[video=youtube_share;pCLJhxfj608]http://youtu.be/pCLJhxfj608[/video] an important piece of cinematic history! They should be made to watch this in schools!
That campaign had already come to a close by 1944. Rommel was the German Commander in Normandy during D-Day. Well he decided to go back to Germany the day before. Which helped. Still respect to all who fought in WW2. Mine were on Clydeside (building ships) & in the Far East.
WOW! click the images for the transition- 'NOW & THEN' scenes http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2014/06/scenes-from-d-day-then-and-now/100752/ poignant imagery
Probably the biggest regret in my life is that, I didn't manage to get my Dad back to visit Tubruk and the cemetery before he died. His battalion was almost wiped out during the raid on Fort Capuzzo.
That might be the case but the British troops were still there until the end of the war and beyond. When I said he was fighting Rommel it wasn't meant literally, there was no hand to hand stuff between him and me dad
My dad was DLI and we have hi medals in pride of place. We lived at Tindale street after the miners cottages at Allendale (Medomsley) were condemned. I wonder if you and Peckham know anything about the dugout, I recall you might have mentioned it before.
I've now got the image of a british soldier jumping out from his foxhole, legging it towards the germans, dodging bombs and bullets, and planting a haymaker right on Rommels kisser, before skipping back to the british lines!
Sorry Smug, I don't recall anything about the dugout, where was it? Did you know that if you go to the DLI museum in Durham, there are loads of photographs and historical records , some of them with the subjects name on, they will do a search for your dad by name and print any photo you find. I got quite a few photos that we didn't know existed
It's funny, I gave away all my GSM's & beret's to my daughter. I destroyed all photo's of me from those days yet I still have stuff of my grandad from WW1. I have a card of honour dated 1916 when he was at the Western Front. If I was half the man he was, I'd be happy.
Didn't know that mate and I can't tell you how much I appreciate the info, we'll definitely go there before our next home game. I never appreciated my dad when he was alive, he was a difficult man and way too keen for a punch up. I should've given him more leeway after he'd been blown up then sent home to be patched up ready to sent back to fight. He was blown up again Oh yeah, the dugout ..... that was in the area of High Westwood near Derwent Wood or so I've been told. (I have memories of it but we left when I was about 7 so most of it has come from various uncles etc.) The local miners were stuck in an area where there were few pubs and poor transport, no cars in our village. The nearest pub was the Hat & Feathers which was an 'Iron Company' pub and didn't welcome miners. So the miners dug out a banking and used timber to prop it up before putting a front on it. Federation Breweries did a deal and supplied them on the quiet and it was run as a non-profit co-op. I was sent down once to tell me dad his tea was ready and I thought I'd walked straight into Hell.
Billy, I bet you are a chip off the old block and your kids/grandkids will remember you in exactly the same way that you remember your grandad.
I am in Normandy this week and the place is jammed packed. We were here ten years ago and it was no where near as busy as this week. Incredible sights haven't seen the cemeteries with so many people visiting, brings a tear to the eye, hope the French keep it going as the veterans are fading fast. This is our last trip, four times is enough.
Sorry Smug, I definitely haven't heard of that, I will need to ask around next time I am back home. I would love to have a conversation with my dad about his experiences during the war but he was reluctant to talk about it. We read about some of his experiences after he died because the DLI museum have a comprehensive account about his service since he joined up in 1934. I can remember as a kid walking through Derwent woods from Catchgate to go swimming in the river before Stanley swimming baths were built.
Not surprising mate, it was all a bit clandestine although I believe it became 'legit' at some point before it was closed. Sounds like a great idea when miners were on a pittance and working 6 days a week.
I've got his medals mounted in a show case and hung on the wall, mine are in a draw somewhere, I also have his battalion photo album, I scanned all of the photos, put them on a disc and sent it to the DLI museum, they have added them to their archives.
