23:16 tonight 5 June

[mercurydancer 1,104]

At just after 11:15 pm our time, it will be 70 years to the minute since Allied troops landed in Normandy. The Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry landed by glider to capture a bridge which was strategically important. The glider landed within 50 yards of the bridge at 00:16 (23:16 BST) and the Ox and Bucks LI went on to capture the bridge.

As far as I am aware, there were no Nottingham soldiers who were in the Ox and Bucks. If anyone knows differently I would be glad to know.

As far as I can tell, the first Nottingham soldier to land was Sgt William Bartle, of Goodliffe Street, Hyson Green, who landed 90 minutes later and approximately 2km north of the Ox and Bucks landing.

I will raise a glass for these brave men at exactly that time.

[Limey 242]

Well said.

[mercurydancer 1,104]

At just after 11:15 pm our time, it will be 70 years to the minute since Allied troops landed in Normandy. The Oxford and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry landed by glider to capture a bridge which was strategically important. The glider landed within 50 yards of the bridge at 00:16 (23:16 BST) and the Ox and Bucks LI went on to capture the bridge.

As far as I am aware, there were no Nottingham soldiers who were in the Ox and Bucks. If anyone knows differently I would be glad to know.

As far as I can tell, the first Nottingham soldier to land was Sgt William Bartle, of Goodliffe Street, Hyson Green, who landed 90 minutes later and approximately 2km north of the Ox and Bucks landing.

I will raise a glass for these brave men at exactly that time.

Hoisted by my own petard. My colleagues from the military have been quick to correct me.

The 224 Field Ambulance landed 45 minutes after the Ox and Bucks (I got confused about the time difference)

[MELTONSTILTON 452]

My mother was on-board a ship on D-Day with a motorbike and surveying equipment , waiting to go ashore on the morning of the 7th of June, she was in the RAF and her job was to survey and measure the bunkers, the allies had captured and send the information by radio to England, so the, RAF had accurate info on the size and thickness of the bunkers,

[mercurydancer 1,104]

Melton

Being at sea at that point was a rough business. There was rough sea almost up to the point of landing on 6 June, and those at sea had a horrible time. Your mother was a heroine. The beaches were sill not safe until some days after D Day (German artillery had the beaches zeroed until they were taken over about 8 June.)Even then, there were mines and unexploded ordinance. The Mulberry harbours were not laid until 9 June so going ashore would have been the same as for any soldier- off a boat.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

I might watch Band of Brothers again over the next few days....

[mercurydancer 1,104]

Melton, there remains a Nottingham connection to the work your mother did - the RAF had a reconnaissance spitfire which flew many sorties both prior to D Day and afterwards, and one of its primary missions was to identify and measure the radar emplacements and the concrete Atlantic wall.

The spitfire is owned by Rolls Royce and is maintained by them at East Midlands Airport. It is still airworthy.

[mercurydancer 1,104]

I might watch Band of Brothers again over the next few days....

That was a very well thought out and presented series. Historically accurate in many respects (Apart from the date of Hitler's death). I find that series to be both informative and uplifting.

[mercurydancer 1,104]

Glass raised

[Rob.L 1,091]

And 70 years ago yesterday, another US General put pride before professionalism, and caused the Italian campaign to drag on months longer than it should have done.

As for BoB, while it may fairly accurately reflect what happened to Easy Company, I reckon the opening sequence of Saving Private Ryan is possibly more true to life as to the horrors on the beaches.

I may watch Longest Day instead when I'm back home. It has more Brits in it!

[Enigma. 1,533]

[DAVIDW 1,701]

Re Post #1 . From E.P.Sept 1946

[MELTONSTILTON 452]

My mother is not the only family connection with D-Day she had a brother in the Lincolnshire's who landed on the morning of the 6th and my French wife's uncle was a member of the Free French Forces, who also landed on the 6th, all his life he kept a pebble he picked up off the beach when he landed as a souvenir, under a glass dome on his sideboard.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

#8...mercurydancer, most of the men portraid in Band of Brothers have now departed this world, two this year alone, Dick Winters passed on last year after a prolonged illness, a very humble man. The directors of the series tried to portray the series as accurate as possible, using the company's battle reports and taken from the book, plus using the surviviors who fought in Europe.

I cannot imagine the horrors of being repeatedly shelled while only having a foxhole to protect me, or having to evade the enemy's bullets while trying to take a position.

Remember the US paratroopers were all volunteers, most hadn't even been conscripted, but saw it was their duty, the extra pay drew them to jumping out of perfectly good airplanes....

[littlebro 234]

Today is indeed a day for reflection and to give thanks to those who fought in WW2 and especially those who were involved in the D-Day invasion including all the support forces that stayed in the UK. Respect to all who were involved and especially to those who fell in action.

[mercurydancer 1,104]

Re Post #1 . From E.P.Sept 1946

Thank you David

I have never seen that clipping. Very interesting it is too.

[mercurydancer 1,104]

#8...mercurydancer, most of the men portraid in Band of Brothers have now departed this world, two this year alone, Dick Winters passed on last year after a prolonged illness, a very humble man. The directors of the series tried to portray the series as accurate as possible, using the company's battle reports and taken from the book, plus using the surviviors who fought in Europe.

I cannot imagine the horrors of being repeatedly shelled while only having a foxhole to protect me, or having to evade the enemy's bullets while trying to take a position.

