6th june

[veg]

My first drink for over 45 days, in commemoration of 76 yrs ago. first year in quite a few i haven't been in ouistreham. Cheers to our grandparents for our today they gave their tomorrows. 

[donkeychomp]

I too shall raise a glass and give thanks to everyone else's grandfathers. Thanks for everything you did for us.

Alex

[dusty350]

Good call Veg
May have to watch the first 20 minutes of "Saving Private Ryan" later. Regarded as the most accurate portrayal of the D day landing so far made for film. I remember an old German veteran being interviewed on the telly when the film premiered. He manned an Mg42 above the beach, and told how it was impossible to miss the G.I's pouring onto it from the landing craft. Many of the men storming the beach were in their first combat situation too. Incredible.

Dusty

[andy748]

I also shall raise a glass to all the heroes that fought for future generations. Andy.

[copper99]

Well said Tim, I was supposed to be over there this week , we’d booked a few days in Belgium to take in some of the WW1 sites as well, alas it wasnt to be but 2021 we’ll be back, hopefully theyll still be some veterans that make it over...were losing them rapidly thou eh?

Im assuming you was there for the 75th last year?

[dusty350]

We did Wipers (Ypres) in 2018. Stayed in a great hotel just off the main square. Hard to imagine the carnage it suffered in both the wars when you see it now.
Hopefully next year we will get out to France or Belgium again - so much to see.

Dusty

[veg]

Bryan I was supposed to but had a massive change of plans last year was a weird one for getting away missed the 75th and the Manx both due to unforeseen circumstances.
Was meant to do both again this year and Covid put an end to that.
So 2021 is deffo going to happen ( he says fingers crossed). Normally stay either in ouistreham on the square or at the caravan park next to Pegasus.
I’ve been listening to those pod casts brilliant listening.

[steve h]

[wassy06]

Here’s the story of my dads two brothers who I never met. Both died in service, Jim in action and Stan from TB. They still sent my dad Joe to Korea but he never spoke about it.

LEADGATE REMEMBERS James Wass who died on 16th February 1945 during the battle of Reichswald Forest.
He was born on the 14th December 1925 in Consett to Joseph Wass and Elizabeth Rebecca Frosdick. He was the middle of three brothers with Stanley who died at home in 1944 from illness contracted serving with the Royal Navy, and Joseph.
By 1926 the family had moved to 4 Third Street Watling Bungalows. James went to St Ives school and was a member of 1st Leadgate Scouts and an Army Cadet.
When he left school, he took up an apprenticeship as a cabinet maker with J W Davison and Sons
By 1939 the family had moved to 34 Villa Real Bungalows where father Joseph was a Colliery Winding man.
James was called up in 1943 and after training was assigned to the 5th Battalion of the Coldstream Guards. The Battalion became part of the Guards Armoured Division where they acted as infantry in support of tanks. They crossed to France shortly after D Day taking part in the breakout from Normandy and the advance across France and Belgium ending up at Arnhem.
The winter was harsh and then the on 16th December 1944 The Battle of the bulge broke out. James and 5th Coldstream were sent to Namur on the Meuse where it was so cold the tanks had to start their engines every hour to stop the fuel freezing. But throughout the Battle of the bulge they remained in reserve.
In February 1945 the last advance to the Rhine started with Operation Veritable and th Battle of The Reichswald advancing towards river. On February 7th the Battalion moved to Haaren and on the 8th they began the advance on Cleve. They moved onwards to Hommersum on the 13th and Hassum on the 15th.
Then on the 16th February 1945 the %th Battalion, with James as part of the 1st Company were involved in the attack on Mull and Retut on the outskirts of Goch. The commander records the battle thus
“HOW THE BATTLE WENT..
There has been a certain amount of argument as to whether the attack ought to be called after the village of MULL which we captured just across the German frontier or referred to as breaching the SIEGFRIED LINE, which we are also quite entitled to claim. My purely personal view is that MULL is the first village on GERMAN soil captured by a COLDSTREAM Battalion for a great many years and is therefore of more significance than the SIEGFRIEND LINE which a great many people have operated against and in the British sector is a very bogus affair compared with what the Americans dealt with near AACHEN..
In front of the Siegfried line several mock haystacks were spread across the countryside, camouflaged extremely well with straw so as to be quite undistinguishable for the article they were, actually think concrete casements built to hold a section and complete with a store for heating and cooking purposes.
No. 4 Company who led the attack on the right and overran several of them report that happily none were actually occupied during the attack. Next came a more or less continuous trench which ran from the overflowed dyke on our right southwards. A very ineffective affair presumably made for intercommunication and cover between the groups of farm buildings from which the enemy actually fought. It was certainly not used to fight from and does not seem to have been of any value though it must have taken a lot of labour to construct. Finally, there was an 8-yard-wide Anti-Tank ditch, a genuine enough obstacle, though in practice the ground everywhere was so boggy as to prove a complete obstacle to our supporting tanks the minute they left the far from firm going provided by the roads and tracks.
The defenders were all from 122 and Grenadier Regiment and though they fought a lot better than Battalion Riegals whom we met the day before they were not up to the standards of six months ago and we had more casualties from the considerable defensive Artillery fire that the enemy put down than from the enemy infantry.
No. 4 Company forced their way over the floods via a very doubtful causeway and also over the Anti-Tank ditch both of which were under fire at the time, without a single casualty.
The most stubborn defence was met by No. 1 Company in the area of a small bridge over the Anti-Tank ditch that was in their area. The enemy were very strongly placed here and were at one moment reported to be forming up for a counter attack, so No. 1 Company were ordered to call off the attacks on it. However heavy stinks were put down in this area and nothing come of any threat that was impending.
After No. 4 and No. 1 Companies reached their objectives No. 3 Company passed through over the Anti-Tank ditch and captured STARTENHOF and RETUT. Actually, the closely strung groups of farm buildings made much further and wider mopping up actions necessary which they successfully accomplished.
Darkness was coming on towards the end of things, the enemy Artillery action died down, and as we have since discovered the bulk of the enemy withdrew to SIEBENGEWALD leaving only a few snipers behind, and the WELSH GUARDS captured HASSUM at four in the morning without meeting opposition.”
The battalion lost 13 men that day including James Wass, with a further 29 wounded.
James Wass was originally buried at Gennep in Holland and later at Mook Military Cemetery with a gravestone cross and the inscription:
“Thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory, Through Our Lord Jesus Christ”
James’ parents Joseph and Elizabeth continued living in North West Durham dying in 1964 and 1989. His brother Joseph continued living in Co Durham until he died in 2001

[veg]

Wow simply wow. It’s interesting how many people never ever talked about their service, I know my grandfather flew in the Middle East and Africa as an observer/navigator and uncles served in the desert and Italy . Again they never talked about their service even when I asked. It’s so very easy to forget the sacrifices our fore fathers made to endeavour to make this a better world.