If you can access it, The Times is running a ‘Live’ account of the landings which is being updated through the day, the first British troops have just landed on what’s been codenamed ‘Gold’ beach…
D-Day as it happened: how the Allied invasion unfolded in real time
Gold beach was one of two British landing points.
The map below, courtesy of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, illustrates the main points of landing, the location of Pegasus bridge and some of the key towns.
Lest we forget….
….we will remember them. RIP
This is part of the map my dad used during the D-Day landings.
He was driving an amphibious vehicle, ferrying ammunition onto the beaches and wounded off.
The numbers on the map are basically delivery addresses.
A P47 just flew over or so I thought, then five minutes later definitely a Hurricane .
At which point I was pretty sure it had been a P47
Truly the greatest generation.
100% respect from Australia 
It was an emotional moment this morning seeing on tv the D Day veterans arriving at the Ver sur Mer memorial with the backdrop of Gold beach and field full of the metal sculptures of the fallen. I wish I had been able to see the rest but I had to take my mother in to hospital in Maidstone for her eye appt.
That is such an impressive monument and well worth a visit.
RIP and Respect.
GBNF
DG…
Time for a good movie about it tonight.
I’ve discussed it today with my colleagues during lunch since some were not aware of the historical importance of it.
Longest Day?
SPR?
Entire series of Band of Brothers?
Kellys Heroes natch…
Band of brothers episode 2 I think.
Band of Brothers was really excellent.
We had a call from Uncle Dave……96 years old, spent the day at the local Cenotaph……still an amazing generation.
I went over there in 1994 for the 50th Anniversary and spent two weeks over there going to the commemorations and museums.
Being the 50th it was massive event
DG…
A moving and atmospheric day. I have booked myself in for the ‘D Day Morning’ at Chalke History Festival coming up later this month, to learn more from the ‘horse’s mouth’ himself (aka James Holland). Should be good. The day capped by a local beacon lighting in glorious sunset conditions.
Dutch are funny people.
I mention about the 80 years’ war cast of characters such as, Stadholder Count Mauritz or Johan Van Oldenbarnevelt etc… I get a blank look from the natives.
I’ve hardly any Dutch colleagues though 
Further to my grandfather’s story above: A few years ago, I became acquainted with Lord Bruce (descendent of Robert Bruce) whose father, The Earl of Elgin (Marbles) b. 1924, was a tank Liutenant in operation Bluecoat shortly after Epsom. In his 90s I had the good fortune to meet him and discuss what it was like on the battlefield. He himself was extremely badly injured and shipped off to a hospital in London where nobody recognised him for some time because of the extent of his injuries.
He told me about the relative uselessness of the British tanks saying that German armour piercing machine guns could easily hole them. The infantryman who ran alongside the tanks used to pass cigarettes through the holes, although smoking was strictly forbidden in the tank for reasons you can imagine. He then said to me the main problem with this was that the holes were never big enough for his cigars!
G
I’ve read a couple of books on the Normandy battle in the last couple of years. One by David Render who was a very young tank commander with the Sherwood Rangers.
Absolutely frightening, the attrition rate and the continual resupply of men and tanks was astonishing. The Sherman’s were very vulnerable and caught fire very easily. The life expectancy of the , normally very young, tank commander, who had to drive around exposed at the top of the tank a lot of the time was often short.
