D-Day 70th Anniversary

[Natalka]

On June 6, 1944, some 150,000 U.S., British and Canadian troops stormed an 80-kilometre stretch of beaches along the French channel coast to attack hundreds of Nazi troops in concrete fortified gun positions.

Nineteen world leaders, including Prime Minister Stephen Harper, have gathered in Normandy for Friday's ceremony to honour the troops and civilians who died on D-Day and during subsequent battles.


At least 4,400 Allied troops, including 359 Canadians, died the first day. Canada's D-Day tribute to the fallen Canadians was unveiled Thursday at the Juno Beach Centre. It is comprised of 359 maple tribute markers.


Harper said in a written statement that it was an honour and privilege to be in France on the anniversary of D-Day.
"It is difficult to understand the courage it took to advance through minefields and barbed wire under fire from mortars and machine-guns in order to punch through Hitler’s Atlantic Wall; and yet that is exactly what many Canadians did," Harper said.


"It is a source of enormous national pride that Canadians played such a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the D-Day landings, one of the greatest battles of the Second World War and a turning point in the world’s history."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/d-day-7...ideo-1.2666978

Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning,
We will remember them.

-

[Natalka]

Queen meeting veterans at the Legion's Service of Remembrance at Bayeux Cathedral

[Natalka]

Prime Minister Stephen Harper stands in front of the cenotaph in the Canadian military cemetery in Beny-sur-Mer, France.

Mr. Harper led a wreath-laying at Beny-sur-Mer war cemetery, the resting place of more than 2,000 Canadian soldiers killed during the early stages of the Norman invasion. The site is ringed by pines, maple tree and hedges and those buried here include nine pairs of brothers – the most of any Second World War cemetery.

“It is difficult to understand the courage it took to advance through minefields and barbed wire under fire from mortars and machine guns in order to punch through Hitler’s Atlantic Wall; and yet that is exactly what many Canadians did,” the prime minister said in a statement.
“It must be said that they received valiant support from the Royal Canadian Air Force airmen who helped take control of the skies over the beachhead, from members of the Royal Canadian Navy who rained fire on enemy defences, and from other Canadian soldiers who parachuted behind enemy lines to engage German strongholds.”


Later on Friday afternoon Mr. Harper joins international dignitaries including Queen Elizabeth II and Russia’s Vladimir Putin and U.S. President Barack Obama at Sword Beach, the stretch of coastline seized by the British on D-Day.


Finally, he leads a Canadian ceremony at Juno Beach, near Courseulles-sur-Mer, part of an eight-km shoreline where Canada established a beachhead on June 6, 1944.


More than 100 Canadian veterans are attending the Canadian-specific commemorative ceremony at Juno Beach.


“It is a source of enormous national pride that Canadians played such a pivotal role in ensuring the success of the D-Day landings, one of the greatest battles of the Second World War and a turning point in the world’s history,” Mr. Harper said in a statement.


“We are also deeply humbled by the enormous sacrifices made by our fellow citizens, who with grim determination, stood shoulder-to-shoulder with like-minded allies to fight evil.”

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/...ticle19039624/

[Natalka]

Jessica Graves of Brampton, Ont., is embraced by Queens Own Rifles of Canada Association former president Brian Budden after scattering the ashes of her late grandfather, Canadian sniper William (Boots) Bettridge, on the beach where he landed on D-Day in Bernières-sur-Mer.


A local villager shows a Canadian army helmet, which he had found in his garden, to a Canadian army ex-serviceman in Bernières-sur-Mer.


Family members of Canadian D-Day veterans, serving soldiers and local citizens attend a ceremony outside Queens Own Rifles of Canada House in Bernières-sur-Mer.

[Natalka]

14000 Canadians landed on French shores during the #Overlord operation.

[Natalka]

The Honourable Julian Fantino, Minister of Veterans Affairs, (Thursday) joined Second World War veterans and students at the Juno Beach Centre to inaugurate Canada’s D-Day Tribute: a sprawling installation made up of 359 maple tribute markers (one for every fallen Canadian killed in action on June 6, 1944) mounted on France’s Juno Beach in honour of the 70th anniversary of D-Day and the Battle of Normandy.

Hundreds of Canadians from all across Canada honoured servicemen from their communities by sponsoring tribute markers in their name. This powerful visual representation of one of the most pivotal offensives of the war helps a new generation understand Canada’s sacrifice at Juno Beach and reinforces the links that exist between Canadians and the people of Normandy.





http://www.junobeach.org/inauguratio...-dday-tribute/

[Darth Penguin]

British War Vet goes AWOL from care hme for D-Day Landings.

An 89-year-old second world war veteran reported missing from a nursing home has been found in France, marking the anniversary of the D-day landings.
Bernard Jordan, who left The Pines care home in Furze Hill, Hove, wearing his war medals, contacted the home and said his friends were going to make sure he got back safely when the commemorations end.
Sussex Police were called on Thursday evening by nursing home staff who said Jordan had gone out at 10.30am and had not been seen since.
He had gone out wearing a grey mac and a jacket underneath with his war medals on, police said.
Officers began searching the area, including checking hospitals, and spoke to bus and taxi companies, but none of them knew where he was.
The nursing home received a phone call from a younger veteran from Brighton at 10.30pm who said he had met Jordan on a coach on the way to France and that they were safe and well in a hotel in Ouistreham.

[Darth Penguin]

89 YO Vet parachutes into Normandy

I can't find the video where Mr Hutton says that it was easier this time as he wasn't being shot at..

[madchives]

thanks nat and darth one,
surprised no one else posted but,,then again i was caught up with d-day tv myself so,,,
always such a sad and yet proud remembrance.

found this which also has a video, but not one of bernard hutton, (couldn't find one either)
what a interesting time he must have had going back, odd no one knew.
does have a vid of jim martin, parachuting though.
thinking you and i got the 2 guys mixed up darth.

you may have to refresh page to see it, not sure why but a lot of british newspapers
can be difficult, - the vid is about halfway down the page

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-landings.html

[madchives]

even though the cbc's budget is almost non-existent, they were brilliant

http://www.cbc.ca/news2/interactives...e/desktop.html

[Darth Penguin]

thanks nat and darth one,
surprised no one else posted but,,then again i was caught up with d-day tv myself so,,,
always such a sad and yet proud remembrance.

found this which also has a video, but not one of bernard hutton, (couldn't find one either)
what a interesting time he must have had going back, odd no one knew.
does have a vid of jim martin, parachuting though.
thinking you and i got the 2 guys mixed up darth.

you may have to refresh page to see it, not sure why but a lot of british newspapers
can be difficult, - the vid is about halfway down the page

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti...-landings.html

THank you, madchives. I must hjave got confused over the 2 men.

My apologies to Mr Martin. And thanks for your service.

[ticul]

Thank you Natalka and Darth Penguin. Good information and very interesting. Like it was mention "a sad and yet proud remembrance."

Thank you so much for sharing this great brag.........

[gryphon]

My granduncle took part in the D Day invasion. He was a medic for the army. At one point he tripped and a soldier right behind him was hit by a bullet and died. He saw death and war and lived through it all.