General Chat

68 years ago today, D Day, marked the
start of the Europe invasion.
Thousands of Allied troops started to
land on Normandy beaches in
Northern France. This was the
beginning of a major offensive against
the Germans.
This day is often overlooked now,
although there were the 50th Anniversary
commemorations in 1994
The bravery of our troops who fought for
our country will always be remembered
and the troops who sadly lost their lives
will never be forgotten.
Jean xx

my mum was 3 and her dad was in france :-D

A day that is etched in the minds of many of those relatives of the men lost and always in the mind of those who did return, and their families. So many brave acts occurred on this date.

Lizx


I always remember this date as it was my poor old Daisydog's birthday, and my elderly (late) neighbour's birthday too.

We have a D Day in our family every year as it is my brother David's birthday. My Dad was involved in the D.Day landings. I wasn't too interested as a child but wish he was here now to talk about it.

I was 3 as well and too young to know what was going on. But the bravery of our troops past and present should, of course, always be remembered. Bless them all.

I was seven but can't say I was aware at the time - as everyone says, the bravery of our troops and the US is unsurpassed, even today with all the wars going on in the world - to have been on the beaches with the Germans on top of them kiling right left and centre it's a wonder any got out alive - but for them we might very well not be free today - they made the ultimate sacrifice

May I contribute a little story to this.
At that time, my father was stationed in Portsmouth, as he was with the Royal Navy. Mother and big sister, who was about 6, went down to stay with him. Nobody knew anything was going to happen.
A couple of days before D-day, the MP's, knocked on the door of the lodgings, saying mother and big sister had to leave, as a top secret oporation was to take place.
Dad had to argue the toss with them, that if she was evacuated, with a small child, they would be stranded on Nottingham station in the middle of the night. They relented, and let them stay overnight.
But first thing next morning, the MP's, armed, came to the lodgings, and escorted them to the station to catch the first train out of Portsmouth.
Strange things happen in war-time.

Julia in Derbyshire

Wow - that must have been frightening!! we had an evacuee from Birmingham - Doreen - she had been bombed out and was petrified everytime the German bombers came over our little cotttage on the hillside where we lived - I ws only five so couldn't understand

AnnCardiff, I still have vivid memories of, clutching my father's hand, when I was about 5, as we ran across train lines in Glasgow station, a few years after the war. Bomb damage was still very evident, all around. They wanted to hit the shipyards. I have never seen anything like it in my life, and even at that age, knew what it was all about.
Creepy

Julia in Derbyshire

I can remember the sound of the German planes coming over - even now I could tell the difference between the sound of the "hun" and the sound of a Spitfire!!! At the bottom of the mountain road where we lived was the ROF factory and they were always trying to hit that - using the road as a guide - one night they hit it and killed a lot of the night shift

Used to go out the morning after the raid and see what we could find and also look at the odd crater where a bomb had landed

Went out with Mum one morning and we found an unexpoloded incendiary bomb!! you were not supposed to touch anything or keep it and what did Mum do - she was very young by the way - she picked it up and took it home!!! I was about 5 at the time and she warned me not tell anyone. I couldn't wait for Dad to get home - he worked in a factory in Cardiff Docks and cycled to work so you can imagine - long day in the factory and then the ride back home - all uphill!! and me to greet him "Daddy, we've got a bomb" and what did he do? You may well ask, he took it to pieces to see how it worked - how I've lived so long I'll never know!! He took the detonator to work and in the lunch break they were all sitting round a brazier eating their sandwiches and passing this detonator around, wondering what kind of an explosion it would make, when one bright spark said "Only one way to find out" and threw it in the brazier!! Dad said old men would have qualified for the Olympic hurdles in the rush t depart the scene, but it just went "pop" and tht was it!!

Dear All

Hello

Hope you are okay.

To remember those who fought for so we could be free today.

With the deepest of respect always.

Take gentle care all
Sincere wishes
EOS
xx

my mum tells me that the hospital she was born in was bombed during the war and my nan had to run across the court yrd with a newborn baby)to get to the shelter.this was liverpool oct 1940.her dad was in france and her 3yr old sister was being looked after by her grandparents,how frightening it must have been for my nan,not knowing if her parents,child or husband were safe.x :-(

friend of my Mum's went to the hairdressers and when she returned home the house had been bombed killing her mother, sister and her son

oh how terrible ANN
people my age are so lucky that we didnt have to go though that, :-(