Addie Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 There hasn't been mention of D Day on here and I just wondered why? Does the sacrifice made by these men, willing or otherwise, affect you in any way? Did you lose family? Do you have any stories? Do you know if any of your family lost their lives or were injured? http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead.aspx Do you care? /typo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shake me up Judy Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Wonderful pictures of the ceremonies on the news tonight. Watching that ex-para jumping out of the aircraft, as he had seventy years ago, brought a lump to my throat. I can't imagine how he felt, then, or now. Would love to have been there amongst all those guys. Do I care ? Absolutely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mission Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 There hasn't been mention of D Day on here and I just wondered why? Maybe because it's tomorrow? Manxforums, where people just HAVE to post threads up about significant dates before they occur... MERRY CHRISTMAS Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shake me up Judy Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 I wonder if all the crowds of veterans, their relatives, dignitaries, officials and those who'd gone to pay their respects knew that Mission ? Christ, they must feel f**king stupid right now. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quilp Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Yes, I care, a lot. 70 years ago tonight, my Ol' man set out from Portsmouth in a flotilla of Motor Torpedo Boats to guard the ships and landing-craft from attack by German E-boats, in the English Channel and off the coast of Normandy. He and the various flotillas had spent the previous weeks skirting the coasts of France and Normandy on intelligence operations. This sounds all very dashing and probably was but it actually entailed drawing German shore-battery fire onto the boats to log the calibres, range, accuracy and position of the guns and what the landing forces might expect in the way of defensive tactics. Fortunately, it was found that the Germans had great difficulty in dropping rounds on small boats speeding in excess of 40 knots. The inclement weather at the time scored more damage than any munitions thrown their way but there were still a few close, if lucky escapes. My Ma was in the 'Wrens' stationed at HMS Valkyre at the Villiers. Up to june 5th 1944, many ships had gathered in Douglas Bay. So many that it didn't seem possible there were so many in the whole of the Royal Navy. Everyone remarked on the proliferation of vessels. She was staying with her aunt at Rosemount and in the mornings, would walk down Crellin's Hill and along the prom to the Villiers station. On the morning of june 5th, she recalled getting to Greensills Corner and was astonished that there were hardly any vessels remaining. They had slipped quietly away in the night. Everyone knew that something big was coming off and there was a hush of expectancy that day. The Ol' man never really talked about his experiences and Ma would admonish me if I questioned him, Such was their way. He did recount one episode which brought home to me his personal horror. One afternoon, the flotilla was off Dover carrying-out Depth-Charge practice (this brought to the surface copious amounts of fish, usually taken straight to the officers mess!) when suddenly the alarm sounded and everyone ordered to battle-stations. Within a couple of minutes 5 'Stukas' were screaming down on them and the sea around them was whipped up into a froth from the cannon-fire from the planes. As he was sparks/radio officer, it was his job to send and recieve information so he and his mate, a Canadian of whom the Ol' man was fond, made for the ladder that took them below. The Ol' man was first at the ladder, closely followed by his mate. At this moment, one of the Stukas had unloaded a 'stick' of bombs at his boat. They were pretty well-trained those pilots and had a good degree of accuracy. So while the Ol' man had one foot on the ladder he saw this stick leave the underside of the plane and the first splashes as the bombs hit the water, port side of the boat. He said he thought his time was up because each bomb was getting closer and closer to the target- him! He was half-way down the ladder when suddenly there was an almighty crash. One bomb had hit the side of the boat and carried on through it, without exploding! The shock-wave made the Ol' man lose his grip and he went down the ladder, literally and his chin- bang, bang, bang on every metal rung. It happened in almost slow-motion, according to him and he felt every smash on the way down, chipping teeth in the process, till he hit the deck below. Next thing he knew was the weight of his mates body landing on top of him. It fairly knocked the wind out of him. He said he came around in a micro-second and his first thought was to check on his mate. He said he jumped-up and immediately smashed his head open on a bulk-head but his concern for his mate kind of numbed any feeling. It was only after dragging his mate by the feet toward the radio-room that he realised his mucker was headless. I'd badgered him to tell me about his war experiences and when he recounted this tale it was obvious to me, even at my young age then, that the tears in his eyes and the croak in his voice, that this was the reason she'd told me not to ask. And I never did, ever, again. In April 1945, his flotilla took the voluntary surrender of a German e-boat squadron and he did say how relieved the German sailors were to've surrendered in one piece. He was my hero, my Ol' man. Ha! Eyes waterfalling.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 A single post like that makes it worth being a part of MF. Thanks for sharing,Quilp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shake me up Judy Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Lovely post that Quilp. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Addie Posted June 5, 2014 Author Share Posted June 5, 2014 What a wonderful post Quilp, so very moving and personal. Thank you for sharing your father' memories. We really don't know we're born, do we. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
quilp Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Yes, Addie, the huge sacrifices and loss are difficult to comprehend. My Uncle Andy, my Ma's much-loved elder brother, rushed to enlist as soon as he was old enough, in 1940. He lost his life, as a sargeant, shortly before the German surrender in April '45. He'd been wounded 6 months previously, just after landing in France and such was his vigour to rejoin the fight he went back into the fray even though he wasn't obliged to. Grandmother's pleas were lost on his sense of duty and she never really got over his loss. They were different times, for sure and their memory, their bravery and sacrifices must never be forgotten. Not only the military but the British resolve across the board. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananaman Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 We were very lucky as a family on both my mum and dad's side with only one loss on my mum's side. My Nana's brother the rest of my Nana's side were in the RAF in Italy up until the end of the war. My Grandad (mum's side) spent the nearly all of his Air Force career in the Far East (1937 until 1972(or 3) with the odd jaunt back to the UK. My Dad's dad was a NCO tank commander in the 8th Army, I can't remember what regiment but it was a South Lancs or Cheshire regiment and served in the desert war, Italy and then finally Germany, he how ever was a mad man who used to get so angry about the equipment the allies had compared to the Axis. He would get so angry we learned not to mention it. The rest of the family never ever mentioned it. Only two generations ago for me and yet my son (who's only 8 admittedly) knows nothing about it. Isn't even interested in tanks or Lancaster bombers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jefferson Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Yes, I had a grandfather at D-Day; two at Dunkirk, one in North Africa and Italy, another was in Palestine/Jordan, another at Auschwitz etc, etc. Us Jeffersons get around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bananaman Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Your trolling is just pointless now. 7 Grand dads? Or is that what your family called them? "Grandad" is here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yin & Yang Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Growing up I often asked my grandparents about the war, the only answer I ever had was 'there's nothing to tell'. I always hated that reply, although after doing my own research when I was older I could fully understand. The ones who lived through hell and came back never wanted to go back, even through memories! Also why would you want your children, grandchildren knowing and living with what they went through - I know I'd never say anything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thomas Jefferson Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 Your trolling is just pointless now. 7 Grand dads? Or is that what your family called them? "Grandad" is here. Try 3, not 7. I was including a great-grandfather and obviously some of them moved around and were at more than one place during the war. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lonan3 Posted June 5, 2014 Share Posted June 5, 2014 My foster mum's brother - his name was Percy Cowin - didn't make it as far as D-Day. He was on board the RMS Lancastria when it was taking people off St Nazaire a couple of weeks after Dunkirk. He was her older brother and a particular favourite. I've just checked the story on Wiki - I didn't realise it was the greatest loss of life ever from the sinking of a british ship - over 4,000 - more than the loss of the Titanic and the Lusitania combined. What an incredible bloody waste. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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