Page 28 - Seniorstoday June 2024 Issue
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I subsequently visited Omaha, Utah, shores of the beaches three score years
Sword and Gold Beaches. I had also after 6th June 1944. It was calm and
visited St Mere Eglise, and Bayeux, the serene now but during the war it had
Benouville Bridge near the Gondree Cafe. been a bloody battle zone with heavy
I had met Mme Arlette who runs the cafe bombardment, full of misery for those
now. She was about 4 years old when who had fought.
the Invasion began with Maj Howard’s
company of the Ox and Bucks capturing
the twin bridges intact by 0015h on D Day
with their precision glider assault near
the bridge.
Mme Arlette was very kind to brief me
on what actually had happened on D Day
(as gathered from her parents, the owners
of Gondree Cafe) there, then in June 1944.
I enjoyed my lunch and wine as I heard Normandy, France; Memorial to the Andrew Jackson Higgins
her narration with rapt attention. She and the Higgins landing
drew excellent sketches (of the Glider I saw the film clips in some displays
assault) on the paper napkins. It was in the museum, showing Bayeux being
superbly accurate. There was a group of liberated first, then Paris and the
European and American tourists with a tumultuous welcome to the Allied forces
French guide at the adjacent table. They by the locals as they had entered these
gave me respect and honour when they towns and cities. I had stayed a night
realised that I was an Indian Army war in Bayeux in a hotel and had dinner
veteran visiting there. in a restaurant, whose owner was the
The War Memorial at Omaha evokes daughter of a French couple that had
sentiments for the approximate 4000 witnessed the invasion on D Day.
troops who made the supreme sacrifice My mind had raced back to December
for humanity that day, the Longest Day, 1971 in East Pakistan then, when we made
as very correctly coined by Field Marshal Bangladesh or rather had liberated it from
Erwin Rommel on the Atlantic Wall. similar tyranny as was done in Europe in
The Allied Invasion succeeded after a World War 2.
bitter close quarter battle on the beaches, Our forces in Jessore and Khulna were
but at a very heavy cost in young human welcomed in the same manner and I
lives. had experienced that in the 1971 War in
My visit to nearly all the areas of the that sector and also had witnessed the
Invasion sites exactly 20 years ago, in surrender.
2004, had coincided with the Diamond D Day and the allied invasion at
Jubilee of D Day. The museum at Normandy during the Second World
Omaha and Utah beaches has recorded War, stands out as the finest amphibious
commentaries of D DAY as it unfolded invasion to defeat Nazi Germany, rid
then. I stood in mute silence as I saw the Europe from tyranny, end the Second
waves gently kissing the sands on the World War and restore human values.
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