Australian contribution to the Battle of Normandy The Australian contribution to the Battle of Normandy involved approximately 3 , 000 military personnel serving under British command . The majority of these personnel were members of the Royal Australian Air Force ( RAAF ) , though smaller numbers of Australians serving with the Royal Navy and British Army also participated in the fighting prior to and after the Allied landings on 6 June 1944 . While all the RAAF units based in the United Kingdom ( UK ) took part in the battle , Australians made up only a small portion of the Allied force . The number of Australians who supported the D - Day invasion included between 2 , 000 and 2 , 500 RAAF airmen in Australian squadrons and British Royal Air Force units and approximately 500 members of the Royal Australian Navy serving in Royal Navy vessels , as well as a small number of Australian Army officers and merchant seamen . The army personnel and thousands of Australian airmen also took part in the subsequent Battle of Normandy between June and August 1944 , and an RAAF fighter squadron operated from airfields in Normandy . Throughout the campaign , Australian airmen provided direct support to the Allied ground forces by attacking German military units and their supply lines , as well as forming part of the force which defended the beachhead from air attack and manning transport aircraft . Australians also indirectly supported the campaign by attacking German submarine s and ships which posed a threat to the invasion force . The 13 Australian Army officers who took part in the campaign filled a variety of roles in British units in order to gain experience that they could take back to Australia . Australian personnel also took part in the invasion of Southern France in August 1944 , and RAAF airmen continued to operate against German forces until the end of the war in May 1945 . However , the relatively low casualties suffered by the Allied air forces during the fighting in Normandy and subsequent campaigns resulted in an over - supply of trained Australian aircrew in the UK , hundreds of whom were never assigned to a combat role . Australia ' s contribution to the fighting in Normandy is commemorated in memorials and cemeteries in London and Normandy . Background . In 1944 Australia ' s war effort was focused on the Pacific War , and most elements of the country ' s military were in Australia and the islands to its north . Nevertheless , substantial numbers of RAAF personnel , most of whom had been trained through the Empire Air Training Scheme ( EATS ) , were stationed in the United Kingdom ( UK ) and took part in operations against Germany . The Australian Government had very little influence over where Australian graduates of EATS were posted , and many were assigned directly to British units . As of 6 June 1944 , 1 , 816 Australian airmen ( including 584 pilots ) were posted to RAF squadrons . Many of the thousands of Australian ground crew in the UK at this time were also serving with RAF units . In addition , ten RAAF flying squadrons were stationed in the UK . These included one regular RAAF unit , No . 10 Squadron , and nine temporary " Article XV squadrons " which had been formed under the terms of the agreement which underpinned EATS . While the Article XV squadrons were nominally Australian , most included a substantial proportion of personnel from Britain and other Commonwealth countries ; as of 1 June 1944 they were manned by 796 Australian aircrew and 572 airmen from other countries . Owing to an over - supply of aircrew trained through the Empire Air Training Scheme , there were also hundreds of RAAF airmen in the UK who were assigned to personnel depots while they waited to be posted to a combat unit ; prior to the invasion these unattached airmen were considered an asset by the Allied air forces as they could rapidly replace casualties . The Australian air units were under the command of the RAF , which had 306 squadrons located in the UK at the time of the landings in Normandy . Two RAAF squadrons were assigned to the Second Tactical Air Force ( 2TAF ) , which was to provide direct support to the Allied armies during the campaign ; No . 453 Squadron operated Spitfire fighters as part of No . 125 Wing and No . 464 Squadron flew Mosquito light bombers as part of No . 140 Wing . Four Australian heavy bomber squadrons formed part of RAF Bomber Command ; No . 460 , No . 463 and No . 467 Squadrons were equipped with Lancaster s and No . 466 Squadron flew Halifaxes . No . 456 Squadron , which was a specialist night fighter unit equipped with Mosquitos , formed part of Air Defence of Great Britain and was assigned to protect the invasion force . Three other RAAF squadrons in the UK would also support operations in Normandy as part of Coastal Command ; No . 10 and No . 461 Squadrons were equipped with Sunderland flying boats and flew patrols of the waters around the UK and France , while No . 