As I sit here and reflect on the upcoming D-Day celebrations of its 80th anniversary, or, as my dad used to tell me, Operation Neptune, I realise that what a lot of people didn’t know about my dad was that he was proud of his forces background and would tell me many stories of critical times in our history and heritage that were turning points that made Britain the place it was.
The main catalyst was On June 6th, 1944, Operation Neptune took flight with both landings and Airbourne support. It was the largest Seabourne invasion in history to help the liberation of France.
It was a coordination of close to 25,000 troops from three countries: Britain, America, and Canada, all working together for the greater good.
The Normandy coast was broken into five sectors to make it easier to co-ordinate they were
- Utah
- Omaha
- Gold
- Juno
- Sword
Even against the odds and under heavy fire, the men pushed forward for the greater good with mass casualties.
The names given to many of these plans are funny, with Operation Overlord establishing a large-scale defence of the shore to allow the troops to land for the “Battle of Normandy.” Which had been infiltrating for months on the run-up to the June 6th (D_DAY)
All these battles were part of Operation Bodyguard’s parent plan, including a few deception plans to distract Germany’s attention and allow the succession of the larger mission.
It is that leadership that is needed now in Britain. People need to put their egos aside, join in UNITY to overcome a battle of a different kind on our shores and step aside for the greater good.
What we must not forget, though, is the sacrifices and these stories that are being lost through the generations as we lose our great veterans through age and illness, and we must do our best not to forget these sacrifices and learn from past mistakes.
I am more disappointed when I speak to young people about how our history is not taught in schools. How can we change our future if we do not know our past?
