I feel massively humbled that it is the 70th Anniversary of the D-DAY landings tomorrow something which, my late Grandfather Reg took part in along with all the other young men in his unit. Reg as he was known to his friends would have been the father figure of his platoon as he was in his early 30's and serving in the BEF when war broke out and he was at the Dunkirk evacuations. He survived the war and came home to work on the railways still a typical Yorkshireman who would rather be 2 hours early than 5 minutes late for anything and who didn't believe in "sick" days so much so then when he required a hernia operation he took his took week Holiday entitlement to go into Hospital and get it done. Sadly he passed away shortly before I was born so I never got to meet him although both my mum and my sister say I'm very much like him in every way and seeing a picture of him it is like looking in the mirror. But I just wanted to start this thread to give thanks to everybody who served alongside my Grandad and for those who gave their tomorrow so that I and many others may have our today. I would also like to give thanks to all of our current serving armed forces as I have many dear friends some in the Army, some in the Royal Marines and some in the Para's I am grateful to them all and to me they are all heroes. Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn, And by the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them, Lest we forget.
Well said Nick. I'm old enough that when I grew up there were still plenty of old soldiers around from both wars, and I have been lucky enough to share a beer and a sandbag with quite a few of them. I know the Yanks call their WW2 vets their greatest generation, us Brits are lucky that we have frequently had people willing to step up when it mattered, and like others on here I have lost friends and colleagues who were willing to do so. Sad to think that Hopefully people will also remember that this year is also the 75th Anniversary of the start of WW2. Twist to Open.
Equally well said mate. I remember reading somewhere this week that this will be the last big anniversary that many of the Vets will see given that even the youngest amongst them are well into their 80's. I will be raising a beer or two in memory of my Grandad and his comrades many of whom didn't make it back home I will always be eternally grateful for the sacrifices they made. Nice to see the Typhoon painted up in D-Day markings think that is a nice touch that and I really hope that one day the government in this country decides to make remembrance day a public holiday not because I want an extra day off per year but I do think it is a day that deserves to be recorded in permanent memory so that all generations can grow up to appreciate the sacrifices made by so many from every corner of the world.
I got all excited when I heard we were sending a battleship at France (HMS Bulwark). About time we dealt with them
I remember watching this in the cinema surrounded by war veterans in tears god bless them all they gave so much for us.
Last night at RAF Upottery. A single skylark (probably invisible at this res) and the ghosts of the 101st Airborne Division leaving for Normandy... A couple of miles away, down a dirt track, the brick built monument to the paratroopers that didn't even survive until the drop.
