (nee McKeown) of Weaverham early in 1940. He was the son of Joseph and Edith McKenzie who lived in Manchester and had an elder brother called Joseph. Edward was 25 when he died on Sunday, 11th June 1944 just a few days after D-Day (6th June). The cemetery is 10 miles east of Caen on the D675 ‘route de Caen’. Edward is not remembered on any memorial in Weaverham although this is where Kathleen continued to live after his death.
Edward was just one of thousands killed in the Battle of Normandy.
It is estimated that the total number of Allied casualties on D-Day including the 4,415 who were killed was around 10,000. There were also between 4,000 and 9,000 German casualties that day.
73,000 Allied troops were killed and more than 5,000 wounded in the ensuing Battle of Normandy. It is also estimated that the Battle of Normandy resulted in the deaths of 20,000 French civilians mostly killed when the Allies bombed French villages and cities.
73,000 Allied troops were killed and more than 5,000 wounded in the ensuing Battle of Normandy. It is also estimated that the Battle of Normandy resulted in the deaths of 20,000 French civilians mostly killed when the Allies bombed French villages and cities.
Far away from Normandy, in Burma, 19 year old Private George Roberts 14410099 King’s Regiment (Liverpool) died on the same day as Geoffrey and one day before Edward, on 10th June 1944 and was possibly unaware of the Normandy Landings.
The part played by him and others like him in the Second World War at this time is largely forgotten. George was the son of Walter and Lilias (nee Redford) Roberts who lived in Church Street, Weaverham. George was born on 19th October 1924 and had three older brothers, Louis, Robert and James. George never knew his father as he died the year that George was born. However, his mother remarried when George was 4 and his stepfather, William Jewkes brought up all four of Walter’s children at their new home at 6 Nicholas Road, Weaverham. William and Lilias had two daughters, Margaret and Jean.
George was the fifth generation of the Roberts family to serve in the army. His great great grandfather fought through the Peninsular War and was wounded at Waterloo. According to George’s obituary in the Northwich Guardian George’s great grandfather ‘was born in the army’. George’s grandfather served in the Life Guards and his father, the late Walter Roberts fought through the first World War. George himself had been in the Home Guard before enlisting in the army about 18 months before his death. He had been abroad for 7 months and was engaged in special operations when he was killed. One of his brothers, Robert, was a sergeant in the RAF and James, known as Jim, was serving in the Royal navy.
George is at rest in Taukkyan Cemetery, Myanmar C.W.G.C. Ref: – 7.K. 19 and is remembered on the Weaverham Memorial.
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