D Day Anniversary

[Pretty Boy]

I was watching the events from France this morning marking 75 years since D Day.

In an age when social media and the passage of time can often warp some peoples attitude towards war and remembrance I found the events almost overwhelming to watch. The site of the last few surviving men involved coming together for what will likely be the last time to pay their respects to absent friends and receive the thanks they deserve was very powerful and the tone of the whole series of events just seems spot on.

Personally I find it almost impossible to comprehend what those men went through and, leaving aside the political point scoring that seems inevitable these days, I believe we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

[stantonhibby]

I was watching the events from France this morning marking 75 years since D Day.

In an age when social media and the passage of time can often warp some peoples attitude towards war and remembrance I found the events almost overwhelming to watch. The site of the last few surviving men involved coming together for what will likely be the last time to pay their respects to absent friends and receive the thanks they deserve was very powerful and the tone of the whole series of events just seems spot on.

Personally I find it almost impossible to comprehend what those men went through and, leaving aside the political point scoring that seems inevitable these days, I believe we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.


Absolutely......most of them 17/18 year old. All very humbling listening to them...'we had a job to do'....

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

I was watching the events from France this morning marking 75 years since D Day.

In an age when social media and the passage of time can often warp some peoples attitude towards war and remembrance I found the events almost overwhelming to watch. The site of the last few surviving men involved coming together for what will likely be the last time to pay their respects to absent friends and receive the thanks they deserve was very powerful and the tone of the whole series of events just seems spot on.

Personally I find it almost impossible to comprehend what those men went through and, leaving aside the political point scoring that seems inevitable these days, I believe we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

Without a shadow of a doubt. 👏

[PeeJay]

I was watching the events from France this morning marking 75 years since D Day.

In an age when social media and the passage of time can often warp some peoples attitude towards war and remembrance I found the events almost overwhelming to watch. The site of the last few surviving men involved coming together for what will likely be the last time to pay their respects to absent friends and receive the thanks they deserve was very powerful and the tone of the whole series of events just seems spot on.

Personally I find it almost impossible to comprehend what those men went through and, leaving aside the political point scoring that seems inevitable these days, I believe we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

Good, thoughtful post! - Living and working here in Germany - our former foe - for most of my life, with my German wife, in Berlin, the place I now call home, I feel a deep sense of gratitude to these now old guys, who were once young, and the many who lay down their lives - all of whom ultimately made the Europe we now have, one that has never been more peaceful and prosperous, at all possible ... Watching the tv broadcast over here on Sky News the past few days is a moving and humbling experience ... it's not the done thing to say probably on this site, but it reminds me of what being proud about being British once meant ...

Herzlichen Dank Jungs, für Euren Einsatz damals!

[Hibrandenburg]

I was watching the events from France this morning marking 75 years since D Day.

In an age when social media and the passage of time can often warp some peoples attitude towards war and remembrance I found the events almost overwhelming to watch. The site of the last few surviving men involved coming together for what will likely be the last time to pay their respects to absent friends and receive the thanks they deserve was very powerful and the tone of the whole series of events just seems spot on.

Personally I find it almost impossible to comprehend what those men went through and, leaving aside the political point scoring that seems inevitable these days, I believe we owe them a huge debt of gratitude.

Having grown up at a time when most of these guys were about my age now, I know what kind of dignity they had. Most of my pals at school had lost at least one grandad before they were even born. What was true then is true now, they never considered themselves to be special and just got on with life whilst suffering mainly in silence without asking for special treatment and only wishing that we show dignified respect to those that never came back once a year. We (The world) owe them so much.

[Smartie]

When I was at school the town I grew up in was twinned with a town in Normandy, and I went on an exchange trip to stay with a family there.

Whilst I was there it was the 50th anniversary, and I remember going to a big event in Caen that was attended by tens of thousands of people acknowledging D-Day (it is frightening to think that that was exactly 25 years ago, time has flown).

It was quite incredible and emotional to be there for all that was mentioned in the OP.

I remember when my brother and I went through that wee boy spell of wanting to be soldiers, we'd ask our grandad for war stories and he became like a different person. He wasn't one of those who was outwardly proud, or who would encourage us. He was a man scarred by horrific experience, experience we'd learn more about later, specifically when medication he took later in life led to him having horrendously vivid dreams that took him back to a time more than half a century ago that he'd buried away hoping not to have to acknowledge.

It is particularly poignant now, as we see the rise of the far right in various forms.

[s.a.m]

When I was at school the town I grew up in was twinned with a town in Normandy, and I went on an exchange trip to stay with a family there.

Whilst I was there it was the 50th anniversary, and I remember going to a big event in Caen that was attended by tens of thousands of people acknowledging D-Day (it is frightening to think that that was exactly 25 years ago, time has flown).

It was quite incredible and emotional to be there for all that was mentioned in the OP.

I remember when my brother and I went through that wee boy spell of wanting to be soldiers, we'd ask our grandad for war stories and he became like a different person. He wasn't one of those who was outwardly proud, or who would encourage us. He was a man scarred by horrific experience, experience we'd learn more about later, specifically when medication he took later in life led to him having horrendously vivid dreams that took him back to a time more than half a century ago that he'd buried away hoping not to have to acknowledge.

