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Signalman Dan Lyons
Unit : 6th Airborne Divisional Signals
The following newspaper article was published in September 2017, under the title of Wartime Offer of Chocolate Comes Full Circle 74 Years Later.
Five-year-old Therese Robert had been told never to accept sweets from strange men - and Dan Lyons was no exception to that rule. The young Lyons had parachuted into Normandy behind enemy lines as part of the invasion force. The 19-year-old signalman landed close to the village of Le Bas de Ranville soon after 1am on June 6, 1944, but it was not until the breaking dawn that Dan and his fellows paras and infantrymen made their way into the village.
There they discovered in the Robert's farmhouse a serviceman injured in the drop receiving first aid on the kitchen table. Dan was a radio operator in the 6th Airborne Signals and had to get to headquarters so he left but on his way out he offered the five year old some chocolate. It was refused as she was told not to accept anything from men in uniform - because they were bound to be Germans.
The tale intrigued the family and, four years ago, Dan's son-in-law, Terry Glynn, made enquiries with the 6th Airborne in an attempt to locate anyone connected with the story. It was not until last year Terry had an e-mail from the daughter of the little girl who had refused the chocolate. Nathalie Monsaint had decided to research the stories she had been told. It was Nathalie who organised a trip for her and her seven relatives, including her mother and her uncle who was there on that morning and helped the invasion force. So, 74 years later, Therese, now approaching 80 and with the married name Monsaint, brought chocolate to Dan from the other side of the English Channel. It was the little girl's 14-year-old brother, Pierre Robert, along with his grandfather, who had the harrowing experience of carrying the bodies of German and British soldiers to the local cemetery before the family were evacuated to safer territory near Bayeux.
Dan went on to become a sergeant and play a vital communications role in the battle for Pegasus Bridge and the Battle of the Bulge, and he saw active service in other theatres of war, including Palestine. After the war, he finally settled on the Island [Isle of Wight] with his wife and family, where he put down deep roots.
At Le Bas de Ranville, a weather marble plaque was erected in remembrance of the soldiers who gave their lives and the band of brothers who risked their to liberate France. A plaque on the wall of the now-disused farmhouse commemorates the fact it was the first building liberated from the Germans.
Following the two families' emotional get-together at the church hall of St Thomas of Canterbury, Cowes, plans are afoot to take Dan back to Le Bas de Ranville, where the mayor has arranged for the farmhouse to be specially opened. Terry said: "There were so many pieces of information my father-in-law has never mentioned about his experiences that have come to light through this. All he told us was he jumped out of a plane, landed and was a wireless operator." Dan said: "I was really overwhelmed by the whole meeting."
The following was published in the County Press on the 29th June 2018; Veteran Moved by D-Day Honour.
A Second World War veteran, who helped liberate one of the first cottages on D-Day, has been awarded the Civilian Honour of Ranville. Daniel Lyons, 93, of Newport Road, Northwood, was part of the airborne division that parachuted from a plane over occupied France when he was just 19. Landing at a cottage in Ranville, he saw a wounded man on the table and offered a little girl some chocolate - she refused as she was petrified of soldiers.
Mr Lyons's son-in-law put details of this story out and heard back from the little girl's daughter, who had heard the same story throughout her life. A few weeks ago, Mr Lyons was invited back to visit the family in Ranville. They organised a visit to the cottage and a tour round the chateau where he had set up headquarters 74 years ago.
In the afternoon, the town awarded him the Civilian Honour of Ranville for his assistance on D-Day. Terry Glynn, Mr Lyons' son-in-law, said: "He was very emotional and very moved by it all. He's got a stiff upper lip but you could see he was extremely happy to revisit and shocked by the honour."
Thanks to Bob Hilton for this account.