75th Anniversary of Operation Overlord - D-DAY

A great article from Mark Steyn:

https://www.steynonline.com/9436/june-6th-1944

This is Southwick House, the house became important during World War II. In 1940 the estate owners allowed the Royal Navy to use the house to accommodate overnight pupils of the Royal Navy School of Navigation, HMS Dryad, a land based building used by The Royal Navy, which was based in Portsmouth Naval Dockyard. In 1941, after heavy bombing of the dockyard, Southwick House was requisitioned and became the new home of HMS Dryad. In 1943, with the planning for D-Day already underway, the house was chosen to be the location of the advance command post of the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force. Because of this, HMS Dryad was moved out of the house onto further land requisitioned from the estate. In 1944, in the months leading up to D-Day, the house became the headquarters of the main allied commanders, including Allied Supreme Commander General Eisenhower, Naval Commander-in-Chief Admiral Ramsay and Army Commander-in-Chief General Montgomery.

The large wall maps that were used in planning D-Day are still in place in the house, with the various markers showing the positions of the involved forces at the moment the first landing commenced.

For those unfamiliar with Britspeak. we pronounce Southwick as Suthick, don't ask, I can't explain.
Southwick revival is held every year, but always a week after D-Day so as not to clash with all the events taking place at Normandie. Here's a few of the vehicles that were there today.

There was a great turnout today, and with all the main events held the previous week it meant that there was no competition, the crowds just kept coming.

And a few more from Normandie:

On a related note, for the D-Day 75 events I was asked to create a soundscape using some of the material in my collection.

Having curated this I thought it would be good to use some of this material for our Harry & Edna on the Wireless radio show. Apart from the beginning when I am explaining the format of the show, the rest of the programme is made up from original news broadcasts,

Hope you enjoy, to listen click on the link below

https://www.mixcloud.com/harryandedna/harry-edna-on-the-wireless-d-day-historical-broadcasts/

My wife and i had the honor of being there for the 60th. When i was about 15 i visited the region when my dad was active duty US Navy.

It is without a doubt one of those places where history reaches from the past to touch the now.

If you get a chance to visit. Please go.

Today, being the D-Day anniversary, has been the quietest ever on our social calendar, such is covid 19 lockdown. I've just finished watching the 1962 film, The Longest Day, sent and received a good number of text messages from friends and re-enactors and that's about it. This evening my wife and I will enjoy a Chinese Takeaway, chill a bottle of Sauvignon blanc, and reflect on all who fell so that I can enjoy life in a relatively free country.
Sorry about my mood, I'm finding house arrest is causing cabin fever, the highlight of my day will be to enjoy our takeaway. But there will be other years, and The Lounge always cheers me up.

My Wife and I watched our copy of The Longest Day last night as well. Ryan's mosaic technique of layered multiple small individual stories to tell a much bigger story translated well from the book to the screen. Ham and Jam.

MisterCairo said:

It would be great to head over, but our year is too full. We hope to get to the UK in 2020 (boy, that sounds weird) and perhaps we can get to Normandy for a visit.

Click to expand...

We are not in fact getting over to the UK this year.

Funny that...