About 7 a.m., my mother woke me up, saying "The invasion has started." I was 12 years old, nearly 13. Although our small family in Fayetteville, Tennessee, USA, did not have anyone in the armed services, we closely followed the war news on the radio and in the newspapers. My father, the only veterinarian in Lincoln County, was a veteran of World War I. This time he did his part by keeping the county's dairy cattle healthy and productive. Sadly, he died only six weeks later, at the age of 54. -----Original Message----- >From: Charani <charani.b@gmail.com> >Sent: Jun 6, 2014 6:05 AM >To: Middx <middlesex_county_uk@rootsweb.com> >Subject: [MDX] D-Day anniversary > >Today is the 70th anniversary of D-Day. There are a number of stories >in about what happened. > >Does anyone here have any recollections of events or memories of being >told of them which they are willing to share? > >-- >Charani (UK) >OPC for Walton, Ashcott, Shapwick, >Greinton and Clutton, SOM >http://wsom-opc.org.uk

A good friend of mine, now 88, was serving in the Navy at the time and was on one of the first boats to go on to Gold Beach soon after 7.00am. He was a signaller, and his job was to send a message back to Southampton to tell them what had happened. His landing craft was damaged by an under water mine, but they still managed to land their troops. He himself had no rifle or other weapon, not even a helmet. He says that there was not a lot of shooting where he was. He also tells me that his only food was a biscuit, but that as he had recently had most of his teeth out he was only able to suck it! He was picked up by another vessel later in the morning and returned to Southampton. He has never returned to Normandy, and I doubt that his health will now allow him to. > Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2014 10:29:07 -0500 > From: ccrowley2@earthlink.net > To: middlesex_county_uk@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [MDX] D-Day anniversary > > About 7 a.m., my mother woke me up, saying "The invasion has started." I was 12 years old, nearly 13. Although our small family in Fayetteville, Tennessee, USA, did not have anyone in the armed services, we closely followed the war news on the radio and in the newspapers. My father, the only veterinarian in Lincoln County, was a veteran of World War I. This time he did his part by keeping the county's dairy cattle healthy and productive. Sadly, he died only six weeks later, at the age of 54. > > > -----Original Message----- >>From: Charani <charani.b@gmail.com> >>Sent: Jun 6, 2014 6:05 AM >>To: Middx <middlesex_county_uk@rootsweb.com> >>Subject: [MDX] D-Day anniversary >> >>Today is the 70th anniversary of D-Day. There are a number of stories >>in about what happened. >> >>Does anyone here have any recollections of events or memories of being >>told of them which they are willing to share? >> >>-- >>Charani (UK) >>OPC for Walton, Ashcott, Shapwick, >>Greinton and Clutton, SOM >>http://wsom-opc.org.uk > > . > ************************************** > Send your List messages using *PLAIN TEXT* and always *DELETE* superfluous old messages in replies. Only include the one to which you are replying. > > *MEANINGFUL Subject Lines* ie who, what, where, when, with SURNAMES in CAPITAL letters. > > List Admin can be contacted at: Middlesex_County_UK-admin@rootsweb.com > > The archives can be found at: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index?list=middlesex_county_uk > > . > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MIDDLESEX_COUNTY_UK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

