To Honour my Father
6th June. D-Day 80th anniversary.
80 years ago my father, Desmond Redgrave, was a young private in the Royal Berkshire Regiment and had spent months in Suffolk in preparation for the Allied invasion of Normandy, Operation OVERLORD, the D-Day landings.
The 5th (Hackney) Battalion played an important part on Juno Beach during the Normandy Landings. 14,000 Canadians and 6,400 British troops landed on Juno Beach, taking heavy casualties. He seldom spoke about his war but he did once recall being on the beach when his friend was killed right beside him, the memory was still raw, he could barely describe it with out tears. He also spoke about how well the Canadian forces battled along-side them, especially the indigenous Canadians who fought with great valour.
My father was lucky and survived the invasion and subsequent wartime encounters, in later years, he attended every Remembrance day service to honour all those that lost their lives.
He returned to the Normandy Beaches for the 50th Anniversary and wore his medals with pride, now I have those medals and will wear them in honour of Dad, his comrades and all those who fought so valiantly for our freedom.
52 in 2024 - #6 Striped
www.flickr.com/groups/14851624@N20/discuss/72157721919947...
To Honour my Father
6th June. D-Day 80th anniversary.
80 years ago my father, Desmond Redgrave, was a young private in the Royal Berkshire Regiment and had spent months in Suffolk in preparation for the Allied invasion of Normandy, Operation OVERLORD, the D-Day landings.
The 5th (Hackney) Battalion played an important part on Juno Beach during the Normandy Landings. 14,000 Canadians and 6,400 British troops landed on Juno Beach, taking heavy casualties. He seldom spoke about his war but he did once recall being on the beach when his friend was killed right beside him, the memory was still raw, he could barely describe it with out tears. He also spoke about how well the Canadian forces battled along-side them, especially the indigenous Canadians who fought with great valour.
My father was lucky and survived the invasion and subsequent wartime encounters, in later years, he attended every Remembrance day service to honour all those that lost their lives.
He returned to the Normandy Beaches for the 50th Anniversary and wore his medals with pride, now I have those medals and will wear them in honour of Dad, his comrades and all those who fought so valiantly for our freedom.
52 in 2024 - #6 Striped
www.flickr.com/groups/14851624@N20/discuss/72157721919947...