View Full Version : D-Day 60th anniversary
ScoobyDoo
31-05-2004, 18:08
6th of June mark the 60th anniversary of the D Day Landings, in todays fast paced world its easy to take for granted the freedom we have. We owe a lot to those men.
I'm lucky to be going to Normandy 5th/6th June and will visit the beaches and towns around that area.
Next time your stuck behind an 80yr old in a Proton spare him some though, you never know how much you may owe him! :notworthy
RICE BURNER 01
31-05-2004, 19:05
:nod: being x forces,it isnt somthing i forget,the sacrafice made by those men,i have always promised to go to normandy, and one day i will,
slightly off topic i find it ironic that millions gave there lives in defence of this country,to stop an invasion ,now we have a government who will let all and sundry in :indiff:
Codemonkey
31-05-2004, 22:17
Yeah, respect to those people and what they did for us lot.
My Grandmother's friend was part of bomber harris's lot and responsible for flattening a chunk of Germany along with many women and children.
I feel very uncomfortable in his presence.
The D-Day lot are, I guess, a different matter. They were very brave, no doubt about it, all that jumping off ships and dodging shells and stuff. Unimaginable to me what they must have gone through.
RICE BURNER 01
31-05-2004, 23:20
My Grandmother's friend was part of bomber harris's lot and responsible for flattening a chunk of Germany along with many women and children.
I feel very uncomfortable in his presencewhat do you mean :confused:
what do you mean :confused:
I mean that i find it hard reconciling this dappy old man with someone who killed thousands of people.
I know it was war and that apparently changes things. But I'm coming from such a different perspective that i just don't really understand that drive, to drop bombs on the sleeping innocents, who have done nothing wrong other than being born in the wrong country or getting swept up in probably the best orchestrated political movement ever.
my gran'sfriend was one of the ones who flatterned Dresden, among others.
RICE BURNER 01
31-05-2004, 23:27
what about the lufftwaffe they started it ,the raf were only following orders,and i find that u slagging off ww2 servicemen on the 60th anniversary very upseting :indiff:
what about the lufftwaffe they started it ,the raf were only following orders,and i find that u slagging off ww2 servicemen on the 60th anniversary very upseting :indiff:
I'm sorry if you think i am slagging anyone off - i've already said that the bravery required is unimaginable.
All that i'm saying is that i can't understand what it must have been like, the drives etc etc. I'm also a devout pacifist, so that colours my views.
But I'm not denigrating the bravery of the men or the fact that so many gave up their lives to stop the Nazi's and their regime of hatred.
RICE BURNER 01
31-05-2004, 23:36
My Grandmother's friend was part of bomber harris's lot and responsible for flattening a chunk of Germany along with many women and children.
I feel very uncomfortable in his presence.
The D-Day lot are, I guess, a different matter. They were very brave, no doubt about it, all that jumping off ships and dodging shells and stuff. Unimaginable to me what they must have gone through.read what you said it equates to raf were cowards,but it was diff at normandy,i find your comments irresponsable ,like you said you r a pacafist and have no idea what it feels like to serve YOUR country,i myself serve 6yrs in the royal marines,i do voluntary work for the royal british legion,and i would hate to think what the old fliers would have to say about ur comments,you have turned a good thread into shite,one that was intended to remember the BRAVE,
ScoobyDoo
01-06-2004, 00:19
i do voluntary work for the royal british legion :notworthy :notworthy Top man!
one that was intended to remember the BRAVE,
That was my intentions, getting back to the subject of the thread, my ferry crossing into Caen is the one most of the veterans will going on and will be escorted by HMS Gloucester and numerous other ships. I certainly hope to chat to a couple of the old timers who I have the upmost respect for.
newageturbo
01-06-2004, 00:40
very much true, a lot of the time a lot of us forget what these people did,
thank God for them, we got rid of the Nazis! otherwise we'd all be speaking German!
The Bulldog Churchill spirit was something to remember.
yeah way, props to all the old timers who faught to rid the world of the nazis...without their bravery and dedication we wouldn't be here today where we have freedom of speech (mod's limits permitting :) ), freedom of movement and all the other freedoms we have.
everyone who serves their country is cool by me :cool:
I mean that i find it hard reconciling this dappy old man with someone who killed thousands of people.
I know it was war and that apparently changes things.
