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Wednesday, May 29, 2024

D-Day 80 Display

Malcom Patterson, Chairman of the Horbury, Sitlington and Ossett branch of the Royal British Legion, contacted us to ask if we could help with a special display to commemorate the 80th anniversary of D-Day. 

The display, featuring objects loaned by Gavin Cave, will be in the shop window of Grooms Rooms Menswear in Horbury from 1 to 17 June 2024.

A soldier's uniform and a dispatch rider's uniform from the D-Day landings on display on mannequins, with a wreath of poppies and a note commemorating the names of those who died in the Second World War by the Horbury Sitlington and Ossett Royal British Legion
The D-Day display in Grooms Rooms Menswear

D-Day display

D-Day was on June 6, 1944. It involved the simultaneous landing of tens of thousands of troops on five separate beaches in Normandy. 

It was the largest military naval, air and land operation ever attempted. It marked the start of the campaign to liberate Nazi-occupied north-west Europe.

Local collector, Gavin Cave, has worked with the Wakefield Museums and Castles team to create a display of some of his collection. 

This includes the uniform of a ‘typical’ British soldier and sailor landing on the Normandy beaches on D-Day, and the uniform of a dispatch rider. Dispatch riders were one of the many specialist troops involved in supporting the landings.

Gavin has said that he’s really enjoyed the opportunity to display some of his collection, though some of it has been a bit of a project to get it ready for display!

The D-Day uniforms 

The uniforms are all original, possibly unissued items.

The 'typical’ uniform includes a MkII steel helmet, which has a net attached to afford camouflage and concealment. The steel dispatch rider helmet is designed to also give protection whilst riding a motorcycle.

Gavin holding up a helmet in each hand. He is looking towards the dispatch rider helmet, which is a dome-shaped khaki helmet with leather straps hanging down over the ears. The 'typical' helmet on the right is a similar shape but a darker khaki, with a net attached.
Gavin holding the two helmets - the dispatch rider helmet is on the left, and the 'typical' one on the right.

The clothing is different too. 

The ‘typical’ soldier and sailor wears a woollen battledress jacket (late 1940 austerity pattern) and battledress trousers (1939 pattern). The trousers are much higher waisted than modern trousers, in keeping with the fashion of the day. They also had the added advantage of keeping the lower back warm! 

He also wears 1937 pattern webbing. This has two ammo pouches at the front, large enough to take the magazines for a Bren gun.

The brown woollen shirt and battledress trousers worn by a 'typical' soldier on D-Day, with multiple pockets, and accompanying boots
The 'typical' soldier / sailor uniform, ready for display

He carries a water bottle, entrenching tool and his small pack. This would contain his 24-hour rations. He also had a waterproof cape, jumper, mug, mess tins and spare socks. On his feet he wears regulation ammunition boots.

The dispatch rider wears a rubberised coat over his battledress jacket. The coat straps over the legs of his jodhpur-like trousers, allowing for easy riding.


A long brown rubberised overcoat, partially opened to show the brown jodphur-like trousers designed to provide comfort when riding a motorbike
The dispatch rider's uniform, with coat opened to show the jodphur-like trousers

A pair of dispatch rider boots (bought and worn by Gavin's wife in the ‘90s!) were in particularly poor condition. They have been painstakingly restored to prevent further deterioration of the leather. Many layers of polish had to be removed, so that the leather could be conditioned and consolidated.


Leather boots that reach up to the mid calf, with buckles and laces up to the top.
The dispatch rider boots, now restored

June 6, 1944 – A Big Day (for other reasons!)

Irene Winifred Cheshire was born in Horbury in 1924. During the Second World War, she was a ‘Private’ (cook) in the Auxiliary Territorial Service (A.T.S.), stationed at Pontefract barracks.

Here she met Harry Patterson. Harry was born in Co. Durham in 1914. He had joined The Green Howards before switching to become a ‘Private’ (cook) in the Army Catering Corps (A.C.C.) on its formation. He was then sent to Pontefract.

Harry and Irene were granted Special Leave to get married on June 6, 1944. The wedding took place at St. Peter & St. Leonards church in Horbury.

Harry, in uniform, and Irene, in a white wedding dress with veil, with their family on their wedding day


Operation Neptune (the D-Day landings) was top secret. The couple will have been unaware that their wedding was to be on the same day as the largest military naval, air and land operation ever attempted!

Horbury’s role in WW2

Many British manufacturers switched to producing equipment to help the war effort. This included Sykes of Horbury, the famous local sports manufacturers. 

By the Second World War, Sykes employed a thousand local people. As they had in the First World War, the Sykes workers produced an array of equipment for the Second World War. 

A group of Sykes workers, all women, making wooden rifle furniture. One is holding her piece up and looking down it to check its quality.
Workers making rifle furniture at Sykes' Albion Mill in the Second World War

These ranged from bayonets and ammunition boxes to sand goggles and snow shoes - made using the same techniques as their tennis rackets!

A wooden oval-shaped snow shoe, with rope attached to a piece of fabric where the foot would be, and straps across the top.
A Sykes' Second World War snow shoe, made using their steam bending tennis racket technique.


Other local people were also involved in the war effort leading up to the D-Day landings. 

With thanks to the Royal British Legion for their support with this display.

Royal British Legion logo

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