D-Day Anniversary ....

[The Bread Guy]

..... #68 coming tomorrow:

Prime Minister Stephen Harper issued the following statement today to mark the 68th anniversary of D-Day:

“Tomorrow we mark the 68th anniversary of D-Day, the allied invasion of Normandy that marked the beginning of the march toward the liberation of Europe.

“On the morning of June 6, 1944, over 150,000 members of Allied forces from Canada, the United States, Great Britain, Free France and Poland landed on the northern coast of France with one goal in mind: to break Nazi Germany’s stranglehold on the continent.

“With great courage and determination, 25,000 members of the Canadian military took part in the largest amphibious assault the world has ever witnessed, playing a major role in the mission’s success. The seizing of Juno Beach would become one of Canada’s most renowned military victories and was a key part in one of the greatest battles of the Second World War.

“As we mark this anniversary, we commemorate the thousands of brave and selfless Canadians – heroes one and all – who fought so tirelessly, and we pay tribute to those soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice.

“This day also affords us an opportunity to thank the members of the Canadian Armed Forces who continue to serve with great pride and distinction around the world in areas including Afghanistan, as well as their families who support them. Let us also reflect upon the great sacrifices they make every day to defend and uphold our most cherished values of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law.

“On behalf of all Canadians, I wish to express our most sincere and heartfelt thanks to all our Veterans. Through their valour, courage and selflessness, they have helped forge our place in the history books and shape our great country.

“Lest we forget.”

PMO Info-machine, 5 Jun 12

 

[2 Cdo]

the allied invasion of Normandy that marked the beginning of the march toward the liberation of Europe.

I guess all those troops fighting in Italy were not liberating Europe. :

 

[The Bread Guy]

I guess all those troops fighting in Italy were not liberating Europe. :

Guess that's why some called them "the D-Day Dodgers":

.... Reference to a "D-Day Dodger" was bitingly sarcastic, given the steady stream of allied service personnel who were being killed or wounded in combat on the Italian front. A "Dodger" is someone who avoids something; the soldiers in Italy felt that their sacrifices were being ignored after the invasion of Normandy, and a "D-Day Dodger" was thus a reference to someone who was supposedly avoiding real combat by serving in Italy ....

Seriously, a good point you raise - maybe we'll see something similar on July 10th to remember the 69th anniversary of the invasion of Sicily or September 3rd as the 69th anniversary of the invasion of Italy proper (hint, hint Government of Canada Info-machine).

 

[2 Cdo]

My grandfather fought all through Italy and never "celebrated" the D-Day anniversary for the rest of his life.

 

[Timmy!]

I think it's kind of different that the Government choices what battles to remember and make a statement about. Yes, D-Day was a huge operation. But it was a stepping stone to the path of victory. If the Government was to remember all the battles and conflicts the Canadians were in, these messages would be pretty much nonstop. Shows how much Canadian service members been in and out of harms way. And 2 Cdo, you and your old man should be proud. He sign the dotted line. He didn't know where he was going. Every "baby step" was a step to victory. I thank you, your grandfather for his service.

Regards,
Macey

 

[hagan_91]

Italy was just as hard if not harder to liberate then western europe.  Why it doesnt get as much regonition is beyond me. 

 

[Old Sweat]

Italy was just as hard if not harder to liberate then western europe.  Why it doesnt get as much regonition is beyond me. 

I debated with myself, and lost, for quite a while about responding to this post. Italy was a long, bloody slogging match, but it was not one of the main campaigns. Italy, like East Africa, North Africa, Burma and the fighting in the SW Pacific Area (New Guinea, Borneo and the Philipines), was important in that it tied down considerable enemy forces and took the war to the enemy when there was not much else we could do. The Western Allies had to invade the main European land mass to drive into Germany and destroy Nazism by forcing an unconditional surrender in conjuction with the USSR. It was the main Allied effort in Europe and D Day was one of the decisive events of the war along with Midway and Stalingrad.

Is it fair to the memory of those that fought in the other theatres? No, it is not, but if we are going to remember a few events, D Day ranks near the top. Just as when we remember the Great War Vimy Ridge takes first place in our hearts, but in the overall scheme of things it ranks behind Second Ypres and the 100 Days.

That, at least, is my opinion. 

edit to add: The Battle of the Atlantic must also stand among the decisive campaigns.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Here's the Veterans Affairs Minister's contribution to remembering:

On June 6, 1944, Allied troops stormed enemy defences on the beaches of Normandy. The Canadians were among the first into action and, against terrible odds, they fought their way onto Juno Beach. Those soldiers fought bravely for democracy, peace and justice.

Historically, D-Day is considered a turning point in the Second World War. Sixty-eight years ago, Canadian forces from land, air and sea branches, along with members of Canada’s Merchant Navy, came together in the defence of freedom. The success achieved in Normandy paved the way to victory in Europe on May 8, 1945.

The Canadian triumph on D-Day and during the Battle of Normandy was not without sacrifice as Canadians suffered the most casualties of any division in the British Army Group. As we know, freedom comes with a price. Of the more than 90,000 Canadians who served in the Battle of Normandy, more than 5,000 would give their lives.

We remember those who served and the sacrifices made by Canadians in making our country what it is today. We reflect on the legacy we have inherited. Canada remembers D-Day and the Battle of Normandy. Lest we forget.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Were my sons to rate the Veterans Affairs Minister's performance, I think they would call: Fail!

