D Day Anniversary

Discussion in 'All Anniversaries' started by Tom Canning, Jun 6, 2012.

  1. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Surprisingly - here we are at approx. 5.p.m. on the 6th of June.....and not a mention of the 68th Anniversary of the main event - as some claim of WW2 -
    what has gone wrong ...? - hangover from the Jubilee Celebrations ..?

    Cheers
     
  2. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

  3. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Wills

    TO-DAY......on the Forum ....?

    Cheers
     
  4. 4jonboy

    4jonboy Daughter of a 56 Recce

    Tom
    Well there has been quite a few Remembering Today threads on here today. They have not been forgotten. :poppy:

    Lesley
     
  5. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  6. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Some might say there is too much...But then again I suspect it will all be missed come September.
     
  7. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Lesley - Clive - Drew

    I am aware of all the remembrances etc - but my point is the actual DAY of which there has been NO mention .....which invariably is a constant

    Cheers
     
  8. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Tom, some of us in Europe have been to work today !
     
  9. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  10. Recce_Mitch

    Recce_Mitch Very Senior Member

    Not much mention here in WA, very sad really

    Cheers
    Paul
     
  11. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    The (Dutch-run) WD Motorcycle forum has been displaying this page header. I believe that it's a photo taken on the 65th anniversary.

    [​IMG]
     
  12. ritsonvaljos

    ritsonvaljos Senior Member

    "Which D Day do you think they're talking about, old man?"
    [Eighth Army News, 1944]

    Those who have visited the IWM at London and seen the WW2 section about D-Day may remember the newspaper cartoon from June 1944. (see attachment).

    Tuesday 6 June 1944 turned out, of course, D-Day for the Allied invasion of N.W. Europe, a key date in world history. It should not be forgotten.

    There have been commemorations throughout the Normandy area and all over the world on 6 June 2012 (68th anniversary of D-Day, 6 June 1944). If people wish to mark D-Day on 6 June it can be done in a number of ways - with others or sometimes just a private reflection.

    As the Eighth Army newspaper in the IWM D-Day display rightly indicates there were also many "D-Days" during WW2 before 6 June 1944: El Alamein, Sicily, Salerno, Anzio, etc.

    LEST WE FORGET!
     

    Attached Files:

  13. cptdave40

    cptdave40 Junior Member

  14. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Ritson
    Many of us- although not too many Forum members are well aware of the other D Day events as noted by Jon's two Types - however I was merely commenting on the fact that there had been NO mention of the anniversary apart from Clive's individual recollections - but Rich appears to have summed it up with the fact that MOST in Europe have been working all day - for myself my thoughts were of where I was on that day and I recall that it was near a place called Agnani SE of Rome....hoping to be allowed to enter the Eternal City before the US troops shot me !

    Cheers
     
  15. ritsonvaljos

    ritsonvaljos Senior Member

    The 68th Anniversary of D-Day (Wednesday 6th June 2012)

    The branch of the Normandy Veterans Association local to where I live (West Cumbria) was required to disband in 2008. Nevertheless, the annual 'Service of Remembrance' on the morning of 6 June still takes place for anyone who wishes to remember and is able to attend.

    Firstly, these events commemorate those who lost their lives in the Normandy campaign. But the all the casualties of WW2 and other wars and conflicts since 1945 are also remembered. There are those who think of relatives and friends who have died in wars and conflicts. The memory of these loved ones is still cherished. These commemorations provide an opportunity for the bereaved to remember their loved ones.

    At the West Cumbria commemoration the Mayor of Copeland laid a wreath on behalf of the whole community, the surviving Normandy Veterans laid a wreath and some individuals made their own personal tributes.

    As one can see, the 68th anniversary of D-Day, 6 June 1944 was not forgotten, but marked in an appropriate way by those who wished to do so. The anniversary was commemorated not just in Normandy but in numerous places far from the Landing Beaches.

    Photograph attachments (taken 6 June 2012)
    1. NVA West Cumbria Branch Memorial Tablet;
    2. The Veterans' dedication:
    "In Memory of all who died in the Normandy Landings.
    From West Cumbria Branch 51.
    Normandy Veterans Association".

    Lest we forget!
     

    Attached Files:

  16. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Ritson
    The activities in West Cumbria et al may very well be true facts for those who did remember the 68th anniversary of 6th June 1944 - but my point is still valid - why were all these events NOT mentioned on the Forum as most members would have also joined in this commemoration as many would have remembered the bereaved from all areas and from all theatres of WW2 and beyond - although Novemember 11th appears to do this very well indeed.....
    Cheers
     
  17. 17thDYRCH

    17thDYRCH Senior Member

    Tom

    Good point. Very little said about the Normandy landings. More said about the Queen's Jubilee celebration which brings up the fiasco called Operation Jubilee where over 900 Canadians died in the attempt secure the Port of Dieppe from the Germans.
     
  18. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  19. George Patton

    George Patton Junior Member

    There was nothing at all mentioned here on the TV news. I didn't see anything in the newspaper either. Sadly, the media now only seems to cover the "big anniversaries" (ie: 60th, 65th, etc). Still, this year was a new low -- there was usually at least a passing reference on the local 11pm news. The timing has been unfortunate this year. I think the jubilee really took away from the D-Day coverage.
     
  20. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Excerpt from the Regimental Diary of the 49th LAA Rgt. R.A.

    By 4 Jun (1944) the regt was almost concentrated and the only tps in action were A/280 at Frosinone and A and B/84 on Route 6 south of Frosinone. 52 LAA Regt relieved these tps on 6 Jun.
    On the 7th (June) HQRA reported that 38 Bde, with 280 Bty under command, were moving that day to a cone area north of Rome but this moved was postponed. A tp was to be placed under command of each div fd regt and was to move with those regts. These moves took place
    on 8 Jun Tp 280 with 17 Fd regt, Tp 84 with 132 Fd Regt and Tp 80 with 138 Fd Regt. The remainder of the regt in the order RHQ, 84,280 and REME moved late on the 8th but while en route the CO was ordered to turn off to a staging area to clear the route. The CO decided that the regt would return to their old locations and await new timings.


    Ron’s personal diary

    Friday 9th. June 1944
    Drove 75 miles to outside Rome. Div Police led us through city. Really wonderful trip.

    A sobering thought

    Despite the enormous significance of the events of June 6th 1944, at the time that we heard the news of the D Day landings it was, in all honesty, a bit of an anti-climax.

    The fates had already decided that we, the D-Day Dodgers, were to serve in the North African and then the Central Mediterranean Forces.

    It had been a hard and onerous slog through Sicily and then up the coastline, followed by the switchover to the Cassino front, of which enough said :frown:

    So…… by the time we had broken through Cassino and were now North of Rome the significance of the tremendous actions taking place in Normandy seemed to just wash over us and if we had any strong thoughts on the matter it could probably be summed up by “and about bloody time too !”

    Having said that, now, looking back some 68 years, I most sincerely honour all those who fought and in a lot of cases perished on that fateful day.


    Lest we forget !


    Ron
     

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