Personal Connections with Normandy

Dickie Harrap and the 13th/18th Hussars
by Lt Col (Retd) Robert

I’m a recently retired Army veteran having served nearly forty years with the 13th/18th Royal Hussars (QMO) and latterly the Light Dragoons (1979-2018).  My regiment, 13th/ 18th Hussars, played a key role on D-Day and the ensuing Normandy Campaign.  Equipped with Sherman Duplex Drive swimming tanks, they launched and swam from nearly 3 miles out to land on Sword Beach ahead of the initial assault formations to suppress the enemy positions and give the infantry a fighting change to establish a beach head.  They subsequently provided armoured support to the follow-up brigades to capture Daimler and Hillman, as well as supporting Lord Lovat’s commandos to link up with 6 Airborne Division on Pegasus Bridge before establishing a defensive line straddling the river Orne to repel the first German counter attacks.  A busy day for all involved.

I have had a keen interest in the Normandy campaign since 1984 when, as a young Lance Corporal, I attended the D-Day 40 commemorations as part of the 3rd (UK) Armoured Division contingent from BAOR.  I was on parade for HM the Queen, Mrs Thatcher, President Reagan to name a few (I have attached a photo of me as HM The Queen’s Salute marker for the Royal British Legion parade at Arromanches on 6th June ’84, I’m in the white hat).  I also befriended a veteran Sherman tank crew from my Regiment, all then in their 60s, who had landed together on D-Day and survived as a crew to war’s end.  They were retracing their route into Germany and remembering their friends who had fallen.  I remained friends with these fascinating old soldiers, but sadly none are with us today.  

During the course of my service I became a keen military historian and I have conducted many battlefield tours to Normandy for military units and charities.  My specific interest is the role of my regiment on D Day and the breakout from Normandy.    I have also been lucky enough to attend the majority of the major D-day commemorations over the past 40 years, only missing them when I was abroad on operations.  Usually in unform, such as 2004 D-Day 60 when my Regiment provided the Guard of Honour for the then HRH Prince of Wales when he opened the British Memorial Gardens at Caen Peace Museum, but also as a representative of my Regimental Association.  I retired in 2018 and attended D-Day 75 the following year with a group of friends on motorbikes.

I joined the MVT last year when I bought an early 1944 Willys MB in US Army livery. I am currently converting it to British Army spec, and specifically the 13th /18th Hussars as at D Day '44.  The Commanding Officer,  Lt Col Richard (Dickie) Harrap, landed on Sword beach from an LST at H-Hour +45 in his wading Sherman and with his HQ Troop and commanded his regiment throughout the intense fighting of the following weeks until nine days later when he was sadly killed east of the River Orne.  The regiment was providing armoured support to the 51st Highland Division defending against German counter attacks from the south east. He was travelling in his jeep after a recce with his Brigade Commander when he was hit by MG fire from a German MkIV tank. He is buried in CWGC cemetery Le Delivrande.

In tribute to Dickie Harrap and all the fallen of 13th/18th Hussars I intend to dress my Willys MB as his jeep and take it back to Sword Beach on DDay 80 this year,
 
For interest I have attached some photos from the period:  Dickie Harrap with the officers of 13th/18th Hussars in 1943, the CO’s tank (Call sign 10 and named Balaklava) loaded onto an LST on the run in to Sword Beach (note the Ford GPA on board too), the CO fighting his Sherman around the 6AB Div landing zone East of the Orne only days before his death and lastly his final resting place at CWGC cemetery Le Delivrande.  I’ve also included a few photos of my Jeep as I go through the renovation process.

I hope you find this of interest and I’m really looking forward to visiting Normandy again to meet the MVT membership and also remember the sacrifice of those who fell 80 years ago. 

Lt Col (Retd) Robert & Helen Wiles

Photographs supplied by Lt Col (Retd) Wiles