Crosswords1 min ago
70 Years Ago Tonight
33 Answers
My stepfather and his mates finished school, met up and began their usual evening journey to the nearby country park.
The reason? They were visiting the locally based US and Polish soldiers, camped within the grounds. The US soldiers in particular were renowned for giving out chocolate and gum to passing kids.
Upon arrival, they were totally bewildered. Where previously there had been hundreds of servicemen in tents, vehicles and weaponry there was not a trace, other than the flat areas of grass where the tents had been pitched.
They'd simply vanished overnight. In reality, they had moved to southern England holding areas in preparation for the last great crusade that would hopefully see the end of Nazi tyranny in Europe.
To all Service personnel of the nations who undertook Operation Neptune/Operation Overlord I offer my sincerest thanks and gratitude for the sacrifice and endeavours you made.
The reason? They were visiting the locally based US and Polish soldiers, camped within the grounds. The US soldiers in particular were renowned for giving out chocolate and gum to passing kids.
Upon arrival, they were totally bewildered. Where previously there had been hundreds of servicemen in tents, vehicles and weaponry there was not a trace, other than the flat areas of grass where the tents had been pitched.
They'd simply vanished overnight. In reality, they had moved to southern England holding areas in preparation for the last great crusade that would hopefully see the end of Nazi tyranny in Europe.
To all Service personnel of the nations who undertook Operation Neptune/Operation Overlord I offer my sincerest thanks and gratitude for the sacrifice and endeavours you made.
Answers
Some of the men who went to war paid a terrible price. There was a man who lived round the corner from us when we were children had his face and hands very badly burnt. He lived alone with his dogs.
And another man, who we were told was 'shell shocked', marched everywhere, not on the footpath, but along the edge of the road.
Both survived the war but carried it with them the rest of their days.
And another man, who we were told was 'shell shocked', marched everywhere, not on the footpath, but along the edge of the road.
Both survived the war but carried it with them the rest of their days.
no, my father never really spoke of it either and was quite impatient of those who did. His two lifelong mates were the same.
I think it was about a mixture of protecting others from knowing the price of what had to be done, probably not being proud of some of what that had meant and feeling plain lucky to slog through from start to finish unscathed where others hadn't. Mainly though, genuinely wanting to look forward.
I think it was about a mixture of protecting others from knowing the price of what had to be done, probably not being proud of some of what that had meant and feeling plain lucky to slog through from start to finish unscathed where others hadn't. Mainly though, genuinely wanting to look forward.
God bless them all,they did good job for all of us.When I was a kid there were a lot of men and women who served and came back to just carry on as normal and none of them talked about it. It was years later after he died that learnt the old boy who lived next door when I was kid was highly decorated member of the Paras and also after his death my cousin discovered that her dad,who only ever said he was in the RAF had flown some 40 missions,been wounded several times the last of which was bad enough to restrict him to ground duties.As I said God bless them all and I too shall raise a glass or two in there memory, we won't see there like again.
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