Post by wildmacrae on Jun 12, 2009 11:35:32 GMT 1
On June the 3rd 2009 I travelled to France for the 65th Normandy landings celebrations, during the following days at various venues I had the privilege to meet several Normandy veterans .I and my companion travelled over 1,000 km in 5 days to several locations in Normandy at Pegasus bridge where I meet Jim Brown whom genoursly printed magazines for veterans week and only asked for a donation to Help the Hero‘s fund . The first man I meet was Mr C Rose at ammo ranches he was with the Royal Scots Fusiliers he told me of the voices he can still hear in his head and he still felt sadness in his heart at the loss of his mates but he was happy to be able to return and visit his friends graves and pay his respects . Another gentleman was a Mr Ted Roberts who was transferred to the Glasgow Highlanders just prior to D-Day and he was delighted to know of the Glasgow Highlanders Association and is looking forward to coming to one of the association meetings and was even more surprised to learn that I was a member of the association . A couple I meet at ammoranches had a very nice sweethearts tale to tell , he was on the beach on D-Day +12 and a landing craft come ashore and the ramp come down to reveal 12 females from the ATC well he was gob smacked to see this and he fell in love with the first lady to come of the landing craft . A old para/commando and his wife had been coming for 55 years stalwarts of the Normandy Association , I then went to Utah landing beaches and I meet a American Soldier Robert Dunn who was with the engineers to build a break water for the supply vessels he was in a wheel chair and I asked him where his medals was he said in the car why are you not wearing them he said the real hero’s who won medals are in the graveyards we had a long talk and after I left he asked his son to go to the car and fetch his medals he did so and he put them on . Another American I meet at Marie Saint Englese was Sgt Manley 101st airborne whom walked over to me and greeted me like a old friend when he seen the glen garry and said I thank all your country men whom all helped liberate Europe from the fascists and I thank you for coming to honour those whom had died from all sides in the line of duty and the gentleman whom he was talking to was a German officer during the war reconciliation at its best once we was enemies now we are friends a true man in every sense of the word. I meet Don Hutchison royal navy on Omaha beach he served with the navy and recalled the 6th of June 1944 and how his ship come along side another ship that was sinking and took on board 2,000 Americans . I also meet a French Man whom was with the marquee and at the age of 16 took 4 SS Soldiers prisoner in 1944 a grand feat indeed for a 16 year old boy . He also told me of his time when he joined the American army and become a paratrooper and he flew in DC47s he always put a dime in a part of the aircraft and a few years back he was taken on board the DC47 at Mare Saint Englase airborne museum and yes it turned out he had flown with the aircraft he found the cent he had placed there many years ago when the DC47 was taken over by the French air force . At the German Cemetery there was Dutch soldiers placing flowers on every grave and it was so nice and peaceful another sign of reconciliation in Europe there was a fresh grave that had been made and ready for a internment the following day of a German soldier found near by during excavations of a German battery which had been located a few years back . In all I count meeting all those men as privileged to meet them and honoured to be in there presence . I am still editing the pictures from 1,600 now down to 700.
Dan
Dan