By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions. We in turn value your personal details in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
The Allied invasion of Europe and the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany. The youngest surviving serviceman and women are now 96 years old. That hit home this morning. To all those of all nationalities that took part in the liberation, Thank you.
We have no village green, or a shop.
It's very, very quiet.
I can walk to the pub.
3
D Day. 80 Years Ago 6/6/1944. on 09:37 - Jun 6 with 1957 views
Reference to a "D-Day Dodger" was bitingly sarcastic, given the steady stream of Allied service personnel who were being killed or wounded in combat on the Italian front. A "dodger" is someone who avoids something; the soldiers in Italy felt that their sacrifices were being ignored after the invasion of Normandy, and a "D-Day Dodger" was a reference to someone who was supposedly avoiding real combat by serving in Italy, whereas the reality was anything but.
There was even a song about it.
The song was written in November 1944 by Lance-Sergeant Harry Pynn of the Tank Rescue Section, 19 Army Fire Brigade, who was with the 78th Infantry Division just south of Bologna, Italy. There were many variations on verses and even the chorus, but the song generally and sarcastically referred to how easy their life in Italy was. There was no mention of Lady Astor in the original lyrics. Many Allied personnel in Italy had reason to be bitter, as the bulk of material support for the Allied armies went to Northwest Europe after the invasion of Normandy. They also noted sardonically that they had participated in several "D-days" of their own before the landings in Normandy became popularly known as "D-Day". The expression was used to refer to the day that any military operation began (with "H-hour" being the specific start time of an operation beginning on D-day), but the popular press turned it into an expression synonymous with the Normandy landings only. Italian campaign veterans noted that they had been in action for eleven months before the Normandy landings, and some of those had served in North Africa even before that.
As it is, one of my uncles took part in the Normandy landings, another fought in Italy and another fought in Burma.
[Post edited 6 Jun 2024 12:21]
4
D Day. 80 Years Ago 6/6/1944. on 10:57 - Jun 6 with 1866 views
Reference to a "D-Day Dodger" was bitingly sarcastic, given the steady stream of Allied service personnel who were being killed or wounded in combat on the Italian front. A "dodger" is someone who avoids something; the soldiers in Italy felt that their sacrifices were being ignored after the invasion of Normandy, and a "D-Day Dodger" was a reference to someone who was supposedly avoiding real combat by serving in Italy, whereas the reality was anything but.
There was even a song about it.
The song was written in November 1944 by Lance-Sergeant Harry Pynn of the Tank Rescue Section, 19 Army Fire Brigade, who was with the 78th Infantry Division just south of Bologna, Italy. There were many variations on verses and even the chorus, but the song generally and sarcastically referred to how easy their life in Italy was. There was no mention of Lady Astor in the original lyrics. Many Allied personnel in Italy had reason to be bitter, as the bulk of material support for the Allied armies went to Northwest Europe after the invasion of Normandy. They also noted sardonically that they had participated in several "D-days" of their own before the landings in Normandy became popularly known as "D-Day". The expression was used to refer to the day that any military operation began (with "H-hour" being the specific start time of an operation beginning on D-day), but the popular press turned it into an expression synonymous with the Normandy landings only. Italian campaign veterans noted that they had been in action for eleven months before the Normandy landings, and some of those had served in North Africa even before that.
As it is, one of my uncles took part in the Normandy landings, another fought in Italy and another fought in Burma.
[Post edited 6 Jun 2024 12:21]
I have a relative who is buried at Minturno cemetery in Italy. Very proud to go there for him and all those who fought in both wars and have and continue to fight for rights and freedom against oppression.
D Day. 80 Years Ago 6/6/1944. on 10:57 - Jun 6 by Help
I have a relative who is buried at Minturno cemetery in Italy. Very proud to go there for him and all those who fought in both wars and have and continue to fight for rights and freedom against oppression.
This poignant verse from the song is for him.
When you look 'round the mountains, through the mud and rain You'll find the crosses, some which bear no name. Heartbreak, and toil and suffering gone The boys beneath them slumber on They were the D-Day Dodgers, who'll stay in Italy
[Post edited 6 Jun 2024 12:42]
1
D Day. 80 Years Ago 6/6/1944. on 12:51 - Jun 6 with 1781 views
although he didn’t smoke, grandad never went anywhere without the old tobacco tin in his pocket one day me and my brother asked him what he kept in it some sand, grandad said why do you keep some sand in a tobacco tin, we asked where else would I keep it, he said but why keep sand at all, we asked it’s special sand, grandad said, it’s come all the way from France we peered into his tin and stared for a while French sand didn’t look very special, it looked like ordinary sand to us why’s it so special, we asked each grain represents an old friend of mine, he said grandad must have had a lot of friends, we thought did you go to the beach with them when you were a boy, we asked yes, something like that, grandad said, snapping the lid shut, asking the man for three 99s, two with red sauce
Brian Bilston.
I'm one of the people who was blamed for getting Paul Cook sacked. PM for the full post.
Reference to a "D-Day Dodger" was bitingly sarcastic, given the steady stream of Allied service personnel who were being killed or wounded in combat on the Italian front. A "dodger" is someone who avoids something; the soldiers in Italy felt that their sacrifices were being ignored after the invasion of Normandy, and a "D-Day Dodger" was a reference to someone who was supposedly avoiding real combat by serving in Italy, whereas the reality was anything but.
