Steventon History Society

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Vernon Jones – The story of a D-Day Veteran

Chapter one: Our Man On Gold Beach

Vernon Henry Jones was born on June 5, 1923 in Carmen Street, Caerau in South Wales to Elsie and Emlyn Jones, a coal miner.

The second child of five, he was brought up with three sisters Thelma, Marian and Norma and his younger brother Bryn.

n 1931 the family moved to Berkshire, settling in Drayton and Vernon attended what is now Carswell Community School in Abingdon.

After leaving school in 1939, aged sixteen, Vernon joined the Drayton Home Guard and two and a half years later, in January 1942, 18 year old Vernon was called up to join the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry regiment, based at Cowley Barracks.

However, during training he contracted tonsillitis and was unable to continue. After suffering illness for several months, Vernon was at last well enough to return. However, his squad had already graduated and been transported to Scotland to begin a new training role.

In order to catch up, it was decided that Private Jones be transferred to the newly-formed 2nd Battalion, The Hertfordshire Regiment, part of, The Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Territorial Regiment (T.A.). It was with this regiment that Vernon would learn his role in, what was to become, the largest amphibious invasion in the history of warfare.

On August 23rd, 1943 the 2nd Herts battalion moved to Scotland to the Combined Operations Training Centres at Dundonald, Gailes and Inverary to become the infantry element of the No. 9 Beach Group. It spent the next three months building the sub-units of the Beach Group into a cohesive, well-trained, unit. It did exercises in January 1944 at Gullane in the Firth of Forth.

Here, the remarkable resemblance to the beaches of Normandy made them ideal practice for Beach Groups in the rapid unloading of stores on to beaches, day and night, and in all weathers. In March 1944, No. 9 Beach Group was designated to support the 69th Infantry Brigade, part of the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division and moved to Studland Bay, Bournemouth area and Hayling Island on the south coast, for further rehearsals of its role. It concentrated at Winchester in May ‘44 and broke down into transit camps in and around Southampton.

The battalion embarked for Normandy on June 5th at Southampton Docks. The 5th of June 1944 was Vernon’s 21st irthday. Waking up in his camp, following the howling storm of the night before, there was not much time to think about birthday celebrations. The order soon arrived to prepare to embark. The men thought it would be another drill, as they had rehearsed this moment many times before. It was not until the ship cast off and was making its way to the holding area in the Solent that they were told, “this time chaps it’s for real, operation Overlord would begin at Midnight” – what a way to spend your 21st birthday!

The huge flotilla of Naval vessels (6,000 ships and landing craft) were to cross the channel under the cover of darkness. Vernon recalled; his was on an American ship and at about 3am the crew came around with breakfast for the soldiers. Due to the recent storm, sea conditions were not ideal. Inside the flat bottomed LCI, like many of his fellow soldiers, Private Jones got very seasick, with that and the thought of the mammoth task that lay ahead, he really couldn't face anything to eat. He asked the American crewman to wrap his meal in paper, he would carry it with him and have it later. In fact he did get to eat his breakfast, many hours later - on dry land, on Gold beach.

At 7.00 on the morning of June 6th 1944, a young Hilda Prior was on her way to work at ‘The Railway Inn’ when she heard the sound of engines overhead. She looked up and saw aeroplanes.

Hilda remembers the Railway Inn was often full of RAF men in their uniforms and she was used to seeing planes fly over the village but what struck her that morning, and has stuck in her memory ever since, was the distinctive stripes on their wings. She only found out days later, that the stripes were to aid identification of all the allied aircraft taking part in the invasion of Normandy.

What she also was unaware of that day, was that a handsome 21-year old Welsh Soldier (who was later to become her husband of 63 years) was, at that moment, at sea in his landing craft off Gold beach waiting to take part in a momentous event that would change the course of the Second World War.

