Rembering The Veterans of the Normandy Landings June 6, 1944.......

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Hello from the Hovel....yes it’s me, I’m back. So sorry everyone for not posting for nearly eight weeks, dare I say that. I cannot believe it’s that long since I posted here. Trust me I have tried to do so the last few weeks but every time I planned to do so something else happened. Yes it’s been even more chaotic and stressful than ever here, I should write a book called ‘The Hovel Chronicles’ but I’ll settled for writing here...lol......

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Normandy Invasion Preparations, 1944
U.S. Soldiers march through a southern English coastal town, en route to board landing ships for the invasion of France, circa late May or early June 1944. Note the barbed wire in the foreground.Photograph from the Army Signal Corps Collection in the U.S. National Archives

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I do have lots to tell you. News of joy, sadness, and illness but I will leave that for now. What prompted me to finally post today was the anniversary of D-Day, June 6 1944. A day honoured each year to remember the veterans of the Allied Forces who took part in the historic landings on the beaches of Normandy. The Allied Forces consisted of United Kingdom, United States, Canada, Free Belgian Forces, Free French Forces, Free Norwegian Forces and Free Polish Forces. The invasion force also included up to about 3,000 Australians despite the great bulk of its forces fighting Japan in the south-west Pacific .........

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The British 2nd Army: Infantry waiting to move off 'Queen White' Beach, SWORD Area, while under enemy fire, on the morning of 6 June. The first landings on Sword were made by the British 3rd Infantry Division, 27th Armoured Brigade and Royal Marine and Army Commando units from General Crocker’s I Corps. By nightfall the British had 28,850 men ashore and the Orne bridge had been seized.

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Infantry and armour on Sword Beach. Medics are attending to wounded in the shelter of a Churchill AVRE from 5th Assault Regiment, Royal Engineers. In the background is an M10 Wolverine tank destroyer, probably from 20th Anti-Tank Regiment - 6th June 1944


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The Normandy Landings were the first operations of the Allied invasion of Normandy, also known as Operation Neptune and Operation Overlord, during World War II. Many of us will have members of our own family who took part in this monumental operation. Many sacrifices were made that day and after. It was with great pride that I watched on tv the ceremony that took place today in Normandy. Veterans of that day stood side by side once again and proudly wore their medals, some held aloft the Standards of their battalions. Our generation cannot imagine what was going through their minds as they remembered their time here in 1944 or of their memories of fallen comrades. Standing among these veterans were our young service men and women and cadets. Some of who were the ages the Veterans were when they landed in Normandy......What I do know is that I’m very proud to be British and I salute each and everyone for my freedom....Thank you........

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Personnel of Royal Canadian Navy Beach Commando "W" landing on Mike Beach, Juno sector of the Normandy beachhead. June 6th, 1944. Most are wearing Mk III helmets.
From the National Archives of Canada.


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Members of an American landing party lend helping hands to other members of their organization whose landing craft was sunk by enemy action off the coast of France. These survivors reached Omaha Beach by using a life raft. Photographer: Weintraub, 6 June 1944. SC190366

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I will be back over the next few days to let you know what has kept me away and of course lots of photos....I will also change the banner at the top, goodness it still says Happy Easter...Until next time..lol.....

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(Source: Photos and D-Day information from Wikipedia)