455 Squadron operated against German surface shipping using Beaufighter strike aircraft . In addition to the RAAF airmen operating as part of the RAF in the UK , hundreds of Royal Australian Navy ( RAN ) personnel were serving with the Royal Navy ( RN ) at the time of the Battle of Normandy . No Australian warships took part in the operation , however . Most of the Australian officers serving with the RN were members of the Royal Australian Naval Volunteer Reserve ( RANVR ) . Four RAN sub - lieutenants who had been sent to the UK to undergo training were also assigned to RN landing craft units to help address a shortage of officers capable of coordinating operations by these vessels . Thirteen Australian Army officers were attached to British Army units which took part in the fighting in Normandy . These officers had been posted to the UK to gain experience in planning and conducting large - scale amphibious operations which would be used to improve the army ' s procedures ahead of Australian landings in the Pacific . Each of the Army ' s corps was represented by a single officer , and the personnel sent to the UK included some of the most talented and experienced members of the service . Pre - invasion preparations . Few Australians were involved in planning the invasion . Some of those who had planning responsibilities included Lieutenant Colonel Ronald McNicoll , who served on the Operations Staff of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force ; Air Commodore Frank Bladin , Senior Air Staff Officer for No . 38 Group RAF ; Lieutenant Commander Victor Smith , Flag Officer for British Assault Area ' s air planning officer ; and Major Douglas Vincent , a signals officer attached to the headquarters of the British XXX Corps . Australian - born Air Commodore Edgar McCloughry , who had served with the RAF since 1919 , headed the Allied Expeditionary Air Force Bombing Committee which prepared the air plans for the invasion . During April and May the Allied air forces struck at German airfields as well as aircraft factories and repair facilities in France . No . 463 and No . 467 Squadrons participated in raids on airfields and factories near Toulouse on the nights of 5 / 6 April and 1 / 2 May , and bombed an airfield near Lanvéoc on the night of 8 / 9 May . The first of these raids involved 148 aircraft and was led by No . 467 Squadron ' s commanding officer , Wing Commander John Balmer . 2TAF also conducted 12 raids on German airfields during this period , of which eight involved individual Australians posted to RAF light bomber squadrons . Australians serving in the fighter squadrons of No . 10 Group RAF also occasionally took part in " ranger " operations over northern France in search of German aircraft . In addition , the 31 Australian pilots posted to RAF photo reconnaissance units frequently conducted sortie s to monitor German dispositions along the coast of the English Channel . The Allies also conducted a major air offensive against the French railway network and bridges over the river Seine from April to June . Bomber Command made 53 raids against these targets , of which 25 involved the four Australian heavy bomber squadrons . A total of 17 Australian bombers were lost during these operations , including six which were shot down by German fighters during an attack on the marshalling yards at Lille on the night of 10 / 11 May . In addition , Australians took part in 29 of the 46 raids conducted by 2TAF ' s light bombers against French railway infrastructure . Australian fighter pilots , including all of No . 453 Squadron on occasion , escorted some of these raids and conducted ground attack sorties targeting railway rolling stock . 2TAF ' s fighter - bomber s also attacked bridges over the river Seine from April as part of an effort to seal off the Normandy region , and Australian pilots posted to British squadrons were involved in a small number of these operations . No . 453 Squadron attacked bridges and viaducts near Normandy on 27 April and 2 May . Australians participated in attacks on German defences in France in the weeks before D - Day . No . 453 Squadron made four raids on radar stations in late May and early June , and RAAF pilots serving with British fighter and fighter - bomber squadrons took part in other such attacks . The four Australian heavy bomber squadrons contributed aircraft to raids on radar stations and communications facilities in the week before the landing . These units also struck German coastal batteries along the channel coast on nine occasions between 8 and 29 May ; Australians serving with British light bomber units took part in a further 14 raids on German batteries . The RAAF heavy bomber squadrons and Australians in RAF light and heavy bomber units also participated in raids against German Army camps in France and Belgium during May . The Australian squadrons suffered heavy losses in several of these attacks , including seven aircraft lost during a raid on the 21st Panzer Division ' s facilities at Mailly - le - Camp on the night of 3 / 4 May . In addition to these attacks on German positions , Bomber Command struck the seven largest German munitions factories and ammunition dump s in France during late April and early May ; the four Australian squadrons participated in five of these operations , and no Australian aircraft were lost . During the period prior to the invasion the RAF intensified its operations against German submarines and ships which were operating near France . Coastal Command aircraft destroyed six submarines within eleven days during May ; Australian aircrew contributed to three of these sinkings . Bomber Command also expanded its program of laying naval mine s from April , and No . 460 Squadron as well as Australians posted to RAF light and heavy bomber units took part in several minelaying operations in the Baltic Sea and Heligoland Bight . Coastal Command ' s anti - shipping force , which included the RAAF ' s No . 