For the 70th anniversary of 'D-Day' in June, the Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust is planning a special exhibition on the part played by various groups in the D-Day campaign, one being the influence of American troops in Pembrokeshire.

As preparations for the Allied Invasion of Europe intensified, Pembrokeshire became a key area for training troops who would be at the forefront of that campaign, on 'D-Day' and after. These included the 28th Infantry Division - the 'Keystone' Division - from the USA which arrived in October 1943 and were here until April 1944.

They were based along the South Wales coastline from Porthcawl to Pembroke Dock. The 'Keystone' Division, with HQ at the Imperial Hotel, Tenby, was quartered throughout south Wales, key elements being the 109th Regiment at Margam Castle, 110th at Llanion Barracks, and 112th at Highmead House, near Lampeter. The three battalions numbered some 14,000 men, including attached units.

After leaving Wales, the Division was posted to Wiltshire, then landed in Normandy on July 22, 1944, and swept through Luxembourg and onto the German border, where it suffered huge casualties in the Huertgen Forest at the famous 'Battle of the Bulge'.

During WWII, the red Keystone insignia of the Division became known to the German forces as the 'Bloody Red Bucket', such was the ferocity of the fighting from the men wearing it.

Sunderland Trust researchers are seeking stories from local people who remember the red Keystones (worn on the shoulder sleeve of their uniform) and the huge impact they made on local communities.

Do you remember the GIs in Pembrokeshire? Have you a story to tell? Do you remember or know of local girls who were wooed by the GIs and married one (apparently there were at least 30 GI brides in Pembrokeshire)? Do you have any photographs taken while they were here? Are you in contact with any Pembrokeshire GI brides or their families?

If you can contribute or help in any way, contact the Pembroke Dock Sunderland Trust by phone or e-mail: Telephone: 01646 684220 Email: [email protected]">[email protected]