The moving moments of D Day
It's been extraordinarily emotional watching the tributes to D Day, especially the gentleman nearing their 100ths, who you can still see are still just those young boys on the beach.
I’ve been so fascinated with watching all the coverage this week of 80 years since the D Day invasion. It’s so obvious to say but my goodness 80 years wasn’t long ago.
Red Paper Poppies by FlowerVinaigrette
Watching the coverage
Kirstie Young handles these occasions so beautifully. Humbleness is her greatest virtue, and it shines through on occasions such as these.
I cringe at myself, crying my eyes out whilst watching the courage, and strength of character of these men, but it’s emotionally overwhelming just to witness their stories.
Watching these saintly veterans speaking so eloquently about their teenage years fighting on the front line, being one of the few lucky ones to be brought back home, witnessing their best friends die next to them. Luck seemed to be a very strong theme amongst their recollections.
What moved me the most was their incredibly youthful spirit.
Their childlike innocence, shone through. They were still young boys at heart, having to do the unimaginable. They remembered D Day like it was yesterday.
I especially loved 99 year old Joe Mines, the most wonderful, most youthful, boyish veteran, returning to Normandy for the first time since D day. Can you imagine it?
They are rockstars at Normandy this week. How lucky we are to still have these living stories being shared.
Image: Marianne Baisnee
Other D Day tributes I highly recommend;
The extraordinary documentary The Unheard Tapes, where they use original audio files from the soldiers on the beach, with actors lip-synching was a masterpiece. I learnt so much from watching this, although grab the tissues.
And of course the special edition of the Antiques Roadshow.
The show featured the son of Bill Millin, Piper Bill, who I had never heard of before but was an actual real life legend.
If you like me hadn’t here’s his D Day story…
The Mad Piper
Private Millin was the personal piper of Simon Fraser, the 15th Lord Lovat, who was commander of 1 Special Service Brigade.
Their D Day mission was to successfully capture Pegasus bridge.
The London’s War Office had made a decree which forbade any piper to play their music in battle, but Bill and Lovat had a plan to go against this, as very proud Scots. Lovat wanted the pipes to head the charge in what he said would be ‘the greatest invasion in history’.
When they scrambled off the landing craft on D Day, Millin was in full Scottish highland gear, holding his pipes above his head to keep them from being soaked in the waters. Lovatt ordered Millin to play a tune, so he started playing Highland Laddie in the sea, as they waded through the water to the beach.
You can see here below in this photograph.
Image: Imperial War Museum/Guzelian.
Millin was then ordered to walk up and down the beach playing the bagpipies to the allies fighting, whilst hell roared around him.
He later said he wasn’t shot because the Germans thought he was mad, and that killing a mad person was bad luck. Here he is talking about it.
You can also watch a fantastic interview with both Lovatt and Millin here.
A still from the 1962 film, The Longest Day which starred Peter Lawford as Lord Lovat, left, and Leslie de Laspee as Bill Millin.
The Greatest of Gratitude
My gratitude to these heroes knows no bounds and watching this coverage of D Day is a sharp reminder of how ridiculously lucky we are.
My husband often wonders why I get so obsessed with watching documentaries about the war, but it’s because it’s so humbling. I often need these stark reminders that life for us is paradise, compared to what our grandparents endured.
It inspires me to life my life to the fullest, for they gave their short lives for us to live ours. Especially in honour to my great uncle Norman who lost his life at 18 in the war whom my lovely dad is named after.
And lastly a bit about the inspirational ladies too.
My inspirational Nana May
My nana was 18 living in London when the war began, she used to regale us with stories of walking home through the black outs, dancing with American officers, and making parachutes in the Heals building on Tottenham Court Road.
For her war gave her the mentality to ‘live every day like it’s your last’.
It gave her freedom from worry, she was fearless. She was cycling around in her 80’s and lived well into her 90’s. Her attitude and love for life still inspires me now. May was the strongest lady I knew (hence I named my daughter after her).
Hope you have a peaceful weekend, showing your respects in some small way to our great heroes. I loved walking past these wild poppies earlier today whilst taking the girls to nursery.
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them."