BRITISH WWII ROYAL NAVY D-DAY OFFICERS FOREIGN SERVICE HELMET

The nice condition Foreign Service helmet, all in white, belonging to Lieutenant Commander E.S.D.Freemantle, Distinguished Service Cross; he was the senior Beach Master at Juno Beach on D-Day. A fine example of the 1930’s period Royal Naval officers' sun helmet with large folded pagri and navy blue top line indicating Royal Naval use. The helmet is bleached white on the exterior, with the interior covered in green cloth to the peak, with an original brown leather sweatband. Housed in its original storage tin with the painted name on the front, ‘E.S.D.Freemantle RM’. Lieutenant Commander Edmund Seymour Denis Freemantle came from a long family tradition of Royal Navy officers, his father and grandfather both having been Admirals. The Juno Beach Historical Centre gives details of his career, including his involvement during the D-Day landings. At 9. a.m. on the morning of D-Day 6th June, Lieutenant Commander Fremantle came ashore at Juno Beach (Bernières-sur-Mer); he landed alongside members of the Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, including the Battalion Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel John Godfrey Spragte. Fremantle and his men set about their work of organising the beachhead, although the fighting soon moved inland, the dangers of undiscovered mines, German aerial bombing, and artillery fire persisting. By the end of the landings, Fremantle was Chief Principal Beach Master for Juno Beach; he received the Distinguished Service Cross for his part in the Battle of Normandy.’

Ref; 92015