Reply With QuoteAmen to that, heros all.
D Day 6th June.
On this day in 1944 thousands of Allied troops (just boys) were fighting & dying on Normandy beaches for the freedom we have today.
Bless them all.
Never forget.
"At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them"
Amen to that, heros all.
The word “hero” is thrown around all the time these days Without much actual meaning, But these troops are really the epitome of what the word means and only god knows where or what we would be without their sacrifice we are forever in debt to them
Plus our brave RAF pilots.
It’s always a poignant day for me
I will be taking a bit of time for reflection and remembrance.
Must have been sheer hell getting on to those beaches, bloody hero’s the lot of them
In the 90s we used to sail twice a year into Ouistream with the landing beaches on both sides, my girls were quite young but I told them of the heroics of the soldiers on the beaches. I still have a picture of them sitting on the original Pegasus Bridge.
Last edited by hilly10; 6th June 2020 at 11:49.
With an average age around 20. Something often overlooked.
Some interesting facts here https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/art...ts-about-d-day
"6. -Lord Lovat landed on Sword Beach with his Commando Brigade, accompanied by his bagpiper, Glasgow born, Bill Millin. Millin struck up ‘Hieland Laddie’ as soon as he jumped into the shallows and then walked up and down the beach playing the pipes. German prisoners later admitted that they had not attempted to shoot him because they thought he had lost his mind."
Started out with nothing. Still have most of it left.
And crewsOriginally Posted by Rod
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This was my dad, a 61 Squadron rear gunner sometime during June 1944.
His cousin was killed on D day+5.
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LCT 858 (shown on the stamp) was the landing craft my Father commanded on D-Day. He can be seen in outline profile on the left side of the bridge as you look at the picture. The picture was taken on their second run delivering troops to Gold beach.
On their first run in, they hit a mine, the damage from which can be seen on the front right of the bow, just by the top of the ramp. They sustained further damage to the back of the Landing craft damaging the steering as they pulled off the beach after this picture.
As a result of this they were ordered back to the UK for repairs with a skeleton crew and a number of "events" along the way, including my father diving over the side of the ship twice to try and rescue soldiers in the water, for which he was awarded the Distinguish Service Cross.
He was a very modest man and never talked much about his war service, other than one account he wrote of D-Day (basically a copy of the Ships Log for the day) which was a factual account of events and downplayed his role and actions as we only found out after he died.
Good post to remember that day. I don't know about the current weather in the UK, but the current weather here was the same same as on D-Day: very windy, gusts. Wind in the English Channel builds up nasty waves. Everybody who has crossed the Channel with the ferry knows that the ferry will go up an down when there's only a little wind. From experience (on a yacht) I can tell you that those waves are 'nasty' when you're close to the water surface! You need foul weather gear to stay dry.
The boat trip through the channel must have been an awful experience for the soldiers. They were wet and miserable before they had to embark! What an experience!
Menno
Longest day on sky at mo, gives us a bit of an impression of what it must have been like. The battles continued for roughly another year afterwards in Europe.
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Never to be forgotten. RIP one and all.
Unfortunately to many people are totally unaware of what these soldiers, seamen and airman endured on this day (on all sides.
Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
Friedrich Nietzsche
That’s a great photo of your father. Did he make it through the war? Being a rear gunner on a Lancaster was a very dangerous job as escaping in an emergency was almost impossible but it was a key job, he was the eyes of the crew warning against night fighters. Spending hours cramped in that turret in the freezing dark took gumption.This was my dad, a 61 Squadron rear gunner sometime during June 1944.
His cousin was killed on D day+5.
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On a random note I see he has an Acme Thunderer whistle hanging from his collar. It was a common thing to do, usually liberated from the escape pack.
Hey thanks for the info about his escape whistle, I'd no idea that's what it was.
Yes he survived the war in Europe, brought POW's home then transferred to 83 Squadron to train for Tiger Force to carry on the fight against the Japs.
When the war ended the squadron helped bring more POW's home
Most of what I know about his wartime service I've learned from his mate in the mid upper turret or online.
Like most veterans he didn't talk about it even though as a child in the 60's I pestered him nonstop
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I had the privilege of going down into the tail gunner position of the BBMF Lancaster, it was a real obstacle course.
The thought of trying to get out of there alive when your aircraft had been hit and was going down, probably on fire, was dreadful. One of the stories I was told that if they were lucky, many tail gunners escaped only because the aircraft broke up and it eased their access.
Not that I didn’t respect what that generation went through before, but it was a little bit higher after that.
My best mates Dad landed at Sword on D-Day, he never much talked about what he experienced, in common with lots of others.
We did all sit down to watch Saving Private Ryan when it first released after the cinema run. We all sat silent through the opening landing sequences, after which my mates Dad left the room. Said a lot right there...
I went in Just Jane when it was at Squires Gate round about 1970.
Unfortunately it had a different turret than my dads and at 12 years old I only had my own interests when I was inside.
When we went to RAF Conningsby in 1990 and my dad had a look round their BBMF Lanc all eyes were on him from the other visitors.......I've never been more proud.
I enjoyed Private Ryan too even though the non Americans were largely ignored.
Those WW1 and WW2 veterans aren't known as the greatest generation for nothing, God bless them.
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That’s a great film and gives a glimpse into the amazingly audacious exercise it was. I hope we never forget the heroism involved.
Pegasus Bridge - an RGJ battle honour, via the Ox & Bucks Light Infantry (43rd/52nd).
Aero Leather in Galashiels still sell RAF marked Acme Thunderer whistles.
I had a look online and couldn't believe it.Made in England too.
Thanks.
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