Three: Trooper N. Whittaker, 13th/18th Royal Hussars, killed in action on Sword Beach on D-Day, 6 June 1944

1939-45 Star; France and Germany Star; War Medal 1939-45, with named Army Council enclosure, in card box of issue, addressed to ‘Mr. H. Whittaker, 5 St. Nicholas Place, Hull Road, York, Yorkshire’, extremely fine (3) £240-280

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Collection of Medals to Second World War Casualties.

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Norman Whittaker served with the 13th/18th Royal Hussars during the Second World War, and was killed in action on D-Day, 6 June 1944, aged 21. ‘A and B Squadrons of the 13th/18th Hussars were equipped with Duplex Drive (Amphibious) Tanks when they assaulted Sword Beach in their allotted section known as “Queen Beach” shortly after 07:00 hours on the morning of D-Day. They were unique that day in that they were the only Duplex Drive Squadron to be successfully launched and “swim” ashore according to plan and practically intact. They launched on the codeword “Floater”. In all 31 DD tanks reached the beach during the invasion. Their principal role was to support the assault of the 8th Infantry Brigade, which was to land seven minutes before them, on what was the extreme left of the British assault front. This front stretched from Ouistreham to Luc-sur-Mer. In fact they were fifteen minutes late in arriving due to sea conditions and strong currents. When they reached the beach their first orders were to remain at the water’s edge “sat hull down in the water, shooting at everything that caught their eye”.
It was later estimated that the tanks knocked out three or four 75mm guns, four or five 50mm guns, and numerous 20m guns. Aimed fire from the Germans, other than sporadic sniper fire from the houses in Hermanville-sur-Mer was reported to have stopped twenty minutes after the tanks landed. Shortly after C Squadron and RHQ landed to move on their own objectives.’

Regimental casualties for D-Day amounted to 12 killed and 12 wounded. Whittaker is buried in Hermanville War Cemetery, France.