What Did Your Dad Do In The War?

This was one of the favourite questions in my 1950s Junior School playground. Each boy would extol the imagined heroic actions of their father, trying to outdo the other boys.  I knew that my father fought in France and Germany but nothing more.  

Missed Opportunity

Then on June 6 1964 whilst watching a D-Day commemoration programme on TV, my dad said “I landed on Love Beach”.  He said nothing more and I, foolishly, I did not question him. After he passed away in 1980 his deed box was returned from his bank and inside was his collection of war medals, which my brothers and I had never seen.

Invading Normandy (Again!)

So, sixty years after my father’s revelation, Mary and I were on a coach to find my father’s landing beach and to join in the 80th D-Day Commemorations. Ledger Holidays had a convoy of eighteen coaches travelling to Normandy, a mini-invasion in itself.

After breakfast on the June 5 we met a ninety-eight year old veteran, who was resplendent in his military uniform, standing stock upright while he waited for his son to take him to his coach.  Over the next few days his son became increasingly exasperated at all the attention and admiration his father was getting!

Mystery Solved

We visited the Canadian war cemetery where Prince William was to visit on the following day. Then on to Juno Beach where we saw one of the original seaside villas that acted as an aiming point for the Canadian landing craft on D-Day
I knew that Love Beach was a section of Juno Beach, and I asked our guide why my father would have landed on the Canadian section. She said that Love Beach was designated for landing heavy equipment, and as my father was bringing ashore a mobile vehicle maintenance workshop that would explain the reason.

So, at last I had found the beach my father had stepped upon almost eighty years before. It was a very moving moment.

VIP Priority

We were up at 5.30 a.m. on D-Day June 6 for an early start as security would be very tight, due to the presence in Normandy of President Biden, King Charles and President Macron.  We had to travel from Ouistreham to Bayeux for a ceremony at the Bayeux British War Cemetery.  This involved a long detour around Caen, which had been completely closed off with roadblocks on apparently every access road to the city.  There was to be a “Heads of State” meeting there in the afternoon.  

We went through a number of roadblocks and had a police motorcycle escort for a time.

All So Emotional

I felt very proud to be wearing my father’s war medals as we took our seats at the commemoration service.  In front of us was a row of French dignitaries, to our left a class of French schoolchildren and then a number of veterans proudly displaying their medals. 

It was very emotional as a 103-year-old veteran stood up to take the salute during the two minutes silence.
There was a military band, a Welsh Male Voice Choir, a squad of Gurkhas and a wonderful opera singer singing ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’.  And then the Red Arrows flew overhead.

It was a wonderful, very moving event. On our return our coach was held up to allow President Biden’s fourteen car motorcade (including an ambulance) to pass.

They gave their today ..

On the last day we visited the recently opened British Normandy Memorial overlooking Gold Beach. On the pillars of the memorial are inscribed the names of every one of the 22,000 British Soldiers killed during the three months of the Normandy Campaign. In a flower meadow in front of the memorial is an art installation of 1475 silhouettes each one representing a serviceman under British command killed on D-Day June 6 1944.

The whole area of the invasion beaches was thronged with people. In Arromanches there was a Scottish Pipe Band, a Welsh Choir and a British Police Choir, and banners and flags flying from almost every building. 

There were many flypasts along the beach and dozens of WW2 Jeeps and old Khaki painted British motor bikes with riders in military uniform.  Hanging from ever other lamppost was a poster showing a wartime serviceman with his name and unit. 

There was so much enthusiasm for this commemoration that I am sure the sacrifice of so many will be long remembered.
By Stephen King