The minimal respect for those he is supposed to represent, the Veterans, requires that he gets his vocab right. None of the WWII Vets consider that they served in something that could be called  a "branch" of an entity known somehow as "Canadian forces". They proudly served as Canadian Seaman, Soldiers and Airmen but each within his own separate "Service" (the RCN, Canadian Army or the RCAF). There was no unified "whole" during that war, nor any general reference to all three services as somehow being all the" forces" of Canada. The Minister of Defence (I should say Ministers as we'll see soon) did oversee a Department of National Defence, but it was a civilian department, like all others, there to support the Minister in his administration of the three distinct and separate services. The Department also served as the Aegis for numerous "coordinating" comitees composed of people from the three services. I mentioned Ministers of Defence earlier because, in fact, during the war there were two: The office of Minister of  Defence for the Naval Services was reinstituted to deal specifically with the two Naval Services: the RCN and the Merchant Navy.

It is just MHO, but I think you disrespect the Veterans if you try to make them fit into an organization they never knew nor served in.

 

[Sigs Pig]

Did a quick search.

Here is something I thought interesting and entertaining, coming from CBC Music.

The D-Day Dodgers

ME

 

[Rifleman62]

Oldgateboatdriver

Ministers don't write their speeches, bureaucrats do. Neither know nor care about history. They are delivering a product to the great unwashed who know even less and care little. It is only the few 100,000 or so with some military experience who will notice and care.

Sixty-eight years ago, my regiment was in the assault wave. On the fifty-fifth anniversary to the hour, I stood on The Royal Winnipeg Rifles beach with two of our Veterans. One was a 21 YOA rifleman, and the other was a 18 YOA Bren gunner. Very emothional. On my desk now I have a sterile container of the sand from that day.

Very shortly after landing, Stan Creaser with Bren, "watched" as his Pl Comd's actions resulted in an MC.

 

[The Bread Guy]

Oldgateboatdriver

Ministers don't write their speeches, bureaucrats do - but Ministers or Ministerial staff (and sometimes higher - PCO and/or PMO) do approve and/or (sometimes edit) text before it's put out to the public ....

FTFY

 

[larry Strong]

Dad was offshore on HMS Tyler providing fire support.

 

[Rifleman62]

Larry, what type ship/your Dad's action station?

milnews.ca

....but Ministers or Ministerial staff (and sometimes higher - PCO and/or PMO) do approve and/or (sometimes edit) text before it's put out to the public ....

And who says they know anything about the nuances of the military (or care)?

 

[The Bread Guy]

milnews.ca
And who says they know anything about the nuances of the military (or care)?

Touché - I can tell you from limited experience that good comms staff (bureaucrats) do their homework.  Once it leaves their hands, though, admittedly anything can happen ....

 

[larry Strong]

I screwed up it was HMS Tyler he was on, not HMS Tyne

It was a "Buckley" class DE and to the best of my knowledge he served either as the Navigation Officer or the Gunnery Officer

 

[BeyondTheNow]

Always interesting, regardless of the date, of course.  I always find the images accompanying articles like this especially powerful. Some I have seen before, some I haven't.


"They're iconic images which capture the brutal reality of the D-Day landings 69 years ago today...War photographer Robert Capa took these remarkable close-up photos - named The Magnificent Eleven - which show Allied troops in the second wave landing on Omaha beach in Normandy on June 6, 1944.
The Hungarian bravely took 106 photographs while wading through the water just off the French coast, but because of a blunder when processing the film in London, all but 11 of the images were lost.

The images were sent to Life magazine's office in Britain where picture editor John Morris told staff in the dark room to 'rush!' as they did the developing. In their haste, worker Dennis Banks shut the doors on a wooden locker where the film was drying and 95 of the images melted as the negatives were destroyed.

Three whole rolls were lost, and more than half of the fourth.The useless film was tossed in a dustbin that same night and lost forever. There were no other pictures taken from so close to the frontline landings on D-Day so The Magnificent Eleven provide the only enduring images from Normandy.

Capa was aboard a landing ship carrying Company E of 16th Regiment, First Infantry of the US Army which landed on Omaha beach in the early hours of June 6. As machine guns were fired all around him, the troops - and the war photographer - waded towards the beach under heavy enemy fire.  Omaha beach proved to be the worst killing field of the first day of the invasion, with an estimated 3,000 US soldiers killed within a matter of hours. He later wrote in his book, called Slightly out of Focus: 'The men from my barge waded in the water. Waist-deep, with rifles ready to shoot, with the invasion obstacles and the smoking beach in the background gangplank to take my first real picture of the invasion..."


http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2336753/Stunning-shots-Allied-troops-storming-Omaha-Beach-Normandy-war-photographer-Robert-Capa-narrowly-avoided-lost-forever.html

 

[Jacky Tar]

A very heartfelt salute to those who were there and set the standard for us who followed.

 

[Edward Campbell]

Not related to the latest anniversary, but an interesting account of "the Road to D-Day," by noted American military historian Rick Atkinson, is available on the Foreign Affairs web site.

 

[Edward Campbell]

As the 70th anniversary celebrations ramp up, HRH The Prince of Wales lunches with 6th Airborne Division vets at Ranville, France.