7 Australian D-Day Vets return to Normandy

[TarJak]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-31/d-day-veterans-head-to-france-to-mark-70th-anniversary/5490638

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-31/7-dday-veterans-travelling-to-france/5490864

Good to see these blokes getting over to the commemorations in France.:salute:

[Dread Knot]

:salute:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a7/RAAF_Members_of_No_196_Squadron_RAF_June_1944.jpg

[Onkel Neal]

You really have to salute the veterans from Australia, New Zealand; they could have easily said, hey, this fight ain't ours, it's happening on the other side of the planet.

[BossMark]

You really have to salute the veterans from Australia, New Zealand; they could have easily said, hey, this fight ain't ours, it's happening on the other side of the planet.
As being part of the British commonwealth, did they have a choice but to fight?

[Onkel Neal]

Yeah, I know what you mean, they were obligated.

[Jimbuna]

You really have to salute the veterans from Australia, New Zealand; they could have easily said, hey, this fight ain't ours, it's happening on the other side of the planet.

Nope and answered below.

As being part of the British commonwealth, did they have a choice but to fight?

Allegiance to King and Country.

[u crank]

Allegiance to King and Country.

Exactly. Within a week of England's declaration of war, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa all followed suit. That declaration sent my Father and Uncle to war.

God Save the Queen. :D

[TarJak]

It was still the Empire in those days so it was kind of expected. Bomber command in particular was well known for its Commonwealth crews.

Nonetheless by 1944 Australia had survived the threat of Japan's expansion and would have been involved anyway.

[Tribesman]

Nope and answered below.



Allegiance to King and Country.

As being part of the British commonwealth, did they have a choice but to fight?

Yeah, I know what you mean, they were obligated.

Exactly. Within a week of England's declaration of war, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the Union of South Africa all followed suit. That declaration sent my Father and Uncle to war.

God Save the Queen. :D

It was still the Empire in those days so it was kind of expected. Bomber command in particular was well known for its Commonwealth crews.

Nonetheless by 1944 Australia had survived the threat of Japan's expansion and would have been involved anyway.

Not really.
Obligations and allegiance were all dealt with when Canada refused to follow Britain in its argument with Turkey.
The 1923 conference formally confirmed it.
British foreign policy, defence and treaties were separated for the commonwealth.
Unless of course otherwise stated.
The treaty in question was made only by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and N. Ireland so didn't cover any of those other countries, which means there was no formal expectation and no legal obligation.

So it makes it even nicer that those countries chose by themselves to join with Britain in its struggle

[Herr-Berbunch]

Nonetheless by 1944 Australia had survived the threat of Japan's expansion and would have been involved anyway.

I think a lot of the time, in the UK at least, the war in the East gets forgotten about with North Africa being the furthest people mention. There'll be the odd reference to Burma and that's about it, sad, really sad. :-?

[TarJak]

Not really.
Obligations and allegiance were all dealt with when Canada refused to follow Britain in its argument with Turkey.
The 1923 conference formally confirmed it.
British foreign policy, defence and treaties were separated for the commonwealth.
Unless of course otherwise stated.
The treaty in question was made only by the United Kingdom of Great Britain and N. Ireland so didn't cover any of those other countries, which means there was no formal expectation and no legal obligation.

So it makes it even nicer that those countries chose by themselves to join with Britain in its struggle
That's why I said sort of. Given the Australian situation and foreign policy of the time the reliance and therefore expectation of mutual support was pretty much a given.

Interesting that post WW2 the sentiment changed towards a much closer alignment to theUS than Britain than prior.

[Admiral Halsey]

Interesting that post WW2 the sentiment changed towards a much closer alignment to theUS than Britain than prior.

Might have something to do with how the political and monetary landscape was after WW2. Britain was broke and the crown jewel of her empire was a few years from leaving said empire. The US meanwhile had literally and figuratively fought its way out of the great depression and was the richest nation on the planet.

[TarJak]

That aside the key reason was the focus on local security in the Pacific and Indian ocean regions.

[Tribesman]

That's why I said sort of.
Well it is sort of, which is why I said not really rather than not at all.
Once Germany invaded France and Belgium there was a treaty which the dominions had signed up to and were under obligation for, so it was only a matter of time, they just were not obliged under the treaty which triggered the British declaration.



Interesting that post WW2 the sentiment changed towards a much closer alignment to theUS than Britain than prior.
Not surprising given the failures of Britains mutual support plans which became evident in 1941.
And Post WW2 Britain was certainly in no state to make similar pledges again.