There was even a song about it.
The song was written in November 1944 by Lance-Sergeant Harry Pynn of the Tank Rescue Section, 19 Army Fire Brigade, who was with the 78th Infantry Division just south of Bologna, Italy. There were many variations on verses and even the chorus, but the song generally and sarcastically referred to how easy their life in Italy was. There was no mention of Lady Astor in the original lyrics. Many Allied personnel in Italy had reason to be bitter, as the bulk of material support for the Allied armies went to Northwest Europe after the invasion of Normandy. They also noted sardonically that they had participated in several "D-days" of their own before the landings in Normandy became popularly known as "D-Day". The expression was used to refer to the day that any military operation began (with "H-hour" being the specific start time of an operation beginning on D-day), but the popular press turned it into an expression synonymous with the Normandy landings only. Italian campaign veterans noted that they had been in action for eleven months before the Normandy landings, and some of those had served in North Africa even before that.
As it is, one of my uncles took part in the Normandy landings, another fought in Italy and another fought in Burma.
[Post edited 6 Jun 2024 12:21]
The lads fighting in Italy had it rough. What Churchill described as "The soft underbelly of Europe" turned out to be, as Laurence Olivier described in the vintage but IMO still the best WW2 documentary, a "Tough old gut." The lads fighting in Burma and the Far East and those sailors both Royal Navy and merchant seaman had it if anything even worse than the D Day veterans. Sadly they are not as celebrated as the D Day veterans rightly are,
2
D Day. 80 Years Ago 6/6/1944. on 13:24 - Jun 6 with 1731 views
D Day. 80 Years Ago 6/6/1944. on 12:59 - Jun 6 by Mercian
The lads fighting in Italy had it rough. What Churchill described as "The soft underbelly of Europe" turned out to be, as Laurence Olivier described in the vintage but IMO still the best WW2 documentary, a "Tough old gut." The lads fighting in Burma and the Far East and those sailors both Royal Navy and merchant seaman had it if anything even worse than the D Day veterans. Sadly they are not as celebrated as the D Day veterans rightly are,
You can look at in that they were doing the job they had been doing for 4yrs slogging it out! Normandy was the turning point so really that is going to get the attention. Although just a part in the overall scheme of things. Good coverage on the telly this morning though👍
It was a race against time because eventually the Nazis would have managed to produce an atomic bomb. Can you imagine Hitler with that in his armoury and being backs against the wall.
D Day. 80 Years Ago 6/6/1944. on 16:56 - Jun 6 by oldburian
It was a race against time because eventually the Nazis would have managed to produce an atomic bomb. Can you imagine Hitler with that in his armoury and being backs against the wall.
They were actually a long way from doing so. Their Deutsche Physik pseudoscience and Werner Heisenberg's uncertainty (pun intended) meant they would never have made one without a huge shift in policy.
0
D Day. 80 Years Ago 6/6/1944. on 18:15 - Jun 6 with 1584 views
D Day. 80 Years Ago 6/6/1944. on 16:56 - Jun 6 by oldburian
It was a race against time because eventually the Nazis would have managed to produce an atomic bomb. Can you imagine Hitler with that in his armoury and being backs against the wall.
One of many errors contributing to Germany's defeat was going down the heavy water route rather than graphite. This was supposedly more straightforward technically, but they never successfully achieved a chain reaction. As with much of Germany's wartime logistics, the programme was hampered by competing bureaucracies and poor coordination.
And then of course Richard Harris and Kirk Douglas put the kybosh on it all anyway.
That applies to those who served all over the world, including Italy and the Far East, all the services and civilian services and the people of this country.
People love to belittle the UKs contribution and when the last veterans pass, I suspect that’ll be ramped up - sadly.
DDay gets the attention because it was the largest seaborn invasion in history. Complex, dangerous, it was an incredible achievement by Eisenhower, his commanders and people. Amazing.That doesn’t diminish other operations including the Italian campaign. A friend of mine’s father was wounded at Monte Cassino. Hideous beyond belief. She’s researching what happened because he wouldn’t talk about it.
My father in law served in the navy on DDay off Gold Beach. He refused to talk about it. We have the white ensign from his boat (an ML) from that day. 80 years on it is blackened, stinks of cordite and smoke. It is tattered and torn. It is a worthless bit of rag, but it is priceless.
3
D Day. 80 Years Ago 6/6/1944. on 08:23 - Jun 7 with 1305 views
Stalingrad was the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany in 1942. Same year the war in the pacific was turned around at Midway. Doubt you’ll hear much mention of the Battle at Kohima Ridge either which was more decisive and had similar casualties, nor the pointless slog up Italy.
Stalingrad was the beginning of the end of Nazi Germany in 1942. Same year the war in the pacific was turned around at Midway. Doubt you’ll hear much mention of the Battle at Kohima Ridge either which was more decisive and had similar casualties, nor the pointless slog up Italy.
you could argue the Molotov Ribbentrop pact was the beginning go the end, and also dont underestimate the effect of El Alamein.
Had Rommel won their he could have threatened a south approach to Russia which would have dragged away troops defending Stalingrad
also if mention Kohima you have to include Imphal as well
By continuing to use the site, you agree to our use of cookies and to abide by our Terms and Conditions.