Private Jones was now part of the infantry element of No 9 Beach Group tasked with defending a two sector perimeter on ‘Gold’ Beach and establishing communications at ‘King Green’ and ‘King Red’ sectors. This would allow two Brigades of the 50th Northumbrian Division (151st & 69th Brigade) time to land with their equipment and armoured support. Gold was the codename for the centre beach of the invasion area. It is 8km long and located between the coastal towns of La Rivière in the east and, on the western end, the small port of Arromanches. Slightly west of that port was the town of Longues-sur-Mer. The German defences were massed on 4 | P a g e both extremities of the beach. Crew-served weapons in this sector were mainly 50mm guns in concrete emplacement and 75mm guns inside pillboxes. To the rear are several artillery batteries covering the beach (Mont-Fleury, Ryes, Marefontaine, Creully, Crepon). The main enemy defences at ‘King’ sector were the fortified positions at la Rivière on the left flank and on higher ground near Mont Fleury and round the lighthouse; there was also a strong-point at Hable de Heurtot where a by-road from Ver-sur-Mer reaches the coast.

At 05:10 on 6th June, whilst still under cover of darkness, the first shots of naval artillery Bombardment force K are let loose. led by the HMS Orion light cruiser, a few miles off Gold Beach, then joined by the Ajax, Argonaut and Emerald cruisers, the Dutch gunboat Flores and 13 destroyers, all aiming their shells at key inland German defence positions. HMS Orion opens fire against German coastal positions.

05:31 – Eastern Task Force warships led by Rear-Admiral Phillip Vian open fire on the British and Canadian beaches of

Gold, Juno and Sword.

05:58 – Sunrise. The weather is grey, the swell very important, low clouds let out short bursts of rain. Wind force is 3 to 4.

07:15 – Gold Beach: landing craft (LCTs) equipped with 127 mm rocket launchers open fire on German coastal defences.

07:20 – End of the naval bombardment on Gold, Juno and Sword.

At 07:25, landing of the 50th British infantry division, led by Major General Douglas Graham, begins at Gold Beach.

Private Jones was in the second landing team, as part of the 104th Beach Sub-Area off La Rivière. At about 08:20, Vernon waded ashore up to his waist in water with bullets and shells flying past.

Once on the beach under heavy fire, supported by the 7th battalion of the Green Howards and assisted by amphibious DD (Duplex Drive) tanks of the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards, they began to clear their sector and awaited the landing (slightly further West), at 08:25, of Commando No.47 The Royal Marines.

Units disembarking onto the beach immediately came under fire from the casemated 88mm German gun at La Rivière, and the infantry were forced to take cover behind the sea wall. The gun was finally taken out when a flail tank of the Westminster Dragoons fired a charge directly into its aperture.

The infantry element of the Beach Group would then combine with the main force to break-out of their perimeter against gathering opposition inland. The 5th East Yorkshires, supported by several tanks, spent the rest of the morning clearing out the heavily fortified houses of La Rivière, at the loss of 90 men, including six officers. The village of La Rivière was eventually secured and the main force continued their push towards the assembly point of Ver-Sur-Mer. Once all opposition had been overcome the beach group could consolidate and begin their task of offloading and placement of ammunition, fuel and other supplies.

The beach groups were an essential part of each assault brigade group, gathering later into the vast supply organisation that would subsequently be needed to support the front-line advance.

Like others employed on the beaches in this early stage they had their full share of casualties. As ships and craft continued to arrive, men, vehicles and supplies were landed in ever-increasing numbers.

By midnight on June 6 1944, 24,970 British soldiers had landed on Gold Beach. The 50th Infantry Division and Commando No. 47 defended a bridgehead nearly 10 kilometres wide by 10 kilometres deep.

413 British soldiers had been killed or wounded on the beach and 89 landing crafts were destroyed in the shock of the initial assault.

Almost all of the 50th Infantry Division's objectives had been reached and the Gold Beach bridgehead was considered one of the strongest established. The Brigades moved inland and were at the gates of Bayeux and had reached the Caen-Bayeux road, thus considerably impeding the movements of

any German reinforcements.

