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D-Day heroes to be remembered online
Jun 1 2004
The names of 12,000 war heroes decorated for bravery during the Second World War will soon be searchable online.
All the servicemen and women were granted awards for gallantry in North West Europe between D-Day and the end of the war.
The names of nearly 600 soldiers and officers are now available and The National Archives hope to complete the project by May 2005 in time for the anniversary of the end of the war.
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The records contain personal details and descriptions of many incredibly valiant acts, such as 19 year old Private Thompson who, on his first duty, repeatedly fired at a sniper in order to let his comrades get through a gap.
He stayed behind, and then managed to guide another soldier to safety, after the rest of his group had left.
In recommendation for a gallantry award his superior said: "The courage, resource and initiative shown by this young soldier was a remarkable example."
Bruno Derrick, historian at The National Archives, says: "The files are also rich in stories of human endurance such as an officer who, after being wounded in three places, carried on with his men and managed to take a village and approximately 50 prisoners.
"It will be a huge boost for veterans, their families and military historians. As our catalogue becomes more detailed and more documents become available online so it will easier be for the online generation to get in touch with it's past."
The records can be viewed on The National Archives' website www.nationalarchives.gov.uk and click on the catalogue, PROCAT.
If you want to see the full record you can either visit the archives in Kew, west London, to see it free on microfilm, or you can order a copy through the website or over the phone.
