I Love History
June 6th today; the anniversary of the D Day landings when 21,400 Canadians, 61,715 British troops and 73,000 US troops landed on five beaches in Normandy, backed by the guns of the Royal and allied navies.
Twelve allied nations were involved in the landings, including France, Norway, Poland, Rhodesia, Australia and New Zealand.
Eventual success was helped by a Soviet attack , operation BAGRATION, which restricted the number of reinforcements the Germans could use in France.
One of the first ashore of Lord Lovat who led a troop of Royal Marine Commandos and reached Pegasus Bridge which the 6th Airborne Division had captured early that morning. Lord Lovat was a veteran of many commando raids and the Dieppe Raid. Ignoring War Office orders, he had his personal piper when he landed. When the piper mentioned regulations, Lord Lovat laughed. "That's the English War Office" he said. "We're Scots. It doesn't apply to us."
Churchill thought him the most handsome man ever to cut a throat.
Twelve allied nations were involved in the landings, including France, Norway, Poland, Rhodesia, Australia and New Zealand.
Eventual success was helped by a Soviet attack , operation BAGRATION, which restricted the number of reinforcements the Germans could use in France.
One of the first ashore of Lord Lovat who led a troop of Royal Marine Commandos and reached Pegasus Bridge which the 6th Airborne Division had captured early that morning. Lord Lovat was a veteran of many commando raids and the Dieppe Raid. Ignoring War Office orders, he had his personal piper when he landed. When the piper mentioned regulations, Lord Lovat laughed. "That's the English War Office" he said. "We're Scots. It doesn't apply to us."
Churchill thought him the most handsome man ever to cut a throat.
26-30, F
