I hope you all remeber tomorrow 6th June 1944 ,when all those brave men went accross the channel to start the liberation of Europe
D, Day
- Thread starter joeby
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There are seven old WWII airfields scatterred arround the New Forest - 6 of them used by the Americans - very active on D Day.
They had their rememberence service this Sunday just gone.
For those interested, the whole event could not have happened without fuel of course and the "techys" of the day came up with a blinder!
Operation Juno - laying fuel lines from the southern most tip of the Isle of Wight to the Normandy beaches.
Without having fuel literally "on tap", D-Day as we know it would never have happened.
They had their rememberence service this Sunday just gone.
For those interested, the whole event could not have happened without fuel of course and the "techys" of the day came up with a blinder!
Operation Juno - laying fuel lines from the southern most tip of the Isle of Wight to the Normandy beaches.
Without having fuel literally "on tap", D-Day as we know it would never have happened.
Damian
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- Mar 14, 2005
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Just a small correction to the above.
The pipeline laid from the Isle of Wight to the Normandy beaches went under the name of "operation PLUTO", as in Pipeline Under The Ocean.
Operation Juno was a different scenario altogether, and instigated by the Germans:
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Operation Juno was a German naval offensive late in the Norwegian Campaign.
Launched on June 8th, 1940, as an operation to relieve pressure on the German garrison at Narvik, the mission quickly changed into a hunt once the Kriegsmarine realized that the Allies were evacuating.
Lost in this operation was the British aircraft carrier HMS Glorious and two destroyers by the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.
The only major thing left from the Pluto operation, on the Island now are the main road from Blackgang to Freshwater, the Military Road, named after the Army engineers who actually built it, and one defensive Pill Box.
All other traces hae been lost to the sea over the years throught costal erosion.
The pipeline laid from the Isle of Wight to the Normandy beaches went under the name of "operation PLUTO", as in Pipeline Under The Ocean.
Operation Juno was a different scenario altogether, and instigated by the Germans:
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Operation Juno was a German naval offensive late in the Norwegian Campaign.
Launched on June 8th, 1940, as an operation to relieve pressure on the German garrison at Narvik, the mission quickly changed into a hunt once the Kriegsmarine realized that the Allies were evacuating.
Lost in this operation was the British aircraft carrier HMS Glorious and two destroyers by the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau.
The only major thing left from the Pluto operation, on the Island now are the main road from Blackgang to Freshwater, the Military Road, named after the Army engineers who actually built it, and one defensive Pill Box.
All other traces hae been lost to the sea over the years throught costal erosion.
Absolutely right Damian - thank you for the correction - must have had a "senior moment".
Juno was the beach where the Canadians landed on D-Day
Juno was the beach where the Canadians landed on D-Day
Thanks Joby. We all need reminding from time to time the sacrifice of all that young life so guys like me born in '52 have had a life to the full. Actually, I never forget what they did. Surrounded in this area by old WW11 airfields where secret ops took off from and from where gliders were towed across the channel full of troops etc it is hard to imagine what those guys did for us. If any of you have never visited the french sites of Pegasus Bridge, Arromanche where the beach head was formed, the beaches of Sword, Juno, Gold Utah and of course Omaha, then take your caravan over and visit them. I can assure you that it will wet your eyes more than once! Not forgetting the lads slaughtered in the trenches- That area of France and Belgium around Ypres and the Somme will bring more than a lump to the throat I can assure you! GOD BLESS THEM ALL.
We all like to have a dig at the French (and they like to have a dig at us - it's been going on for years so why change habits!) but if you are over there I can recommend the Tank Museum to the East of Cherbourg on the coast.
The exhibits are amazing and very moving.
They include the uniforms of every nation that fought on D-Day.
From Australians to Sikhs - they are all there.
It is a shame that some people forget the role played by ALL THE NATIONS and ALL THE RELIGIONS that day, in helping to ensure that we have what we have today.
The French havn't - every uniform is displayed.
The exhibits are amazing and very moving.
They include the uniforms of every nation that fought on D-Day.
From Australians to Sikhs - they are all there.
