They went there as part of ‘Operation Overlord’ to secure safe passage for those who would follow on the next day.
So many of these soldiers did not return from this operation and the D-Day landings that followed, but their role in securing victory is of immense importance to Harwell’s heritage. And whilst the runway is sadly no longer in use, there now stands a cenotaph, marking the point from which the operation lifted off.
Eighty years later, it is impossible to imagine how those soldiers were feeling, as they prepared to meet hostilities on the Normandy shores. But we can say with certainty that if it were to happen today, all of us would be impacted by the loss of somebody close.
And this is why it was an emotional, but at the same time enormously proud day for Harwell officers, Police Constables (PCs) Benfield, Woollands, and McDonagh, as they were invited to attend Harwell’s D-Day remembrance service this year. Tributes took place over two days, were hosted by the Harwell branch of the Royal British Legion, and attended by dignitaries, military representatives, local cadets, and representatives from Harwell campus organisations.
The officers represented the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) at the service and, along with many others, had the privilege of laying a wreath at the cenotaph, as a mark of respect and remembrance for those lost.
Police Sergeant Jones, from Harwell, said, “Our officers were very proud to represent the Civil Nuclear Constabulary at this important event and were commended by organisers and members of the public, for their appearance and conduct on the day.”
