D.Day

[Dis86]

My confusion arises when people make the argument that they were never taught it in school. Nor was I. I wasn't taught about a lot of things in school but...here's the amazing bit...I used my own initiative to go and find things out.
I wasn't taught german, yet went out of my way and learned basic understanding and phrases. I was never taught how to cook, yet I cook two course meals every night for my partner and myself. As someone else said above, in school my education in history consisted of the industrial revolution and the victorian era. I educated myself about the egyptians, ancient mediterranean civilizations, native american civilizations, european history and some basic asian history.
If people are expecting to go through life with no knowledge other than that fed to them in school then i think they're leading a somewhat tragic existence.

I'll be raising a drink to the poor buggers who stormed the beaches and to the paratroopers who went in alone with no support at all.

 

[theleg]

Its sad...but not unexpected. As a society, we still look down on education.

 

[DJMK4]

Probably one of the most historical and remembered days and events of the world wars.

Nothing can make you visualise what some of these people/soldiers went through on these days. Some very very brave people fighting for our countries. Something that I will never forget even though I was not around then but have learnt about over the years, still cannot get my head around and grasp no matter how much I watch, read and learn about it all.

Will never forget those that fought and pulled through, those that were injured, those that died

Planning on visiting a few places once again in the future like I did when I was in school on a history trip, to mark my respects.

 

[Admiral Huddy]

What's always amazed me is not just the day itself but the preparation and intelligence gathering before hand.

An example was landing of heavy artillery and tanks. You couldn't just land those tanks on a beach not knowing they were going to sink. Someone had to go and physically gather information and test which parts of the beaches were stable to land on. This was done by recon teams at night.

How on earth Overlord remained a secret is beyond me. Good job the Axis were concentrating their efforts on the Russian lines.

 

[Theophany]

What's always amazed me is not just the day itself but the preparation and intelligence gathering before hand.

An example was landing of heavy artillery and tanks. You couldn't just land those tanks on a beach not knowing they were going to sink. Someone had to go and physically gather information and test which parts of the beaches were stable to land on. This was done by recon teams at night.

How on earth Overlord remained a secret is beyond me. Good job the Axis were concentrating their efforts on the Russian lines.

Surely they would just have checked Google Maps and StreetView to see what the terrain was like?

 

[DanielMMS]

They teach about war throughout different subjects so it is shocking that someone has no knowledge of DDay.

My son has an English Lit GCSE controlled assessment today comparing two poems of Wilfred Owen, the respected WWI poet who was KIA one week before Armistice. I went through them with him last night discussing their differences etc. I'm not a poetry person at all but I was deeply moved by them. So, at this school at least, they are being exposed to "history" through subjects other than History itself.

 

[Berath]

Try steering anyone who doesn't know to D-Day: As It Happens on C4

http://dday7.channel4.com/

That could bring it alive for some. I really like what they are trying to do with it

And I'm not really one for remembering exact dates and I'm not sure how important that is in itself. I think understanding the context, the repercussions, the experience, the significance is more important.

 

[arknor]

What's always amazed me is not just the day itself but the preparation and intelligence gathering before hand.

An example was landing of heavy artillery and tanks. You couldn't just land those tanks on a beach not knowing they were going to sink. Someone had to go and physically gather information and test which parts of the beaches were stable to land on. This was done by recon teams at night.

How on earth Overlord remained a secret is beyond me. Good job the Axis were concentrating their efforts on the Russian lines.

must have been a massive shock when the Germans saw all the hundreds of boats sailing across especially when you take into account the germans sent a bunch of tigers to a distraction

 

[Cosimo]

must have been a massive shock when the Germans saw all the hundreds of boats sailing across especially when you take into account the germans sent a bunch of tigers to a distraction

 

[Flibster]

Already started to organise my trip to Normandy for June 6th next year.

Did it a few years ago and spent time chatting with veterans at Sword, Omaha and most impressively Pegasus Bridge. I'm hoping to take the other half's grandad across with me. It's not looking likely at the moment. He's a veteran but doesn't like to talk about what he did. I know he landed on Sword beach early in the day, 'swapped' his Lee Enfield for a Thompson later that day, and I get very little more out of him.

Visiting is a fantastic thing to do and the amount of people who get into the spirit and go over with Willys Jeeps and the full WWII gear and spend time parading is amazing.

Full respect given to all involved.

 

[Gooner Leroy]

Such a good film. I remember years ago, it was on Sky but it was in colour!! Ever since then I have looked for this version on dvd/blu ray but have never found a copy. Not that the b&w takes anything away from such a classic film

 

[SexyGreyFox]

If people are expecting to go through life with no knowledge other than that fed to them in school then i think they're leading a somewhat tragic existence.

