Primary Seven pupils at Enniskillen Model Primary School were busy putting their writing skills to the test as they immersed themselves in the history of the Second World War.
Enniskillen housed soldiers from the Allied Forces before they took part in D-Day, the largest seaborne invasion in history which aimed at pushing the Germans back and begin the liberation of France.
D-Day took place on June 6, 1944, and 80 years on the importance of that occasion is still remembered and honoured as well as the poignancy and respect for those who gave their lives fighting in World War Two.
One D-Day pilot was Fermanagh man, Bill Eames.
He was involved in two key Allied operations to secure Pegasus Bridge and Operation Market Garden.
Mr. Eames helped tow gliders with troops inside to Normandy who then went on to secure Pegasus Bridge.
He was then injured during Operation Market Garden, a failed attempt to advance into Germany.
Mr. Eames passed away in 2020 aged 97.
The pupils also look an American soldier, J.C. Edmonson, who was stationed in Enniskillen before deploying to France.
While stationed in Enniskillen, J.C. met and married his wife, a past pupil of the Enniskillen Model.
The pupils wrote diary entries from both Bill and J.C. and their thoughts on what they were involved in. They also tell us about the life J.C. lived before, during and after the war.
Bill Eames diary entry by Elizabeth Elliott
Dear Diary,
Today is a day that will probably go down in history.
Yesterday though was a tough day.
I had to tow the Horsa gliders to Normandy in France.
It was very hard because when we got to France the Germans were shooting at us from the waters below.
Unfortunately, my plane did get hit and I was badly injured.
I’m in bed now.
My back was sore and I have a pain in my foot, but I am alright now because I’m eating my eggs. I love eggs!
When I was flying into France, I felt very afraid.
Lots of thoughts were rushing through my head like 'What if I crashed into another plane or got shot down?' When I was dropping down the plane behind me troops were shooting at me below. For a moment I thought I was shot but thankfully I wasn’t.
I was so happy to be part of the RAF during World War II.
I remember when I was a pupil at the Enniskillen Model School and our teacher brought us out to see a plane.
I thought to myself that I wanted to be a pilot when I grew up and I did become a pilot.
And now I’m fighting for my country hoping we win.
Bill Eames diary entry by Zach Downey
Dear Diary,
Today is a day I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
The 5th of June is the day I was a part of history. My only wish was to survive the tough day.
Whenever I woke up, I had my breakfast, eggs obviously so I could forget my worries ahead as they are my favourite.
As I left, I was excited to go and help my country in the war as I always had a passion for planes. But I was also nervous about if I would survive or not.
It took me a while to arrive where the Horsa gliders were and when I saw them, I got to work towing one.
As it turned out I survived.
It took all night to tow the Horsa glider across the ocean.
I am glad that I could make history in D-Day.
And as it turns out I will be lying in bed tomorrow having done my duty for my country.
It was a privilege to help in the war.
Diary entry by J.C. Edmonson by Adam Dixon
6th June 1944
Dear Diary,
Today is the day I go to war.
I am writing this on the troopship while staring at the brutal scene of Normandy Beach.
I hope I go down in history as playing my part in the war.
This day last week I was crawling through the Castle Coole wood shooting targets and parachuting down from planes all in preparation for this historic event.
Above us, we can see planes crashing towards earth. Debris fills what was once clean air.
Bullets and bombs hit our ship.
Our two gunmen lying unconscious. I do not know if they are alive.
58 of the 152 on the ship are either wounded or sick.
We are now seven minutes out.
All the other ships have landed and have started the first wave.
I can hear the screams and shouts of my fellow soldiers.
To be honest I don’t want to do this anymore. All the noise is getting to me.
Three minutes out and my stomach is doing summersaults. Nearly 20 more soldiers are wounded and more are sick.
We are now 400 yards from the beach.
This may be the last time I ever write in this diary.
J.C.
10th June 1944
Three days in and we are still fighting.
After the second wave, we pushed the Nazis back a few hundred yards but they’re not giving up.
The bombs landing around us keep getting bigger.
I am writing this as we push the Nazi soldiers further back, but I have a feeling they’re planning something huge.
We are now in the middle of the sixth wave, and I hope one of the last. The planes are dropping explosives on the Nazis and the gunmen on the ships are clearing off the runners trying to get through the barricades.
The ceasefire has stopped and more troopships are pulling up on the beach.
The Nazis are more focused on the beach than they are on the sea which means we have more time to get more soldiers on the beach and more gunmen for backup on the water.
I am not so scared anymore, more focused than anything.
All that training was hard but worth it.
If it weren’t for everyone at Celtic Park, I wouldn’t have made it this far. I’m so grateful for everyone fighting alongside me and those who have lost their lives in this battle.
J.C
Diary entry by J.C. Edmonson by Zoey Wallington Forde
Dear Diary,
Today was a day like no other.
