D Day Commemoration

[Gorgonemilezola]

Don't know if anyone watched this. Incredibly moving - the veterans speaking to the King and Queen, poetry, song, readings, Princess Anne at the Bayeux commemoration, the 17 year old cadet torch bearer, the music, sense of time and place.

Yes I watched some of it, very impressive 👏👍

Very moving and very humbling. Those of us who came later don’t know we’re born.

Very touching. Has inspired us to go to Normandy for 90th anniversary to honour my grandfather.

I found it incredibly moving. (As did the Royals). Well done to all the broadcasters for their respectful coverage.

The amount of work that will have gone on behind the scenes by all the organisations involved must have been astonishing. Kudos to them.

The Veterans are so impressive. I saw a clip of one saying he felt he had to pay his respects to the German soldiers - "they were just young men like us, told what to do" (paraphrasing).

I'm watching the commemoration now on TV. Absolutely balling my eyes out. It's so sad but such a beautiful memorial at the same time. Makes me very proud and grateful for all those that took part in D Day.

All of it last night was so moving, but the veterans especially; the one who still does his armchair exercises and who has gone back to Normandy for the first time this year; and the one who stood with a young soldier supporting him so he could give his tribute.

The drone displays at Portsmouth were superb

Incredibly moving. Watched last night. Drones in Portsmouth superb. Beautiful at the cemetery in Bayeux.
Watching this morning too and crying my eyes out.
All those poor young men. Some just teenagers.

Me too.

I've been watching it too. It's been incredibly poignant and brought me to tears several times. The veterans are such impressive people yet so humble. With war in Europe again I hope it reminds us all how lucky we are to have had decades of peace and not to take it for granted.

The amount of work that will have gone on behind the scenes by all the organisations involved must have been astonishing. Kudos to them

I'm going to own up to thinking 'just HOW are they going to illuminate all the graves at Bayeux?' and when the lights spread as darkness fell thinking OMG, the months of planning and work that must have gone into that for it to go so flawlessly.

It's probably the last DD for the surviving veterans, so a fitting send off for them.

I watched the service last night and this morning. Absolutely beautifully executed and so genuine from all concerned.

I also thought that people who believe that the RF bring nothing to Britain should have watched how the King and Queen communicated with the veterans, giving them all the time and respect they needed, whereas from the Macrons it was a quick handshake and move on. I thought Princess Anne was brilliant yesterday too, and love the fact that she referred to her husband's uncle.

What a different world we might have lived in - if we were here at all!

I think I found it more emotional this year thinking that a lot of the soldiers were the same age as my teen DD and her peers.

Of course I've always known that there were very young soldiers but I think it hit more when you have your own that age and thinking of the sacrifices they made.

Is it all available on iplayer?

It'll be on IPlayer for some time, probably. Programmes for significant events tend to be on IP for at least a year.

@Fizbosshoes DS is the same age as many of the soldiers were. It does bring it home to you how young they were

It's been on all day, I'm a wreck watching it, so emotional 😞

I watched it. I thought it was excellent. Poignant and meaningful without being mawkish. I thought the King and Queen were very good, especially in their chats with the veterans.

My grampy went over on D-Day with the RAMC. He kept all his stuff from the time - "Do's & Don'ts for Troops Going Overseas", his badges and medals, maps, pass for use on the Mulberry harbour, everything. Plus he kept detailed diaries. Absolutely fascinating. He survived, but as well as D-Day, he was also involved in Operation Market Garden in Eindhoven ("A Bridge Too Far") and the liberation of Bergen Belsen concentration camp. He was never able to sleep again at night properly after all he'd seen and had to do, for the rest of his life.

We owe them more than we can ever repay. They were so young at the time and must have been scared witless - and of course without the benefit of hindsight that we have now that we would succeed and win the war.

Thanks and respect to your Grampy @REP22.

My Dad was in training with the RAF from May 1944, and there's a big gap in his training record between 4th June and 23rd June - I suppose anyone with knowledge (trainees excluded) would have been sent over to Normandy.

I would love to be fly on the wall during royal family training. They must get some kind of guidance because anyone I know who has ever met any of the senior royals always felt seen and appreciated. It's not an easy thing to do and watching the coverage of the King and Queen and Prince of Wales (the ones I saw I interact) were obviously doing a great job, you could tell by the faces of those around the veterans as well and the individuals themselves.

Just watching a line up of dignitaries, Trudeau and Zelensky seem really natural whereas Biden and Macron looked awkward.

Brigitte Macron spent loads of time with the American veterans yesterday, when they disembarked. Lots of hugs and kisses. Some great footage of the GIs flirting with her! Emmanuel Macron was down in Provence meeting the French veterans.

Thank you ❤- you're probably right. And there probably would have been little recorded at the time for secrecy reasons. Much respect to your Dad also. Very brave. x

I haven’t watched but will catch up on I Player. The sheer number killed in the D Day landings is hard to comprehend 😢

Watched yesterday morning and today, catching up on the amazing drone display and the very moving ceremony at Bayeux. I've seen that A Foreign Field (film made in 1990s) is up on iPlayer, really recommend if you haven't seen it, it's a wonderful (and at times very funny) story about veterans returning to pay tribute.

The Royal family really made it work I think, a team effort at what must still be a difficult time.

One of DDad's friends, as a nineteen year old, was dropped at Pegasus Bridge by a glider. He had nightmares about it for the rest of his life. Nineteen. It beggars belief really.