Australian bomber pilot Bill Purdy reflects on D-Day, 80 years on

Aussie Lancaster bomber pilot Bill Purdy recalls the moment he saw the D-Day invasion fleet heading towards France 80 years ago.

Lancaster bomber pilot and 101-year-old D Day veteran Bill Purdy at his home in Mosman. Picture: Richard Dobson

Eighty years ago today Australian bomber pilot Bill Purdy turned his Lancaster towards home to be greeted by the breathtaking sight of thousands of allied ships heading towards France.

D-Day on 6th June 1944 marked the beginning of the Allied invasion of Europe and 21-year-old Bill Purdy was one of more than 3000 Aussies doing their bit.

“The weather was terrible but we had to fly to take out the German guns at Point du Hoc,” Mr Purdy recalls. “When we turned for home the sight was incredible.

“There were so many ships we could have put our wheels down and taxied across the water to England.”

Lancaster bomber pilot and 101-year-old D Day veteran Bill Purdy at his home in Mosman. Picture: Richard Dobson

The world’s largest ever invasion fleet landed 156,000 allied troops on five beachheads in Normandy in Northern France to begin the liberation of Europe and defeat of Hitler’s Nazi Germany.

King Charles will lead D Day commemoration events on Thursday with a speech in front of 25 heads of state at Omaha Beach where 2,400 Americans died in the bloodiest of the landings.

“When we flew over we knew the invasion had started and were just glad we were not down there on the ground,” recalled Mr Purdy, who flew back to the base of No 463 Squadron and went to bed.

“I was woken up again at midday to attack a column of German tanks at a rail siding at Argentan,” Mr Purdy said.

His Lancaster was third in the queue to take off. “Number one did not get off the ground and rolled into the village, number two did a ground loop and so that left me,” Mr Purdy said.

William "Bill" Jack Purdy. Picture: Department of Veteran Affairs

He led the squadron into the air and headed 70 miles into occupied territory to tackle the tanks. “We had to take them out or it would have been bad for our boys on the ground,” he said.

Mr Purdy went on to fly a remarkable 37 missions, surviving in a squadron that lost 78 aircraft and 546 aircrew of which 225 were Aussies, and returned home to become the chairman of Arnott’s biscuits.

Australian War Memorial senior historian Dr Lachlan Grant said Mr Purdy was one of 3,300 Australians who took part in the attack on D Day.

“There were 3300 Australians involved on the actual day,” Dr Grant said. “Five hundred were sailors attached to the Royal Navy and in all sorts of vessels. Another 2500 were flying bombers, spitfires and towing gliders carrying the British 6th Airborne Division.”

There were also 12 Australian soldiers on the beaches as observers to take lessons learned from the assault back to the Pacific theatre.

“One of those was Major Joe Gullett who ended up taking command of a British unit and went on to be shot by a German machine gun as he led his men across a field,” Dr Grant said.

Mr Purdy (centre) and his Lancaster bomber crew who flew with No 463 Squadron.

“It is very important to remember Australia’s part in D Day,” he said. “It marked the liberation of Nazi Europe. When it fell in 1940 Australia was one of a very few liberal democracies left in the world.”

RSL NSW President Mick Bainbridge said the anniversary was a reminder of the sacrifice made by so many to give us the freedoms we enjoy today.

“The sacrifice on the beaches of Normandy is echoed in the lives of all veterans who have fought for our freedoms. We owe every Australian and allied forces who have served their country our deepest gratitude and unwavering support” he said.

Mr Purdy will be watching the D Day anniversary events on the television at his home in Mosman on Sydney’s north shore. “I cannot take part in anything unfortunately because I have got Covid,” he said.

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