65 Years Ago

[Gate Master]

Dear All,
As we approach the 6th June it will be 65 years since the world saw the largest invasion ever staged. Over one hundred and fifty thousand men, thousands of aircraft and ships all intent on creating a second front.
The weather at that time was pretty attrocious unlike today and the landings were postponed leaving everthing bottled up until a brief respite resulted in a Go Go Go.

ML407 was there in the capable hands of Johnny Houlton and as we all know was credited with the first enemy aircraft to be shot down on that day.

We must remember all those brave men who took part, many survived and many did not.

Today 65 years on there are still many veterans who will remember the events of that day any the advance into Europe.

I think of my Father who passed away in February this year who as a Royal Engineer landed on Sword Beach a few days later aged 21.

We will remember them.

Regards
Andy D

[tailwheel]

Indeed we shall Gatemaster...Still great to see ML407 wearing the full set of commemorative stripes ,
Kind regards,
Dave

[cirrus]

     Andy,
     Sorry to hear about your Father,
     and I really respect all this men,
     wonder what Europe was like without them.......?

     Regards,
     Krister.
     


     

[The Dude]

Andy...

65 years ago ...I wasn,t even born...but of what happend then I can tell you now how life is here today.
How we can go on with our lives now because of people like your father.
We remember your father and many, many more. like we did a few weeks ago..and we look after the graves of those who never returned to there homeland.
One day when I,m hopefully at the blessed age of your father... I.m sure that we will still remember than the people who put the fight for our freedom.
It,s all in the past now but it will always be remembered..for generations to come

The Dude
Netherland

[Carolyn Grace]

Andy

I agree with your sentiments and though ML407 is not flying on 6th June this year I always am mindful of what ML407 represents and am humbled by this particularly at an anniversary such as this weekend.

I had the great fortune to have met your father on a number of occasions and he was a true gentleman who carried himself with great pride.  You must miss his dreadfully.

Carolyn

[Gate Master]

Carolyn,
Thank you and yes we do miss him
Andy

[Gate Master]

Andy...

65 years ago ...I wasn,t even born...but of what happend then I can tell you now how life is here today.
How we can go on with our lives now because of people like your father.
We remember your father and many, many more. like we did a few weeks ago..and we look after the graves of those who never returned to there homeland.
One day when I,m hopefully at the blessed age of your father... I.m sure that we will still remember than the people who put the fight for our freedom.
It,s all in the past now but it will always be remembered..for generations to come

The Dude
Netherland

Hi Dude,
I have mentioned this before on the message board but as you live in the Netherlands I can tel you that my Father was billeted with a family in Eindhoven in 1944 and some 20 years ago they were visiting friends in Buren and on the way back they called in and found the road and the house.
Knocking on the door they found the mother now in her late 80's still living there...and she remembered him.....
The family was summoned and a small reunion took place.
This must have been an emotional time for all
Regards
Andy

[The Dude]

Andy

When I was a child my grandmother told me about English pilots that she and my grandfather have been hiding in there house in WW2.
Two Lancaster where shot down above my hometown Brunssum on there way to bomb Aken in Germany.
All crew members where killed and this is how we remember them and many more just a few weeks ago.

regards

The Dude    when I grow up...I want to be a....


















 Cheers Mate...here,s to your Dad!    "Tally Ho!"

[Gate Master]

     Andy,
     Sorry to hear about your Father,
     and I really respect all this men,
     wonder what Europe was like without them.......?

     Regards,
     Krister.

     

     
Krister,
Thanks for that....he did his bit clearing minefields and building bridges and other things.
Andy

[Gate Master]

Dude,
The pictures show how we can remember these brave men and I am always impressed how the cemeteries are so well maintained....

I have had a few bottles of Spitfire beer...Thwaites Brewery do one called Lancaster Bomber which is very nice...
have a look at:   http://www.majestic.co.uk/find/category-is-Beer,+Spirits+and+Soft+Drinks/product-is-28784


Regards
Andy

[Dan]

words can't explain the gratitude that we owe to the men and women that gave their all for what we take so much for granted today

as a young un a did absoilutly nothing i wasted it away , at 18 plus men and women were giving thier lives for a better life not for themselves but for generations to come.

giving thanks to those few is little compared to what they gave us


i thank them all 

[paul b]

Hi Dude,
I have mentioned this before on the message board but as you live in the Netherlands I can tel you that my Father was billeted with a family in Eindhoven in 1944 and some 20 years ago they were visiting friends in Buren and on the way back they called in and found the road and the house.
Knocking on the door they found the mother now in her late 80's still living there...and she remembered him.....
The family was summoned and a small reunion took place.
This must have been an emotional time for all
Regards
Andy

 

                Hello Andy, 

                            That is a lovely story, did your father manage to keep in touch after that.
                             In the late eighties I worked with two gentlemen who'd been involved in D-Day, one of whom used to go back every year to meet up
                             with his old comrades and the French people they'd got to know. 
                             As has already been said, we owe so much to that generation , hopefully future generations will continue to comemerate the sacrifices
                            they made for us all. 

                            Nice pictures dude, thanks for posting. 


                                     Regards  Paul