| D-Day 20:01 - Jun 5 with 3714 views | hubble |
I'm sure like me, many of you have relatives who were involved in some way with D-Day.
My Uncle John was a sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy, in command of Motor Launch ML 205 that landed on Juno beach on D-Day. Sadly he died four years ago, he would have been 101 this year. He was awarded the Legion D'honneur for his role. I feel very proud of him, and all those who served, to give us the freedom that we enjoy today.
Edit: I've just found an email from him where he explains his role more fully:
"I was on the bridge directing one of the columns towards its allocated beach. Our MLs were known as Directional Leaders as we had been fitted with very secret radars which could pin-point our position in the English Channel very precisely.
A couple of weeks after the landings I was ordered back to UK to begin extensive training for what was then a record distance for such small boats - over 8000 miles for the invasion of Rangoon, Burma then in the hands of the Japanese. We had to have extra fuel tanks bolted to the upper deck, which then had to removed when we got to the nearest Indian port not in the hands of the enemy."
[Post edited 5 Jun 20:37]
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| D-Day on 20:25 - Jun 5 with 2043 views | hantssi |
No relatives (dad too young, granddad too old), but loads going on round here (near Portsmouth) today until the weekend. |  | | |
| D-Day on 20:45 - Jun 5 with 2014 views | colinallcars |
I shall be raising a glass to these heroic folk tomorrow for sure. |  | | |
| D-Day on 21:47 - Jun 5 with 1927 views | MrSheen |
I was in Normandy yesterday on the way home from holiday. We had lunch on the beach at Trouville and four or five Dakotas circled very low over the beach. We also saw a lot of cars towing old military vehicles towards the beaches, looked like a big spectacle planned for tomorrow.
None of my lot involved on the day, my Dad’s side up a mountain in Tipperary though apparently my other Grandad tarmaced some runways for the US airforce in Cambridgeshire (no medals awarded!) |  | | |
| D-Day on 22:33 - Jun 5 with 1847 views | Lblock |
The footage I’ve just seen this evening of 4,100 heroic graves individually lit up was both humbling and emotional
They don’t make em like that anymore
“Age shall not weary them……” |  |
| Cherish and enjoy life.... this ain't no dress rehearsal |
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| D-Day on 22:45 - Jun 5 with 1823 views | stowmarketrange |
My uncle was killed in early February 1944 in the assault on the west coast of Italy.We went to visit his grave in Naples on the 70th anniversary of his death in February 2014,and it was a chilling sight to see all those gravestones in row upon row.They were dubbed the D day dodgers,but the fighting to take Italy was as vicious as any seen in France in June 1944.
I’m reading a book called The Savage Storm,which explains the assault on the Italian mainland during 1943 and 44.
Our visit happened to coincide with Napoli playing at home to AC Milan who had a certain A Taarabt playing for them.
My dad joined up on his 18th birthday in April 1944 and took part in the latter stages of the war,but he never talked about his army service and unfortunately we never asked him.
Hats off to all those poor souls lost in wars that should’ve ensured it never happened again. |  | | |
| D-Day on 23:12 - Jun 5 with 1765 views | loftboy |
Was difficult to watch the news tonight without wiping my eyes, seeing those brave men recount that day as if it was yesterday, what they witnessed is almost unfathomable to those of us too young to have seen active service. |  |
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| D-Day on 23:17 - Jun 5 with 1748 views | loftboy |
| D-Day on 21:47 - Jun 5 by MrSheen |
I was in Normandy yesterday on the way home from holiday. We had lunch on the beach at Trouville and four or five Dakotas circled very low over the beach. We also saw a lot of cars towing old military vehicles towards the beaches, looked like a big spectacle planned for tomorrow.
None of my lot involved on the day, my Dad’s side up a mountain in Tipperary though apparently my other Grandad tarmaced some runways for the US airforce in Cambridgeshire (no medals awarded!) |
My Grandad was in a retained occupation (he was a skilled carpenter and made the munition boxes) just recently we had a sort out of some boxes of my parents belongings, in the bottom of a box was a medal dated 1939-1945 with green and red ribbon, after bit of googling it is a campaign medal awarded to civilians who helped with the war effort. | |
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| D-Day on 23:36 - Jun 5 with 1733 views | 222gers |
That generation, quite correctly, was dubbed the Golden Generation.
