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Michael D'Alton, Dubliner veteran of Omaha Beach landings, dies aged 95

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  • 21-05-2016 12:28pm
    #1
    gizmo555
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,948 ✭✭✭


    Michael d’Alton was one of the last surviving Irish veterans of the D-Day landings. Aged 95, he died just over a year after having been made a Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur by the French government for his part in the Battle of Normandy which began the liberation of France from Nazi rule in 1944.

    D’Alton was born in 1921 to Jack and Mabel d’Alton. His father was a veteran of the Gallipoli campaign during the first World War. His experiences in the trenches were a key factor in his son’s decision during the second World War to join the Royal Navy and not the British army . . .

    . . . D’Alton was commissioned in Portsmouth as a sub-lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. He was second-in-command of a landing craft during the D-Day landings. His mission was to land Sherman tanks on Omaha Beach.

    The landing craft set off from Plymouth on June 5th, 1944, only to be recalled because of rough seas. The landings were postponed for 24 hours.
    After hours of fretful waiting, d’Alton’s skipper, Lieut Jim Stroud, ordered the men to beach the craft. It nearly ended in disaster as they initially lowered the bow landing door on top of a teller mine which would have blown them to pieces had it exploded.



    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQif__kz0r4

    Michael D’Alton: One of the last Irish veterans of the D-Day landings


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    #2
    ollaetta
    Registered Users Posts: 1,641 ✭✭✭ollaetta


    Saw that. Slipping away at an increasing rate unfortunately. RIP.


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    #3
    tac foley
    Registered Users Posts: 5,500 ✭✭✭tac foley


    'Fair winds and a following sea'.

    RIP, Mr D'Alton.

    tac


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    #4
    paul71
    Registered Users Posts: 3,115 ✭✭✭paul71


    I always found it fascinating how far back first hand stories can go in history. Here we have a veteran of a 70 year old battle. As a boy I remember WW1 veterans Marching, not being wheeled, in November 11th commenerations. I had a Granduncle who served in US army in Korea but more interestingly served as an Honour Guard at the funeral of one of the last US civil war veterans in 1950s. My Grandfather spoke first hand to Famine survivors.

    History touches all more directly then we would seem to realise.

    RIP Mr. D'Alton.


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