Forgotten wartime operation saw thousands of troops storm Pembrokeshire beaches in rehearsal for D-Day

LONG before Allied troops landed on the beaches of Normandy, Pembrokeshire witnessed an invasion of its own.

In the summer of 1943, the coastline around Tenby, Saundersfoot, Wiseman’s Bridge and Amroth became the setting for one of Britain’s largest secret military rehearsals of the Second World War — a huge amphibious exercise known as Operation Jantzen.

Today, few outside military history circles know the name. Yet historians believe the operation played an important role in preparing Allied forces for the largest seaborne invasion in history — D-Day.

As the world marks the 82nd anniversary of the Normandy landings, Pembrokeshire’s hidden role in helping shape victory deserves to be remembered.

The county became a military playground

By 1943, Britain was preparing for the eventual liberation of Nazi-occupied Europe. The challenge facing Allied commanders was immense: how could tens of thousands of men, tanks, trucks and supplies be landed on hostile beaches?

The answer was practice — and lots of it.

Military planners needed coastlines that resembled northern France, with beaches, cliffs and sheltered waters suitable for landing exercises. Carmarthen Bay and the south Pembrokeshire coast proved ideal.

Large stretches of coastline were suddenly transformed into military zones.

Local people saw roads crowded with military convoys, camps springing up almost overnight, and beaches sealed off under strict wartime controls.

Troops from Britain, Canada and the United States began arriving in huge numbers.

Operation Jantzen: Pembrokeshire’s secret invasion

Between July 22 and August 5, 1943, thousands of Allied troops rehearsed amphibious warfare under conditions designed to simulate the future invasion of Europe.

Landing craft came ashore at beaches around Tenby, Saundersfoot, Wiseman’s Bridge and Amroth, unloading soldiers, vehicles and equipment.

The scale was enormous.

Military vehicles clogged narrow Pembrokeshire roads. Troops bivouacked in fields. Warships gathered offshore. Aircraft circled overhead. Coastal communities found themselves at the centre of preparations for what would later become Operation Overlord.

Some historians estimate that as many as 100,000 military personnel were involved in the wider exercise and associated build-up, although precise numbers remain debated due to wartime secrecy.

The exercise focused on critical lessons that would later prove essential in Normandy: beach organisation, unloading vehicles under pressure, command structures, logistics, communication and moving men inland quickly after landing.

Put simply, Pembrokeshire became a testing ground for D-Day.

Beaches that looked like France

Military planners selected the area because the coastline bore similarities to sections of northern France.

The long sands, changing tides and varied terrain offered ideal conditions for practising beach assaults.

At Wiseman’s Bridge and Saundersfoot especially, troops learned difficult lessons about bottlenecks, beach exits and moving heavy equipment quickly.

These lessons mattered.

On D-Day itself, delays or confusion on the beaches could mean catastrophe. Tanks, ammunition, fuel and reinforcements needed to land rapidly.

Exercises like Operation Jantzen helped commanders understand what worked — and what did not.

Locals watched history unfolding

For Pembrokeshire residents, the operation was unforgettable.

Children watched endless military traffic. Farmers found soldiers camping on land. Villages suddenly filled with unfamiliar accents and uniforms.

American troops particularly left an impression on local communities.

Many residents remembered soldiers handing out sweets and chewing gum, while local pubs and dance halls briefly became social hubs for young servicemen waiting for deployment.

But wartime secrecy meant few knew exactly what was taking place.

Rumours spread, but people were warned not to ask questions.

The true significance of the operation only became clearer after June 6, 1944, when the tactics practised on Pembrokeshire beaches were seen for real in Normandy.

The road to D-Day began here

When Allied troops stormed Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword beaches on D-Day, many of the procedures had already been tested countless times.

Among those rehearsal grounds was Pembrokeshire.

The county’s role was not just symbolic. It was practical.

The beaches of south Pembrokeshire helped train soldiers in how to land under pressure. Milford Haven prepared landing craft. Pembroke Dock’s flying boats protected convoys. Airfields across the county guarded shipping lanes and the western approaches.

Victory in Normandy was built not only on courage, but preparation.

Part of that preparation happened quietly, in a Welsh county far from the front line.

A forgotten chapter of local history

Unlike Normandy, there are few memorials marking Operation Jantzen.

Many Pembrokeshire residents are unaware that their beaches once played host to a rehearsal for one of the most significant military operations ever undertaken.

Yet, without exercises like the one held here, D-Day may have looked very different.

Eighty-two years after the Normandy landings, Pembrokeshire can rightly say it helped prepare the path to liberation.

