Timeline: 1944

1944

January: Russian forces enter Poland and the siege of Leningrad ends. The Allies land at Anzio and dig in. The following month German forces attempt to break the beachhead but are unsuccessful.

1^st January Mary Hall of the WRNS arrives at Portland to work in the plotting office.

27^th January Arthur Barraclough escapes from Wetzeldorf camp in Austria and makes his way to Graz.

March: The Chindits launch Operation Thursday behind Japanese lines in Burma, to sever supply lines. 'Merrill's Marauders' take on Japanese troops in north Burma in support of General Stilwell's troops.

15^th March Robert Frettlöhr, a German paratrooper, is in the monastery at Monte Cassino and witnesses the Allied bombing of Cassino town.

June: D Day - the Normandy landings take place on five beaches code-named Sword, Juno, Gold, Omaha and Utah in Operation Overlord. US 5th Army enters Rome. The first V-1 flying bombs are launched against Britain.

5^th June Geoff Steer signs for 200 francs and then knows he will be heading for France on D-Day.

13^th June William Smith displays outstanding coolness, skill and devotion to duty in an operation in the Battle of the Atlantic for which he is awarded the DSM

August: Warsaw uprising. The Polish 'Home Army' fight to regain control of Warsaw hoping for assistance from Russian troops which does not materialise. Resistance finally ends in October. Paris is liberated.

2^nd August Ernie Reynolds and his crew crash-land at Fairwood Common airfield, Swansea, following a raid to France.

September: The first V2 rocket attack on London causes casualties. Operation Market Garden is launched to assist Allied troops to push into Germany. The ambitious plan falters and Allied paratroopers withdraw. Heavy casualties and 6,400 are captured.

30^th November 'I started seven days of hell!' George Smith outlines his experiences of seasickness in the N Atlantic convoy taking him to Russia.

December: Battle of the Bulge. German troops launch a surprise attack in the Ardennes. US troops are surrounded at Bastogne. German advance falters due to supply problems and air attacks. A month later German losses have reached 120,000 killed, injured or captured.

22^nd December Thomas North, nicknamed 'Tojo' writes to Margie and Bee from India.