Richard Todd: From the Theatre of War to the Big Screen
Only eyes, teeth and bare metal glinted in the dim light. I thumped onto a cornfield in Normandy, an illegal immigrant without a passport but nevertheless welcome, I hoped.
Lieutenants Tony Bowler and Richard Todd of the 7th (Light Infantry) Parachute Battalion in Wales prior to D-Day, 1944. (Paradata/Airborne assault Museum)
Lieutenant Richard Todd, 7th (Light Infantry) Battalion, Parachute Regiment. (Paradata/Airborne Assault Museum)
Actor Richard Todd played Major John Howard in the feature film, The Longest Day , whose glider troops captured bridges over the Caen Canal and River Orne in Normandy on D-Day.
In reality, Todd served as an officer in the 7th (Light Infantry) Battalion, The Parachute Regiment, during World War II. During the night of 5-6 June 1944, he was the first member of his Battalion to land in France as part of Operation TONGA, the British Airborne assault on Normandy. His Battalion's role was to relieve John Howard's glider troops at the bridges.
Todd jumped at around 12.40am, carrying a pack of mattocks and shovels and a dinghy. He recalled that, 'Only eyes, teeth and bare metal glinted in the dim light. I thumped onto a cornfield in Normandy, an illegal immigrant without a passport but nevertheless welcome, I hoped.'
Todd set off for the bridges at 1.30am with only 150 men. Intense fighting followed as they fought to secure the area and he took part in an action when two boats approached up the canal. Prisoners were taken after the boats had been riddled by fire. Todd noted that, 'to add to our battle honours that day, we were able to claim a naval victory.' Todd was promoted to Captain days later.
Richard Todd also starred as Wing Commander Guy Gibson in the iconic 1955 film, The Dambusters, which told the story of 617 Squadron's attack on German dams in 1943.
Richard Todd, famous actor and soldier, was buried at St Guthlac’s Church, Little Ponton, near his Lincolnshire home. His grave is publicly accessible.
Watch a video about Richard Todd's wartime service: