What is the History of Arromanches by A E Kelly?

Answer 1

Albert E. Kelly was born in London 1914. He graduated at the Military Academy of Kneller Hall, and the Royal Academy of Music in London. In 1951 he became Bandmaster at the Royal Sussex Regiment. Kelly is best known for his marches - such as Nijmegen, Arnhem and Arromanches.

Arromanches lies along the stretch of coastline designated as Gold Beach during the Normandy D-Day Landings. One of the beaches used by British troops in the Allied invasion. Arromanches was selected as one of the sites for two Mulberry Harbours built on the Normandy coast, the other one built further West at Omaha Beach. Sections of the Mulberry Harbour at Arromanches still remain today with huge concrete blocks sitting on the sand, and more can be seen further out at sea.

Today Arromanches is mainly a tourist town. Situated in a good location for visiting all of the battle sites and War Cemeteries, there is also a museum at Arromanches with information about Operation Overlord, and in particular about the Mulberry harbours.

Kelly wrote the march Arromanches for the Kneller Hall March Composition Competition in 1948. He personally participated in the landing on the beach at Arromanches in Normandy on D-Day, June 6, 1944, and was wounded in July 1944. This solemn and stately march is an appropriate tribute to the heroes of the landing at Normandy, where so many died. Kelly wanted it to be played with dignity.