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They would bring retribution and exact revenge on Hitler and his merciless forces, and begin the downfall of his “Third Reich”.The price would be great, the sacrifices unimaginable, but the battle had to be won at all costs.
The approximate date, time, and place to land the troops was set, the order given...”Get ready we are on our way”, it was now the Allies turn to hit back at the Nazis.
From bases all across England the massive Allied armies were on the move, tens of thousands of army troops were ferried down to the south coast of England, by trains, planes, trucks, jeeps, lorries, and tanks. As they reached their rally points they prepared and readied themselves in preparation for their landing in Nazi occupied territory. |
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It would bring them all in a face to face confrontation to the death with the supreme German military forces...Their destination would soon be revealed to them...Normandy, France.
The South coast of England became a fortress in itself as hundreds of thousands of American, British, Polish, French, and Allied troops of many nations banded together.
The first wave of 150, 000 men, that were to be the first to storm the French beaches, embarked onto ships of every description and waited with fear and anticipation of what was to come, each man sunk deep in his own thoughts as to what the next few hours would bring, more so, praying that they would not get killed in the battle that they were about to fight in. Each and every man hoping they would survive the coming onslaught, and come back home!
As the many hours passed the weather worsened, creating stormy seas and havoc in the channel, for those men entombed in the ships moored in ports and harbours ready to embark, it was a time of longing to be back on dry land.
With the constant heaving of the vessels to and fro in the heavy seas raging around them, many suffered agonizing sea-sickness and were very ill, as vomit covered the decks.
What with the frustration and absolute misery they faced, the men were just fed-up with the waiting, they longed to get going and be on their way.
The Top Brass were more than concerned at the serious weather conditions and prayed that there would be a let-up, their fear were that if the situation in the weather didn't change, then the whole operation that had taken years to prepare would be cancelled, and could well put a halt to the invasion plans for 1944. |
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Preparing for D-Day |
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Their concern also was that if it failed this time, then it may be another year in which the time would be favourable for another attempted landing. This was far too much of a risk and gamble to take, if another year was on the agenda to wait then cost in men's lives would be incalculable, the price too high, much too high!
They all waited with bated breath for the meteorologists to arrive with some good news, it had to be soon, and time was running out...fast.
The whole of the Allied Air Forces across the country at airfields, were loaded up with paratroopers, in thousand of planes and gliders. Bomber Command, the RAF, and the USAAF, had a vast array of heavy bombers full to bursting, ready to unleash their bomb loads on the coast of Normandy, France, prior to the men landing ashore. |
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