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Five British soldiers killed in WW2 identified and honoured in Normandy
Overview
Five British soldiers killed during the Battle of Normandy in World War Two have been officially identified and honoured with services in northern France. Previously buried as unknown soldiers and listed on the Bayeux Memorial, Privates George Chapman and Vincent Coia, L/Cpl Reginald Dewey, Cpl Henry Read, and Sjt Frederick Albert Harrison now have headstones bearing their names. Their identities were confirmed using official records by the Ministry of Defence's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre.
Key points
- Five British WW2 soldiers killed following the D-Day landings have been formally identified.
- The soldiers are Privates George Chapman and Vincent Coia, L/Cpl Reginald Dewey, Cpl Henry Read, and Sjt Frederick Albert Harrison.
- Services were held in Normandy, France, attended by some of the soldiers' relatives.
- The identification was carried out using official records by the Ministry of Defence's Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre.
- The Commonwealth War Graves Commission has replaced their headstones with new ones bearing their names.