‘All these people faced the finality of life at an early age, and I think they didn’t want to go back there and remind themselves of it. There was also a stigma of course for those who were in the British Army, and it’s only in recent decades that people have been able to say, “I took part.”’
The D-Day landings brought together the land, air, and sea forces of the Allied armies in what was the largest amphibious invasion in military history.
The operation, codenamed OVERLORD, involved a massive invasion force including 7,000 ships and landing craft manned by more than 195,000 naval personnel.
By June 30, more than 850,000 men, 148,000 vehicles, and 570,000 tons of supplies had landed on the shores of Normandy. On May 7, 1945, German General Alfred Jodl signed an unconditional surrender.
The event, the turning point of World War II, continues to fascinate people, and Mr Harvey said he can understand why.
‘We look on D-Day as a success, and it was a success, but at the time it could have failed. In fact, there was a high probability of that happening.’
‘If you’ve ever been on Omaha beach in particular, and you look up at the cliffs and you just wonder how anybody ever managed to succeed in overcoming those fortifications… I think that’s what fascinates people.’
‘I’ve read many accounts and I’ve interviewed many people but I’m still looking for the key to what unlocked those fortifications.’
‘And remember; many of the people who landed on the beach that day had never been in combat before. They’d done a lot of training but really it was just courage and the fact they moved forward, because if you didn’t move forward, you’d be dead.’
Source link : https://extra.ie/2024/06/02/news/second-battle-for-europe
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Publish date : 2024-06-02 20:07:00
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