Today is the anniversary of the death of my Uncle Roddy - Private Daniel R Hurley, who passed away on the 7th of June, 1944.We know he made it it to the Battle of Merville Battery which took out German coastal guns to protect the D-Day landings. What we do not know - as yet - is if he died there, the day after the battle perhaps of his wounds cared for by the German doctor who stayed behind to care for the British soldiers (Paras).
Or perhaps he died the day after the battle at an engagement with a German 'Ostruppen' unit. These were soldiers from Turkmenistan in the USSR who volunteered to fight for the Germans.
Hopefully one day we'll know exactly where and how he died...
Please say a prayer for the repose of his soul.
Daniel Roderick Hurley, RIP.
Dear Gareth,
ReplyDeleteI have just gone live with a (open beta release) website called Fallen Heroes of Normandy at www.fallenheroesofnormandy.org.
On this site I have created (along with another 26,000+) a memorial page for your uncle Private Daniel Roderick Hurley at http://www.fallenheroesofnormandy.org/Servicemen/Detail/16313
if you can supply any additional information, photographs or documents relating to your uncle, it would be a pleasure to add these to his memorial page.
I have, myself, done some extensive work on 9 Para and their action at the Merville Battery (where I first found a copy of his photograph) over the last 15 years, although at present, I'm afraid I cannot add anything specific to your uncle's story, other than what you already have on this blog.
Please email me at fallenheroeswebsite@gmail if you can spare a moment for more details.
Best wishes
Carl