7 Australian D-Day Vets return to Normandy
 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-3...ersary/5490638

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-05-3...france/5490864

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

:salute:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi..._June_1944.jpg

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?

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

Nope and answered below.

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

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

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. :-?

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.

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.

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

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.



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...nt-271172.html

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