[zofinger]

Lest we forget.

They fought a real war. I daren’t think of the horrors they saw. Some still teenagers, they left their families some never to return. The ultimate sacrifice.

VE Day 2020: How is it being celebrated this year?

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-52557524

Stay at home and light up those BBQs today and raise a glass to those real heroes.

[RobUK]

An amazing generation. They did it simply because it was the right thing to do.

The neighbourhood are planning to decorate their houses with bunting, wear something from the 40's or something red, white or blue, sitting out with food and drink and being sociable from a distance.

[Broncho]

My grandfather was a Bren gunner in WW2, he was a far braver person than I could ever be.

We’re celebrating today.

We’ve decorated our house as have most of the neighbours, there is a street party for most of the day, it’s the least we can do!

[dazzapb]

Socially distance street party today as most of the houses are bungalows many of my neighbours can remember the day.

Plenty of union jacks and community spirit.

Someone found pop up station absolute radio 40's and that will be played on the street.

Pretty cool that there has been a singalong every night at 630 since lockdown I'm too lazy and crap at singing to join in but I like the booze part.

[RENT-A-GOAT]

We will be having a distanced street party of sorts today.

Can't be anything but truly indebted to those who gave so much.

One of my grandfathers was a veteran of D-Day landing on Sword as part of the Oxford & Bucks

The other was a chief flight deck engineer on HMS Ark Royal then moved to HMS illustrious after it was u-boated off Gibraltar.

[isleaiw1]

Street party here too, and we should never forget. My dad was old enough to be called up - but he got sent down the mines instead of off to fight, as he said he realised he was a lucky buggar that day.

My uncle fought in Japan and was captured - my Mum says that, despite being close enough to key industry to be near to bombs being dropped, her only real clear memory of the war is her 6ft 2 brother returning home sometime after VJ day still tall but really thin...

Without those that fought we wouldnt have the lives we have. We should all salute them

[Isow]

My father was in Burma.
His patrol was ambushed and everybody was killed except for
my father who was shot and wounded.
He managed to get back to the British lines.

[F20MAW73]

My Grandad was in the Royal Navy. A stoker mostly down in the engine rooms on the mine sweepers.

On D-Day he was on the tank landing crafts. His craft got hit by a shell and split in two. Only him and one other survived.

I remember him going to the doctors a few years back because his hearing was failing. The doctor asked did you hear any gunfire in WW2 which may have affected you hearing? He thought this was very amusing seeing as he went over to Normandy during the invasion and witnessed a massive bombardment especially from HMS Belfast which was firing off right next to his ship. Just a littbe bit of gunfire was his answer sarcastically.

When they went over to Normandy he was told it was just a training exercise maybe to keep things a secret as they left the docks.

His passed now but I so wished I had asked him much more about his experiences.

He was one of four brother and the all survived.

I've not really mourned his death in some ways. But for today being VE Day I have shed a little tear.

Such an amazing generation.

[Hooded]

Anyone watching a WW2 movie on VE Day then today?

Might see what I can find to watch later this evening. Fancy something I haven’t seen before which will be difficult in this genre.

[RENT-A-GOAT]

Originally Posted by Hooded

Anyone watching a WW2 movie on VE Day then today?

Might see what I can find to watch later this evening. Fancy something I haven’t seen before which will be difficult in this genre.

Always a good time to start or re watch Band of Brothers

[zofinger]

Dads Army tonight in ITV

[zofinger]

Originally Posted by RENT-A-GOAT

Always a good time to start or re watch Band of Brothers

+1. Best mini series ever.

[Hooded]

Originally Posted by RENT-A-GOAT

Always a good time to start or re watch Band of Brothers

Have considered that, never watched it.

Is it as good as the ratings suggest? .. 9.4 on IMDB!

Was looking at a James Mason classic ‘The Desert Fox’ for this evening though, one I’ve never watched. It’s about the World War II German general, Erwin Rommel.

[zofinger]

Originally Posted by Hooded

Have considered that, never watched it.

Is it as good as the ratings suggest? .. 9.4 on IMDB!

Was looking at a James Mason classic ‘The Desert Fox’ for this evening though, one I’ve never watched. It’s about the World War II German general, Erwin Rommel.

I don’t want to over do it, because you’ll have sky-high expectations; something I probably didn’t have when I first saw it 10+(?) yrs ago. BUT, it’s a quality 10-part series.

[RENT-A-GOAT]

Originally Posted by Hooded

Have considered that, never watched it.

Is it as good as the ratings suggest? .. 9.4 on IMDB!

Was looking at a James Mason classic ‘The Desert Fox’ for this evening though, one I’ve never watched. It’s about the World War II German general, Erwin Rommel.

If you have never seen Band of Brothers. Start without any expectations you won't be disappointed and like everyone who's watched and enjoyed it you will get engrossed in a really great series which was expertly casted and filmed.

[Hooded]

Thanks chaps, .. I’ll have to give that a Binge watch this month then while I’ve got plenty of spare time.

[zofinger]

Originally Posted by Hooded

Thanks chaps, .. I’ll have to give that a Binge watch this month then while I’ve got plenty of spare time.

A tenner if you spot the Tom Hanks cameo first time round

[ZedsRedBaby]

Yay let's all celebrate victory over Germany, while we drive BMWs and marvel at how their coronavirus death toll is the lowest in Europe.

Not knocking the sacrifices obviously but just wondering where it all went wrong.

[Goneinsixtyseconds]

Originally Posted by ZedsRedBaby

Yay let's all celebrate victory over Germany, while we drive BMWs and marvel at how their coronavirus death toll is the lowest in Europe.

Not knocking the sacrifices obviously but just wondering where it all went wrong.

You’re right. What did we do wrong, we should have made sure that they were more susceptible to disease than anyone else....

And I don’t believe their death toll is lower, they just don’t report any death against Covid that can be reported against another cause, ie a heart condition.

If the NHS had been overrun and care was poor, I’d be more likely to accept the huge difference. But as that didn’t happen I can think of no other reason than different reporting.

[ZedsRedBaby]

Originally Posted by Goneinsixtyseconds

You’re right. What did we do wrong, we should have made sure that they were more susceptible to disease than anyone else....

And I don’t believe their death toll is lower, they just don’t report any death against Covid that can be reported against another cause, ie a heart condition.

If the NHS had been overrun and care was poor, I’d be more likely to accept the huge difference. But as that didn’t happen I can think of no other reason than different reporting.

There's a risk of derailing this thread, which I don't want to, so I'm going to respond on the coronavirus thread.

[mikeoz]

I was watching Al Murray's Road to Berlin other day on Sky Docs channel ...dam good series..

[TouringPleb]

Originally Posted by ZedsRedBaby

Yay let's all celebrate victory over Germany, while we drive BMWs and marvel at how their coronavirus death toll is the lowest in Europe.

Not knocking the sacrifices obviously but just wondering where it all went wrong.

You are forgetting between us and the Americans we basically flattened every factory they had, meaning they rebuild modern (for the time) factories with the latest technology massively funded by the Americans. Meanwhile we were still producing cars in factories which were already 20-30 years out of date in the post war era.