On another note , one veteran of D-Day who sadly won't be making the journey.
http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/veteran-abandons-hope-of-attending-d-day-anniversary-event-271172.html

[Oberon]

A shame he won't be able to make it, God bless him.

[TarJak]

Nice touch by the French Government. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-06-06/six-australian-d-day-veterans-given-frances-highest-honour/5504498

All the Aussie vets were awarded the Legion of Honour in a ceremony today.:salute:

[Jimbuna]

D-Day anniversary: 'World-changing' day remembered.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27727518

D-Day: In the words of the BBC journalists.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-27701206

[Biggles]

The D-Day landings are probably one of the most awe-inspiring moments in human history for me. The huge logistical difficulties coupled with the stakes at hand makes it an important day for any historical buff AND enemy of Nazism.

I had the great honor of visiting Bayeux and the surrounding fortifications and becahes some years ago. A very fascinating experience.

[Oberon]

Here's one to bring a smile to the face, never tell an old soldier what he can or can't do:

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2014-06-06/d-day-veteran-pulls-off-nursing-home-escape/

[TarJak]

Here's one to bring a smile to the face, never tell an old soldier what he can or can't do:

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2014-06-06/d-day-veteran-pulls-off-nursing-home-escape/

Good on him.:up:

[Biggles]

Jolly nice, though I daresay he gave them quite a scare! When 89 year olds wander off like that, you tend to get worried...

[HunterICX]

Here's one to bring a smile to the face, never tell an old soldier what he can or can't do:

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2014-06-06/d-day-veteran-pulls-off-nursing-home-escape/

:rotfl2:
I salute you, sir.

[Jimbuna]

Here's one to bring a smile to the face, never tell an old soldier what he can or can't do:

http://www.itv.com/news/update/2014-06-06/d-day-veteran-pulls-off-nursing-home-escape/

Heard that on the radio this morning and something got into my eye causing it to shed a little tear.

[TarJak]

Thanks not like you Jim. Last time we met you were more like :wah:

[Jimbuna]

The old fella reminded me of my father, I reckon he would have travelled across with me were he still here today.

[Downunderjock]

You really have to salute the veterans from Australia, New Zealand; they could have easily said, hey, this fight ain't ours, it's happening on the other side of the planet.

Actually, they didn't have a choice, it was King and Country they served.
And they felt it was their fight.

Plus, we would have served in a major way, but got shipped out to fight the Japanese. (Sadly, not much support from Britoin.) I think they didn't want us their??? No disrespect intended, to other Allied friends, or Vets.

As per the Politics at the time.

Also, there were some Aussie's attached, to the British Army and Navy, etc. (I believe??)

I believe the Weather man, whose job it was to say 6th June was clear for action, at Churchhill's War room, under ground, was an Aussie???

But, I am happy to be corrected.

[Downunderjock]

BE HAPPY! James Martin Stagg, an Edinborough educated dour Scotsman, 'called the ball' as the head of a contentious meteorology team for June 6th using German deciphered weather reports :timeout:to make a final determination after the cancellation of June 5th!
Some required background: https://medium.com/history-and-politics/the-weather-on-d-day-85ea0491a14f (https://medium.com/history-and-politics/the-weather-on-d-day-85ea0491a14f) Essentilly there was no mystery for the Germans that June 5,6,and 7th were ideal tide and moon conditions. They had planned their own invasion Operation Sealion. "The Germans believed that the weather was too bad for the Allies to invade. This was not the fault of poor forecasting. Group Captain Heinz Lettau—later a revered professor of meteorology at the University of Wisconsin—saw the same succession of fronts as did the Allied forecasters. He may or may not have noted the marginal improvement of the weather on the 6th. Even had he seen this, however, his orders were clear. The High Command had decided that an invasion was not possible if there was a risk of the winds reaching force 4 or higher. (The Germans had put off their own planned invasion of Britain, Operation Sea Lion, in 1940, in part because they could never get what they felt was a calm-enough sea for the troops to cross.) Lettau was confident—and right—that there would be a force 4 wind on June 5, 6, and 7. Ergo, there could be no invasion. What the Germans failed to find out was that the Allies thought force 4 was just fine.":oops: Essentially, a difference in pain threshold weatherwise made the difference. Or to quote Hitler directly: "On land I am a hero; At sea, I am a Coward" sort of worked its way down the ladder of command...:hmmm:

Thank you, for correcting me on that.