Mapping Arthur's place in history

Mapping Arthur’s place in history

Copied from the East Riding Gazette — Thursday June 3 2004

"Rare keepsakes from one young soldier's drive into occupied France will take pride of place at a new British Legion Club set up in Beverley.
The top secret map detailing landing points, lines of defence and various hazards on ‘Gold’ beach was given to tank commander, Arthur Clayton before he took part in the historic ‘D’ Day invasion on 6th June 1944.

Arthur, who settled in Beverley before he died in January 2002 aged 79 — went ashore at Le Riviere with the Royal Dragoon Guards, in support of the East Yorkshires.

They were the first wave of troops and at 22 it was Arthur’s first taste of combat. His unit advanced eight miles before regrouping at Creully.

In a recent letter to a relative he wrote about the day: “We were informed that the Yanks were still on the beach at ‘Omaha’ and it was a ‘bloody mess’. It was rather frightening as our flank was up in the air on our right.”

Arnhem

He added “Eventually we were told that they got off ‘Omaha’ and we consolidated in a more settled peace of mind”.

Arthur, originally from Keighley, West Yorkshire, would later see action across northern France and into Belgium and Holland as part of the doomed ‘Market Garden’ operation near Nijmagen and Arnhem.

Arthur’s widow, Jean, of Railway Terrace, Beverley said “He didn’t talk about it a great deal. I think some of the things he saw were so horrible that he didn’t want to dwell on them”.

“They liberated some of the concentration camps but he never really discussed it, you can understand that, given what we have learned about them in years since.

“He was very lucky to survive — there were a lot that didn’t”.

Son-in-law, Richard Chapman, Honorary Secretary of the Beverley Branch of the Royal British Legion, said “He sometimes talked to me about being in action on the first day.”

“The Germans had been fooled and didn’t have many of their Panzers there. That is why Omaha was such a disaster; the Yanks didn’t have that advantage.

He added “He was always reluctant to talk about the other tanks he had seen ‘brewing up’. (A term used to describe tanks hit by artillery).”

Arthur never returned to Normandy, as so many veterans have done since, but he was an active member of his Regimental Association.

Daughter Ann Chapman, said ”He would have liked to have seen how they are remembering it this year (2004 — 60th anniversary of the 'D' Day Landings).

The map of Gold Beach will be presented to the Beverley Branch of the Royal British Legion when their new venue opens in Ladygate Beverley later this year."

Further anecdotes that didn't appear in the newspaper which Arthur's family has since recalled were that Arthur's tank was one of the first Allied units to enter Bremen in Germany. He kept the 'liberated' Town Hall Swastika flag as a keepsake of his experience for many years but it has long since disappeared into the dust of time.

Arthur was also mentioned in dispatches, an achievement of which he was justly proud.

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