Without wishing to tar everyone with the same brush, it's difficult to avoid the summation that subsequent generations have let them down.
As previous posters have said, let's raise a glass, nay, many glasses to them tomorrow. |  | | |
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| D-Day on 23:36 - Jun 5 with 1732 views | FrankRightguard |
My grandad was in the Royal Navy. Not involved in D-Day but was involved at Dunkirk. |  | | |
| D-Day on 23:41 - Jun 5 with 1714 views | lightwaterhoop |
| D-Day on 22:45 - Jun 5 by stowmarketrange |
My uncle was killed in early February 1944 in the assault on the west coast of Italy.We went to visit his grave in Naples on the 70th anniversary of his death in February 2014,and it was a chilling sight to see all those gravestones in row upon row.They were dubbed the D day dodgers,but the fighting to take Italy was as vicious as any seen in France in June 1944.
I’m reading a book called The Savage Storm,which explains the assault on the Italian mainland during 1943 and 44.
Our visit happened to coincide with Napoli playing at home to AC Milan who had a certain A Taarabt playing for them.
My dad joined up on his 18th birthday in April 1944 and took part in the latter stages of the war,but he never talked about his army service and unfortunately we never asked him.
Hats off to all those poor souls lost in wars that should’ve ensured it never happened again. |
No serious person called them the D day dodgers how could they when the landings at Salerno took place months before D day.People didn't know that D day was going to happen.My Dad like your Uncle was in the army in Italy during WW11 he told me that before he landed some British troops refused to go because they would have to serve under
the American General,Mark Clark, and this was against their regulations.This soured their reputation at the time and did lead to accusations in the press but it didn't last for long when the Allied forces started pushing the Germans back.
Your Uncle like all those Allied soldiers leaves a great legacy. [Post edited 5 Jun 23:45]
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| D-Day on 23:48 - Jun 5 with 1682 views | BazzaInTheLoft |
My grandad died in a prisoner of war camp.
He fell out the guard tower. |  | | |
| D-Day on 23:54 - Jun 5 with 1677 views | PunteR |
War. What is it good for ? Absolutely nothing. |  |
| Occasional providers of half decent House music. |
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| D-Day on 01:53 - Jun 6 with 1611 views | Boston |
| D-Day on 23:48 - Jun 5 by BazzaInTheLoft |
My grandad died in a prisoner of war camp.
He fell out the guard tower. |
RIP Herman. | |
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| D-Day on 02:40 - Jun 6 with 1592 views | SonofNorfolt |
Although D-Day is rightly remembered, it always seems to over shadow other massively important campaigns with enormous loss of life, notably from our side, the Monte Cassino/Gustav Line stalemate and the lack of recognition of incomprehensible Soviet suffering, which from turning the tide at Stalingrad, then repelling the Nazi counter attack at Kursk meant that by June '44 the Red Army, facing 75% of German forces, were entering Poland and would have continued possibly all the way to the Channel, had Stalin, in a moment of rare humanity for his own people, not insisted on the opening of a new front.
In saying this, it was an amazing achievement, our subterfuge worked, as once the Germans had regrouped, the inland Normandy action was far more brutal, if Rommel's extra Panzer divisions had been deployed earlier, our troops would have struggled to get off the beaches.
Brave? They all were, both sides. {Except the Vichy French  |  | | |
| D-Day on 04:17 - Jun 6 with 1575 views | BlackCrowe |
The old man was a marine on the boat that took Churchill to the Yalta conference in '45. Churchill told him off for whistling in the gangway on the ship....he hated whistling apparently. |  |
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| D-Day on 06:02 - Jun 6 with 1531 views | Metallica_Hoop |
| D-Day on 04:17 - Jun 6 by BlackCrowe |
The old man was a marine on the boat that took Churchill to the Yalta conference in '45. Churchill told him off for whistling in the gangway on the ship....he hated whistling apparently. |
This struck a memory with me so I looked it up. It may be why he told him off:
"Whistling is forbidden in the Royal Navy because that was the method used for communication at the Nore mutiny in the 18th century."
