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DORCHESTER, England – The United States flag was raised by U.S. Army Soldiers serving in the 1st Infantry Division for the first time in 80 years above the Military Keep in Dorchester, England, on June 6, 2024.
As thousands of American Soldiers gathered in Normandy, France, for the 80th commemoration of the landings on D-Day, 13 Soldiers from the 1st Inf. Div. returned to Dorchester Keep, the old Depot Barracks for the Dorset Regiment. These Soldiers were the only contingent of American forces invited to participate in commemoration ceremonies as part of the D-Day 80 commemoration.
“We were doing some research into our museum building, which is the Keep in Dorchester,” said Elliot Metcalfe, director of the Military Keep Museum. “In the Second World War it was taken over by U.S troops. It was the 1st Inf. Div. who were not only in our building and town, but also the whole of Dorset County. So, we saw it as a really fitting tribute to try and get the same unit back 80 years later.”
Soldiers of the 1st Inf. Div. Sustainment Brigade participated in ceremonies in Dorchester in conjunction with the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings. A morning reading at the town hall and the playing of Taps by Cpl. Mathew Plount, a bugler in the Big Red One band, was followed by the raising of an American flag on top of the Keep, which once housed the headquarters of the 1st Quartermaster Company and the 701st Ordnance Light Maintenance Company from 1943 until the division crossed the English Channel in June of 1944 to take part in Operation Overlord. Prior to the 1st Inf. Div.’s departure, a second flagpole was erected by the Americans atop the Keep where a headquarters was established for the units stationed there.
“When we first made noises that you guys were coming over, everyone was actually really excited,” Metcalfe explained. “Dorchester's quite an old town. It's got quite an old population, there's a lot of people who remember U.S. troops still from the Second World War, and there's a lot of fun memories there.”
Col. Charles L. Montgomery, commander of the 1st Inf. Div. Sustainment Brigade, led a small ceremony with a formation of Soldiers saluting the American colors being raised as Cpl. Plount played Reveille.
“The preparations that occurred in the Dorset Region and the magnificent town of Dorchester served as the foundation for future success on the beaches in Normandy, France,” said Col. Montgomery. “Whether our mighty Allied forces landed on the beaches of Normandy or fell from the sky to establish a vital beachhead – everyone here today understands their sacrifice.”
As the American Stars and Stripes flew side-by-side next to the United Kingdom’s Union Jack, Company Sgt. Maj. Alex Miller, a soldier of the 6th Battalion, known as the Rifles, shared a moment with a 1st Inf. Div. Soldier as they recounted experiences using similar mortar systems while deployed in combat. These moments allowed both nations to celebrate their continued partnership.
Robert Mott, a citizen of Dorset County, recounted a story told to him by his father; “All the Brits were starving, and you guys had ice cream and goodness knows what, so he used to pop into the stores which were in a big tent and steal stuff and one day he got caught. Him and his best mate got called up in front of the commanding officer;
‘You boys have got me in real trouble,’ said commanding officer.
‘Why?’ asked my father.
‘Well, you've been stealing. If you're going to steal something don't just steal one packet, steal the whole box! If you come back in the evening, I'll show you where everything is.’ So, [the Americans] were very kind. He's got a lot of fond memories of the Americans.’”
One of the unique experiences of this journey for the Soldiers of the Big Red One was walking the streets of Dorchester. “It was a real honor to have you and your team here,” said Kate Reid, a town councilor of Dorchester, who opened her home to allow 1st Inf. Div. Soldiers to store equipment, change their uniforms, and share refreshments during to the beacon lighting organized by Dorchester Town Council in Salisbury Field, Dorchester, at 9:15 p.m. “We were really impressed with how professional, respectful, and friendly [the Americans] all are”.
“The relationship between the men of the 1st Inf. Div. and the Dorset population flourished,” said Metcalf. “They were sorely missed when they had to depart for the liberation of France in 1944.”
Between June 6 and July 24, 1944, the 1st Inf. Div. had lost 657 Soldiers. Their names are etched in the stone on the monument erected on the bluff overlooking Omaha beach. By the end of the Second World War the 1st Inf. Div. had lost 5,516 Soldiers. To honor the fallen service members of both nations Cpl. Plount played Taps to close out the evening ceremonies.
“It's not the first and it won't be the last time British and U.S. troops have worked together,” said Josh Hopkins, Visitor Experience Manager of the Military Keep Museum, who recounted the experience. “It's a relationship that's only got stronger since and I think it's great to have you guys back.”
The engagement between the 1st Inf. Div. and the Dorset region was coordinated by numerous members over the span of six months. "It was a wonderful community occasion,” said Councillor Robin Potter, Mayor of Dorchester. “Made all the more special by the contribution of Col, Montgomery and his Soldiers.”
| Date Taken: | 06.08.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 06.08.2024 08:25 |
| Story ID: | 473421 |
| Location: | DORCHESTER, GB |
| Web Views: | 211 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Big Red One Returns to Great Britain, by MAJ John Helmers, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