455 Squadron , mainly undertook training exercises from April , but occasionally attacked German convoys in the English Channel . Australian airmen were also involved in protecting southern England from German air attack in the lead - up to the invasion . From late April to early June No . 456 Squadron was part of a force which defended port cities in southern England from a series of air raids . The Australian squadron accounted for eight of the 22 bombers shot down by Air Defence of Great Britain night fighters during this period . No . 464 Squadron also conducted " intruder " raids which sought to destroy the German bombers as they returned to their bases in France . During this period , No . 453 Squadron and 36 Australians posted to eight RAF units took part in defensive patrols which sought to prevent German reconnaissance aircraft flying over southern England during daylight hours , but no German aircraft attempted this . In addition to the air campaign , a small number of Australians took part in special operations ahead of the invasion . In January 1944 , RANVR officer Lieutenant Ken Hudspeth , who commanded the midget submarine , transported a party of specialist personnel to inspect and collect soil samples from French beaches which were being considered for use by the invasion force . This operation was successful , and earned Hudspeth his second Distinguished Service Cross ( DSC ) . Nancy Wake , an Australian serving with the British Special Operations Executive , was parachuted into France in April 1944 and subsequently helped to organise the French Resistance in the Auvergne region . Australians at D - Day . On the night of 5 / 6 June Bomber Command conducted precision attacks on ten German coastal artillery batteries near the beaches on which Allied troops were to land . Each battery was targeted by approximately 100 heavy bombers , and all four Australian heavy bomber squadrons took part in the operation . No . 460 Squadron dispatched 26 aircraft , which were evenly split between attacking the batteries at Fontenay - Crisbecq and St Martin de Varreville . No . 466 Squadron provided 13 aircraft to the raid on batteries at Merville - Franceville Maisy , 14 aircraft from No . 463 Squadron struck Pointe du Hoe and No . 467 Squadron dispatched 14 against batteries at Ouistreham . The RAAF squadrons did not suffer any losses . Many Australian aircrew posted to British units also participated in this attack , and 14 . 8 percent of the 1 , 136 Bomber Command aircraft despatched were either part of RAAF squadrons or were flown by Australians . Australians posted to RAF units also landed paratrooper s in Normandy and took part in diversionary operations . On the night of 5 / 6 June several Australian airmen served in heavy bombers that dropped " Window " chaff in patterns which simulated the appearance of convoys headed for the Pas de Calais region of France to German radar operators . Other Australians served in aircraft that dropped dummy paratroopers and jammed German radar . One Australian pilot posted to No . 139 Squadron RAF took part in the " intruder " bombing raids against targets in western Germany and the Low Countries that sought to divert German aircraft away from Normandy . Australian aircrew also served aboard the transport aircraft of No . 38 Group RAF and No . 46 Group RAF , which flew the British 6th Airborne Division from the UK to Normandy on the night of 5 / 6 June . About 14 percent of the transport aircraft in No . 38 Group were piloted by Australians , though the proportion of Australians in No . 46 Group was much lower . There were no completely Australian aircrews in either group . Australian aircrew supported the fighting on 6 June . No . 453 Squadron was one of 36 Allied squadrons that provided low - altitude air defence for the invasion fleet and landing force . Many of the squadron ' s pilots flew several sorties during the day , though they did not encounter any German aircraft . No . 456 Squadron also formed part of the force that provided air defence for the invasion area at night . In addition , about 200 Australian pilots were spread across the dozens of RAF fighter and fighter - bomber units that supported the landings . A small number of Australian aircrew also served in RAF reconnaissance units and 2TAF ' s light bomber squadrons which also saw combat over France on D - Day . The three Australian squadrons assigned to Coastal Command flew only a small number of sorties on 6 June as few German submarines or E - boat s put to sea . About 500 RAN personnel served on board RN ships involved in the operation . While most formed part of the crew of RN warships , several Australian officers led flotillas of landing craft and others commanded individual craft . For instance , Sub - Lieutenant Dean Murray commanded a force of six RN Landing Craft Assault which landed soldiers of the British 3rd Infantry Division at Sword Beach . Hudspeth also took " X20 " across the channel to mark the edge of Juno Beach during the landings there ; he received his third DSC for completing this mission . Some of the warships with Australian crew members that supported the landings were ( which had three RANVR officers on board ) , , , , , and . Australian members of the Merchant Navy also participated in the D - Day landings , though the number of sailors involved is not known . Few of the Australian Army officers attached