D-Day Landing Sites Then And Now

[R1cho]

D Day - then and now

[jims-terrano]

Excellent link. Have you heard about the 89 year old veteran who disappeared from his care home? He was found across in France at the d day commemorations. Apparently the care home said he couldn't go. Well I say good on him and well done sir I salute you.

[R1cho]

yes jim i did, good on the old fella i say

[jims-terrano]

I'd take him to the mess and buy him a drink as a thank you

All too soon heroes like that will be gone, but not forgotten.

[R1cho]

my great grandad was in the mp, when he passed away he left me his diaries, they had to log everything, made some good reading

[jims-terrano]

Sadly my father left nothing behind and few stories really tho I know he went through North Africa and I think through Italy. Unfortunately I don't even have his service number either. Though strangely earlier this year a gentleman passed away that I had known for a few short years. He fought and was captured at the battle of monte casino, he was a German para and I did wonder if their paths ever crossed no that I think they ever did really. We should cherish and listen to these people of that generation and learn from what they went through.

[R1cho]

Originally Posted by jims-terrano

Sadly my father left nothing behind and few stories really tho I know he went through North Africa and I think through Italy. Unfortunately I don't even have his service number either. Though strangely earlier this year a gentleman passed away that I had known for a few short years. He fought and was captured at the battle of monte casino, he was a German para and I did wonder if their paths ever crossed no that I think they ever did really. We should cherish and listen to these people of that generation and learn from what they went through.

yes we should, as i do because they have knowledge that you dont...............................same goes for people that repair cars asking for help off people that have already done it

[macabethiel]

My late mother was Austrian and I am the son of a British Soldier conceived in 1948 in Austria that was under occupation by the British Army on the Rhine.

Sadly my father died three months after I was born having contracted TB when on home leave.
My mother was 12 years of age when Hitler Annexed Austria and she had three brothers all under 25 years of age. She was given a copy of Mien Kampf at School all written in Gothic German.(We still have the book in the family though none of us can read it!)

Her youngest brother a Navigator was killed in the Luftwaffe and is buried in Crete in the German War Cemetery. The other two died on the Russian Front in their first few weeks of the war with no known graves. Austrian conscripts were pretty much used as cannon fodder.

My mother next door neighbours were a Jewish Family they disappeared from their farm having been arrested by the Gestapo and never returned. A local criminal family moved into the farm within days.

My Mother was the fastest runner in the School, she was banned from the School Running Team as her features were not considered sufficiently Aryan. (she was dark haired not blonde)
This together with general taunts at school about her Jewish like appearance affected her self confidence for the rest of her life leaving her feeling inadequate.

She later married a Brit and brought me to the UK when I was five years of age I became a Naturalised British Citizen when I was 12 years old.

Today UKIP would probably brand my mother as an economic migrant and if the National Front ever got into power they would deport me as I was not born in the UK.

[Adz]

Originally Posted by jims-terrano

Excellent link. Have you heard about the 89 year old veteran who disappeared from his care home? He was found across in France at the d day commemorations. Apparently the care home said he couldn't go. Well I say good on him and well done sir I salute you.

Originally Posted by jims-terrano

I'd take him to the mess and buy him a drink as a thank you

All too soon heroes like that will be gone, but not forgotten.

Originally Posted by macabethiel

My late mother was Austrian and I am the son of a British Soldier conceived in 1948 in Austria that was under occupation by the British Army on the Rhine.

Sadly my father died three months after I was born having contracted TB when on home leave.
My mother was 12 years of age when Hitler Annexed Austria and she had three brothers all under 25 years of age. She was given a copy of Mien Kampf at School all written in Gothic German.(We still have the book in the family though none of us can read it!)

Her youngest brother a Navigator was killed in the Luftwaffe and is buried in Crete in the German War Cemetery. The other two died on the Russian Front in their first few weeks of the war with no known graves. Austrian conscripts were pretty much used as cannon fodder.

My mother next door neighbours were a Jewish Family they disappeared from their farm having been arrested by the Gestapo and never returned. A local criminal family moved into the farm within days.

My Mother was the fastest runner in the School, she was banned from the School Running Team as her features were not considered sufficiently Aryan. (she was dark haired not blonde)
This together with general taunts at school about her Jewish like appearance affected her self confidence for the rest of her life leaving her feeling inadequate.

She later married a Brit and brought me to the UK when I was five years of age I became a Naturalised British Citizen when I was 12 years old.

Today UKIP would probably brand my mother as an economic migrant and if the National Front ever got into power they would deport me as I was not born in the UK.

I'm 38 & under 35's in my opinion have NO RESPECT for there elders & NO thought or care in the world for anything other than them selves.!

Modern society has a lot to blame for it...
Internet, games consoles, mobile phones have made the younger generation lazy, fat, ignorant, disrespectful tossers.

I can guarantee that if ever such a dreadful / horrific war happened again, Britain ( NOT Great anymore as we're a minority in our own country ) would be taken sadly.

This country was strong until the mid 90's when it started to go down hill fast & now we're the laughing stock of Europe.

I'll stop before I go onto a rant

REMEMBER OUR PAST GENERATIONS AS IF IT WERE NOT FOR THEM WE MAY NOT BE HERE.!

[jims-terrano]

Macabethial what a remarkable story, it is good that your families story is not forgotten.
Some fair points Adz but I can say happily it is not the case with all younger people. I am connected to some youth groups and I have to say they have a deep respect for our history.

This year and indeed the next few years will see commemorations of some very sad parts of history but those moments will be respected by a large proportion of the population.

[R1cho]

Originally Posted by Adz

I'm 38 & under 35's in my opinion have NO RESPECT for there elders & NO thought or care in the world for anything other than them selves.!

I was brought up to respect your elders, as are my own children and they do, except me, none of them respect me

[firebobby]

Originally Posted by R1cho

I was brought up to respect your elders, as are my own children and they do, except me, none of them respect me

I'm sure they do, old feller

It's good how they do those pictures, quite eerie when you see the bodies laying there.