D-Day...

[valmarg]

My dad went over on 14th June, by which time the Mulberry harbour was up and running. He was in the RAOC, which I think nowadays would be called logistics.

I arrived on 20th.

Later his unit was trying to get to Arnhem in the 'bridge too far' exercise.

He would never talk about his experiences.

Another member of the wider family was sent over with the British Expeditionary Force, evacuated from Dunkirk, sent over on D-Day, and went all the way to Berlin without so much as a scratch physically, but to the day he died would get nightmares about his experiences.

There was no counselling or post traumatic distress disorder in them days.

I am not knocking what our troops do now, they do a wonderful job.

We can only be grateful for what was done 65 years ago

valmarg

[HayleyB]

We visited the beaches and the main river crossings a couple of years back it was a very very humbling experience and at the same time fascinating....

[bobleponge]

Didnt see this one Nicos, due to short notice move and travelling.
I agree, not a waste of life at all, but a tragic loss of life.
I always manage to have a minutes silence on the day, in respect of those who gave their lives for my freedom today, and for friends I have left behind in places around the world.

I cant hear The Last Post, nor the lines "at the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them" without a tear or two.

[julesapple]

Not Just D-Day.....

.....but every day. We should remember both the lost and the living. And spare a thought for those families who have also lost loved ones.

My Grandad was killed on 24th October 1942 at El Alamein, he was driving an officer to the front line when they were both killed by mortar strike.

My Nan was left with a 7 yr old ( my mum), a 5 yr old, a 3 yr old and a six week old baby. My youngest two uncles never met their father. It was 18 years before she remarried. Grandad was, by all accounts, a real character. I feel very sad that I never knew him. My own father was in the RAF, as was my brother. Both served for 25 years, as did my father-in-law.

My admiration for servicemen is immense.

Jules

[Flummery]

True - it's every day that we owe these lads the life we have now.

[NOG]

Hadn't it been for the war , there wouldn't have been allotments

Sorry I dont understand this bit.....My allotment Society has been going on its current site since 1921.

But we shouldn't just think about those that died at Normdany but all those that were involved in the Whole of WW2..plus all the other wars.