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Introduction

This short article provides a few details about Mr Harold Drake from Egremont, Cumbria, who sadly passed away in 2003. While he was alive, Harold helped provide me with information about the Battle of Normandy, agreeing that I could use this for my research.

During the war, Harold Drake was a Gunner serving with the Royal Artillery in the campaign throughout North West Europe. Harold served with the 190th Field Artillery, 15th Scottish Division. He took part in the Normandy Landings, arriving in France at ‘Gold Beach’, Arromanches, Normandy on 12 June 1944 (D-Day +6). I have already included some of Harold’s wartime memoirs in other articles I have written, so I will not repeat that information here.

After the war, Harold played an active part in number of organisations, including the Egremont (Cumbria) Branch of the Royal British Legion. He was also a member of the West Cumbria Branch of the Normandy Veterans’ Association, and revisited Normandy on a number of occasions, representing either the British Legion or the Normandy Veterans.

Wartime colleagues bonded in comradeship

On 14 June 1999, Harold Drake took part in a Normandy Veterans’ Association Memorial Service commemorating the Normandy Landings. The service was held in St Nicholas’ Church Gardens, Lowther Street, Whitehaven. The service was led by the Anglican Team Vicar for Whitehaven at the time, the Reverend Jim Baker. Schoolchildren from St James’ Junior School also took part in the service, laying poppy crosses in front of the Normandy Veterans’ Memorial Plaque.

Harold Drake played and important part in the service by reciting the fourth verse of Laurence Binyon’s poem, ‘For The Fallen’, and the epitaph suggested for war memorials in 1916 by John Maxwell Edmonds (“When you go home, tell them of us and say: For your tomorrow we gave our today”). I saw Harold recite these two epitaphs at a number of services. He never referred to any notes to recite them and always did so with great feeling.

After the service, I spoke to Harold about the Normandy Veterans’ Association. He paid tribute to his fellow colleagues in the West Cumbria Branch of the Association , and in particular Mr Graham Connett, MBE (President), Frank Flynn (Chairman at that time), Jim Jolly (Secretary) and Pat Kelly (Treasurer). According to Harold, these fine gentlemen put in much unseen work that enabled the Branch to function so well.

In addition, Harold told me that all the Normandy Veterans were bonded together with memories of the Fallen, comradeship and a mutual respect for each other. Harold also told me that there was a spiritual dimension to the Association, and they all felt it was important to honour the memory of all their comrades who gave their lives during the war. That was why they held regular commemorative services. All the Branch members tried to attend these services if they could and everyone tried to have a smart turn out.

Conclusion

Harold took great pride in relating this tribute to his fellow comrades in the Normandy Veterans’ Association, but was rather modest about his own role in the organisation. However, it was an honour to speak with Harold on this, and other occasions. He had a great sense of duty and felt it important that others should know about the sacrifices that all his comrades had made to win the war.

Therefore, I would like to dedicate this article to the memory of Harold Drake, R.A., and to all the fallen comrades he felt it was important to honour during his lifetime. Thank you, Harold, for relating some of your memories and insights about the war.

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