Liam Posted June 3, 2019 Share Posted June 3, 2019 A very poignant occasion on Thursday - 75 years since the largest amphibious invasion in history. This is video by the crew of HMS Duncan is also very powerful: 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Stevie Posted June 4, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 4, 2019 (edited) A very special day for a lot of people, been keeping an eye on this for couple of years. Was supposed to be in the UK, but some things just don't workout. Daks over Normandy At present 34 DC3's -C47's, 14 15 from the US. D-Day Squadron Steve Edited June 4, 2019 by Stevie aircraft quantity's 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium 45156 Posted June 4, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 4, 2019 My Friend, Bill Perring, who is a brilliant artist, (and I mean brilliant), did a painting of the D Day landings in 2004, and which has been re-released three times now as a jigsaw puzzle by Gibsons. I am lucky to have an unopened copy which Bill signed when I met him some time ago. https://gibsonsgames.co.uk/puzzles/d-day-landings-1000pc-puzzle 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted June 4, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 4, 2019 (edited) I attended the event at Stoke's Bay near Gosport at the weekend. Lots of displays and things going on. We were on the 3.7" HAA gun and took the LCVP out for its first voyage after restoration. Considering the engine was only fitted 3 weeks ago it was quite an achievement! I think the paint was still drying when it was hoisted into the water on the Friday. Here's a video of us disembarking on the Sunday. I'm the one closest to the camera. Sadly I wasn't there to see the Dunkirk little boats flotilla in action on the Saturday. Still, it was a very moving experience. Edited June 4, 2019 by Corbs 15 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted June 4, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 4, 2019 Road closures have been posted in the Ouistreham/Caen area for the dates of the memorial events. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators AY Mod Posted June 4, 2019 Administrators Share Posted June 4, 2019 1 hour ago, Oldddudders said: Road closures have been posted in the Ouistreham/Caen area for the dates of the memorial events. It affects everywhere from Caen to Carentan along the N13 and north of that. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators AY Mod Posted June 4, 2019 Administrators Share Posted June 4, 2019 All quiet on Sword beach this morning with the only vessel in sight a Brazilian Navy sail training vessel. Many Willys. Cidre bon! 14 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold chris p bacon Posted June 4, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 4, 2019 It was some years after that I found out my Uncle Arthur had been to the beaches several times before D-Day with commandoes. He was a landing craft commander (can't remember his rank) and he said it scared the life out of him. They would drop them just offshore on moonless nights and wait in the dark for them to return (sometimes with large pieces of equipment). They couldn't make a sound or have any form of light such as cigarettes. He did say that one time they were waiting in silence and were rather surprised to hear the order to head back to Britain. The commandoes it seems were back on board and waiting and they never heard a thing! He didn't actually take part in D-Day as prior to the event he was training the US forces in the Bristol Channel. 4 3 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted June 4, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 4, 2019 Another clip from the weekend, the Anti-Aircraft gun demonstration. That's me loading and catching the spent carts. 12 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Popular Post AY Mod Posted June 4, 2019 Administrators Popular Post Share Posted June 4, 2019 The first man to fall on D-Day when seizing Pegasus Bridge. Born in Smethwick, still Staffordshire at the time, leaving a wife who was 8 months pregnant who gave birth to his daughter a few weeks later. Chatted to Madame Gondree on Sunday, a small girl at the time who lived in the first house liberated in the early minutes of the day. Still very sprightly and running the family cafe 75 years later. 22 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
EddieB Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 With all the pomp and fuss over the state visit of the US President, there seems to be a serious omission in the lead up to reporting the D-Day commemorations, as if it was only British and US troops involved. For me, the most poignant of the museums in Normandy is the Canadian one beside Juno beach. Let us not overlook the contribution of the Canadians - a large country, whose small population sacrificed greatly for our freedom. 2 15 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tricky-CRS Posted June 4, 2019 Share Posted June 4, 2019 (edited) Spent today at Pegasus Bridge, tomorrow will watch the DACs and drop. Thursday now I have my vehicle sticker will go to gold beach to see piper at 07:25ish local mark the moment of first British landings. Its been an interesting week but not as many Brits about as I expected. Enjoying seeing all the military vehicles, bit sick of jeeps though. To all who served my thoughts are with you. RIP List of events Dday-anniversary Edited June 4, 2019 by Tricky-CRS 11 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators AY Mod Posted June 5, 2019 Administrators Share Posted June 5, 2019 10 hours ago, Tricky-CRS said: will watch the DACs and drop Fingers crossed for the right weather and traffic at Sannerville this afternoon! All calm on Sword beach this morning with a couple of passes of 4 X C130. French surveillance vessel patrolling the coast last night. Hope the weather's good for everyone on Southsea Common later on. Many more Willys, cidre bon. 