Thought For the Day – Thursday 6^th June 2024

The photograph above is called “Taxis to Hell – and Back – Into the Jaws of Death” and was taken by Robert F. Sargent, CPhoM, USCG.  The original caption reads:  “American invaders spring from the ramp of a Coast Guard-manned landing barge to wade those last perilous yards to the beach of Normandy. Enemy fire will cut some of them down.”

Today, 6th June, marks the 80th anniversary of the “D-Day”, or Normandy, landings, the largest ever seaborne invasion.

Veterans, survivors, supporters and global leaders have gathered in France for commemorations that began yesterday.  Yesterday, King Charles, receiving treatment for cancer, was determined to honour D-Day, working towards this day in his treatment, speaking in Portsmouth and meeting veterans. Political campaigning, rightly pauses today to remember something that was so essential to the continuation of democracy.  This evening, in Bishop’s Stortford Castle Park, there will be a very important, enjoyable, moving and respectful event. You are very welcome to attend, in consultation with your carers and parents, ensuring you are safely collected.  Please let us know if you are attending. Details are below.  Two students of TBSHS will be reading.

What was D-Day and why was and is D-Day important?

The term D-Day is used by the Armed Forces to refer to the beginning of an operation. The “D” actually stands for “Day”. The mission on “D-Day”, was also called “Operation Neptune”. This was the first stage of “Operation Overlord”. Within 11 months, the evil of Nazism would be defeated.

D-Day marked a turning point in the war, after 5 long years of suffering and struggle beyond words in the Second World War. The colossal fightback in Europe against Nazi bullying, fascism,  hate, murder and violence had begun.

D-Day involved 156,000 troops landing on beaches, supported by ships (who gathered at a location in the Channel called Piccadilly Circus) with troops parachuted behind enemy lines. One of those ships, “HMS Belfast”, is today by Tower Bridge in London, where it can be visited. A dramatic reconstruction of the events of D-Day forms the opening to the classic film “Saving Private Ryan”. The first and last scenes were filmed in the tranquil and moving American Cemetery on Omaha Beach.

Normandy, which saw such suffering on D-Day, is beautiful, historic and very moving today.

D-Day saw the UK, US, Canada, France,  Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands,  Greece, New Zealand, Norway, Poland and countries known now as The Czech Republic, Slovakia and Zimbabwe all worked together.

Planning was absolutely vital. Conditions (the moon and the tides) had to be perfect. D-Day was postponed by 24 hours because of this. Even the composition of the soil on landing beeches was investigated for many months beforehand.  A deception plan, including the use of parachuted mannequins and misinformation, weeks ahead of D-Day, led the Nazi forces to expect the invasion further along the coast. Because of codebreakers, including Alan Turing, at Bletchley Park, the allies knew Nazi plans, and that also informed preparations.  It was a genuine team effort, including by all who had served at home, land, sea and in the air from 1939 to 1945.

As people set forth for Normandy they knew that, whilst their act was essential to the freedom of generations to come, they may not come home.  There are no words to describe this ultimate sacrifice for others and for goodness.  We cannot imagine, nor describe, their feelings that day.

So many of us owe our existence to the fact our relatives sacrificed, served and survived.

So many invisible young people, adults and future generations, who could have lived,  were not given the opportunity to live because of love, sacrifice, conflict and war.

As time passes, and the seasons and years change, veterans, survivors and those who sacrificed, served and suffered, pass to a perfect and heavenly shore.

As we live in the present,  and look forward to the future, we never ever forget our debt to, and the inspiration and the lessons we have learnt from, the past.

And, as we hear the birds sing in the evening and the morning, we never forget the beauty of peace in the world, and in ourselves. A peace and beauty that was given and bequeathed to us.

We never take anything for granted.

We will remember them.