Today is the 217th anniversary of the Battle of Trafalgar where Admiral Lord Nelson was killed. Wouldn't it be nice if, after all this time, we could have a National Trafalgar Day? Highly unlikely in the present climate, we might upset the French!! We already have a Waterloo Station, after all... Photo from Wikipedia site.
And on Tuesday, 23rd October, it's the anniversary of the beginning of the Second Battle of El Alamein when the British and her Allies finally gained a victory in North Africa, beating Rommel's Afrika Corps.
In less than two years Rommel would be dead, forced to commit suicide after being implicated in the July 1944 plot against Hitler. Montgomery's plan in September 1944 was to drive forward and take Arnhem, reinforcing the Airborne troops dropped near the town. Unfortunately things went wrong and it was a disaster...Photo from site Watch Documentary.
2 comments:
And little me was seven weeks old. I was told that I got the name Bernard from Bernard Montgomery. It was a good job that Rommel was beaten as I might had been Christened 'Erwin'!!! (only joking)
Do you remember the Church bells?
It was the first time that the church bells were rung since May 1940. (so I'm told). It was, as Churchill described it, "a glorious and decisive victory". Subsequently, he was to say that this was not the beginning of the end, but it was the end of the beginning.
It was certainly my beginning.
Hi Bernard,
I thouhght I'd answered this the other day but - it's disappeared - this is a second try.
I don't remember church bells at all, I know they were to be used to signal we were being invaded but don't recall any celebration bells.
We didn't have a radio all through the war so news was collected from Daily Mirror/Herald or going to the 'pictures' where the newsreel was - how old??? Never heard Glenn Miller Band, either...
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