Yes, we must be grateful to the heroes who fought for freedom and a better world. Like my Grandad who was in the Navy and lost many of his mates when his boat was sunk. I first started coming to the Valley with him I have been to the normandy beaches and visited the museums there and the courage of the soldiers landing on the beaches was immense. Giving their lives for right. We owe it to them to always do our best for others and maintain the freedoms they fought for.
100% this.
If ever there was a just war then this was it. It was absolutely good against evil and the heroism of all military from every allied country is truly remarkable.
None of us on this forum can even begin to imagine what must have been going through the soldiers' heads as their landing craft hit those beaches and the fronts came down.
Yes, we must be grateful to the heroes who fought for freedom and a better world. Like my Grandad who was in the Navy and lost many of his mates when his boat was sunk. I first started coming to the Valley with him I have been to the normandy beaches and visited the museums there and the courage of the soldiers landing on the beaches was immense. Giving their lives for right. We owe it to them to always do our best for others and maintain the freedoms they fought for.
None of us on this forum can even begin to imagine what must have been going through the soldiers' heads as their landing craft hit those beaches and the fronts came down.
Its before they even got on the landing craft that makes me wonder...
i.e. these lads knew that the moment that ramp came down, there would be a machine gun trained on them and they'd more than likely be mowed down... How on earth did they manage to get off the ships and into the craft knowing that I'll never be able to imagine.
Wasn't there one quote from a General addressing his men prior to the off? - "Look to the man to your left, look to the man standing to your right... Most likely only one of you will be left after a week in Normandy"
brave men .. I wish there were more like them around today !!
Getting out of those launches as your mates are being gunned down around you - that is the ultimate in courage. I have been to the Normandy beaches and their courage is really brought home. It is impossible not to shed a tear for them. I hope people do not have the opportunity to prove your statement wrong. But I am sure if they did, many would.
We can't forget the debt we owe these heroes. We should look back with both pride and regret. To avoid others having to show their potential heroism in that way is a noble goal and a tribute to them. War isn't glorius - it gives us heroes and we should rightly remember their sacrifice and courage forever, but War is not glorius.
brave men .. I wish there were more like them around today !!
Getting out of those launches as your mates are being gunned down around you - that is the ultimate in courage. I have been to the Normandy beaches and their courage is really brought home. It is impossible not to shed a tear for them. I hope people do not have the opportunity to prove your statement wrong. But I am sure if they did, many would.
We can't forget the debt we owe these heroes. We should look back with both pride and regret. To avoid others having to show their potential heroism in that way is a noble goal and a tribute to them. War isn't glorius - it gives us heroes and we should rightly remember their sacrifice and courage forever, but War is not glorius.
Watching Saving Private Ryan brings it home for me especially as I watched it a couple of months after visiting the beaches 4 years ago.
Many historians call 6-6-44 the most important day of the 20th century, and having studied WW2 history, especially the Normandy campaign and being lucky enough to meet many WW2 vets over the years who were part of Overlord, its hard to disagree. They are sometimes called the greatest generation. This resonates with me, for all our service men and women, whichever war they served in:-
Why do you march Old Man, with medals on your chest? Why do you grieve Old Man,for those friends you laid to rest? Why do your eyes still gleam Old Man, when you hear the bugles blow? Tell me, why do you cry old man for those days so long ago? I'll tell you why I march with medals on my chest. I'll tell you why I grieve young man those I laid to rest. Through misty fields of gossamer silk come visions of distant times, When boys of tender age marched forth to distant times. We buried them in a blanket shroud, their young flesh scorched and blackened, A communal grave, newly gouged in bloodstained gorse and bracken. And you ask me why I march young man - I march to remind you all That for those apple-blossomed youths, You'd never have known freedom at all.
