DDay70: So It Begins

Discussion in 'All Anniversaries' started by Paul Reed, Jun 4, 2014.

  1. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

  2. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

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  3. Sheldrake

    Sheldrake All over the place....

    It was excellent, with lots of lessons even from the crowded and chaotic moments. Participating in the Ouistrhem commemorative event illustrated why 3 British Div struggled to get off Sword Beach quickly on D Day....

    If anyone would like the Gunner story of the D Day Beaches, as issued to serving RA participants on the 70th Anniversary contact me via my blog http://www.theobservationpost.com/blog/?p=892
     
  4. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Owen - may be an issue with your browser?
     
  5. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    odd , thought I'd give it another go & there it is.
    watching now.
     
  6. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/world-war-two/10881436/The-moment-a-very-cheeky-veteran-met-Camilla.html


    The moment a very cheeky veteran met Camilla

    The Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall met some of the men who risked their lives on the Normandy beaches on D-Day to liberate France


    A cheeky D-Day veteran rode roughshod over royal protocol today by patting the Duchess of Cornwall on the bottom.

    As old soldiers lined up to speak to the Duchess in Bayeux, several kissed her on the cheek and one gave her a gentle pat below the waist, though the culprit had managed to take his hand away before anyone could see whose it was.

    Douglas Adams, 90, from Ryde, Isle of Wight, a former Trooper with the Royal Armoured Corps and East Riding Yeomanry, asked her: "How's the old man?"
    She quickly ushered him forward to shake hands with the Prince of Wales.


    After causing an international incident by comparing Russia's President Vladimir Putin with Hitler during a visit to Canada last month, the Prince deftly sidestepped another potential boobytrap when one veteran made a midly sarcastic remark about the United States.

    David Render, 89, a former Captain in the Sherwood Rangers, from Totteridge, north London, told the Prince: "I know the Americans won the war but they didn't do it on their own. There were a few other people about."

    "He said he thought the British had done jolly well to capture as much as they did," Mr Render said afterwards.

    [​IMG]
    The Prince of Wales met veterans at Bayeux Cemetery where they attended a commemorative service (TIM ROOKE/PA WIRE)


    John Ainsworth, 93, from Hull, a former Gunner Surveyor in the Royal Artillery who landed on Juno Beach on D-Day plus seven, vowed to continue returning to the battlefields and graveyards despite the impending closure of the Normandy Veterans Association later this year.

    "I come back because of the inextricable connection with the lads that are lying here," he said pointing to row upon row of white headstones in Bayeux's military cemetery. As long as we're alive, we'll keep coming back, until we join them."

    The Duchess was entertained by the dry wit of Marc van Hasselt, 90, a Second Lieutenant with the Essex Yeomanry working as a forward observation bombardment attached to Marine Command when he landed on the Normandy shore on part of Gold Beach.

    [​IMG]
    The Duchess of Cornwall chats to veteran Albert Martin at Bayeux Cemetery (TIM ROOKE/PA WIRE)



    When The Duchess asked him which beach, he replied: "It's the seaside. It all looks the same."

    He added: "I was due to land at H Hour but the landing craft broke down and we didn't get there until after lunch. I was very pleased."

    "But you did what you were told?" the Duchess asked.

    "Oh yes," he replied. "He doesn't now," his wife Tessa interjected.
     
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  7. STAN50

    STAN50 Senior Member

    Hello to all. Returned back from Normandy yesterday and have quite a lot of images some of which I will share with you later. But for the moment here is a bit of video the 'American Legion Band' of Holland, Michigan, playing at Collville-Sur-Mer cemetery on the 8th June.

    My apologies for the shaky camera work but it will give you an idea of the sort of things that go on after the 6th there. The cemetery has one group of people after another turning up wanting to pay their respects. When I mention 'group,' I mean some hold an act of Remembrance, some play music like this band.



    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eb0XMaQFMzU&list=UUW4C8-kCyxXGW7tjtwKp4Lw
     
  8. STAN50

    STAN50 Senior Member

    Ranville parachute drop 5th June 2014
     

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  9. STAN50

    STAN50 Senior Member

    Ranville Commonwealth cemetery
     

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  10. STAN50

    STAN50 Senior Member

    Beny-Sur-Mer cemetery
     

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  11. STAN50

    STAN50 Senior Member

    Bayeux Cemetery and service 6th June to follow.
     
  12. STAN50

    STAN50 Senior Member

    Bayeux Cemetery service 6th June
     

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  13. STAN50

    STAN50 Senior Member

    Hope the above are of interest?
     
  14. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Yes , your photos are the only ones I've seen of anything Canadian from DDay70.
     
  15. STAN50

    STAN50 Senior Member

    Some more of Beny-Sur-Mer cemetery. Freddy Harris and Cyril Crain became friends before D.Day. On landing Freddy Harris was killed and Cyril Crain survived. Cyril wrote a poem to his friend called 'My Buddy.' This and other poems Cyril wrote have now been made into large post cards which are available in the Juno beach museum visitors centre. Cyril was taken to Normandy again this year for the commemorations.
     

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  16. STAN50

    STAN50 Senior Member

    These leaflets came form the Juno Beach museum (2010) and tell the story of Freddy Harris and Cyril Crain.
     

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  17. STAN50

    STAN50 Senior Member

    Freddy Harris's information leaflet
     

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  18. STAN50

    STAN50 Senior Member

    Cyril Crains poem 'My Buddy' and the other poem was read out at the Arromanche service later in the day on 6th June
     

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  19. STAN50

    STAN50 Senior Member

    Juno Beach Visitors Centre Sat 7th June. Lancaster flying over towards the air show at Arromanche.
     

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  20. STAN50

    STAN50 Senior Member

    There is a new museum now opposite the American Cemetery. This was built by the person who owns and runs the museum at the Falaise area in an old dairy. Some Canadian items on display:
     

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