kev09
2602
6th June 1944
Today is the 80th anniversary of the D Day landings in Normandy and my late father was amongst the many thousands of allied troops who went ashore that morning.
Some years ago I obtained his war service records from the Ministry of Defence and I hope that you will find it interesting if I give some details of his time in the army.
He was conscripted into the army in February 1940 aged 22 and after basic training was posted to the Royal Engineers. In April of that year he took part in the failed Norwegian campaign and in June evacuated by the Royal Navy and returned to England. In May 1942 he was posted to Egypt to join the 8th Army and took part in the North Africa campaign including the battle of El Alamein. In 1943 he took part in the invasion of Sicily and was wounded and hospitalised for a time before being returned to England. He was trained for the Normandy invasion and landed in France 80 years ago today.
He was one of the lucky ones on that day and made it off the beach unscathed and carried on through France, Belgium. Holland and into Germany and the end of the war. He remained in Germany until August 1946 and was finally demobilised and returned home.
His records show he was awarded the following medals: 1939/45 war medal; Defence medal; 1939/45 Star; Africa Star; Italy Star and France and Germany Star. In the final section of his records headed “ Military Conduct” there is just one word - Exemplary. He died in 1982 aged 64.
This is a picture of his watch bought in 1957 and still working and worn by me regularly. The paper is part of his service record.
Regards Kev.
6th June 1944
Today is the 80th anniversary of the D Day landings in Normandy and my late father was amongst the many thousands of allied troops who went ashore that morning. Some years ago I obtained his war service records from the Ministry of Defence and I hope that...
Thank you!
Thanks for sharing the story of your Father and his service during WW2. Incredible courage displayed by many and especially on this day 80 years ago. I am actually in Normandy, in a small town by Juno Beach today and have been here all week visiting many ...
What a great post!
On behalf of your father and of his ilk who fought bravely, lost their lives or seen the horrors of war and continued to create a happy and prosperous land for their children, I’d like to say I acknowledge that we are living this peaceful life thanks to t...
He was part of the greatest generation.
We are all forever indebted to all who fought against the tyranny of that time. Thank you!
Airborne June 1944
Thank you Kev. I have been remembering my own family's WW2 service. My Uncle Jack (younger brother to my father) was an RAF engineer and became a POW in Changi 1942 to 1945. Jack survived working on the infamous Burma railway and as a very young child I r...
Thank you Clive for your own family memories.
Your uncle and your father were very lucky to survive but thankfully they did. Brave men both of them, your mother too. My mother worked throughout the war working at the AVRO factory near Leeds making Lancaster and Anson bombers. What a generation they w...
Hello Clive!! Thank you so much for sharing these …
… memories from your family . Let’s honor these Brave men and women today and always and never forget their sacrifices. Best cordial regards Abel
Wonderful story and very poignant …
Thank you for posting and sharing this personal story with us. My own family members served during the first and second World Wars, one landed in France on D Day.
Interesting to know about your family participation…
… both Wars and D Day!! Let’s honor them today and always my dear friend! Best cordial regards Abel
A true story told.
Very interesting, part of the history and it was just like what I saw in one of the well directed war movies. Thanks for sharing.
Hello Kev! I felt deeply touched reading your post. Your Dad was…
… a true Hero and Brave man. You must be very proud! I thank you so much for sharing his record. I visited a few of the landing beaches in France some years ago and felt a deep emotion imagining what had happened in those places on that June 6. So many so...
Abel, thank you very much for your lovely comments.
I was very pleased to pay my personal tribute to all those men on that day through my father’s Service details. Regards Kev.
They were heroes . . .
. . . all. Angelos Chatas was a USN frogman at Omaha Beach on June 6th, 1944. I had the privilege of knowing him many years ago. There's a stele commemorating him and his teammates near Ste. Marie du Mont. Twenty three years after D-Day he was my Dad's bo...
Thank you for those pictures.
What a generation of men and women they were! Regards Kev.