Cue: :rant:
i hate to use this phrase but i'm gonna say it anyway "if you want to make an omlette ya gotta break some eggs"...but that's kinda like how it is. Unfortuntely civilians are always gonna be a casualty of war...look at Iraq - i'm sure thousands of Iraqi civilians have died at the hands of the allies, but when fighting is taking place in the streets of a city, or if weapons factorys are built near civilian housing there's only so much you can do to prevent civillian casualties.
I'm sure your Grandmother's friend has often thought about the people that may have been killed by his hand and i'm sure he's not proud of that part of his job.
i personally have found your daft comments sickening :hurl:
A very big thumbs up to the Blighty Boys 60 yrs ago.
Their bravery, their determination and their sacrifice.
I mean that i find it hard reconciling this dappy old man with someone who killed thousands of people.
I know it was war and that apparently changes things. But I'm coming from such a different perspective that i just don't really understand that drive, to drop bombs on the sleeping innocents, who have done nothing wrong other than being born in the wrong country or getting swept up in probably the best orchestrated political movement ever.
my gran'sfriend was one of the ones who flatterned Dresden, among others.
imagine...
somebody is holding a gun to your familes head, the only way to stop him shotting them one by one is to go out and kill him and all his family.... what would you do?
this is a horrible choice, i know what i would do, and i know the pain it would cause me, the dappy old man had near enough the same options.... neither nice.... neither to be proud of.....
he deserves your respect, its not something he wanted to do, just understand he had no choice..... his choice of killing 1000 innocents ended up saving the lives of hundreds of millions of innoects
ScoobyDoo
07-06-2004, 09:46
Guess where I was at the weekend? amongst other places, Caen, Sword, Juno, Carentan.
Our ferry from portsmouth on the 5th was escorted by 4 Navy frigates one from France, England, Canada & USA. The Royal Navy had a Lynx helicopter buzz the ferry several times :). There were events throughout the weekend such as 60 paratroopers leaping our of Hercules planes, a fly pass of Dakota's, Spitfires and a Lancaster!
Before the journey I really wanted to talk to some of the vets, but obviously didnt want to pester anyone after all it was their day, however I found them keen to tell their story :notworthy
Im really glad I went, although it was really difficult getting round France on the 6th as the Gendarme's had locked every major town down with roadblocks because of security fears for the royal & political VIP's attending.
The Scooby is still a rare beast in France resulting in a few stares :)
Aye respect to the lads - we had a memorial flight come over Duxford, and even 60 years on it makes you proud to be British. :)
Leon - these guys should be respected for what they did. Bear in mind they had a straight choice between getting in those aircraft and protecting their country and their families freedom, or face death by firing squad for desertion. :indiff:
I doubt if any of them would have done it if they could avoid it :indiff:
Sometimes its better to keep your opinions to yourself :indiff:
Guess where I was at the weekend? amongst other places, Caen, Sword, Juno, Carentan.
Our ferry from portsmouth on the 5th was escorted by 4 Navy frigates one from France, England, Canada & USA. The Royal Navy had a Lynx helicopter buzz the ferry several times :). There were events throughout the weekend such as 60 paratroopers leaping our of Hercules planes, a fly pass of Dakota's, Spitfires and a Lancaster!
Before the journey I really wanted to talk to some of the vets, but obviously didnt want to pester anyone after all it was their day, however I found them keen to tell their story :notworthy
Wish I could have gone... I spent a large chunk of the weekend watching it on the telly - much to the Mrs Annoyance :rolleyes:
rustyveedub
07-06-2004, 11:08
Wish i had gone. But as you say it would of been hard to get around and see it all. From what i saw in the papers alot of people were treating it as a D-Day theme park :( Im going to next summer in the camper, When i can get along the whole coast. Will be a lot easier to take in the whole thing when it is quiet,
This is from experience of visiting battle fields over the world.
Scooby well done for going :thumbs:
Its strange that I just finished reading Band of Brothers, the book on Easy company of the jump into Normandy and the battles they fought afterwards. Very interesting, it even goes and interviews the personnel in the current day. Most of the men dont even hunt anymore because they have had enough of "killing".
Leon, carpet bombing unfortunately was the way things were done back then, we didnt have a better way and the geneva conventions and rules of war were not yet in place. Talk to the man and ask him questions, I am almost positive that he will show remorse for the job he had to do.