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Oldddudders Posted June 5, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 5, 2019 We had been to the dentist yesterday, and saw a Willys - those tyres are so narrow! - heading north on the D2 towards Mamers. Pound to a pinch of salt it is now in Normandie. 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators AY Mod Posted June 5, 2019 Administrators Share Posted June 5, 2019 There's a lot of local and civic pride for the events epitomised by the thousands and thousands of banners on lamps and posts throughout every town and village commemorating individual soldiers from the Allied nations. Around Juno for example there are many Canadian soldiers pictured with British and US featured closer to their respective beaches. 16 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold RedgateModels Posted June 5, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 5, 2019 (edited) On 04/06/2019 at 12:43, Corbs said: Another clip from the weekend, the Anti-Aircraft gun demonstration. That's me loading and catching the spent carts. Wonder if that's the sort of gun that my Grandad protected from the Germans. He and his fellows decided not to abandon it and dug in rather than evacuate to the beaches at Dunkirk. Can't imagine how difficult that was to do with family at home etc. Edited June 6, 2019 by RedgateModels 1 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium Bernard Lamb Posted June 5, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 5, 2019 Shortly before D day a group of men from the Royal Artillery gather somewhere in Southern England. 12 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
TonyA Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 Thanks to my late father's diary, I know exactly where he was on D-Day. He was in 80 AA Bde and was involved in planning the locations of radar posts. After landing this involved touring the area on a motorbike to physically check the sites. The only thing I know was that he was very seasick. He landed on Juno Beach and his helmet has a massive dent where someone dropped a tank exhaust extension on him. Sadly he died when I was ten so I never had the opportunity to discuss any memories with him. I will be thinking of him at 09:00 tomorrow. Tony 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Gold Corbs Posted June 5, 2019 RMweb Gold Share Posted June 5, 2019 3 hours ago, RedgateModels said: Wonder if that's the sort of gun that my Grandad protected from the Germans. He and his fellows decided not to abandon it and dug in rather than evacuate to the beaches. Can't imagine how difficult that was to do with family at home etc. Quite possibly. After several 3.7" guns were lost in the fall of France, they tended to be kept for home defence due to the bomber and later V1/V2 threat. We have access to 2 operating ones, the one you see in the video (which has a few missing components - I think it was an ex-gate guardian) and the one owned by The Garrison (Artillery re-enactors, many of them ex-servicemen). When we do night air raid demonstrations with both guns it is very intense and gives a tiny sliver of an insight into what conditions were like during the blitz. Please do keep the pics and updates coming all, sad I could not be there (although going to a special screening of Saving Private Ryan at the cinema tomorrow). 4 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators AY Mod Posted June 5, 2019 Administrators Share Posted June 5, 2019 Location: a field E of Caen. Weather: low cloud 50% chance of showers, winds SSW 4mph, smells of sprouts. 7 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium melmerby Posted June 5, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 5, 2019 16 hours ago, EddieB said: With all the pomp and fuss over the state visit of the US President, there seems to be a serious omission in the lead up to reporting the D-Day commemorations, as if it was only British and US troops involved. For me, the most poignant of the museums in Normandy is the Canadian one beside Juno beach. Let us not overlook the contribution of the Canadians - a large country, whose small population sacrificed greatly for our freedom. The Canadians were very much involved in the remembrance show at Southsea this morning. Justin Trudeau was one of the several World leaders to speak a part. 7 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrators Popular Post AY Mod Posted June 5, 2019 Administrators Popular Post Share Posted June 5, 2019 22 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
RMweb Premium polybear Posted June 5, 2019 RMweb Premium Share Posted June 5, 2019 I was on my drive at 06-20 this morning, polishing and waxing my car (like you do at 06-20....) and 5 Dak's flew over. I did ponder the fate of the para's that would've been inside them 75 years ago..... 3 1 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
micklner Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 (edited) Best I managed today (over my house) . Edited June 5, 2019 by micklner 13 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
pH Posted June 5, 2019 Share Posted June 5, 2019 20 hours ago, EddieB said: With all the pomp and fuss over the state visit of the US President, there seems to be a serious omission in the lead up to reporting the D-Day commemorations, as if it was only British and US troops involved. For me, the most poignant of the museums in Normandy is the Canadian one beside Juno beach. Let us not overlook the contribution of the Canadians - a large country, whose small population sacrificed greatly for our freedom. While British, US and Canadian forces formed the largest parts of the Allied forces in Normandy, there were many other nationalities involved: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Normandy 2 2 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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