Cornwall & D Day

[pitpony]

I can't wait to get down to Cornwall next year because I have just come across a YouTube site called 'Phil in Cornwall', and he goes round the various parts of Cornwall that the US military used to do their training building up to the D Day landings, when you look at the bigger picture a lot of Cornwall was commandeered for this purpose, I've been to Slapton sands several times the embarkation jetties in Torquay and Brixham, even the popular Pentewan Sands beach was used for training, I close my eyes and think of all those lads that went off not just the Americans but all the other nations that took part,

 

[Thingy]

There were very few places in Cornwall on the South coast that didnt have a part to play in D Day. Even the tinest fishing ports were called into action. Anywhere that a soldier could embark was used.

Last time we were down in Devon we took a look around Upottery (Band of Brothers) and were rather dismayed to find very little to commemorate the events there. Just one rusting vehicle and a rusty anti-aircraft gun. Actually took a bit of finding.

 

[pitpony]

I could not agree more about the history of D-Day not being remembered like it should be, if you ever get up to Conwy in North Wales and go down to the marina there is a pub there called the Mulberry with just a couple of photos on the wall of the Mulberry harbours being constructed there,

 

[Thingy]

Done quite a bnit of it on the French side. Lots to see from both wars. The one thing that really staggered me was the shattered ground at Pont Du Hoc. As I recall, the US Rangers assualted that position by climbing the cliff only to find that the big guns had already been removed. The prior bombing and naval gunfire wreaked utter havoc though and monstrous concrete blocks have just been torn out the ground and thrown through the air. Can only wonder how the defenders felt.