05-Nov-2026

REMEMBRANCE 2026: STORIES OF THE FALLEN

By the Normandy Memorial Trust’s Historical Researcher, Jane Furlong

Every face can tell a story of people from all walks of life who made the ultimate sacrifice. Whilst a name etched in stone can be quite anonymous but behind each one is a family member. The Black Bull Research Team have been working to find a photo of all those who served in the 11th Armoured Division. They have shared them with us to enable us to put faces to more of the names of those remembered on the
British Normandy Memorial.

In the stories we publish, we remember the people behind the names carved onto the D-Day Wall and columns of the British Normandy Memorial and the individual sacrifices that were made.

We have published stories of over 1,000 men and women who died during the Battle. For many, we know their full story but for others we only know their face. This has been made possible by the Black Bull Research Team who are searching for the photos of all those who served in the 11th Armoured Division. Whilst we would love to know more about them, being able to put a face to a name makes it feel personal.

It is possible to make an instant connection as you can tell a lot about a person from their face. You can see all the names that the Black Bull Team have found here.

We will remember them all.

John Purling

This year we had a special ceremony to dedicate and remember 98 new names that have been added to the British Normandy Memorial. As the late George Batts, D-Day Veteran and Patron of the British Normandy Memorial, said, “They are now with their mates.”

In June of this year we remembered an additional 98 names when their names were engraved onto the Addenda Wall. They were identified following careful research as we ensured that all those who fought and paid the ultimate sacrifice in Normandy are remembered. Amongst the names is John Edward Purling. He was wounded in Normandy on D-Day and evacuated back to the UK but he died from gas gangrene on 11th June 1944.

When his son, Michael, sent us information to tell his story it included a photo of his platoon and revealed a connection to the only VC winner we have on the memorial, namely Sidney Bates VC.

John’s story

 

A father and his two sons enlisted to fight in the Second World War. Only one would return. Here is their story.

 

We don’t often get to tell the tale of a father and his two sons who served in the
Second World War. Memories of the First World War were just one generation away
when the Second World War started. Fathers had fought in the First World War and
some of them would also fight in the Second World War. In this story we find a father
fighting alongside one of his two sons, but both his sons would pay the ultimate
sacrifice.

4) Richard Haskayne: https://www.britishnormandymemorial.org/normandy-
story/richard-haskayne/
During WW2 there were some occupations which were deemed so vital to the domestic war
effort and economy that workers in them were exempt from compulsory military conscription.

However, this didn’t stop some from joining up voluntarily. Richard Haskayne, a Chemist’s
Assistant, was one such person.
He volunteered to join up in 1942 and was allocated to in the 13th/18th Royal Hussars,
Royal Armoured Corps. He landed on Sword Beach but he was killed on 6th August 1944 in
the Battle for Mont Pinçon. His commanding officer wrote to his widow, Gladys Haskayne, a
few days later giving details of his circumstances of death. He also wrote this about him: “He
was most popular with all the Squadron and will be very much missed, not only as a good
soldier, but as a friend who always made us laugh.”
5) Ernest George Lewis, 626 Squadron
I may or may not have time to write this up but wanted to let you know about this story sent
in by maternal first cousin once removed. I’ve just been sent a parcel of letters and photos
about him and the story recounts her discovery about him, his training and service in the
RAF and the connections they made with the people in the town of Belloy where his plane
crashed when they went to visit.