The Artist
07-06-2004, 13:10
Yeah a LOT of respect for all those men..as someone said its beyond our grasp what they went through......we owe them a lot..
:notworthy :notworthy :notworthy
My grandtfather was part of the 40th Minesweeping flotilla on the day. I have this letters.
He started the night before on the 5th of June with 9 ships. By the end of the operation only 2 had been untouched. 3 were sunk and the rest damaged.
They swept a massive path towards the beaches marking the route with bouys. Then they wheeled left and swept along the coast. He was luck to be on the extreme left of the flotilla and ended up 1.5 miles from the coast. Other ships hovever even put naval shore parties on the beach to clear mines.
As dawn broke his ship was tasked with sweeping for the battleships that where stopping off at various points along the coast and firing their main guns at targets on shore.
There was a 12" shore battery that was giving the landing craft and ships at sword beach a hard time. The Warspite with her 15" guns had run out of ammunition and the re-loading from the ammunition ship alongside had failed. Warspite went away and they swept in the Nelson who had 9 x 16" guns. They also had a seaplane that they sent away to spot for the guns.
The 12" battery decided to have a pop at the Nelson realising what was coming for them if they didn't. The shot fell between my grandfathers vessel and the Nelson. The Nelson then let fly with 1 x 16" shot. The 12" battery replied again falling short. The plane must have marked the spot because then the Nelson opened up with all her guns. My grandfather was watching through field glasses and recalls the entire cliff face fell away. The 12" battery never spoke again.
The captain of the Nelson came across the loudhailer and said "I don't think we will be hearing from him again, Good luck and Godspeed carry on the good work". At which point it was swept out of position to head down to the yanks on Utah beach.
His own ship (HMS Pique) was damaged by a midget sub that had attatched a mine to their stern which damaged one of the propellers. During the operation they pulled into the mulberry harbour to the HMS Maiden for repairs but the damage was to heavy to be done on site and they limped back to porstmouth.
All the time he was alive I never knew about any of this. Or the fact as a telegraphist he was frquently attatched to commando units for ship to shore operations. Or how he nearly died at the hands of a german knife when he was hunkered down on one of these beaches.
Brave men one and all.
I was at Duxford yesterday to show my respects :) unfortunatley they stacked a hurricane this day :(
http://www.re-alitek.com/memory_lane/duxford/
rustyveedub
07-06-2004, 13:24
Big respect to your Grandfather :notworthy
People like that deserve to live for ever. I bet your really honoured to have his letters, I would be.
And yet most of the youth of today dont even care what he and thousands of other people did that day. So they can do whatever they like today and dont give a T :censored:S about anybody else or their property.
The odd thing was the letter begins by saying.
D-Day was actually the quietest landing I have taken part in.
Apparently the italian landings where the worst for him. He describes the Italian blue sky being hidden by the sheer volume of German ak ak fire.
rustyveedub
07-06-2004, 13:36
Ive been in some fire fights. But i cant even start to imagine how it was. for a start the sadness of mass death, The adrenaline of staying alive and the wonder of being part of something so massive in history. Its beond words.
Bayside Blue
07-06-2004, 13:40
My Grandmother's friend was part of bomber harris's lot and responsible for flattening a chunk of Germany along with many women and children.
I feel very uncomfortable in his presence.
I hardly reckon he went out with the task in his mind of killing women and children, you may be forgetting that this was a long time ago, the technology was simply not available to minimise collateral damage and carpet bombing was the only method possible. No smart bombs no cruise missiles like we have today. you try dropping bombs from over 15,000 feet by eye.
They did the best they could with the equipment they had.
My grandad used to fix the runways as they were being bombed by the luftwaffe, scarey though that would seem, he said he always felt guilty cause that was nothing compared to what the soldiers fighting had to endure.
They were all so brave and rightly so, should be remebered. :)
I'm sorry if you think i am slagging anyone off - i've already said that the bravery required is unimaginable.
All that i'm saying is that i can't understand what it must have been like, the drives etc etc. I'm also a devout pacifist, so that colours my views.
But I'm not denigrating the bravery of the men or the fact that so many gave up their lives to stop the Nazi's and their regime of hatred.
Out of curiousity, are you a fan of Vera Brittain ?
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