My Dad never wanted to talk about 'his' war. But I thought you might be interested to read about a bit of his history. Dad was a pall bearer to Winston Churchill at (Blaydon?) in Oxfordshire. As a member of the (then) Queen's Royal Irish Hussars it must have been a huge honour to be picked for this duty. On the day, just as they had laid Winston in his grave my Dad's medals cane away from his uniform, and, landing on the coffin, made an enduring dent in the plaque! I now have those medals and a letter from the then Colonel attesting to this. I've never read about this in any historical items though. Hope this 'factoid' is of interest and it's OK to post it. Regards, Martin -----Original Message----- From: middlesex_county_uk-bounces@rootsweb.com [mailto:middlesex_county_uk-bounces@rootsweb.com] On Behalf Of Lawrence Pearse Sent: 06 June 2014 19:38 To: carolyn crowley; Middlesex List Subject: Re: [MDX] D-Day anniversary A good friend of mine, now 88, was serving in the Navy at the time and was on one of the first boats to go on to Gold Beach soon after 7.00am. He was a signaller, and his job was to send a message back to Southampton to tell them what had happened. His landing craft was damaged by an under water mine, but they still managed to land their troops. He himself had no rifle or other weapon, not even a helmet. He says that there was not a lot of shooting where he was. He also tells me that his only food was a biscuit, but that as he had recently had most of his teeth out he was only able to suck it! He was picked up by another vessel later in the morning and returned to Southampton. He has never returned to Normandy, and I doubt that his health will now allow him to. > Date: Fri, 6 Jun 2014 10:29:07 -0500 > From: ccrowley2@earthlink.net > To: middlesex_county_uk@rootsweb.com > Subject: Re: [MDX] D-Day anniversary > > About 7 a.m., my mother woke me up, saying "The invasion has started." I was 12 years old, nearly 13. Although our small family in Fayetteville, Tennessee, USA, did not have anyone in the armed services, we closely followed the war news on the radio and in the newspapers. My father, the only veterinarian in Lincoln County, was a veteran of World War I. This time he did his part by keeping the county's dairy cattle healthy and productive. Sadly, he died only six weeks later, at the age of 54. > > > -----Original Message----- >>From: Charani <charani.b@gmail.com> >>Sent: Jun 6, 2014 6:05 AM >>To: Middx <middlesex_county_uk@rootsweb.com> >>Subject: [MDX] D-Day anniversary >> >>Today is the 70th anniversary of D-Day. There are a number of stories >>in about what happened. >> >>Does anyone here have any recollections of events or memories of being >>told of them which they are willing to share? >> >>-- >>Charani (UK) >>OPC for Walton, Ashcott, Shapwick, >>Greinton and Clutton, SOM >>http://wsom-opc.org.uk > > . > ************************************** > Send your List messages using *PLAIN TEXT* and always *DELETE* superfluous old messages in replies. Only include the one to which you are replying. > > *MEANINGFUL Subject Lines* ie who, what, where, when, with SURNAMES in CAPITAL letters. > > List Admin can be contacted at: Middlesex_County_UK-admin@rootsweb.com > > The archives can be found at: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index?list=middlesex_county_uk > > . > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MIDDLESEX_COUNTY_UK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message . ************************************** Send your List messages using *PLAIN TEXT* and always *DELETE* superfluous old messages in replies. Only include the one to which you are replying. *MEANINGFUL Subject Lines* ie who, what, where, when, with SURNAMES in CAPITAL letters. List Admin can be contacted at: Middlesex_County_UK-admin@rootsweb.com The archives can be found at: http://archiver.rootsweb.ancestry.com/th/index?list=middlesex_county_uk . ------------------------------- To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MIDDLESEX_COUNTY_UK-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message

On the 6th June 1944 my father in law Tom HURST was on the HMS Ramillies, which was in support of Sword beach, he joined her in April 1944 They laid fire on the Berneville Battery knocking out four of the six 6" guns, later silencing the other two During the Ramillies Normandy engagement she fired 1,002 15" shells said to be a record bombardment by any ship of the time Outside the Imperial War Museum are two huge 15" guns, one from the Ramillies, the other from another Normandy veteran, HMS Roberts He was also on the Ramillies when she gave fire support during the invasion of Southern France in August 1944 He served on various ships in his time in the Navy 1943 to 1947 He said virtually nothing of his war service to his wife and daughters, he did relate a little to me over time I was listening to the radio tonight and a veteran came on who was also on the Ramillies during D Day, although she had a crew of 900+ its a small world considering how many survivors there must be now Nivard Ovington in Cornwall (UK)

I was at school in the New Forest and we were in the middle of various troop units massing for the departure. I recall the British troops, who had experience of fighting, as stoical and even anxious to get on with it, even though they knew what to expect. But there were Americans too, callow lads with no battle experience, inclined to boast about what they were going do do when they got over there - ironic as many of them had German names. They really upset the British Army men who had been there, done that. But when it got closer to the Day (which was a fairly well leaked secret), they tended to panic and some were send to use part of the school for what I presume was a psychological briefing on the 'pull your socks up' lines. I think it was the first time I had heard adult men crying (if the early 20s is adult for males) I daresay the talking to took effect, since they seem to have pulled their weight bravely enough, once in France. In my class was Malcolm, the son of Donald (later Sir Donald) Bailey, the genius who designed the Bailey Bridge. It was tried out in Africa and came into great use on D-Day. ( I am inclined to picture the 'Bridge over troubled waters' as a Bailey Bridge.). One of my cousins was killed then (another on the Arnhem raid, where he got a military Medal) \ We saw them about a fortnight before they left (individually) and both promised they would bring back a souvenir for Granny - and she said 'just bring yourselves safely', which sadly they didn't. We used to knit 'comforts' in incredibly stiff wool substitute, which was rough on the fingers and couldn't have been exactly comfortable to the skin Turned me against knitting for life. It was something to do though in the 'shelters', which were actually corridors protected by blast proof walls over all windows, which made them rather murky by day. We also collected aluminium foil to make ammunition - I am not exactly sure of the mechanics of that; and beech mast for the pigs -easy to see the end result there; and took turns helping nurses at the military hospitals/convalescent places, but even there, the injured didn't complain or tell stories of their adventures., beyond 'I must have dropped my lighter over there'. EVE > >>Today is the 70th anniversary of D-Day. There are a number of stories > >>in about what happened. > >> > >>Does anyone here have any recollections of events or memories of being > >>told of them which they are willing to share? Author of The McLaughlin Guides for Family Historians Secretary, Bucks Genealogical Society