It is a shame that some people forget the role played by ALL THE NATIONS and ALL THE RELIGIONS that day, in helping to ensure that we have what we have today.
The French havn't - every uniform is displayed.
Hi Merve i only put the topic up, because if you ask the average person whats significant about the 6th June most dont know ,i went along the Normandie coastline in the mid 70s with the Diving club i was in at the time ,i cant put into words the feeling standing on those Mullbery Harbours imagining what went on ,visiting the imaculate kept graves ,my next ambition is to take the caravan along there ,there are lots of museums to see along the route ,plus the mullbery harbours are still laying off shore and some of the landing craft are still there ,any body wanting to visit one of the ships which was at the fore front ,go and see HMS Belfast Moored near Tower Bridge
Thanks to the efforts, and sacrifices, of all those who took part in WW2 we all have the freedom to enjoy our lives, including our hobby, caravanning.
One of the aircraft that helped maintain the subsequent peace is being retired at the end of July 2006. The English Electric Canberra entered RAF service in 1951 and has served us faithfully for 55 years, initially as a bomber (it was our first nuclear jet bomber) but for most of the time as a reconnaisance aircraft. It's reconniasance ability was so high that we now have a 5-year gap until it's replacement is on stream!
The Canberra will be featured, as a final farewell, at airshows at Waddington 1/2 July and Fairford 14-17 July.
One of the aircraft that helped maintain the subsequent peace is being retired at the end of July 2006. The English Electric Canberra entered RAF service in 1951 and has served us faithfully for 55 years, initially as a bomber (it was our first nuclear jet bomber) but for most of the time as a reconnaisance aircraft. It's reconniasance ability was so high that we now have a 5-year gap until it's replacement is on stream!
The Canberra will be featured, as a final farewell, at airshows at Waddington 1/2 July and Fairford 14-17 July.
Merve, you've touched a nerve with that mention of Ypres etc.A couple of years ago we visited Ypres. The atmosphere as we entered the town was almost uncanny, but the best or worst point was at 8pm in thr Menin Gate when the local Firemen played The Last Post.This needs to be experienced to be believed. There were grown men and women with tears streaming down their cheeks, and I'm proud to say that I was one of them. This tradition has been ongoing since 1919, with the exception of WW2, and apparently the younger people of the town are just as fiercely proud of it as their older generations, so it looks a though it will continue for the foreseeable future. If you haven't experienced it, do so asap. It should be made compulsory for everyone under 40
For those umfamiliar with Ypres, the Menin Gate is a monument to WW1 soldiers who were known to have fought there, but whose bodies were never recovered.There are over 50,000 names on this monument alone..........
For those umfamiliar with Ypres, the Menin Gate is a monument to WW1 soldiers who were known to have fought there, but whose bodies were never recovered.There are over 50,000 names on this monument alone..........
My grandfather was at Flanders and Ypres, he like many others went to war at 14 having faked his age.
As a child I missed the end of many a telly programme, as soon as there was a loud bang or a gun shot the program was changed as he couldn't bear such noise. He had medals and mention in despatches for acts of bravery for volunteering to cross the trenches under fire.
He to was trained to was trained to kill, but after his experiences he was a very quiet thoughtful man!
His friend cried descibing how his friends were blown apart as they ran all for cover, body parts landing in different places!
He would never return to France or Belgium ! Who could blame him.
As a child I missed the end of many a telly programme, as soon as there was a loud bang or a gun shot the program was changed as he couldn't bear such noise. He had medals and mention in despatches for acts of bravery for volunteering to cross the trenches under fire.
He to was trained to was trained to kill, but after his experiences he was a very quiet thoughtful man!
His friend cried descibing how his friends were blown apart as they ran all for cover, body parts landing in different places!
He would never return to France or Belgium ! Who could blame him.
Hi Emmerson, Yes, the Menin Gate is something else- I admit I have shed many tears there. 3 of my 4 kids were in the ATC and played in the Market Harborough ATC Band at the gate. 3 years on the trot and I never got used to it. A more powerful cocktail of emotions I cannot imagine-watching your kids play at a place that has known so much pain and sacrifice in its history. The last post is awe inspiring and very potent!
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