Congratulations to the honneurable Mr Delahoy!

“Thank you for the very great honour today – Vive la France!” – Anthony Delahoy, Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur

veterans

Silverknowes man Tony Delahoy was among nine Scots veterans to receive France’s highest distinction of honour for their role during the liberation of France during the Second World War.

Eight of the former servicemen received the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur at a presentation ceremony on board the French navy destroyer Aquitaine docked at Leith yesterday.

Servicemen Thomas Cave (91), Cyril Deas (93), Anthony Delahoy (92), Alexander Govan (99), John Greig (90), Hugh Maguire (95) William Pritchard (94), Walter Sharp (101) and Aidan Sprott (96) risked their lives during the D Day landings and the subsequent furious conflict to drive the Nazis back and liberate France – bravery and comradeship that has never been forgotten by the French people.

A spokeswoman for the consul general said: “France will never forget the gallantry and bravery they showed in taking part in the liberation of France 70 years ago.

“The actions and sacrifice of these men, and that of so many who fell on the battlefield, was instrumental in bringing back freedom and peace in France and across Europe.”

Emmanuel Cocher, Consul General of France in Scotland and Rear Admiral Patrick Chevallereau, the French Embassy’s defence attaché presented the medals to the old soldiers.

Gunner Anthony ‘Tony’ Delahoy was a dispatch rider in the Royal Artillery. He undertook vital communication and reconnaissance operations between HQ and Anti-Tank Guns engaging Panzers. He saw action throughout Normandy during the campaign and was involved through the Caen Sector and in the Battle for Le Havre.

A proud Tony (pictured above, third left, back row) said: “On my many returns to Normandy over the years each succeeding generation of the people of France have welcomed Veterans with great kindness, dignity and honour, expressing their heartfelt feelings for the return of their freedom.

“We Veterans owe to the people of France admiration for their courage and
determination to survive the terrible times of the occupation, we pay tribute to them and particularly to the citizens of Normandy for their courage and
sacrifice during the battles for liberation.

“One personal incident I would like to mention, on the way over to France, June 1944, our ship was hit by a large electrically guided bomb but it failed to
explode. I have always believed that somewhere brave resistance workers
sabotaged that bomb. Thank you.

“Thank you for the very great honour today – Vive la France!”

France to honour Tony Delahoy

France’s top honour for ‘Mr NEN’


Tony Delahoy

North Edinburgh’s Tony Delahoy (above) is one of nine Normandy veterans to receive France’s top honour, the Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur, at a ceremony on board the French frigate Aquitane tomorrow.

Tony will become a chevalier of the Legion d’Honneur at the ceremony at Leith’s cruise liner terminal which will also be attended by the French consul and Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Donald Wilson.

The veterans will be presented with France’s highest honour for their role in liberating the country in the Second World War in June 1944.

Tony has been a staunch supporter of the North Edinburgh News (NEN) since it was launched as The Commune over thirty years ago and over that time has contributed hundreds of letters and articles, both in print and more recently on our blog.

Back in July Tony shared his D-Day experiences with NEN readers in an article entitled ‘Normandy Remembered’, and I’m delighted to share this once again (below).

Many congratulations, Tony!

NORMANDY REMEMBERED

tony

I was a dispatch rider for the 219th battery of the regiment – my motor cycle was a BSA 500cc, a really good machine. My personal armament was a pistol and a sten machine gun.

On the night of 4/5 June 1944 my Unit, the 55th Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery, moved from Great Yarmouth to London docks to embark for France. After sailing down the Thames we joined other ships in the Channel and moved towards France.

After a couple of hours there was a submarine alert but nothing developed; however during the night the ship was later by enemy planes. Their bombs missed the ship but a second attack was made and the ship was hit by a huge electrically-guided bomb. Fortunately this failed to explode – a fantastic escape for everyone! I like to think it was the resistance workers who sabotaged the bomb! The ship stopped for a time, of course, and destroyers stood by to help if necessary.

When we finally reached the coast of France the ship was attacked again, but not hit. I wondered if it was possible the enemy knew our ship was carrying important anti-tank guns?

On scrambling down the nets into the landing craft I found that the pilot of the landing craft was my next door neighbour from home – what a place to meet!

