D-Day June 6. 1944. D-Day Minus 157 days.

Most people are aware of the tremendous bravery shown by the Allied forces on D-Day and subsequent 'plus days', but landings were also carried out by Royal Marine and Royal Engineer beach survey parties just after midnight on New Year's Day 1944.

I believe that the D-Day Minus 157 'New Year Party' was commanded by a New Zealand Engineer 'Sapper' Officer.

D-Day was a horrendous experience but the loss of valuable young lives would have been even greater had the 'New Year Beach Party' not taken place.

The slow box precision flying by Royal Air Force aircraft which simulated a spoof invasion fleet - approaching a different area of enemy coast line - was an outstanding decoy success, but it is never mentioned as part of the D-Day experience.

Some of the Royal Navy Normandy beach landing parties had taken part and survived several previous dangerous operations.

Invasion gliders were tested at Full Sutton airfield. There are reports of these being towed by Spitfires. Doncaster airfield was used as a training base for 'Dakota' glider towing aircraft. Flt Lt David Lord - the Arnhem VC - trained at Doncaster.

'Camouflaged' military invasion traffic was backing up as far as Doncaster and even further North.

George Stephenson,

Wadworth Hall Lane,

Wadworth, Doncaster.

Updated: 10:01 Friday, June 04, 2004