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Friday, 6-June-2014
My dad died last year aged 87.
I had known since childhood that he had been in the Royal Artillery on 25-pounders but it wasn't until relatively recently that he mentioned he had been involved in D-Day. I think that was after 2004 when they 'started making a fuss' about the 6th of June.
We took him back to Normandy in 2006. It was quite a shock – but not the beaches or the memories of the war. The coast of France was so unlike what he remembered or expected, it didn't seem to have any resonance. It was so much like the seaside – and it was so foreign. The French were charming to an obvious veteran but their encouragements to sample their hospitality only brought forward uncertainty approaching scepticism.
To be honest we were not there very long and he was glad to be going home – only shortly after to wish he had made more of the trip and could return. We visited a few of the sites and museums including one at Arromanches where the photo was taken. Outside there happened to be a pair of 25-pounders. There was a brass plaque on the front:
25 POUNDER FIELD GUN
Over two hundred of these famous guns were in use with the Royal Artillery in Normandy by the evening of 'D' Day. It is very accurate and has a range of over 14,000 yards.