At approximately 06.30 on Tuesday 6th June 1944 When soldiers of the 16th Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division landed at Omaha Beach, photographer Robert Capa, in the employ of 'LIFE' magazine, was among them. Seen here with a pic of Capa himself Last pic, are three of the 10 images that survived. A darkroom technician was almost as anxious to see the invasion images as Capa himself. In his haste, the technician dried the film too quickly. The excess heat melted the emulsion on all but 10 of the frames. Those that remained were blurred, surreal shots, which succinctly conveyed the chaos and confusion of the day. See next post for other pix.
Capa. Capa was killed in North Korea in 1954. He stepped on a landmine. Remember he assaulted Omaha beach in the first wave with just a camera, mental.
Capa. Capa was killed in North Korea in 1954. He stepped on a landmine. Remember he assaulted Omaha beach in the first wave with just a camera, mental.
I took a vet Ernest Jones from the British 3rd Division back a few years ago, 1st Battalion Suffolk Regiment, he came ashore at Sword Beach and all was pretty calm, Seeing him struggle under the weight of a PIAT (Projector Infantry Anti Tank), his officer said smiling if I was you young man I would sling that So Jonesy did and chucked on the beach, he soon caught his mates up.
About 20 minutes later as they hit the outskirts of Coalville, started to meet stiffer resistance and then heard the ominous sound and an armoured tracked vehicle approaching.
bring up the PIAT shouted the same officer You told me to sling it sir said Jonesy I meant put a fucking sling on it you clown! was the reply
Our poor hero had to leg it back under fire to retrieve it and thankfully lived to tell the tale 70 years on.
Born shortly after the war, and then having a diet of war films and such it wasn't until I became older that I realized what my father (Burma) and his friends and generation really went through. It is one of my many regrets that as a teenager I was cheeky and awkward towards my teachers who had endured such a lot for my generation, I wish I could go back in time and apologise. They were all RAF ex servicemen as far as I remember and an awesome group of men.
Born shortly after the war, and then having a diet of war films and such it wasn't until I became older that I realized what my father (Burma) and his friends and generation really went through. It is one of my many regrets that as a teenager I was cheeky and awkward towards my teachers who had endured such a lot for my generation, I wish I could go back in time and apologise. They were all RAF ex servicemen as far as I remember and an awesome group of men.
You and I are 'of an age' so I appreciate the sentiments of regret you express.
However I suspect if you were able to ask them those men were in fact happy and satisfied that you (and I) had the freedom to be 'cheeky and awkward' even if they were frustrated or angered in the immediate aftermath.
as always they gave their today for our tomorrow, heroes every single one of them, we remember and rightfully so one of the very few things i'm proud of this country for is that we do our bit in remembering those that served and long may it continue.
I had to nip up to London this morning and there was a veteran at Cannon Street Tube Station with a chest full of medals who looked totally bewildered and lost. I sorted him out and walked him to the correct platform and he thanked me...............I said "no, thank you sir"
The reason I support Charlton is that my Grandad Ernest Smith started taking me after he retired. He took me to watch Millwall v Charlton at the Den, with the intention of following Millwall, but I decided I preferred the red team. So we went to he Valley for quite a few years together. I loved his company and sense of humour.
He was a sailor before the war and then of course during it and had lots of stories which I loved to hear. Stories like helping bake a celebration cake for the captain which they dropped into a bucket of soapy water due to rough seas and then had to disguise the taste! He got promoted and moved to another ship during the War and a week later his old ship was sunk. All of his best mates, ones which the stories were about were lost with it. It is hard for us to imagine the enormity of that! That is war!
The reason I support Charlton is that my Grandad Ernest Smith started taking me after he retired. He took me to watch Millwall v Charlton at the Den, with the intention of following Millwall, but I decided I preferred the red team. So we went to he Valley for quite a few years together. I loved his company and sense of humour.
He was a sailor before the war and then of course during it and had lots of stories which I loved to hear. Stories like helping bake a celebration cake for the captain which they dropped into a bucket of soapy water due to rough seas and then had to disguise the taste! He got promoted and moved to another ship during the War and a week later his old ship was sunk. All of his best mates, ones which the stories were about were lost with it. It is hard for us to imagine the enormity of that! That is war!
