70 Years Ago Tonight

[ChillDoubt]

My stepfather and his mates finished school, met up and began their usual evening journey to the nearby country park.
The reason? They were visiting the locally based US and Polish soldiers, camped within the grounds. The US soldiers in particular were renowned for giving out chocolate and gum to passing kids.
Upon arrival, they were totally bewildered. Where previously there had been hundreds of servicemen in tents, vehicles and weaponry there was not a trace, other than the flat areas of grass where the tents had been pitched.
They'd simply vanished overnight. In reality, they had moved to southern England holding areas in preparation for the last great crusade that would hopefully see the end of Nazi tyranny in Europe.

To all Service personnel of the nations who undertook Operation Neptune/Operation Overlord I offer my sincerest thanks and gratitude for the sacrifice and endeavours you made.

[retrocop]

I second that sentiment ChillDoubt.

[Baldric]

I will raise a Glass to them'

We should be truly grateful!

[emmie]

well said,

[Tilly2]

A fitting reminder. Thank you.

[Barmaid]

Seconded.

It is also 70 years today since General Harmon's tanks entered Rome and it will be 70 years on Sunday since my grandad marched on the ceremonial march there. We were lucky enough to take him back to Italy last year. What memories.

[BlueToffee]

And I third it.

And let's not forget that without the sacrifice those allied troops made with their lives, many thousands of them, we might to not have been able to discuss many of the topics so freely chatted about on sites like this, and others.

Lest we forget!

[ChillDoubt]

Thanks to all for the sentiments. I'd give you all Best Answer were it within my power however it has to go to retrocop for no other reason than being first!

[humbersloop]

I'm crying here Chilli.

My father was in the 11th Hussars. He was very proud to have been a Desert Rat. And I'm very proud of him.

http://www.desertrats.org.uk/images/Pictures/Memorialstone.jpg

[flump1]

Indeed Chilly, I echo it.

[sandyRoe]

My uncle, who had been kicking his heels in a German POW camp since Dunkirk, must have felt a stirring of hope that he'd soon be going home.

[emmie]

i can;t pull up any pics of relatives graves as we don't know where some were buried, a couple in WW1 were never found, and those who served in WW2 are perhaps listed on on some long memorial, but no idea where.
I did find a friends brothers name on an Australian memorial in UK
at a stunning place near Runnymede, he was in The Australian Air force and was shot down over the channel, aged 21, i think of him and all the others who made that ultimate sacrifice.,

[TonyV]

Totally agree with your sentiments - my mom and dad worked in London during ww2 and hated the sound on the bus if they heard a doodlebug engine cut out

[ChillDoubt]

Your pride must be a great source of comfort sloopy and I salute your father.

[Barmaid]

Emmie - if you go onto the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.

http://www.cwgc.org/

You can do a search for relatives by name.

[sunny-dave]

My Dad landed on Sword Beach on D+1 with the Royal Signals ... he would never talk about anything he did or saw, even many years later.

Without him and all the others who risked their lives and their physical/mental health in that invasion I doubt that we'd be here today.

Thanks Dad

Dave

[emmie]

that is how i found the friends brother, but some of our family names, history is very sketchy, that is the problem, most of the relatives are gone now.

[LyndaB]

Here here. We must never ever forget the sacrifice that was made by ordinary men and women for us

[retrocop]

Thanks ChillDoubt.It is great to see we are all as one on this thread."Bless em All" to past present and future lads and lasses who do my country proud.
I had the honour to buy an old Red Devil a pint in my local a few weeks ago when I learned he had dropped on Operation Market Garden(Arnhem)I remember hearing a war correspondents despatch( from the the film Theirs was the Glory) that said in future years if you meet up with one of these brave warriors from the sky who tell you they dropped at Arnhem then you should buy them a drink.I managed to do just that.Made my day and the ex para.Shall raise a few glasses to them all this afternoon.

[aelmpvw]

one the headlines from the daily mirror 7/6/44 says 'there were 300 sq miles of soldiers, which is absolutely mind boggling to me

[emmie]

a very old friend worked on the merchant ships, he was a rum old cove and never stopped talking of his time at sea, and the two ships that were torpedoed that he served on, lucky to survive - he died aged 90