It is particularly poignant now, as we see the rise of the far right in various forms.

Mine was exactly the same, without the medication issues. He also wouldn't countenance war films being on in the house. There were things he respected and remembered about his time in both wars, and people he became close to, but he had no time for its glorification and he wouldn't talk about his experience. I recently found out that he and another escaped POW were fed and hidden for a while by a Belgian farmer and his wife, and he had always hoped he would be able to visit and thank them in person. Unfortunately, it didn't happen.

[weecounty hibby]

We all owe these guys a huge debt of gratitude. Very brave people who were, if you hear them talk about it, only doing what they saw as their duty. They were a unique generation and it is difficult not to be moved by their sacrifice and efforts. No matter your politics etc we should all be grateful for what they achieved back then

[Bristolhibby]

It’s the stories that strike me. Every single person has somebody in their family that did something. I tried to chat to my grandads before they died.

My Pops was an aircraft engineer (ground crew) with 226 squadron. His squadron flew Mitchell bombers (medium sized twin engined tactical bombers). They worked like trojans leading up to and after D-Day, moving to a forward airfield a few weeks after D Day.

My biological grandad did a similar job out in India, but his bombers were bombing the Japanese. (I never met him as he died before I was born).

My Dads, Dad was in the Merchant Navy, running the gauntlet across the Atlantic, and back and forth from India.

A spoke to my Nana who had a fascinating story of her older brother. He was a Paratrooper in the 6th Airborne Division. Jumped into Normandy in the early hours and was wounded in the fighting that night.
He was subsequently one of the first casualties evacuated off of Sword Beach that day.
For him, that was his war. He was so badly injured that by the time he recovered the war was over. All that training for a few hours fighting.
Ironically, if he hadn’t been hurt he would have likely jumped into Arnhem and likely been killed or captured on “The Bridge too far”.

J

[HiBremian]

Good, thoughtful post! - Living and working here in Germany - our former foe - for most of my life, with my German wife, in Berlin, the place I now call home, I feel a deep sense of gratitude to these now old guys, who were once young, and the many who lay down their lives - all of whom ultimately made the Europe we now have, one that has never been more peaceful and prosperous, at all possible ... Watching the tv broadcast over here on Sky News the past few days is a moving and humbling experience ... it's not the done thing to say probably on this site, but it reminds me of what being proud about being British once meant ...

Herzlichen Dank Jungs, für Euren Einsatz damals!

100% feel the same. Today’s doubly poignant for me, as it is the day my dad died in 2012. He didn’t do D-Day but the first amphibious landing in North Africa, Operation Torch, in November 1942. He was lucky. As an aircraft mechanic he landed in one boat in Algiers just as the boat carrying his tools was bombed from the air. He met my French ma in Algiers and the rest is history.

It always felt like he had saved her from the nazis (she was jewish). So I was so proud when I married my German wife and he toasted her with “welcome to the clan”. Always shed a tear on 6th June.


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[The Pointer]

My dad was a Wireless Operator in the RAF and went over some days after D-Day once the Advanced Landing Grounds were constructed. His job was to connect with the aircraft flown from Britain which were then based at these ALGs to attack the German army, although he was primarily involved with photo-recce aircraft like the Spitfire and Mosquito.

He subsequently followed the front and moved up to Belgium where, at the end of the war in Europe, he was packed off to Blighty and shipped out to India to carry on the fight against the Japs, but the atomic bombs were dropped and they all came home.

I have huge admiration for these old guys who were young laddies at the time and just got on with the job regardless.

At the going down of the sun....

[JimBHibees]

100% feel the same. Today’s doubly poignant for me, as it is the day my dad died in 2012. He didn’t do D-Day but the first amphibious landing in North Africa, Operation Torch, in November 1942. He was lucky. As an aircraft mechanic he landed in one boat in Algiers just as the boat carrying his tools was bombed from the air. He met my French ma in Algiers and the rest is history.

It always felt like he had saved her from the nazis (she was jewish). So I was so proud when I married my German wife and he toasted her with “welcome to the clan”. Always shed a tear on 6th June.


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Thanks for sharing that what a lovely story. :aok:

[Hibrandenburg]

100% feel the same. Today’s doubly poignant for me, as it is the day my dad died in 2012. He didn’t do D-Day but the first amphibious landing in North Africa, Operation Torch, in November 1942. He was lucky. As an aircraft mechanic he landed in one boat in Algiers just as the boat carrying his tools was bombed from the air. He met my French ma in Algiers and the rest is history.

It always felt like he had saved her from the nazis (she was jewish). So I was so proud when I married my German wife and he toasted her with “welcome to the clan”. Always shed a tear on 6th June.


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Great story Richard. Even better than your WC 78 saga if I dare say so.

[JeMeSouviens]

Nice posts all. :agree:

I was struck by just how old the veterans are now. It's scary to think that I was born 26 years after D-Day, so my birth is almost twice as close to the war as to today. It seemed like ancient history to me when I was wee but must have been right there in the minds of the older generations around me.