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by Nicolas1980
Pfc Jay E HANSFORD was KIA June 6th 1944
He his buried in Colleville sur mer, Normandy area in France
I’m proudly in charge of taking care of his grave since September 2009
His memory is keeping alive by his daughter Zandra and 2 grandsons Benjamin and Caleb
Jay joined the greatest invasion force of all wars to fight against tyrrany and gave his life this day for everyone to live in freedom
He was from A compagny of the 146th Engineer Combat Battalion (ECB) and part of the Gap team 1 with Dog Green zone on Omaha as an objective (29th division landing zone)
Jay enlist in Januray 20th 1943 and was 21 yo in 1944
His family was from Baxter springs & Galena in Kansas
He had a wife and a daughter
Prior to the invasion, in England, the 146th Engineer combat batttalion grouped themselves with Navy combat demolition units to train and form a “Special engineer task force”
The soldiers trained themselves in the Assault Training Center in Sauton sands in special demolition facilities to acquire new strategies for the Dday. They soon proved themsleves to be very skilled and courageous in every kind of assault demolition missions
In addition to their own infantry weapons they had with them a heavy load of special demolition equipements : primacord blasting cord, bangalore pole charges and C2 demolition blocks : they were to destroy the obstacles on the beach
After completing their training, they made their way to the south of England to be be ready to embark for the historic day. On june 4th, they then sailed from Portland – England - aboard the HMS Princess Maud then being transfered to Landing Craft Mechanized (LCM) to come ashore
Their task was to come ashore the first of all non armored troops on the beach (Jay was Gap team 1 to land on Dog green - Vierville sur mer) and clear the way for the following coming troops
Due to bad weather and choppy sea, many were ill and anxious, the Dday was to be delayed several times.
To my opinion, nothing will more explain their feelings than the secret speech they had from general Eisenhower “You are about to embark upon the Great Crusade, toward which we have striven these many months. The eyes of the world are upon you. The hopes and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you (...)”
Since days, bombers unloaded tons of bombs on the defenses but they failed to destroy it. So when the LCM went in sight of the beaches they discovered a well defended beach that the history will soon named “Bloody Omaha”
Due to storm and confusion delaying the troops this day, they slighlty came late being a bit short to deploy themselves before the whole other troops came
The Gap teams rushed out of their LCM under heavy enemy fire
The silence broke out to a loud confusion of explosion, firing shots and blast
Enemy was fighting back with automatic weapons, light artillery. The was nearly nowhere to cover or run to
In addition to it, there was mines all over the place. The tide was also acting as a time line as their task was to be done before this tide would cover up the obstacles and mines so the whole job had to be done in 20 minutes ! it was almost completed in time offering the opportunity for the troop to push forward : the 146th ECB has open the needed gaps
The toll was high 41% became casulaties. At this day’end, many soldiers found themsleves to be found dead, wounded or exhausted
But on this first day of the whole normandy assault, the “ unbeatable Atlantic Wall ” was now broken ...
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