For almost six weeks following D-Day, Vernon stayed in the town of La Rivière and at the beach unloading stores until July 14th, when the group moved one and a half miles inland to Ver-sur-Mer.

It was during this time in Normandy that an extraordinary thing happened. While passing a group of injured British soldiers being stretchered to an awaiting boat, Vernon suddenly heard “Hey Taff”. Startled, Vernon looked down at the wounded man to see his old mate from Drayton, Len ‘Bubbles’ Miles. Len had been shot by a sniper on 16th June while on patrol in the sheltered lanes of Normandy. The bullet had passed right through his back, just missing his spine. Bubbles was on his way back to England and a bed at Stoke Mandeville hospital. Of all the thousands of men in Northern France at that time, how amazing that Vernon should bump into someone from his home village in Berkshire.

No 9 Beach Group were eventually expected to move into the front line in their entirety but instead, were disbanded with men distributed piecemeal to various other units as casualty replacements. Perhaps it was appropriate that in August ’44, Vernon should be reallocated to his original Regiment - 1st Battalion (43rd) The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire, Light Infantry (Anti-Tank Company), now part of the 71st Infantry Brigade, 53rd (Welsh) Division. Following on from his Normandy operations Vernon began the next chapter of his war-time experiences – which, incredibly, would turn out to be even more challenging!

Chapter two: The Big Push through Belgium and Holland

Vernon arrived with the 1st Ox & Bucks soon after leaving the Normandy beach to see the vast devastation inflicted on the enemy at the Falaise Gap. This gave the impression that the war was nearly over but in actual fact, the opposition became stronger as the majority of German forces trapped in the Falaise Pocket escaped through the Gap to fight again and prolong the war. Vernon served with the Anti-Tank Platoon of 'S' Company. As a gunner of a 6-pounder Anti-Tank gun he was involved in several major battles in France and Belgium, like the Battle of Antwerp. Vernon remembered being on the frontline on the southern bank of the Albert Canal. The German line was on the northern bank of the canal. There was a lot of shelling back and forth, and a lot of the German artillery pieces, ammunition and other supplies were brought in by horse drawn carts. Vernon felt especially sorry for the horses who were often killed by the allied shelling of German positions. The sight of dead horses was something that stayed with Vernon all his life. As a young boy growing up in a rural setting, he loved all animals. Vernon’s widow, Hilda, recalled how upset Vernon became when he remembered witnessing the starving people of occupied villages having been forced to cut strips of meat from the flanks of dead horses, as they literally had nothing else to eat.

Through several Flemish towns and villages the 53rd crossed the Belgian-Dutch border, where they even fought against parts of the German 6th Fallschirmjäger Division who were well dug in and fought fiercely. The regiment was ordered to move up the infamous corridor, which had been taken only a few weeks earlier during the fateful Operation Market Garden. Here they relieved the Durham Light Infantry Regiment in the area in between Nijmegen and Arnhem, the Betuwe, also known by the Allied troops as "The lsland." Eventually after a long period of fighting with little rest, they reached the little village of Herpen in the late evening on the 18th of October. Here the regiment enjoyed entertainments, some took a bath and many stories were told. Private Jones was given a nice clean new uniform to wear. However, this period of rest was short-lived, as they were ordered to get ready for the attack on 's-Hertogenbosch the next day. In modern day terms, the Dutch town is more commonly known as Den Bosch. While modern Den Bosch is a prosperous place, in 1944 the town had been occupied by the Germans for four-and-a-half years. As the capital of the North Brabant Province, The 53rd were given the job of liberating the strategically important town.

On the 22nd of October 1944 at 06.30 hours the attack started. At 9 o’ clock that morning the first elements of the Oxon and Bucks Light Infantry Regiment were ordered to take over positions near Heike. The support company Private Jones belonged to closely followed.

Vernon’s 6-pounder Anti-Tank gun was pulled by a so-called 'Loyd-Carrier'. Somewhere ln the Nuland-Geffen, Rosmalen

area East of Den Bosch, German troops managed to get behind the carrier and fired tracer rounds at it, causing it to burst in to flames. It completely burned down. Luckily Vernon and the rest of the crew managed to get out, but unfortunately his brand new uniform caught fire, and Vernon had to go back to wearing his old and dirty uniform again.