I am now in Normandy after a long day of travelling. This is a big operation called D-Day where we are attempting to take back occupied France from the Nazis.
I woke up this morning and had breakfast as usual, expecting another day full of training.
However, we were called into the sergeant’s office and he told us we had to get ready because today we were going to take back France!
We had 15 minutes to get ready and then it was time to go. We made our way to the train station where we boarded a train to Belfast. That was the beginning of a long journey. When I tell you I am exhausted, believe me I am exhausted!
After the train journey, we boarded a troopship. A big, crowded and stuffy troopship.
I could feel the tension building up as we set sail for Normandy.
Everyone knew that their lives were at risk and we mightn’t see any of our friends or family again.
The journey was very long.
We knew we were getting close when we could hear the droning of planes above us and gunfire as well.
At this stage, I felt extremely nervous as we sailed closer to Normandy.
When we got there, the Nazis started firing at us straight away.
We fired back, and luckily I managed to avoid the Nazis’ guns but some sadly did not.
I had to hold back tears because I just wanted to go home.
Later on, I was instructed to go to a big building where I could rest. I managed to escape. I was very lucky.
Now, as I write this, I hope I survive and I hope this mess of a war just goes away.
Gunshots can be heard continually.
I am exhausted, my body is numb.
I am very lucky to be alive. I hope everyone is going to be okay.
J.C.
The Life of J.C. Edmonson by Annabel Elliott
D-Day was one of the most historical events in our history.
It took place on June 6, 1944.
It is the 80th anniversary of D-Day when the beaches of Normandy were stormed by American and British soldiers to fight the Germans.
J.C. Edmonson was one of those brave American soldiers.
J.C. was born in Scotland Neck, North Carolina, USA in 1924.
He was the youngest of two brothers and worked on the family farm growing peanuts, tobacco and cotton.
J.C. joined the army when he was only 19 years old.
He travelled from America to Fermanagh and he trained in Enniskillen.
When he finished training he was sent to the beaches of Normandy to fight.
During the war, J.C. was married at St. Macartin’s Cathedral in Enniskillen. His wife had previously attended the Model School which was next to his training grounds back in Enniskillen.
During J.C.'s time in the army, General Dwight D. Eisenhower visited his training grounds.
His visit was secret so only the men in the army knew about it.
He made a speech to the troops telling them that they were ready to go to war.
J.C. and the rest of the army left Celtic Park and made their way to Normandy on June 28, 1944.
J.C. survived the war and later returned to Enniskillen to see Celtic Park with his son, Rodger.
He then returned to live in America and continued to share his story.
We are all very thankful to all the men and women who went to fight for us and that our lives are very different now.
We also got the opportunity to interview J.C.’s son who gave us lots of interesting facts.
The Life of J.C. Edmonson by Lily Sayers
J.C. Edmonson was born in North Carolina, USA in 1924 and was involved in World War Two.
D-Day was one of the most important days in history and this year on June 6, 2024, it will be the 80th anniversary.
J.C. was one of the many soldiers General Dwight D. Eisenhower inspected in Enniskillen before they went to win the war.
When J.C. was a young boy, he grew up and worked on the family farm growing peanuts cotton and tobacco.
At 19 years old he enlisted into the army.
Out of the 124 men that were enlisted with him only two others survived World War Two.
After he enlisted, he joined A Company 1st Battalion of the 28th Infantry Regiment.
On December 16, 1943, he arrived at Celtic Park in Enniskillen with his battalion and began his training in the boggy Fermanagh weather.
In February 1944, J.C. got married to his wife in St. Macartin's Cathedral in Enniskillen.
His wife had also attended the amazing Model Primary School when she was a child.
The same month General Eisenhower made a secret journey to Enniskillen to inspect the troops before they went off to war.
In their training, they focused on scouting, patrolling, weapons and physical fitness.
Later on, General Eisenhower inspected 2,000 soldiers at Portora Playing Fields at which J.C. was also present.
The playing fields were later renamed Eisenhower Playing Fields.
The Normandy Beach landings took place on June 6, 1944, and were codenamed Operation Overlord.
It involved thousands of soldiers from the Allied Forces, most of them American, and it had been referred to as ‘the beginning of the end of the war'.
J.C. and the soldiers started making their way to Normandy on June 28, to help fight in the war.
After a long battle, J.C. was able to go home and stop fighting, and Operation Overload finally finished on August 30, 1944.
After the war, J.C. returned to Enniskillen, with his son Rodger.
He received many awards for his bravery but he refused to take one of the badges as he thought a different soldier deserved it much more. He then returned to America and continued to share his story.
We are very thankful for people like J.C. Edmonson who risked their lives for their country.
We also interviewed J.C.’s son who told us lots of fascinating facts about J.C.’s life.
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