The invasion of Europe may have begun in France.

But some of the planning — and practice — happened on the sands of Pembrokeshire.

MINISTERS have been accused of failing to ensure political neutrality among media organisations receiving Welsh Government funding.

Conservative Senedd member Andrew RT Davies challenged Plaid Cymru Culture Secretary Heledd Fychan over whether public money should be withdrawn from any media organisation found not to be politically neutral.

The row follows written questions tabled by Mr Davies, who asked whether the Welsh Government considered Nation.Cymru’s output to be politically neutral.

In response, Ms Fychan said the Welsh Government “does not hold a position on the political neutrality of individual media outlets in Wales”, but added that an impartial media was “critical to a functioning democracy”.

She said concerns over perceived bias in print and online newspapers were handled by the Independent Press Standards Organisation.

However, Mr Davies claimed that answer was wrong, pointing to IPSO guidance which says newspapers and magazines are allowed to be partisan generally, including in election coverage, provided the Editors’ Code is not otherwise breached.

Funding question

In a second written question, Mr Davies asked whether the Welsh Government would commit to withdrawing public funds from any media organisations that are not politically neutral.

Ms Fychan replied that it was not for the Welsh Government to determine what constituted a deviation from political neutrality by a media organisation.

She added: “However, as stated previously, we expect all media outlets in receipt of Welsh Government funds to operate without distinct political bias.”

Mr Davies said the answer showed ministers were failing to properly police the use of taxpayers’ money.

He said: “Plaid Cymru separatists are giving certain media outlets taxpayer funds, yet are taking no action to ensure their output is politically neutral.

“They wrongly stated complaints should be referred to IPSO, despite the organisation having no powers to prevent political bias.

“This is simultaneously incompetent and a serious misuse of taxpayers’ money.”

Welsh Government stance

The Welsh Government’s position is that it does not make rulings on the political neutrality of individual media outlets, while expecting organisations receiving public funds to avoid distinct political bias.

The dispute is likely to fuel wider debate over public support for journalism in Wales, particularly where funding is awarded to outlets that also publish political commentary or opinion-led material.

PLAID CYMRU ministers are facing pressure to clarify whether a controversial council tax revaluation will go ahead in 2028, amid warnings it could leave thousands of Welsh households paying more.

The Welsh Conservatives have claimed the proposed shake-up would hurt working families and worsen cost-of-living pressures at a time when household budgets are already under strain.

The row follows reports that new Local Government Minister Siân Gwenllian MS said the Welsh Government was “actively looking” at whether the revaluation should proceed.

However, First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth told BBC Radio Wales on May 13 that it remained the government’s intention to press ahead.

The revaluation forms part of wider council tax reform in Wales, with ministers previously arguing that the current system is outdated and unfair. Welsh homes were last revalued for council tax purposes in 2003, with the current bands coming into force in 2005.

Under existing plans, homes would be revalued in 2028, with further revaluations every five years.

Ministers say the aim is to make council tax fairer and more progressive, with properties placed in bands that better reflect current values.

But opponents argue that any revaluation risks creating significant numbers of losers, particularly in areas where house prices have risen sharply.

Peter Fox MS, Welsh Conservative Shadow Minister for Finance, Local Government and Communities, said the mixed messages from ministers would cause confusion for councils and households.

He said: “The First Minister has already said that council tax revaluation will go ahead in Wales in 2028, so these mixed messages from the Minister will cause confusion amongst local authorities.

“We all remember Labour’s last council tax revaluation in 2004, which was claimed would be revenue-neutral, but there were many more losers than winners.

“The last thing that people need right now is to be spending even more on their council tax bills than before.

“Plaid must ditch this policy and focus on helping families keep more of their money rather than looking for more revenue.

“Council tax has increased at a much faster rate in Wales compared to England, putting increased pressure on household budgets.

“Council tax revaluation is a tax increase by stealth. If Plaid Cymru are serious about wanting to support families with the cost of living, they should scrap council tax revaluation.”

Council tax remains one of the most politically sensitive household bills in Wales, with annual increases already placing pressure on residents.

Supporters of reform argue that the current system is based on outdated property values and leaves some lower-income households paying a disproportionate share.

Critics, however, say that any major revaluation during a cost-of-living squeeze could lead to sharp bill increases for families who are asset-rich on paper but already struggling with day-to-day costs.

The Welsh Government has previously said reforms are intended to be fairer and not simply a way of raising more money overall.

But with the 2028 timetable now under renewed scrutiny, councils and households are waiting to see whether Plaid Cymru ministers will confirm, delay, or rethink the revaluation plan.