One veteran said today to a BBC reporter, "Don't glorify the landings, we were all terrified."
Today and most of this week ceremonies have been held all over Normandy to remember those who set out 65 years ago today to protect our freedom. The allied troops invaded the shores of Normandy to attack a bitter enemy. Fierce courage and determination drove these men on that day when they knew full well many would not live to see another sunrise.
We owe them more than words can say. We also owe the fallen of modern wars the same debt. A debt which cannot be paid by words but by action and our action should be to ensure today's military are given the best equipment available. Let us never forget their sacrifice or their contribution towards our freedom. Some may try to rewrite history but they must always be exposed. Others write history with precision.
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My uncle, Serjeant John McKay MM Gordon Highlanders, lies in Ranville cemetery subrosa.
I'm having a drink to him now.
Cheers.
None of my close family is there Conan but, because my mother had a lifelong dispute with her wider family, there may be well some. My father was an orphan so I have very little knowledge about his family.
Enjoy your drink. Without him and his mates we wouldn't be sitting here today.
We mustn't forget the long hard slog after the landings either. The media tends to pick up on the commemmoration of the landings before moving on quickly, conveying the impression that the war was won by June 7th. Most studies of D-Day stop short of the vicious battles against the German parachutists and SS panzergrenadiers, in which the attrition rate was similar to the battles of the first world war with a casualty rate of 85% and a life expectancy of 30 days for infantry replacements.
I recommend Antony Beevor's book on D-Day, which covers the later Normandy fighting and has an excellent eye for the strategic context of the battle - Allied air supremacy meant that a German counter-attack was impossible (could not assemble the armoured formations without exposure to air attack) and that the battle would be a strung-out series of encounters against German battle groups in the unforgiving terrain of Normandy. A great book.
No we must not forget and I agree with you Jess about the fact the landings were the beginning of a horrendous time for many.
Funnily enough I read a review of Antony Beevor's book the other day and thought I would buy it for someone close to me. I shall go and order it now.
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