Fred and Ted parachute into the Merville Battery 72 years after D-Day

It was a strategic operation that didn't go to plan and has taken has taken on a legendary quality in the retelling of the history of D-Day. The capture of the Merville Battery in June 1944 was essential to the Allies' preparation for the D-Day landings.

The British 6th Airborne Division was deployed on the night of 5 June 1944 to secure the eastern sector of the five beaches with the main objective to capture the two bridges over the Orne River and the Caen Canal (now known as Pegasus Bridge.)

The 9th Parachute Battalion was given the job of putting the gun battery at Merville out of action. These guns could easily fire on ships in the English Channel and allies approaching the beaches.

However, from a deployment of 600 men, only 150 managed to land at the Battery, and a battle ensued with just 75 men surviving to attempt to disable the guns. A second attack by British Commandos failed to capture the Battery which remained under German control until they began to withdraw from the area two months later.

Now after 72 years, one veteran who was part of the blighted mission hopes to finally land within the confines of the Merville Battery in Northern France on Saturday 20 August.

Fred Glover was a member of ‘A Company' of the 9th Battalion, tasked with entering the Battery in glider planes instead of parachuting in with the rest of the Battalion.

Fred's glider was hit by anti-aircraft fire and crashed into an orchard outside of the Battery. Sustaining wounds to his legs, it was decided that Fred should stay and guard two German prisoners. An act of kindness, offering morphine to one of the injured soldiers who had been shot in the stomach, may have saved his life - later that day he was captured by a German patrol who spared him after they heard of his generous deed, and sent him to recoup at a Parisian hospital, which he later escaped from with the support of the French Resistance.

Fred has revisited Normandy and the Merville Battery a number of times with the Taxi Charity and other veteran organisations, but is looking forward to landing within the Battery for the first time - seven decades after the original military operation.

The 90 year-old great-grandfather from Brighton said: "I'm not at all nervous and looking forward to the jump. I've been returning to visit the area since the 50^thanniversary of D-Day in 1994 and I have lots of friends in Normandy, they're a good crowd who will turn up to give their support. I've been going for so many years now that some of the toddlers I've met are now grown up with families of their own."

Fellow para and Arnhem veteran, Ted Pieri, also aged 90, will join Fred on the jump. The intrepid pair are jumping to raise money for the Taxi Charity - otherwise known as the London Taxi Benevolent Association for War Disabled.

Ted, who lives in Erith, Kent, joined the 1st Airborne division in 1943. Although initially a despatch rider, he volunteered for parachute training and qualified getting his wings. He undertook his first parachute jump in 70 years in 2015, and enjoyed the experience so much that he's willing to jump again to raise money for the charity.

"My recent involvement with the Taxi Charity has increased my enthusiasm to jump for a second time and give something back for all they have done," said Ted.

"I've been on a number of outings with the charity including a trip to Arnhem last year. At each event I have had a different taxi driver who hosted and looked after me throughout. Each showed a wonderful professional attitude and they go out of their way to do as much as they can. They do this in their own time, they are very special people."

Ted and Fred will be undertaking a second tandem jump, less than a week later, with the Red Devils at Old Sarum airfield, near Salisbury on Thursday 25 August. The veterans will be joined by Taxi Charity committee members Frances Luczyc Wyhowska and Graham Pike to raise money for next year's Taxi Charity D-Day trip to Normandy.

Frances says: "This is a big project for the charity. We are aiming to take up to 150 veterans and more than 80 black cabs to Normandy for four nights. It is also a personal challenge as I suffer from vertigo. However to have the opportunity of doing a dive such as this with the Red Devils, who are the absolute cream of the crop, is something that it would be foolish to turn down!"

The Red Devils,are the official parachute display team of The Parachute Regiment and the British Army.

Donate to Fred, Ted, Frances and Graham's parachute jumps via the charity's fundraising page atmydonate.bt.com/events/veteransskydivefortaxicharity

To find out more about the Taxi Charity or to donate to its work, please visithttp://www.taxicharity.org/

ENDS

Notes for Editors

About Fred Glover

Read a full account of Fred's D-Day memories athttp://www.pegasusarchive.org/normandy/fred_glover.htm

A history of the battle for the Merville Battery can be read at http://www.1940.co.uk/acatalog/battle-for-merville-battery.html

Author Neil Barber has written a book about the 9^thParachute Battalion entitledThe Day the Devils Dropped In. Find out more or contact Neil athttp://www.neil-barber.co.uk/

Stuart Tootal OBE, is a former commander of the 3rd Battalion of the Parachute Regiment and supporter of the Taxi Charity. His book,The Manner of Menalso tells the story of the 9^thParachute Battalion and the Merville Battery mission.

See a moving clip of Fred from 2015, visiting Holland with the Taxi Charity, on the theme of ‘freedom' athttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hiqnw6jSY7o#action=share

About Edward ‘Ted' Pieri

Ted volunteered for the Royal Army Service Corp in 1943. His company, the 252 division was shortly integrated into the 250 Composite Company 1st Airborne division in the same year.

Ted undertook a motorcycle course in Folkestone 1944 and went to Lincoln as a despatch rider. While at Lincoln, Ted volunteered for parachute training and was awarded his wings.

Ted undertook logistic support for Arnhem, and was held in reserve after which he returned to Lincoln before supporting the Allies final moments taking place in Norway. From there, he joined a ship going to Java. While travelling through the Suez Canal, the Japanese surrendered. He was redirect to Haifa in Palestine and spent time in Gaza before the 1st Airborne division was disbanded. He joined the 63 Composite Company, 6th Airborne as a despatch rider in various locations before being discharged in 1947.

About the Taxi Charity

The London Taxi Benevolent Association For War Disabled, also known as the Taxi Charity, was formed in Fulham in 1947. Its object then was to help the war disabled, in their homes and hospitals, throughout London and the home counties, by providing entertainment, outings and much needed specialised equipment.

The charity's aim now is simple: to work for the benefit, comfort and enjoyment of the war disabled and veterans.

In order to fund outings, the charity seeks donations from the general public and organisations, and relies on volunteer London licensed taxi drivers to provide their taxis and time for free.

Over the past years, the charity's events have been honoured with many guests, including HRH Princess Alexandra, HRH Prince Philip, HRH Duchess of Kent, Sir Douglas Bader, Vice Admiral Sir Adrian Johns and Lady Suzie Johns, Group Captain Leonard Cheshire VC and many celebrities of TV, sport and theatre.

The Taxi Charity's president is Harry Joel MBE, was awarded a Burma Star. For more information about Harry's life and commitment to the charity, please visithttp://www.taxicharity.org/#!our-president/c1h5e

Follow the Taxi Charity on Twitter@TaxiCharityand onFacebook

Contacts

Rachel Jones, Press Officer for the London Taxi Benevolent Association For War Disabled

Tel: 07825 568244 Email: rachel@cheltenhamcommunications.co.uk

Taxi Charity: Dick Goodwin 07941 772264 Derek Leone 07768 867731 Paul Davis 07860 850102