As a dispatch rider my job from day one – and throughout the campaign – was to keep contact with the guns. Finding them in different locations meant many hours of lone travelling on the bike, making a reconnaissance of areas to make sure we knew where the enemy were and at the same time making a mental note of the route taken.

The front line is not a straight line, so it is easy to get into enemy-held areas and coming under fire for doing so! When we were just to the south of Caen I had to reach a gun position – to do this I had to cross a large field, but on leaving the site I was usually targeted by enemy mortar shells. Fortunately these always fell behind me: on subsequent visits to Normandy the gun crew told me they used to bet on which shell would hit the target!

The role of my regiment, which was part of the 49th Infantry Division, was to protect the infantry and to destroy the enemy Panzer tank divisions, preventing them breaking through to the landing beaches and so splitting the front in half. This they tried very hard to do: in the area roughly halfway between the cities of Caen and Bayeux bitter fighting took place around Tilly sur Suelles, Cristot, Fontenay le Pesnel, Rauray and Villers Bocage. Our Division suffered great casualties: a monument to the 49th Division, whose insignia is the polar bear, is to be seen just outside the town of Fontenay le Pesnel (below).

monument

Many escapades on my motor cycle took place in those areas. The enemy left snipers behind to do as much damage as possible and to act as observers; observation of movements brought down concentrated mortar shelling.

Two things cannot be described in writing: the sheer volume of noise of a battle and the terrible stench of dead cattle all around. 

The city of Caen, with it’s road network south of the city, was vitally important for both sides. Many Panzer divisions were concentrated in the area, so after the battles mentioned above our anti-tank regiment moved to the Caen area by way of Pegasus Bridge.

The weather, which had been wet for a few days, turning the ground into deep mud, turned hot, drying the ground out quickly. This meant that any movement raised a cloud of dust, resultng in heavy shelling from the enemy.

My job continued, finding the location of guns; a lonely and sometimes frightening hours-long experience. Night time journeys were more so, but mental notes of a route made during daylight were of great benefit in keeping out of trouble.

The Demouville, Cagny, Freemental Mesnil and Frenouville areas were heavily fought over. During one night time reconnaissance I came upon a chateau near Frenouville which I hoped was deserted. After carefully looking and listening, I decided to stop there in the kitchen and get some sleep. During the night I heard voices – I couldn’t tell whether ours or theirs – but thankfully they went on their way. It was a patrol, but whose I will never know – and thankfully they didn’t spot my motorbike hidden in the hedge!

Caen

Throughout July and August we fought our way south of Caen (above) and with the Americans moving from west to east the enemy was practically trapped. My division then attacked east to reach the River Seine to attack and capture the port of Le Havre: it was vital for supplies and the enemy knew it …

These experiences, mine and hundreds of others – from Normandy and Belgium and Holland too – have led to many of us old comrades returning year after year. Most veterans have returned to Normandy to take part in official ceremonies, particularly at the 50th, 55th, 60th, 65th and now 70th anniversaries of D Day 1944, remembering those who died fighting fascism.

Also to visit graves of comrades in beautifully kept cemeteries throughout Normandy. And to see and feel how much the restoration of freedom has meant and means to each succeeding generation; to get an understanding of the sacrifice and courage of the peoples of France, Belgium and Holland during their four years of occupation – and their elation on being liberated.

The most important result of the veterans returning for 71 years, I feel, has been the bringing together of hundreds of thousands of people from countries everywhere, not to glorify war but to celebrate the necessity of peace.

As a focal point the ability of veterans to continue visiting Europe is diminishing, so each generation must be that focal point and guard their future by understanding the events and mistakes that led to World War.

veterans

I was invited to write the foreward to Rene Vos’ ‘Sporen uit het Verleden 1940 1945’, a book about the occupation of Holland as I was involved in the liberation of that area too. I’ve reproduced it below: 

Citizens of Cranendonck Community,

To remember and to celebrate is not to glorify militarism but to show the united will of the people for a peaceful world.

It is important that events of the 1930s and 1940s are told to each generation so they can avoid the ‘mistakes; made during that period: the ‘mistake’ of tolerating racism, the ‘mistake’ of ignoring the fascist states’ determination to expand their control over others, all of which led to world war.

It was the ordinary people of all lands who finally defeated that evil; it is the ordinary people of all lands, armed with the knowledge of the past, that will safeguard the future.

Tony Delahoy