to British units landed on D - Day . Major Jo Gullett , who was the second in command of an infantry company in the 7th Battalion , Green Howards , came ashore on Gold Beach as part of the invasion force . In his memoirs , Gullett described the landing as " easily the most impressive occasion of my life " . He subsequently led a company of the Royal Scots until he was wounded by German machine gun fire on 17 July . Most of the other Australian officers served in staff positions ; for instance Lieutenant Colonel Bill Robertson was the chief of staff of the 51st ( Highland ) Infantry Division when that unit arrived in Normandy and was later posted to the 50th ( Northumbrian ) Infantry Division where he served in the same role . Vincent came ashore on 7 June and served with XXX Corps , 7th Armoured and 43rd ( Wessex ) Infantry Division s during the campaign . Due to the lack of a nominal roll or other records listing the Australians who took part in the D - Day landings , it is not possible to determine the exact number involved . However , it has been estimated that about 3 , 000 Australian military personnel and merchant seamen participated in the operation . The total number of Australians killed on 6 June was 14 , of whom 12 were RAAF airmen and two were members of the RAN . Subsequent fighting . The fighting in Normandy continued until August 1944 , when the Allies broke out of the region and rapidly advanced to the German border . This campaign dominated the activities of eight of the ten Australian squadrons in the UK , as well as most of the airmen posted to RAF units . During July and August the RAAF units operated at or near their highest level of activity in the war to that point , but morale continued to be high as the airmen perceived that the contribution of air power to the campaign would be decisive . In addition to the military personnel involved in the fighting , several Australian war correspondent s reported on the Battle of Normandy . Chester Wilmot landed with the 6th Airborne Division on D - Day , and his coverage of the fighting for the BBC soon made him one of the best - known Allied war correspondents . Other Australian journalists in Normandy included John Hetherington , Geoff Hutton and Ronald Monson . June . Australian airmen were involved in Allied efforts to delay German reinforcements from reaching Normandy throughout June . On the night of 6 / 7 June , 20 Mosquitos from No . 464 Squadron were dispatched to attack German road convoys and trains in northern France . The four Australian heavy bomber squadrons also participated in raids on French towns on this night . While No . 463 , No . 466 and No . 467 Squadrons mainly targeted railway facilities , No . 460 Squadron formed part of an attack on Vire which sought to destroy the town in order to prevent the Germans from using the roads which passed through it . Following these initial raids , Bomber Command continued to target railway infrastructure in France in an attempt to disrupt the movement of German reinforcements to Normandy . The command operated intensively during the week after the invasion , and some Australian aircrew flew raids on consecutive nights during this period . Overall , Bomber Command made 16 raids against railway facilities in France between 13 and 30 June , of which six included at least one of the RAAF squadrons . The RAAF heavy bomber squadrons and Australians in RAF units also took part in several attacks on German supply dumps and airfields during this period . Bomber Command made fewer raids on these targets than had been planned prior to the invasion , however , as its units were frequently assigned to strike facilities associated with the German V - 1 flying bomb s which were attacking the UK . No . 464 Squadron also operated against German vehicles travelling at night and bombed railway yards , and flew 75 sorties between the nights of 7 / 8 and 12 / 13 June . Overall , the squadron conducted attacks on 19 nights during June , during which five of its aircraft were destroyed . The Australians in 2TAF ' s other light and medium bomber units also attacked the German lines of communication in France and occasionally provided direct support for the Allied ground forces throughout this period . During June , Australians also contributed to the defence of the Allied beachhead against German air and naval attacks . No . 453 Squadron and the RAAF fighter pilots in RAF units continued to fly patrols over the beachhead in the week after D - Day , but only rarely encountered German aircraft . From 11 June the Australian squadron ' s aircraft frequently operated from airfields which had been built at Normandy , and on the 25th of the month it and the other units of No . 125 Wing moved from the UK to Advanced Landing Ground B11 within the beachhead near Longues - sur - Mer . By late June , No . 453 Squadron and the other RAF Spitfire units were regularly attacking German positions in Normandy as well as providing air defence for the Allied forces in the area ; during the month the squadron flew more than 700 sorties . A small number of Australians posted to RAF squadrons equipped with Hawker Typhoon fighter - bombers also attacked German vehicles and positions in direct support of the Allied ground troops throughout the month . No . 