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Friday, November 8, 2024 9 Brooklin Town Crier June 5, 1944 - Evening - Brooklin's 18-year-old Private Mark Hatchard Lockyer, a recent recruit in the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion's 6th Airborne Division, joined his fellow paratroopers boarding Dakota aircraft at the Carter Barracks in southern England. They were about to embark on their mission as part of Operation Tonga, a crucial piece of the June 6 D-Day invasion. Their job was to destroy three key bridges that spanned the River Dives at Robehomme, a village in Normandy, and ensure they were not rebuilt. The attack disrupted the German 15th Army from advancing to the beaches and provided support to the Allied landing forces arriving by sea. A beautiful sight Lockyer recalled in 2014 in the blog "A wandering scribbler" by Allan Lynch, "It was the most beautiful sight going across the English channel. From about half way out, back to the English coast, were boats upon boats upon boats. It looked like you could almost jump from ship to ship to get back to England. What a wonderful sight. It made you feel good that you were a part of a tremendous effort." The situation for the paratroopers was extremely challenging. Many were far from their drop zones and dispersed across a vast area, which forced them to regroup while under enemy fire. "We dropped around 12:45 am and landed in water," Lockyer added. "The Germans had flooded parts of Normandy, creating waterlogged fields and swamps which complicated navigation and delayed the arrival of the British Corps of Royal Engineers, who were assigned to assist the Canadians. Carried explosives Though they experienced delays in connecting with the Royal Engineers, each paratrooper was equipped with 12 sticks of plastic explosives. Lockyer, whose previous work in a Wainwright, Alberta, mine, had given him valuable experience with explosives, was prepared for demolition tasks and led the men to complete the work. Despite the obstacles, his battalion successfully held key positions allowing Allied forces to gain a foothold in Normandy and begin the liberation of France. It was during this phase that Lockyer was wounded in battle. However, after healing up, he was ready for their next mission. Following the Normandy landings, Lockyer's battalion played a vital role in operations across Belgium. Two of these, the Ardennes Offensive known as the Battle of the Bulge, a major German counteroffensive in December, 1944, and the Rhineland Campaign were both important in the advance into Nazi-occupied Europe. Across the Rhine Lockyer contributed to securing key positions and conducting raids which included disrupting supply lines and clearing routes. On March 24, 1945, his battalion participated in Operation Varsity, the airborne assault across the Rhine River. His unit parachuted into Germany as part of a massive offensive aimed at establishing a bridgehead over the Rhine, the first major invasion into the heart of Germany. Despite facing intense resistance, the paratroopers attained their objectives. It allowed ground forces to cross the Rhine and continue their advance, contributing to the ultimate collapse of German forces. These missions, among the last large-scale airborne ope ra t i ons in Europe, represented a turning point in the conflict as Allied forces gained momentum toward victory. Lockyer had enlisted in the Royal Canadian Engineers on November 18, 1942. He later transferred to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion after earning his jump wings and the U.S. Army's parachutist badge at Fort Benning, Georgia, in February 1943. Airborne soldier Part airman, part commando and part engineer, his purpose as a paratrooper was to be a land fighter after he leapt into battle from the skies. He was discharged from service on August 10, 1945. Throughout the war and afterwards, he received numerous medals for his service, including the France Star, the Defense of Britain Medal, the Canadian Volunteer Service Medal, the British Airborne Medal, the French 50-Year Medal, the Dutch 50- Year Medal, the Royal Canadian Legion 50-Year Medal, and the RCL 60th Anniversary Medal. In 2015, he was awarded the Diamond Jubilee Medal from the United Kingdom and the Ordre National de La Légion d'Honneur from France. Robmar street Lockyer was born on July 14, 1924, on a farm on Columbus Road. After serving in World War II, he returned to Brooklin and, with his wife, Roberta, purchased property between Ashburn Road and Baldwin Street South, where they divided the land into lots. On one of these lots, they built their home and named the street Robmar, a combination of their names. This home was where they raised their daughter, Roberta and son, William. Lockyer worked for Dairy Herd Improvement before establishing his own insurance agency. He passed away in 2016 at the age of 91. A well-respected veteran, he was honoured with a Legion funeral and laid to rest alongside his fellow veterans at Groveside Cemetery. The Airborne Soldier By Jennifer Hudgins Lockyer is on the right side of the aircraft, 2nd man from the front Lockyer is in the front row, second from the left At a Juno Beach reunion