Comments
If ever there was a just war then this was it. It was absolutely good against evil and the heroism of all military from every allied country is truly remarkable.
None of us on this forum can even begin to imagine what must have been going through the soldiers' heads as their landing craft hit those beaches and the fronts came down.
A generation of heroes.
i.e. these lads knew that the moment that ramp came down, there would be a machine gun trained on them and they'd more than likely be mowed down... How on earth did they manage to get off the ships and into the craft knowing that I'll never be able to imagine.
Wasn't there one quote from a General addressing his men prior to the off? - "Look to the man to your left, look to the man standing to your right... Most likely only one of you will be left after a week in Normandy"
Never, ever forget the debt we owe to all those heroes for our freedom.
We can't forget the debt we owe these heroes. We should look back with both pride and regret. To avoid others having to show their potential heroism in that way is a noble goal and a tribute to them. War isn't glorius - it gives us heroes and we should rightly remember their sacrifice and courage forever, but War is not glorius.
They are sometimes called the greatest generation.
This resonates with me, for all our service men and women, whichever war they served in:-
Why do you march Old Man, with medals on your chest?
Why do you grieve Old Man,for those friends you laid to rest?
Why do your eyes still gleam Old Man, when you hear the bugles blow?
Tell me, why do you cry old man for those days so long ago?
I'll tell you why I march with medals on my chest.
I'll tell you why I grieve young man those I laid to rest.
Through misty fields of gossamer silk come visions of distant times,
When boys of tender age marched forth to distant times.
We buried them in a blanket shroud, their young flesh scorched and blackened,
A communal grave, newly gouged in bloodstained gorse and bracken.
And you ask me why I march young man - I march to remind you all
That for those apple-blossomed youths,
You'd never have known freedom at all.
Anon.
When soldiers of the 16th Regiment of the 1st Infantry Division landed at Omaha Beach, photographer Robert Capa, in the employ of 'LIFE' magazine, was among them.
Seen here with a pic of Capa himself Last pic, are three of the 10 images that survived.
A darkroom technician was almost as anxious to see the invasion images as Capa himself. In his haste, the technician dried the film too quickly. The excess heat melted the emulsion on all but 10 of the frames. Those that remained were blurred, surreal shots, which succinctly conveyed the chaos and confusion of the day.
See next post for other pix.
Capa was killed in North Korea in 1954. He stepped on a landmine.
Remember he assaulted Omaha beach in the first wave with just a camera, mental.
Seeing him struggle under the weight of a PIAT (Projector Infantry Anti Tank), his officer said smiling if I was you young man I would sling that
So Jonesy did and chucked on the beach, he soon caught his mates up.
About 20 minutes later as they hit the outskirts of Coalville, started to meet stiffer resistance and then heard the ominous sound and an armoured tracked vehicle approaching.
bring up the PIAT shouted the same officer
You told me to sling it sir said Jonesy
I meant put a fucking sling on it you clown! was the reply
Our poor hero had to leg it back under fire to retrieve it and thankfully lived to tell the tale 70 years on.
An amazing generation we should never forget..
Compare that with the 57,470 British casualties - of which 19,240 died - on the Somme on 01/07/1916.
Heroes - every last one of them
It is one of my many regrets that as a teenager I was cheeky and awkward towards my teachers who had endured such a lot for my generation, I wish I could go back in time and apologise. They were all RAF ex servicemen as far as I remember and an awesome group of men.
However I suspect if you were able to ask them those men were in fact happy and satisfied that you (and I) had the freedom to be 'cheeky and awkward' even if they were frustrated or angered in the immediate aftermath.
colour film
He was a sailor before the war and then of course during it and had lots of stories which I loved to hear. Stories like helping bake a celebration cake for the captain which they dropped into a bucket of soapy water due to rough seas and then had to disguise the taste! He got promoted and moved to another ship during the War and a week later his old ship was sunk. All of his best mates, ones which the stories were about were lost with it. It is hard for us to imagine the enormity of that! That is war!