A Nation's Admiration and England's Shame

[oldbluefox]

I have been watching the D Day celebrations with pride and sadness at the heroics of those from all nations who took part in the D Day invasion of Normandy. Many of those who were killed were just young men but who showed such bravery in the face of danger. What they must have experienced does not bear thinking about but without them the world would be a very different place today.

Then I see the England 'fans' rioting on the streets of Porto and, being a football follower, I feel immense shame that these clowns besmirch the nation by their loutish behaviour. What a contrast!! Of course it will only be a minority but unfortunately everybody gets tarred with the same brush and I feel it is time we came down hard on those who spoil everything for the genuine England supporter.

On such a momentous occasion as we are seeing in Normandy the shame of their actions is more deeply felt.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I agree 100% Foxy.

[Manoverboard]

I think that the first time I became emotionally ' aware ' of any war effort was in 1962 on a coach journey from Ostend to San Sebastian in Spain. The coach didn't stop overnight so apart from comfort stops it was non stop for 26 hours. During the course of that journey we passed Aris for example which revealed mile after mile of graves for many Countries of the allied forces, we saw them but didn't stop. In later years we travelled through much of Europe to witness a couple of notorious Death Camps and quite a number of ' Jewish quarters ' plus Ypres and it's environs, Verdun and of course the Normandy Beaches. We also visited the British grave site near Istanbul plus Gallipoli and Anzac Cove during a tour of Turkey. Also a South African tribute location to the Boor War.

We didn't set out to visit any of these places, they were just part of the tours that we had happened to book.

Little more that a photo opportunity like the rest of the tour, no not really. As one looked into the shell craters or at the ovens or railway lines running through the death camps or the names on those vast lines of headstones it was impossible to supress the tears of sadness …. and to remember those who sacrificed their lives that we should be free.

When I was a small boy in short trousers I used to stay with an aunt as a special treat from time to time, she was a lovely lady but my uncle was different. I was told never to speak to him unless he spoke first and never at all at the dinner table. I had no idea but he was one of those young lads who signed up but lied about his age, he must have witnessed such horrors that we couldn't even start to imagine. He never talked about it but used to go to reunions and eventually became the sole survivor.

Lest we forget …. hopefully not.

[oldbluefox]

Indeed Mob.
On the one hand I was listening to a letter written, in shaky handwriting, by a 16 year old French Resistance fighter saying his farewells to his parents as he waited for his executioners to come. He seemed so incredibly calm and lucid as he awaited his fate and vowed he did not want his wrists bound or a blindfold. The letter ends as he says the guards are arriving.

Then I saw supposed England fans chasing around in Porto with Portuguese police, batons drawn, in pursuit. How long before we hear those nasty police have struck them with a truncheon?

Shame on them. Shame on those who bring shame on our country.

[barney]

Where I now live in Instow, it is twinned with Arromanches.
They did Dday preparations on Instow beach and across the estuary at Staunton sands.

Last summer was our first here, and in mid June they do a recreation. It was brilliant and we will be going again this year.

Today's services have been memorable.

There is no accounting for idiots, be they football fans or anti Trump demonstrators.

That's just life I'm afraid.

[Silkworm]

I happily admit that watching TV yesterday and today, we went through
a full carton of paper hankies! Wow, what a generation they were.
It gets me so mad when people talk about austerity today, they don’t know
the meaning of the word unless they lived through the war.

[Whynd1]

I have also been watching and found it very emotional.

Deep respect to all those who served.
My husbands uncle was a prisoner of war ,captured at the fall of Singapore. He survived the Burma railway and came home eventually.

[Jan Rosser]

I happily admit that watching TV yesterday and today, we went through
a full carton of paper hankies! Wow, what a generation they were.
It gets me so mad when people talk about austerity today, they don’t know
the meaning of the word unless they lived through the war.

Glad to hear someone else was emotional - even Teresa May made me cry when she read that letter from a soldier to his wife I asked my 96 year old mother what her recollections were - she was working at Bletchley Park at the time and as you can imagine with all the secrecy had absolutely no idea what was going on. She kept secret what she did there until the 1970's when information was coming out about the part it played in ending the war. She does remember destroying documentation after the war ended - I suppose they weren't leaving anything behind that could contain information about what went on there. Her generation certainly knew what austerity meant - she still doesn't waste a thing particularly food.

[Whynd1]

Jan

The uncle was met at Southampton after a long sea voyage home, and came back to Swansea with his brother.
His mum said to him I have made your favourite!
Rice pudding
He took one look at it and threw it away, she was very upset what with rationing. It had to be explained to her about the rice.
He bought a little house in mumbles,married and raised a family. Sailed his boat in the bay, he was content.

[Jan Rosser]

Jan

The uncle was met at Southampton after a long sea voyage home, and came back to Swansea with his brother.
His mum said to him I have made your favourite!
Rice pudding
He took one look at it and threw it away, she was very upset what with rationing. It had to be explained to her about the rice.
He bought a little house in mumbles,married and raised a family. Sailed his boat in the bay, he was content.

Don't start me off again - that generation survived some hard times - youth today have absolutely no idea