There were French soldiers and Canadian soldiers and Polish and Australian soldiers and probably others, involved in Overlord.
However, it was clearly primarily a British-American operation as much as Stalingrad was a Russian victory although US lend-lease supplies were used.
Any Overlord celebration that doesn't include the British is clearly missing something; although I pass no judgment on the celebration in question as I don't know the details at all. The thrust of Macswain's point, that an Overlord celebration that includes the Americans and French but not the British is incomplete, is correct.
Celebrating Overlord without the British is like celebrating WWI victory without the French or waxing poetic about Blucher's victory over Napoleon without mentioning Wellington.
GUARDIAN.CO.UK, TUESDAY 2 JUNE 2009 13.53 BST
“Neither the Queen nor any other member of the royal family had been invited to join the official events in Normandy on Saturday.” // “An official invitation was received today from the French ambassador.” // “It is believed that the turnaround came after Charles himself spoke to the Queen.” // “The White House press secretary, Robert Gibbs, indicated that pressure was being put on the French to rectify the situation.”
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1190288/Victory-Prince-Charles-demands--gets--D-Day-invitation-French.html
“French officials initially denied the Americans had intervened and insisted the royals were content not to play any part in the D-Day anniversary. But with astonishing effrontery, they then quickly tried to claim the credit for Prince Charles’s move, insisting it was the result of their work behind the scenes in the face of ‘resistance’ from Paris.”
“Peter Hodge, secretary of the Normandy Veterans Association, said members would be delighted that Charles would lead Britain’s official delegation instead of Gordon Brown. While the Queen’s presence would have been the ‘icing on the cake’, he said: “Prince Charles is our future King and we will be honoured to have him there.”
“Vic Brabham, 86, who served as a tank crewman with the Royal Scots Greys and celebrated his 22nd birthday on D-Day, said the prince would be welcome but added: ‘The Queen served in the ATS during the war’.”
“Prince Charles’s intervention will deny President Sarkozy the chance to stand alone with Barack Obama at the main international ceremony at Omaha Beach on Saturday – a prospect which critics accuse the French leader of trying to engineer for reasons of political vanity, ignoring the fact that Britain and Canada provided most of the fighting troops on D-Day itself.”
Originally posted by MacSwainFranco?
I see there has been activity in my absence…good! Sorry to say no one replied to what I actually wrote. Instead you chose to respond something I did not say.
I DID NOT CONTEND FRENCH WERE NOT INVOLVED…
To repeat, I said: [b]“I don’t remember there being MUCH ‘Franco’ involvement on those BEACHES 65 years ago.”
I took exception to French offici ...[text shortened]... d callous statement remains steadfast! British Force involvement is deserving of highest regard![/b]
I thought you were on about the Spanish dictator.
Originally posted by MacSwainNewsflash : McSwain edits newspaper articles he posts.
GUARDIAN.CO.UK, TUESDAY 2 JUNE 2009 13.53 BST
“Neither the Queen nor any other member of the royal family had been invited to join the official events in Normandy on Saturday.” // “An official invitation was received today from the French ambassador.” // “It is believed that the turnaround came after Charles himself spoke to the Queen.” // “The Wh ...[text shortened]... ring the fact that Britain and Canada provided most of the fighting troops on D-Day itself.”[/b]
McSwain's version : "French officials initially denied the Americans had intervened and insisted the royals were content not to play any part in the D-Day anniversary." Timestamp GMT: 6:13
The original version : "Officials initially denied the Americans had intervened and insisted the royals were content not to play any part in the D-Day anniversary." Above the article we get the timestamp 'Last updated at 1:26 AM on 03rd June 2009'
Isn't it a lot more likely that British officials are claiming credit for the work of the British prince and that Brits are complaining about resistance from the French ?
So when called on his behaviour in this thread, he then post an edited newspaper article, even bolding his lie.
Now of course, if McSwain can prove to me there somehow is problem with the timestamps, I will retract my accusation. To make it a bit easier on him, my setting for RHP time stamps is GMT.
Originally posted by sh76Hang on, hang on. The Canadians had one of the five beaches - Juno - virtually all to themselves. Fifteen thousand Canadians went ashore on the 6th June.
There were French soldiers and Canadian soldiers and Polish and Australian soldiers and probably others, involved in Overlord.
However, it was clearly primarily a British-American operation [...]
"By the end of D-Day, 15,000 Canadians had been successfully landed, and the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division had penetrated further into France than any other Allied force, despite having faced strong resistance at the water's edge and later counterattacks on the beachhead." wikipedia.
Originally posted by FMF
Five beaches. Two British. One Canadian. Two American.
"It was primarily a British-American thing".
Ouch!
Sorry to have sussed you out. Wriggle on. Squirm if you must. As you well know, I will grant you full respect if you climb down.
Originally posted by sh76
US: 21 Divisions
UK: 19 Divisions
Canada: 5 divisions
All of the major commanders were American or British.
"It was primarily a US-British operation" = accurate
I don't believe you'll grant me full respect no matter what I do. You're a bully and bullies don't respect people who back down.
Thank you for one of the most ignorantly exaggerated posts I can ever recall.
21 Divisions? 19 Divisions? What on Earth are you on about?
D-Day, June 6th 1944
Five beaches:
Sword: 28,845 British troops, including some French, landed
Gold: 24,970 British troops landed
Juno: 21,400 Canadian troops landed (under the command of Major General R.F.L. Keller of the Canadian Army) on the second most heavily defended beaches
Omaha: 43,250 American troops landed on the most heavily defended beaches out of the five
Utah: 32,000 American troops landed
As you well know, sh76, I will be gracious if you climb down off your amazingly ill informed but stubborn high horse.