A memorial bench has been unveiled in honor of 154 men who were killed or wounded in a battle in France that day after D-Day.
The engraved bench in Lebisey Wood, Normandy, was erected to honor soldiers of the Royal Warwickshire regiment who took part in the campaign on 7 June 1944.
Jason Woods, from the Royal Warwickshire reenactment group, described the event as a “huge battle” for which the soldiers were ill-prepared.
“Several catastrophes along the way, especially in the field of communications. The boys had no idea what awaited them in this wooded area. It was a gruesome battle with gruesome losses.”
The day after D-Day the battalion was called into action to clear the remaining outskirts of Benouville before attacking south and capturing Lebisey Wood and its village, which was situated on a hill overlooking the city of Caen.
Mr Woods, whose relative George Brueton took part in the battle, said he felt the Royal Warwickshire regiment involved should be remembered.
“We wanted to do it for the whole Warwickshire regiment in Normandy,” said Woods.
“It just looks beautiful on the monument, it just adds something to it where people can sit and think,” he said.
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