456 Squadron , which was one of four night fighter squadrons assigned to protect the beachhead , frequently met German aircraft and shot down twelve of them in the week after the landing . Australian fighter ace Flight Lieutenant Nicky Barr , who had escaped from German custody in Italy during 1943 , also briefly served in an air support control unit in Normandy . Barr landed at Omaha Beach on 9 June , but returned to the UK three days later as his commanding officer believed that German forces would execute Barr if they recaptured him . German submarines and surface warships sortied to attack the Allied invasion fleet , and the Australian members of Coastal Command participated in attacks on these vessels . The two RAAF flying boat squadrons operated intensively throughout June , but did not sink any German ships or submarines . The aircrew of two of the British B - 24 Liberators which sank German submarines during this period included Australian personnel , however , and Australians were on board several of the other RAF aircraft which flew anti - submarine and anti - shipping patrols . In addition , No . 455 Squadron took part in several attacks on E - boats operating near Normandy as well as German shipping travelling through the English Channel . No . 460 Squadron and Australians in other Bomber Command units also participated in raids on E - Boat bases at Le Havre and Boulogne on the nights of 14 / 15 June and 15 / 16 June respectively . July and August . By July the Allied armies were having difficulty advancing against the German forces in Normandy . In an attempt to create a breakthrough , the Allied air commanders decided to use heavy bombers to attack German positions . The first of these attacks was made on 7 July by 467 Bomber Command aircraft and targeted German forces near Caen , as well as the city itself . The Australian contribution to this raid included 20 Lancasters from No . 460 Squadron and 14 Halifaxes from No . 466 Squadron as well as aircrew in RAF units . One of No . 460 Squadron ' s aircraft made a crash landing within the Allied beachhead after being damaged by German anti - aircraft guns , but its crew survived and were evacuated to the UK . While the attack devastated Caen , the ground troops were only able to capture the northern half of the city when they advanced on 8 July . All four Australian heavy bomber squadrons participated in a series of attacks on German positions on 18 July as part of Operation Goodwood , but this offensive also failed to result in a breakthrough . On 30 July , No . 463 , No . 466 and No . 467 Squadrons contributed aircraft to another major bombardment of German positions near Caumont ahead of Operation Bluecoat ; 693 heavy bombers took part in this attack , of which 39 were from the Australian squadrons , but many did not drop their bombs as cloud obscured the aiming markers in the target area . All four Australian heavy bomber squadrons participated in the next major attack , which took place on the night of 7 / 8 August to support Operation Totalize , but cloud and smoke again prevented many of the bombers from attacking the target area . The four squadrons also attacked German Army positions on 14 August in support of Operation Tractable ; visibility was clear over most of the target area , and the raids were considered successful . By this time the Allied armies had successfully broken out of Normandy , and no further heavy bomber attacks were required . Australians also continued to be involved in the Allied air attacks which sought to disrupt the movement of German troops and supplies to Normandy during July and August . As well as supporting the ground forces in Normandy and continuing to bomb V - 1 flying bomb launch facilities in northern France , Bomber Command attacked railway facilities in France during July and August , and at least one of the Australian heavy bomber squadrons participated in 15 of the 25 raids conducted against these targets . No . 464 Squadron also flew more than 350 sorties during July and 400 in August against transport infrastructure in France and convoys of German vehicles . These operations , which were generally conducted at night , cost the unit three aircraft . The only interruption to No . 464 Squadron ' s attacks on transportation came on the night of 14 / 15 July , when four aircraft piloted by highly experienced airmen conducted a successful precision strike on the Gestapo barracks at Bonneuil - Matours . Australian aircrew assigned to other 2TAF medium bomber and fighter - bomber units also participated in attacks on bridges and railways throughout July . No . 453 Squadron operated from Normandy during July and August , and mainly patrolled behind the German front line in search of motor transport to attack . It occasionally encountered German aircraft during this period and shot down several Me 109 and Fw 190 fighters . The squadron flew 727 sorties during July , but lost several of its Spitfires to German anti - aircraft guns . No . 453 Squadron continued to operate against German transport during August , and moved to an airfield near Lingèvres on the 13th of the month . This airfield was attacked by a German aircraft the next day , resulting in the death of one Australian pilot and another three wounded . The squadron experienced considerable success during the Allied break - out , and claimed to have destroyed a large number of German vehicles during August . Overall , No . 453 Squadron flew more than 1 , 300 combat sorties during July and August . While No . 