Remember the US paratroopers were all volunteers, most hadn't even been conscripted, but saw it was their duty, the extra pay drew them to jumping out of perfectly good airplanes....

I cannot agree more. There was a genuine dilemma for Tom Hanks, the producer, is that there were that many soldiers who had performed very well from D Day to Berchesgarden, that there was no way he could give an role for each Easy Company man. So effectively, he had to edit some out of the TV series, but no one could leave Dick Winters out of it.

it all seems so simple now, as we know what happened, but he co-ordinated many of his own troops, other troops from 82nd airborne, from the drop zones (well, almost most of the central part of the Contentin Peninsula) and led a major assault on a howitzer emplacement on D Day. On the attack on the Brecourt Manor howitzers, Winters was outnumbered nearly 4 to 1. Normal tactical operating procedure would mean that you wouldnt attack until there was numerical superiority. Going in outnumbered was astounding. The troops they attacked were no pushover too, they were fallschirmjager (parachute regiment) so extremely tough and battle hardened (it didnt get much tougher than fighting the Russians)

Apparently Dick Winters was not allowed the Medal of Honour (The US equivalent of the VC) because one had already been awarded to another soldier! Thats the American way.

[piggy and babs 544]

this afternoon i decided to get dave to take me for a drive to the national arboretum near litchfield as it was such a nice day we have been once befor about 3 years ago on the ride to the wall the weather then was very cold so we said we would go again when it was nice weather had a very pleasent couple of hours and there were quite a few people there it being the 70th aniversary of d day before we came away there was a male voice choir proforming outside the visitor centre the had some realy good voices among them they sang a few wartime songs and church hymms as well as take him home and another song from la mismaking a great end to a lovely afternoonand all for just 3 pounds car parking a cup of coffeee and a ice cream spent less than 25 pounds inclouding petrol there and backwe still only managed to see part of the large park next time we willprepear a bit better and take a picnic with us as the food in the cafe a bit on the dear sidebut all the profits go towardsthe upkeep of the site and some of the monuments sculptures were amazingi even managed to get up to the wall this time as last time we went i could not walk that far or up the steps but this time i was on my schooter and followed the path up to the top. for the less ablebodied of you there are a few schooters for hire to give you the chance to see the wall ans some of the great monuments. well worth the visit there are also vecles going round on toures of the site for a small fee

[mercurydancer 1,104]

this afternoon i decided to get dave to take me for a drive to the national arboretum near litchfield as it was such a nice day we have been once befor about 3 years ago on the ride to the wall the weather then was very cold so we said we would go again when it was nice weather had a very pleasent couple of hours and there were quite a few people there it being the 70th aniversary of d day before we came away there was a male voice choir proforming outside the visitor centre the had some realy good voices among them they sang a few wartime songs and church hymms as well as take him home and another song from la mismaking a great end to a lovely afternoonand all for just 3 pounds car parking a cup of coffeee and a ice cream spent less than 25 pounds inclouding petrol there and backwe still only managed to see part of the large park next time we willprepear a bit better and take a picnic with us as the food in the cafe a bit on the dear sidebut all the profits go towardsthe upkeep of the site and some of the monuments sculptures were amazingi even managed to get up to the wall this time as last time we went i could not walk that far or up the steps but this time i was on my schooter and followed the path up to the top. for the less ablebodied of you there are a few schooters for hire to give you the chance to see the wall ans some of the great monuments. well worth the visit there are also vecles going round on toures of the site for a small fee

It sounds like it was a lovely day. I have been to the arboretum too and whilst it is beautiful, the sheer numbers of the names there gets me quite emotional.

[mercurydancer 1,104]

Some of the old ones still have that spirit. This brought a big grin to my face, and brightened my whole day

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/10881513/Pensioner-who-hid-medals-and-absconded-from-care-home-found-at-D-Day-celebrations-in-France.html

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

The strategy Dick Winters took was studied and entered into West Point training, even today!! As one of the survivors of Easy Company said, how Dick Winters survived is nothing but a miracle.. He led by example and was always at the front when he was a platoon commander....

I'll bet he had a shock when he led the charge in Operation Market Garden, I don't think he expected an SS brigade, nobody panicked and they held their position against very difficult odds...Mind you the SS brigade had no idea they were being hit by a small company patrol.....LOL

There are some company reunions video's on Youtube, although they must be getting thin on the ground now, and mostly Sons Daughters and grand kids.

[Ayupmeducks 1,730]

[mercurydancer 1,104]

Babe Heffron died about 7 months ago, and his lifelong buddy Bill Guarnere died just a few months afterwards. Don Malarkey is still with us.

[mercurydancer 1,104]

Re Post #1 . From E.P.Sept 1946

David

I would like to copy that NEP clip but I can't. My father knew Bill Bartle well, so I would like to send the clip to him. Could you direct me please?

[NewBasfordlad 3,599]

There were an awful lot of Nottingham soldiers who were highly decorated. The Nottinghamshire Sherwood Rangers Yeomanry now based in Carlton had 35 MM amongst other higher and lower awards for gallantry.

To show how unready this country was for war the regiment was mobilised as horsed cavalry in Sept 1939. They were sent by train through France to Marseilles and then by ship to Palestine during January 1940. In February that year in Sarafand 'A' squadron carried out a mounted charge with swords drawn to rescue police from rioters. It wasn't till early July that they lost their horses and were moved on to other things.

Remember at this time the Germans were storming through Europe with a fully mechanised army.