The battle raged for four days, with Den Bosch having to be taken street-by-street. The fighting was brutal, with large numbers of casualties on both sides. But with invaluable help from brave citizens from the Dutch resistance, the enemy was gradually pushed out. On the morning of the 27th October the Germans launched a last-ditch counter-attack to try to recapture the ground they had lost, but the 53rd pushed them back, and the Nazis subsequently withdrew from the town.

's-Hertogenbosch had been liberated - but the cost was high. Some 146 officers and men from the 53rd were killed, and hundreds were injured. The battle cost the lives of 253 residents, and injured more than 2,000 more. More than 700 of the town's buildings were destroyed or smashed beyond repair.

After the capture of 's-Hertogenbosch, Private Jones and his crew bravely fought in the Roermond area, the Ardennes. As part of the 53rd (Welsh) Infantry Division, Vernon even took part in the Battle of the Bulge (the 53rd were the only British Infantry division to take part in this battle).

Chapter three: Another Brush with Death

The Allies continued to force their way towards the German border and on 8th February 1945, the 1st Oxon & Bucks as part of the 53rd took part in the massive five division Anglo Canadian assault on the Reichswald Forest into Germany – Operation Veritable.

The Allied artillery barrage that commenced the move forward was second only in intensity to the combined land, air and sea barrage that introduced the Normandy landings.

The operation began on the 8th of February 1945, the advance was slow, as the Germans were dug in well, and the terrain was very wet. As it had rained for over three days before the start of Operation Veritable, Private Jones remembered being pinned down for many days in their positions, sometimes they had to drink water out of big shell holes.

On the 14th of February, Vernon got wounded whilst trying to bring another wounded soldier to a first aid station. Amazingly, it turned out that the wounded man came from Abingdon. Vernon and a fellow soldier loaded him on to their Loyd Carrier and were transporting him to the field station. Tragically, the carrier hit a mine and it exploded. The Driver and the injured soldier were killed and Vernon was knocked unconscious. He woke up in a field Hospital that was located in a Dutch school and was told of his lucky escape. His near-miss had left him with a damaged right foot, injured during the explosion.

After three weeks in hospital, he was able to re-join his regiment as they fought their way further into Germany. In May 1945 the regiment reached the captured city of Hamburg and there Vernon heard that the war, in Europe, was over.

Shortly after his homecoming he got a job at the Atomic Energy Research Establishment (AERE) at Harwell - he trained as a steam fitter and spent the rest of his working life at the facility. He met his future wife Hilda Prior in The Kings Arms pub in Steventon and they were married at St Michael and All Angels Church in the village in September 1954. Vernon lived out the rest of his life, with Hilda, in a bungalow in the Hanney Road - a bungalow that he built himself, with the help of a few friends.

For many years, in their later life, Vernon and Hilda made the journey over to The Netherlands to take part in services of remembrance at the Cathedral of Den Bosch where Vernon was treated like a celebrity for the part he played in the liberation of the City. He made many Dutch and German friends on his visits and he would always remember to stop off at Ver-Ser-Mer and pay tribute to his friends and fellow soldiers that lost their lives in Normandy. Mr Jones received the Legion d’honneur - highest French military accolade - from the French Government in October 2015, more than 71 years after his heroics on June 6, 1944. In March the following year, he was joined by seven other local veterans at the Town Hall in Oxford to be officially recognised by French Honorary Consul, Robert Mille, who thanked him on behalf of France.

Vernon died following a heart attack on Easter Sunday, (1st April) 2018 at the age of 94, and is survived by his wife Hilda, his sister Norma and his brother Bryn. His funeral took place at St Michael and All Angels Church, Steventon on April 17 2018 and included a guard of honour by his comrades of the Oxon and Bucks Regiment.

Compiled by Steve Lucas for the Steventon History Society – June 2024.