456 Squadron ' s night fighters conducted patrols over Normandy in early July and shot down four German bombers on the 5th of the month , the unit — in common with almost all the Mosquito - equipped night fighter squadrons stationed in the UK — was tasked with intercepting V - 1 flying bombs from 6 July onwards . The Australian flying boat squadrons assigned to Coastal Command also continued to support the invasion during July and August . On 8 July a No . 10 Squadron Sunderland sank the German submarine " U - 243 " south - west of Brest . Overall , No . 10 Squadron flew 56 patrols during July and No . 461 Squadron conducted 67 , most of which were made at night . One of No . 461 Squadron ' s Sunderlands damaged the submarine " U - 385 " south of Brest on 10 August , and it was sunk the next day by . On 13 August another No . 461 Squadron Sunderland attacked and sank " U - 270 " . No . 10 Squadron flew almost as many patrols throughout August as it had during July , but did not encounter any submarines . No . 455 Squadron took part in attacks on German shipping travelling off Holland and in the North Sea during July and August , but these operations were not directly related to supporting the invasion . Aftermath . RAAF personnel also participated in the Allied invasion of southern France ( Operation Dragoon ) during August 1944 . No . 458 Squadron , which was equipped with Wellington bombers , flew anti - submarine patrols and attacked targets in northern Italy and southern France ahead of the landings , which took place on the 15th of the month . The squadron continued these duties until the end of August . The Spitfire - equipped No . 451 Squadron escorted Allied invasion convoys on 14 August and patrolled over the Allied beachhead as troops came ashore the next day . From 25 August the squadron was based at an airfield near Cuers in France and provided air defence for the region until October . Few German aircraft were encountered throughout this period , however . The low casualties incurred by the Commonwealth air forces during the Battle of Normandy led to an over - supply of trained aircrew . While the number of pilots and other airmen undergoing training through the EATS had begun to be reduced in early 1944 , by 30 June there were thousands of qualified airmen — including 3 , 000 Australians — in the UK waiting to be posted to an operational unit . This number greatly exceeded the requirements of the Allied air forces . Accordingly , the flow of airmen from EATS training facilities in Canada to the UK was greatly cut back , and Australia ceased sending airmen overseas for training under the scheme in August . While 1 , 245 Australian airmen arrived in the UK during the last six months of 1944 ( a reduction from the 5 , 181 who had arrived in the first six months of the year ) , only those who were qualified as air gunners were typically ever assigned to combat units . It was not possible to find flying positions for most of the remaining unattached airmen who arrived after June 1944 , and some were posted back to Australia ; the remainder spent the rest of the war in training courses and various non - flying roles . Australian military personnel in Europe remained in action until the end of the war . At the time of the German surrender in May 1945 , there were 15 , 500 members of the RAAF in the UK and western Europe , of whom 12 , 300 were qualified aircrew . Most members of the small party of Australian Army officers who had been posted to the UK ahead of D - Day also remained in Europe until the end of the war . Commemoration . A total of 44 Australians are buried in Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemeteries in the Normandy region . These include men killed in the region prior to the invasion and those who died during the fighting in 1944 . Of the Australian graves , 17 are located at the Bayeux War Cemetery , six at Saint - Désir de Lisieux , five at Banneville - la - Campagne , four at the Bretteville - sur - Laize Canadian War Cemetery , three at both Douvres la Délivrande and Hermanville - sur - Mer and one each at Ranville , Ryes - Nazenville , Saint - Manvieu - Norrey and Tilly - sur - Seulles . The Bayeux Memorial , which lists the names of Commonwealth personnel killed in Normandy with no known grave , does not include any Australians . The most recent burial of an Australian serviceman in Normandy took place in April 2011 when No . 453 Squadron pilot Flight Lieutenant Henry Lacy Smith was interred at Ranville War Cemetery . Smith drowned when his Spitfire crash - landed in the River Orne on 11 June 1944 , but his body was not recovered until November 2010 . Australia ' s involvement in the Battle of Normandy has also been commemorated through memorials and official state visits . " Normandy " is one of the 47 battle sites recorded on the Australian War Memorial , London , which was dedicated in 2003 . In 2004 , Australian Prime Minister John Howard attended the ceremonies in France that marked the 60th anniversary of the Normandy invasion . The French Government also awarded the Legion of Honour to ten of the surviving Australian veterans of the landings to commemorate this anniversary . When the Mémorial de Caen opened in 1988 , the flagpoles outside the museum commemorating the countries which participated in the battle did not include an Australian flag . Former No . 453 Squadron fighter pilot Colin Leith campaigned to have an Australian flag added , and this was achieved on 1 May 1998 .