SHEPPARD Ronald

Appears on the Army casualties list for Worcestershire.

Ronald Sheppard joined the Warwicks and was posted to the 2nd Battalion in the 3rd Division. They had trained a long time for the Normandy invasion and were among the first troops ashore on Sword Beach on D-Day. They followed the leading battalions and helped to push the advance half way to Caen. The advance then stalled in the face of counter attacks by several Panzer divisions. It was a month before a powerful enough Allied attack was mounted to break the deadlock. Most of Caen fell but the German forces were still able to prevent the break-out that Montgomery hoped for. In a great effort to advance to the south Operation Goodwood, involving massive air power, was devised for the 18th July. Three armoured divisions managed to reach the critical Bourgebus ridge south of Caen at some cost while the infantry mopped up in the east. Private Ronald Sheppard died on the 26th July as the attack continued.