But these very same people may take you apart in subjects they know about so you can't go knocking them just because you know some history.
I tried an experiment today and while talking to people dropped in 'It's D Day today' and only one person knew what I was on about.
Even my own Mother who lost 2 brothers in the WW2 and goes to the Cenotaph every year didn't know what I was on about.
You are being too hard on people.

 

[Nerusy]

But these very same people may take you apart in subjects they know about so you can't go knocking them just because you know some history.
I tried an experiment today and while talking to people dropped in 'It's D Day today' and only one person knew what I was on about.
Even my own Mother who lost 2 brothers in the WW2 and goes to the Cenotaph every year didn't know what I was on about.
You are being too hard on people.

That's a good point, whenever people tell me off for not knowing something I ask about a topic they don't know about or cheeky trivia like Stanislav Petrov.

I myself didn't know what D-day was, I obviously knew about allies participation and efforts but did not know of the "d-day" name in particular. If it wasn't for gaming hobby, don't think I ever would have found out that d-day was the name for normandy landing

 

[DJMK4]

Watching D-Day as it happens pt 1 on ch4, hopefully will be an insightful watch, second part on later this evening

Hmmm edit: probably not one of the best things made by channel4, was hoping for a good doc, but will watch

 

[Dis86]

But these very same people may take you apart in subjects they know about so you can't go knocking them just because you know some history.
I tried an experiment today and while talking to people dropped in 'It's D Day today' and only one person knew what I was on about.
Even my own Mother who lost 2 brothers in the WW2 and goes to the Cenotaph every year didn't know what I was on about.
You are being too hard on people.

Well, if I'm truly a product of our education system as it stands and we take my statement as truth then no they wouldn't, I would have exactly the same knowledge as them. I achieved 8A*s and 4As when I did my GCSEs back in the 90s so no, they wouldn't be taking me apart.
I'd also like to point out I never studied history after year 9 in school, up to which point it was a compulsory subject.

 

[Mik3]

I'm hoping to take the other half's grandad across with me. It's not looking likely at the moment. He's a veteran but doesn't like to talk about what he did. I know he landed on Sword beach early in the day, 'swapped' his Lee Enfield for a Thompson later that day, and I get very little more out of him.

Full respect given to all involved.

My Granddad was the same he would never talk about what happened, he became very religious after the war, he never spoke to anyone as far as I know what happened to him.
I know his brother got his head blown off by a German hand grenade.

My nans brother also survived the Burma railway, he committed suicide shortly after returning to England.

 

[RDM]

Well, if I'm truly a product of our education system as it stands and we take my statement as truth then no they wouldn't, I would have exactly the same knowledge as them. I achieved 8A*s and 4As when I did my GCSEs back in the 90s so no, they wouldn't be taking me apart.
I'd also like to point out I never studied history after year 9 in school, up to which point it was a compulsory subject.

You are effectively having a go at people for not learning about something that doesn't interest them. Which seems a bit odd. I know nothing about knitting, should I be ridiculed for my lack of knitting knowledge?

It happened a long time ago, how many years do we continue commemorating it?

 

[arknor]

Such a good film. I remember years ago, it was on Sky but it was in colour!! Ever since then I have looked for this version on dvd/blu ray but have never found a copy. Not that the b&w takes anything away from such a classic film

the full film in colour is on youtube lol

 

[Dis86]

You are effectively having a go at people for not learning about something that doesn't interest them. Which seems a bit odd. I know nothing about knitting, should I be ridiculed for my lack of knitting knowledge?

It happened a long time ago, how many years do we continue commemorating it?

No, i'm having a go at people for not knowing about possibly the most important event of the last 500 years. One and a half million allied soldiers putting their lives on the line to gain a foothold so that they could begin the liberation of an enslaved Europe. 10,000 allied soldiers died in a single day (about the same number of germans). The largest amphibious invasion in history.

Bit different to knitting ain't it?

As an additional note, I only found out yesterday that it was so risky an operation that General Eisenhower spent D-day -1 and D-day walking round meeting the troops with a hand-written letter in his pocket taking full responsibility for the failed landings and loss of allied troops.

 

[RDM]

No, i'm having a go at people for not knowing about possibly the most important event of the last 500 years. One and a half million allied soldiers putting their lives on the line to gain a foothold so that they could begin the liberation of an enslaved Europe. 10,000 allied soldiers died in a single day (about the same number of germans). The largest amphibious invasion in history.

Bit different to knitting ain't it?

That's the thing, it is only "the most important event of the last 500 years" subjectively, I would put several events in World War 2 above it and quite a few events outside of WW2 above it too if we are talking about the last 500 years.