Saturday, 6 June 2009

D-Day: 65th Anniversary



Today we commemorate the sixty fifth anniversary of D-Day. That great British led military operation that set in motion the downfall of the Third Reich. Three beaches were taken by British & Canadian forces, two by Americans. The total losses from the 130,000 troops involved were far fewer than expected in such a great adventure, however that I suppose is no consolation to those who appear on the statistics. The Americans suffered badly on Omaha beach. Their failure to use the British made ‘funnies,’ (tanks adapted to clear minefields, deal with obstacles, lay metal roads, and support the infantry) left them totally exposed on wide open beaches. What tanks were used, the ‘floating tanks, designed to ‘swim’ ashore like boats, were launched far too far from shore and sank! However General Montgomery’s overall tactics worked, the bridgehead was taken, and in spite of difficulties the operation was a magnificent success! The allies had landed and alongside the Soviet forces pushing in from the east, Germany’s fate was sealed.


The sixty fifth anniversary was not intended to be as big a commemoration as the sixtieth or seventieth, however when the president of the cheese eating surrender monkeys decided to use the visit of US President Obama as an opportunity to ingratiate himself with the Yanks Britain had to act. The fact that the queen was not invited, and the British prime minister ignored should not surprise anyone who has knowledge of the French. Twice these folks have allowed themselves to be invaded by the Germans in the last century, twice they were unprepared, twice the called on Britain to get them out of it! Their misuse of their men in the Great War led to the only strike in that awful conflict. The knowledge that incompetence was still found at the highest level in 1940! Several of the old generals still ran the show, and tales of their sufferings told by ex 'poilu' fathers to their sons caused whole divisions of French troops to surrender to the advancing German armies. Some went on to work happily alongside their invaders, some indeed fought for the Germans against the 'Bolsheviks,' and many fought back in the resistance, and I doubt the last have forgotten the British and American dead on their shores.


Many who fought that day still carry the memories of that time. Wounds they endured, the loss of friends and the impossibility of mourning. The sight of the dead and dying, the destruction of towns and cities, and the ever present fear are not things easily forgotten. For many the guilt of survival, especially when friends have died keeping you alive, eats away in their minds. Many men who attend such ceremonies can no longer cope with the emotions of the day and perish soon after. There was no care for such men after the war, you just had to ‘get on with it,’ an attitude that can still be found all too often today concerning our servicemen. While help is available it appears even yet insufficient. As the men who indeed brought freedom to the world during the forties leave us one by one I think we ought to stop for a moment and remember their deeds. It is not 'warmongering' to give a few moments consideration to those who put their lives on the line to end a great evil!




In contrast to the self sacrifice shown by those men we have a picture today of a petulant, self indulgent lass who has failed to obtain what she considers her deserved reward. Caroline Flint who had appeared before the cameras on Thursday evening telling the world she was 'right behind' Gordon Brown discovered the promotion she craved was not forthcoming. During his press conference to inform the world he was carrying on regardless she walked out of his cabinet to give him as much embarrassment as she could muster. She complained of 'misogyny,' and that female members of the cabinet were just 'window dressing.' Now call me cynical if you will but am I right in saying that this woman thought too much of herself? Would I be called 'misogynist' for stating that this is typical of a pushy, selfish, bitch who finds she is out of her depth? Is she attempting to say that the awful Harriet Harman is mere 'window dressing?' Harriet who stills believes she may one day lead the Labour Party! I am amongst those who are sick to the teeth of woman hiding behind their sex whenever things go wrong! Far too many use their bodies to get advancement, and if that means walking over other women that's just too bad! I long for the day such PC nonsense is put aside and men get equal pay to women, I long for the day women like Caroline risk their lives as the men on D-Day did. I long for the day i could say women in parliament understand the needs of women working in Tesco, or as posties, or driving buses for a living. Somehow I doubt my longings will never appear gratified!

5 comments:

Unknown said...

My dad came ashore Omaha Beach with the American 1st Infantry Division on the second wave, June 6, 1944. That is all that he would ever say about it.

Strawberry Girl said...

My grandfather bravely fought on D-day winning him a purple heart, schrapnel in his hip (which was never removed) and a limp. He too never spoke of it.

In a round about way, I believe you are defending real pure hearted women with what you said. In many ways the unspoked rule is to "use what you have" to your advantage, or be railroaded. Not always true, but true often enough and I won't go there. I'm actually of the belief that a womens true role as wife and mother is beautiful and honorable, nothing to be ashamed of.

I believe I will print out your post, it's one of the best tributes to D-Day that I have stumbled across in a while.

(p.s. I was irritated by the French as well).

Da Old Man said...

Like the other two commentors, my uncle landed on D Day, and never spoke of it.

BTW, nice description of the French.

Appropriate, too.

Anonymous said...

No, to commence "a great evil", namely the brutal Communist oppression of large parts of Europe.
The worthless 'victory' of WW2 could have been avoided if Britain had not rushed to the aid of the Polish military junta who ruled that country in 1939 and whose provocation of Germany over Danzig (Gdansk) was calculated to engender conflict.

Adullamite said...

Men who have fought in such wars usually cannot talk about it to anyone, except those who endured the same!
This is not just because they don't wish to talk, nor that the sights were so bad,it is just that you and I cannot understand what they went through!
Most of course were young, often 18 or 19, and at that age it is difficult to cope with what they saw, did, or went through.
Hitler had no consideration for others, and he had no care for the sufferings he brought into this world.