80 years ago....

Mon 10 Jun, 15:47

As young Officers under training in the Commando Training Centre in 1980, we were served by older men who respectfully called us “ sir” and just went about their duties at table or behind the bar. The first formal Mess night these same Mr Tooze,Mr Ireland and others appeared with aircraft-carriers of medals. Mr Ireland had been a coxswain at D Day, Mr Tooze a rating on board a war-ship…humble individuals, ordinary Englishmen just doing what their country had called upon them to do. No fuss, no showboating. No blag, no swagger. Just duty. To such citizen heroes do we owe our freedom. May they rest in Peace.

Sun 9 Jun, 21:45 (last edited on Sun 9 Jun, 22:42)

'Mulberry Harbour' mentioned twice in this thread! Must be something of a record. I am always a little surprised it gets so little mention in the articles published around significant D-Day aniverseries. 

I lived in a village next to a Chichester Harbour and for many weeks leading up to D-Day component parts were being assembled on the shores in the nearby tidal creek. If anyone asked, the developing structures were just referred to as 'pontoons'. Possibly even the workers employed on construction (and one of them lodged with us) didn't know the details of what they were to be used for.

As what we now know as D-Day grew near we even had an armed guard at the end of High St where we lived. Then the 'pontoons' disappeared overnight and D-Day had come. By the afternoon the invasion was in full swing and we sat at our attic window watching the hundreds of aircraft, including the troop carrying gliders passing overhead.

Sun 9 Jun, 21:45

30 years ago, sitting at home in Wychwood Paddocks, I heard the unmistakable sound of a Merlin engine and dashed out into the street to see a Spitfire fly over. My then neighbour, Brian Murphy, a retired Church of Ireland minister (who moved in two weeks after I did back in 1990) also dashed out to see the Spitfire. He then mentioned he was going to the D-Day 50th Celebrations in France the following week. 'What did you do on D-Day Brian ?' I asked, innocently. 'I drove a landing craft', he replied. 

I was stunned into silence.

I take my (virtual) hat off to Brian every time I think of him, and all the other heroes on June 1944. 

Sat 8 Jun, 22:25 (last edited on Sun 9 Jun, 22:17)

My late husband, Eddie was also involved with D-Day.  He flew his Spitfire from Portland Bill over the English Channel to ensure the safe passage of ships to France.  He also saw the Mulberry harbours being towed across but it was later that he discovered what the mysterious structures were.

Sat 8 Jun, 22:01

What a lovely tale Rod. Special memories for your mum,  and for you.

Sat 8 Jun, 16:53

Not ‘strictly Charlbury’ but think you might like it….

 About 20 years ago my late wife and I took our then early teen children on holiday to Normandy.  This included of course visits to the beaches – and the then recently opened - and excellent - Peace Museum. 

 Recounting our trip shortly afterwards over a family lunch, especially an account of the 2 Mulberry harbours, my mother – who’d become a radiographer in Exeter during the war - suddenly said “well I saw them”. 

 “Oh” I said, “I didn’t know you’d visited, Mum”.  “No, I mean I saw them.  At the time.”

And then 60 or so years rolled away as she recounted, with a slightly embarrassed smile and for the first time to us, how she’d been ‘friends’ with a US army Major who had smuggled her, aged 23, aboard a US reconnaissance flight 2 days after D-Day (so exactly 80 years ago today) and had flown over the beaches and seen everything.

 We sat in stunned silence for a few moments until one of us said ‘well jolly glad you got back Mum!”  I can only add that my older brother wasn’t born till some years later and none of us have American accents!

 But I’ll bet there’s some other tales of the time among Charlbury folk, though many of course without such a happy ending….