That Spitfire in lights was brilliant. |  |
| Beer and Beef has made us what we are - The Prince Regent |
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| D-Day on 06:41 - Jun 6 with 1489 views | paulparker |
I remember the 40th & 50th anniversaries, can’t believe we are now on 80 !!!
Will watch the longest day as it’s on BBC iplayer |  |
| And Bowles is onside, Swinburne has come rushing out of his goal , what can Bowles do here , onto the left foot no, on to the right foot
That’s there that’s two, and that’s Bowles
Brian Moore
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| D-Day on 07:53 - Jun 6 with 1397 views | flynnbo |
I’d certainly recommend visiting the area. It’s both humbling and chastening as well as awe-inspiring. They gave the ultimate sacrifice and we should never forget. |  | | |
| D-Day on 08:51 - Jun 6 with 1334 views | westlondonisRs1882 |
My old man was in the DDay landings ( D Day plus 2 ) he landed on the QUEEN, section of SWORD beach. He fought in the battle of CAEN one thing he mentioned was that their advance was held up because they were unexpectedly confronted by the XX1 Panzer division.
Very proud of his contribution, so glad I didn’t have to go through what he went through. RIP Dad | | | |
| D-Day on 09:11 - Jun 6 with 1283 views | PlanetHonneywood |
These guys never spoke about their experiences, keeping bottled up the sheer horrors of their experiences of war.
However, while delivering my mother's eulogy recently, I recalled how, my mother would take me to Roehampton Limb Fitting Centre from the late 60s, and thus, I grew up in the presence of men who had lost limbs in both World Wars. The thing I recall most from my boyhood: was somehow, my mother would get talking to them and maybe, because she was a stranger to them, they would often open up.
I knew enough about me to keep quiet and not play up. These guys' recollection were such, that when we would come home, my mother was always in floods of tears. They often told her: at least I would never have to go to war. She seemed so able to talk, but mostly to listen to these guys. I always felt she could have been an excellent counselor.
Alas, it was not just their combat experiences that made her cry, it was what did or, more pointedly, did not happen to them upon their return!
Bizarrely, sadly, and annoyingly, I ended up working with Vietnam vets, their experiences were the same as those that had gone before them. Shocking!
Such was the mark it left on me, that on my travels, I always visit war grave sites, especially out in South East Asia. As you stroll by, you are struck by the ages of these 'boys', who laid down their lives for us, and I think of what hell they must have faced in their final days and moments.
God bless them all. Absolute heroes to a man and woman. |  |
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| D-Day on 09:31 - Jun 6 with 1261 views | Drewster |
| D-Day on 22:45 - Jun 5 by stowmarketrange |
My uncle was killed in early February 1944 in the assault on the west coast of Italy.We went to visit his grave in Naples on the 70th anniversary of his death in February 2014,and it was a chilling sight to see all those gravestones in row upon row.They were dubbed the D day dodgers,but the fighting to take Italy was as vicious as any seen in France in June 1944.
I’m reading a book called The Savage Storm,which explains the assault on the Italian mainland during 1943 and 44.
Our visit happened to coincide with Napoli playing at home to AC Milan who had a certain A Taarabt playing for them.
My dad joined up on his 18th birthday in April 1944 and took part in the latter stages of the war,but he never talked about his army service and unfortunately we never asked him.
Hats off to all those poor souls lost in wars that should’ve ensured it never happened again. |
I’ve just bought Savage Storm, got delivered yesterday, looking forward to reading it.
My grandad was in the Salerno landings and involved in the battle for Montecassino where he was injured and captured by the Germans.
He was taken by the Germans to Rome where they operated on him and removed loads of shrapnel and spent the rest of the war in a POW camp.
That entire generation were made different to us, never will there be the like again. |  | | |
| D-Day on 09:33 - Jun 6 with 1256 views | Konk |
We based ourselves in Bayeux and visited some of the D-Day sites a couple of years ago. The British and Commonwealth cemeteries in Bayeux and the British Normandy Memorial are immaculate, beautiful places, but heart-breaking to visit. Seeing the gravestones in the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mur and thinking that many of those young men may never have even left their own state before, and then died after a few hours/days of combat, thousands of miles from home whilst helping to liberate Western Europe, was incredibly moving, as was also the case at the Commonwealth cemetery.
