Good morning.

Yesterday, the 6th of June, was a very special anniversary for both the country at large and, as I will explain in a few minutes, for our School. On the 6th of June, 1944, Operation Overlord or, as it has become known, D Day began. Since the retreat from Dunkirk in the summer of 1940, the majority of western Europe had been controlled by the German Reich under Adolf Hitler. France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Denmark, and Norway had all been conquered, and strong defences had been built right along the Atlantic Wall, from the south of France to the north of Norway. It would take a huge effort, in terms of personnel, equipment, planning, and cost, for the Allies to be able to establish footholds in western Europe, and to successfully liberate these occupied countries.

Operation Overlord, or the D Day landings and the invasion of Normandy, which started 80 years ago yesterday, was the largest ever seaborne invasion in history. The planning, under huge secrecy, took over a year, and involved army, navy and air force personnel. Huge deception plans were put in place to confuse the German forces as to where exactly the landings would be. 24,000 American, British and Canadian troops were to be landed as an airborne force. On 5 different Normandy beaches, over 6000 warships, landing craft and other vessels were deployed, and overall, during the next months, 156,000 soldiers and nearly 200,000 naval personnel were involved.

Our bible reading this morning, from Psalm 46, was part of the service led by Military Chaplains on the many ships as they crossed the Channel that night and early morning.

By the way, Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay planned and commanded the British naval forces, and our Ramsay House is named after him. Similarly, Montgomery House is named after Field Marshall Bernard Montgomery, who commanded the British 21st Army Group during the Battle of Normandy. He was appointed by General Sir Alan Brooke, after whom Alanbrooke House is named.

Despite heavy losses, particularly through the first weeks of the invasion and over the following winter in the Ardennes mountains, less than a year later, the war in Europe was over.

And Dukies certainly played their full part in these operations. Here are five old boys of the School who fought and died during Operation Overlord.

Firstly, Private Charles West, of the Devonshire Regiment. Charles was here at School from 1927 to 1931, in Wolseley House. He served in Malta and Sicily during the early years of the war, and was landed on Gold beach on 6th June 1944. He was killed in action one day later – 80 years ago today – and the School is mentioned on his gravestone in France.

Sergeant Leslie Scott of the 23rd Hussars attended the School from 1929 to 1937, and was a prefect during his last year here as a Marlborough boy. He fought in the battle of France in 1940 before being evacuated via Dunkirk, and returned to France on 16th June 1944 as part of an armoured division. On 27th June he died when his tank was hit by enemy fire.

Rifleman Terence Loftus was in Clive House between 1935 and 1941, and joined the King’s Royal Rifle Corps. He landed in Normandy on 7th June 1944, and was killed during the Battle for Caen on 10th July. He was 19 years of age.

Sergeant Edgar Thorn of the Scots Guards was in Haig House from 1921 to 1926, and his younger brother Sydney followed him. Edgar was a Churchill Tank driver, was disembarked to Gold Beach on 20th July, and died 10 days later during the Battle of Caumont. His younger brother Sydney, who served in the Princess of Wales’s Own Yorkshire Regiment, survived the war, and died 30 years ago, in 1984.

And finally, Sapper John Youell of Wolseley House, who attended the School from 1935 to 1939. John joined the Royal Engineers , and was killed in the early hours of 6th June 1944 when the Short Stirling plane he was flying in was shot down over France. Today would have been his 100th birthday.

So, five brave Dukies amongst the many thousands who gave their lives to help liberate France during and after D Day.       

Their names do not yet appear on our Honours Boards here in Chapel – they are part of the nearly 300 “Lost Boys” who were omitted when the boards were established, and whose names have been discovered by Dukie researchers, assisted by Mr Nunn, over the past few years. We are, however, looking to rectify these omissions. Our Book of Remembrance, which is usually displayed in the cabinet down here, is currently away having all these names added, and we hope that our Honours Boards will be similarly updated in the near future.

You may have seen pictures and footage of the many events that have been taking place over the past few days to mark the 80th anniversary of D Day, including an ever-dwindling number of veterans who served – all, of course, now well into their 90’s, and some who have reached the milestone of 100 years old. Tomorrow, our military band will take part in the Dover 80th Anniversary parade and, if you are part of the band, please keep in mind tomorrow Charles, Leslie, Terence, Edgar, and John, Dukies who gave their lives so that others could be free. Thank you.

There will be more to come on the 280 'Lost Boys' and the wprk of Andy, Chris and Rick next week.