6th June 1944

[Lenny Rider]

Whilst we all have busy lives I hope we can all take time today to remember all those brave young lads, some of them in their teens, who landed on those beaches at Normandy 68 years ago today, fighting for our freedom but who sadly never made it back.

 

[sydney]

im with you here mate ........my dad was dropped by parachute into anaheim(spell) on a "wild raid" ...he made it back and the fuckers dropped him in again........he was irish you see.....thats why i get a bit shirty with the precious plonkers going on about jews/nazis/facsists,we really don't have a clue what it was like back then and we never will because we fight differently now......respect to the fallen ....!!!!

 

[Lady Whistledown]

im with you here mate ........my dad was dropped by parachute into anaheim(spell) on a "wild raid" ...he made it back and the fuckers dropped him in again........he was irish you see.....thats why i get a bit shirty with the precious plonkers going on about jews/nazis/facsists,we really don't have a clue what it was like back then and we never will because we fight differently now......respect to the fallen ....!!!!

Arnhem?

 

[sydney]

globetrotters...?

 

[ifuhatepalacestandup]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=smRu6bwPTKE&feature=related
lest we forget

 

[Lady Whistledown]

globetrotters...?

That was Harlem. Though there is also a Haarlem in Holland, maybe he parachuted in there too?

 

[User removed 4]

good call mate, remember the fallen.

 

[BensGrandad]

I wonder if Meridian will pick up on the date they may do if it mentioned that troops left from Portsmouth or Southampton.

 

[pastafarian]

good call
i find it one of the most interesting areas you could possibly visit especially when you can get the chance to run into a veteran with a great story to tell,sadly that seems to be becoming harder and harder to occur.

 

[sydney]

That was Harlem. Though there is also a Haarlem in Holland, maybe he parachuted in there too?

where's curly.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

All along the coast boats left from the West Country to Dover...Newhaven...Newhaven was also used in the infamous Dieppe raid previous to D-Day....many young Canadians were lost on that....D-Day,I was 5 years 3 months old so did'nt know too much about it but do remember the boats and the continual drone of aircraft heading out towards France.

 

[Lenny Rider]

Nigel Erskines(Little Nige) Dad John was in one of the landing craft, he used to well up when talkling about it, they were all young lads 18-22, and by the time they reached the beach a third of them had been picked off by the German guns. At his request Nige later took his ashes back to the beach so he could finally rest where his mates had fallen.

 

[glasfryn]

good young men died for us and kept us a free nation an anniversary to remember especially as it was 29 years ago today my old mum died
RIP all

 

[Lincoln Imp]

One of the Albion's longest-serving supporters, Percy Williams, spent the first part of the war as "the Private Pyke of Portslade" but by June 1944 he was crossing the Channel. He arrived on the Normandy beaches and stayed with the battle all the way to the surrender of the Germans on Luneberg Heath. After seeing out the Goldstone, many trips to Gillingham and a full 12 years at Withdean he bought a West Stand Lower season ticket at the Amex and barely missed a game until the start of this year.

He died in February, over 80 years after he first walked along the Old Shoreham Road with the other lads and lasses.

His funeral at Seaford was standing room only, and the Albion was represented by Dick Knight, and others including Mary Emery, the only person to have started supporting the club before Percy did.