The Shot That Saved Gold Beach | Sgt. Palmer's Charge, D-Day 1944

On 6th June 1944, as British infantry fought to break into the heavily fortified village of Le Hamel on Gold Beach, the advance ground to a halt. Five Sherman tanks from the Sherwood Rangers lay on the roadside ahead, knocked out by a concealed German 8.8cm PaK 43/41 anti-tank gun in the WN37 strongpoint — and a Sexton self-propelled gun from 511 Battery, 147th Essex Yeomanry Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, had already been destroyed. With the infantry pinned down and the armour stopped, Sergeant Bob Palmer, commanding his Sexton 'Foxholes', made the decision that would earn him the Military Medal: a full-speed charge directly at the bunker, halting at 300 yards, and putting a 25-pounder round straight through the embrasure. In this video, The Ardent Gunner tells the full story of Palmer's extraordinary action — from the rough Channel crossing and the chaotic landing on Jig Green Beach, to the decisive shots that silenced the position and kept the D-Day advance moving. Featuring the marvellous Sexton, a look at the concept of the run-in shoot fire plan, and the rapid, direct fire action, this is one of the most unique artillery actions in Normandy. 📖 Shield and Protect by Stephen Keoghane https://www.amazon.co.uk/Shield-Prote... | 🎙️ Sgt. Palmer's IWM interview https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/it... #DDay #GoldBeach #BritishArtillery #WorldWar2 #MilitaryMedal #Normandy #RoyalArtillery #Sexton #147EssexYeomanry #WW2History Please like and subscribe if you enjoyed the video, and comment below.