Operation Overlord

[better dead than red]

Today is the anniversary of the Normandy landings, D-Day.

I have much respect and gratitude to those young (now old or deceased) men that stepped off those landing craft into hell on Earth, like most have never seen or will ever see.

 

[Alan Oakes Shinpads]

I was watching the BBC coverage and the following phrase that one of the surviving veterans used was so sad and so true.

"They gave their tomorrows for our today's"

 

[Thorin Oakenshield]

I was watching the BBC coverage and the following phrase that one of the surviving veterans used was so sad and so true.

"They gave their tomorrows for our today's"

That is a great quote

 

[Ban-jani]

Every surviving veteran should be given a knighthood.

As should those who took part in the Battle of Britain.

Definitely the finest years in Britain’s history in terms of giving back to the world.

Very proud.

Also a special mention for our friends and allies from the other side of the Atlantic and the other side of the world.

 

[Fred_Quimby]

Another quote

'You have your day on the beach because they had theirs'

 

[Tuearts right boot]

The organisation and logistics that went into that is utterly mind blowing. Could we do it today.....????? I dont think so because those men and women I feel were made of better stuff.

 

[i kne albert davy]

A magnificent effort by the British people in partnership with our allies it made sure the end was nigh for the worse regime the planets possibly ever seen.

 

[better dead than red]

The organisation and logistics that went into that is utterly mind blowing. Could we do it today.....????? I dont think so because those men and women I feel were made of better stuff.

I tend to agree with you. Life, on the whole, was much more difficult back then even though it was a relatively short time ago. People were "harder" and used to putting effort into a task. Even something simple such as making supper was more difficult in many regards. There was no Xbox, no computers, fewer people owned telephones. Hell, depending on where you lived you might not even had an indoor toilet.

Kids played outdoors and many adults worked in hard(er) (compared to now) physical jobs. I read something a year or so ago that a good number of recruits in their teens for the U.S. Army lacked the strength and capability to throw a grenade in training!

 

[Wretched Vengeance]

Corbyn received short shrift yesterday from a veteran.

There was a meal organised for the veterans, VIPs, Heads of State and others.

The Labour leader told one of his aide's to go and ask if he could sit and have a meal with this one particular veteran.

His response was sharp - "tell Corbyn to fuck off!"

I had to stifle my laughter.

It was very humbling being in the company of these truly heroic men. Cherish them and their stories while they are here. They are well into their 90s now and may not be around for much longer.

One day they'll go and join their fallen comrades who fought so bravely 75 years ago.

 

[Saddleworth2]

Corbyn received short shrift yesterday from a veteran.

There was a meal organised for the veterans, VIPs, Heads of State and others.

The Labour leader told one of his aide's to go and ask if he could sit and have a meal with this one particular veteran.

His response was sharp - "tell Corbyn to fuck off!"

I had to stifle my laughter.

It was very humbling being in the company of these truly heroic men. Cherish them and their stories while they are here. They are well into their 90s now and may not be around for much longer.

One day they'll go and join their fallen comrades who fought so bravely 75 years ago.

It won’t be long until we lose every voice that was involved in ww2 first hand. Their legacy has been our freedom and the longest period of peace Europe has known. Please god that is maintained.

 

[Gabriel]

Remember speaking to people who’d fought in WWI, so it feels humbling to think that the voices of those who fought in WW2 will soon fall silent, too. Memory eternal.

 

[bluethrunthru]

I tend to agree with you. Life, on the whole, was much more difficult back then even though it was a relatively short time ago. People were "harder" and used to putting effort into a task. Even something simple such as making supper was more difficult in many regards. There was no Xbox, no computers, fewer people owned telephones. Hell, depending on where you lived you might not even had an indoor toilet.

Kids played outdoors and many adults worked in hard(er) (compared to now) physical jobs. I read something a year or so ago that a good number of recruits in their teens for the U.S. Army lacked the strength and capability to throw a grenade in training!

and English - I stress English - youth of their age in this modern age embarrass their county in the name of football by being drunken cvntish louts - they should be ashamed

 

[asgoodasitgets]

Not directly related, but my Grandad was at Monte Cassino.
Only found out about it much later as he rarely talked of it. He just said he’d stick his gun above the trench and fire in the hope that he never hit anybody.

 

[bluethrunthru]

A truly moving memorial - well done Rhyl

https://www.northwalespioneer.co.uk...ows-incredible-memorial-on-north-wales-beach/

 

[Tuearts right boot]

Once had the priviledge of being in the company of the last remain flight technician on the Dambuster raid. Old school, RAF tie on and pictures of Lancasters down the hallway. He was 19 when he went to the dams.......you just dont meet people like that.

 

[jimharri]

I know it's been "Hollywood-ised" and is viewed from an American point of view. But the first half hour or so of "Saving Private Ryan" gives an indication of sorts of just what those soldiers faced when those landing craft doors were opened at the beaches of Normandy.

 

[Indaparkside]

Very brave young men, let’s not forget without these brave people the world as we know it today would not be the same!!

 

[bluethrunthru]

Very brave young men, let’s not forget without these brave people the world as we know it today would not be the same!!

And inevitably one day not too far in the future one of those veterans we saw today is destined to become the WW2 Harry Patch. Lets hope their testimony is captured on film and tape before they pass as a lesson for the future.

 

[denislawsbackheel]

That is a great quote

It's not even got the spelling correct.
Show some respect.

 

[kinkyblue]

75 years ago today, things like this were happening,

So so proud....

UBIQUE!
Just one more reason why I will forever be proud to be called a Sapper.

“Follow The Sapper

“The entire beach and hillside was covered with obstacles, a unit of Sappers had gone ahead to find where the mines were. Those guys were smack in the middle of it, German bullets coming down from up top, and our bullets going back the other way, with mortars landing everywhere. They moved in pairs, if one went down his partner picked up his kit and kept moving.

They didn’t call for a single medic, they just kept crawling up the beach as far as they could until they couldn’t no more. You could see them pulling themselves up the hillside even after their legs got shattered from the explosions, I remember all their bodies had marker flags sticking out of them. The dirt was to loose to hold the flags up and the blasts would’ve knocked them over, so the guys had shot themselves up with morphine and stuck the flags into their legs. When you got to one that was still breathing he would tell you where it was safe to step.

They were about 25 yards apart, When I got to the base of the hill I took a quick look back and that’s when I saw it. Those Sappers had made a trail with their own bodies. Now how do you not keep going after something like that….

– Infantryman’s account of 06JUN44”