The D-Day museum in Bayeux is well worth a visit if you find yourself in that part of the world, and highlights how brutal the battle was once Allied troops had made it off the beaches and were heading inland. Seeing the scale of the remains of the Mulberry harbour at Arromanches, really brings home the size of the operation, and what an amazing feat of engineering it was to be able to create a man-made harbour capable of allowing the disembarking of huge numbers of troops and vehicles. It’s quite mad to see families having a nice day out on what were the landing beaches, and then imagine the horrors of 6th June 1944.
I would really recommend visiting the cemeteries and museums in Normandy, if you haven’t been before. I found it a very sobering, upsetting experience, but came away with even more respect and gratitude for the bravery and sacrifice of all those who took part in the operation. I’ll raise a glass to them tonight.
BBC have a 3-part series, called 'D-Day: The Unheard Tapes', which is a powerful watch. It has actors lip-synching to recordings of soldiers and civilians who were there on D-Day.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001zg8f/episodes/player. I wasn't sure about the whole lip-syncing thing, but it actually works well. [Post edited 6 Jun 9:39]
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| Fulham FC: It's the taking part that counts |
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| D-Day on 09:54 - Jun 6 with 1202 views | hantssi |
| D-Day on 09:33 - Jun 6 by Konk |
We based ourselves in Bayeux and visited some of the D-Day sites a couple of years ago. The British and Commonwealth cemeteries in Bayeux and the British Normandy Memorial are immaculate, beautiful places, but heart-breaking to visit. Seeing the gravestones in the American cemetery at Colleville-sur-Mur and thinking that many of those young men may never have even left their own state before, and then died after a few hours/days of combat, thousands of miles from home whilst helping to liberate Western Europe, was incredibly moving, as was also the case at the Commonwealth cemetery.
The D-Day museum in Bayeux is well worth a visit if you find yourself in that part of the world, and highlights how brutal the battle was once Allied troops had made it off the beaches and were heading inland. Seeing the scale of the remains of the Mulberry harbour at Arromanches, really brings home the size of the operation, and what an amazing feat of engineering it was to be able to create a man-made harbour capable of allowing the disembarking of huge numbers of troops and vehicles. It’s quite mad to see families having a nice day out on what were the landing beaches, and then imagine the horrors of 6th June 1944.
I would really recommend visiting the cemeteries and museums in Normandy, if you haven’t been before. I found it a very sobering, upsetting experience, but came away with even more respect and gratitude for the bravery and sacrifice of all those who took part in the operation. I’ll raise a glass to them tonight.
BBC have a 3-part series, called 'D-Day: The Unheard Tapes', which is a powerful watch. It has actors lip-synching to recordings of soldiers and civilians who were there on D-Day.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m001zg8f/episodes/player. I wasn't sure about the whole lip-syncing thing, but it actually works well. [Post edited 6 Jun 9:39]
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I’ve downloaded the Unheard Tapes and will watch when I’m at home alone.
I’ve been to the American war cemetery at Omaha Beach, Pegasus Bridge, the British beaches, it's both heartbreaking and uplifting at the same time, as said would thoroughly recommend it.
My wife went to Portsdown Hill last night to watch the display over Portsmouth.
I’ve got the special service on BBC now, I’m not one for being too emotional but I keep having to wipe the tears away. | | | |
| D-Day on 10:31 - Jun 6 with 1142 views | Rangersw12 |
| D-Day on 22:33 - Jun 5 by Lblock |
The footage I’ve just seen this evening of 4,100 heroic graves individually lit up was both humbling and emotional
They don’t make em like that anymore
“Age shall not weary them……” |
Didn't watch but assume it was the Bayeux War Cemetery which I visited last year very poignant and humbling to see so many graves
I would recommend to anyone to visit Normandy as it's an amazing place with so much to see and do . | | | |
| D-Day on 10:33 - Jun 6 with 1134 views | PlanetHonneywood |
Very, very emotional watch. BBC/organisers done well today; Mrs PH and myself blubbing all morning too.
Is it me, or is King Charles sporting more medals than some of the Veterans who actually stormed the beaches? | |
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