Tri-Service

First British Soldier To Land In France On D-Day Dies

The first British soldier to land in France on D-Day has died aged 95 - taking the secrets of his heroism to his grave.

Norman Poole had barely spoken of his exploits when his six-man team landed in Normandy on June 6 1944.

The former SAS paratrooper's place in Allied forces' history was secured when he leapt from a plane with 200 dummy parachutists and his crew, tasked with distracting German troops.

It was part of Operation Titanic IV, a series of military deceptions carried out by allies in World War Two.

It was intended to deceive the Germans into thinking a large force had parachuted into France, drawing their troops away from the beachheads where the real invasion was set to take place.

"Rupert" - one of the paratrooper dummies used on D-Day

A former lieutenant, he landed with a carrier pigeon strapped to his chest, and dispatched it home with vital details about the Nazi war effort. The contents of the message were never made public.

Lt Poole and his team spent six weeks behind enemy lines before being captured by German troops, although they were eventually liberated. He was later awarded the Military Cross for his bravery.

He was described by his family as "a joyful man who was full of life" - and only a handful of his closest relatives knew anything about his time behind enemy lines.

His nephew, David Barnes, said: "I didn't realise he was such a hero.

"I knew that my uncle and my father were involved in the war but they never really spoke about it a great deal. I guess that is typical of their generation sometimes, not to mention what happened."

Mr Poole died in Portishead, near Bristol, where he had spent much of his life with his wife Elisabeth. The father of two daughters was long retired as a bank manager with NatWest, and had been a widower for four years.

Paratroopers of 6th Airborne Division enjoying a last cigarette before boarding their transport

Mr Barnes, whose father Hugh was Mr Poole's brother-in-law, said: "I knew he had the Military Cross but I didn't know what he did to win it.

"I didn't realise he was the first to land on D-Day, I only found out last week after my uncle died.

"I used to go and stay with him when I was a boy, and I remember him as a really joyful man who was full of life. He was always happy and never seemed to have a care in the world. He was always smiling.