r00fie1
Well-known member
War is not about getting it right every time.I’m just reading a book about D Day and the battle of Normandy, that’s the impression I get anyway, obviously I wasn’t there to witness him first hand!
Its a dirty business.
There will always be casualties fighting an evil fascist regime that was bombing London and major British city`s, killing millions across the world.
The Battle{s} of Normandy effectively signalled the end of the Third Reich.
Montgomery and Eisenhower devised the plan which saw 133,000 US / Canadian / British / Polish / Free French / Commonwealth and Allied troop deploy to attack and defeat the German SS Panzers, storm troopers and occupiers in Northern France and create a corridor to the European mainland.
10,000 troops sacrificed their lives - hind-sight is a wonderful thing: the landings drove the German forces into the "Falaise Pocket" which was a decisive battle in the war. The allies drove the Panza`s east - knowing they had no escape as the allies closed in.
I visited there in 2019 with the ABF Soldiers Charity and their historian - a former Marine, whose Grandfather was one of those who took part in the D-Day landings.
Its different learning and experiencing how Eisenhower`s and Montgomery`s plan evolved - especially when you`ve been to where the invasion and the battles took place.
Montgomery knew how to rally his troops to the cause - that in itself is a skill.Leadership is knowing how to maintain morale and give the nation self - belief in times of crisis - facing an enemy who was dropping bombs on Britain and murdering our troops across the globe.
Every soldier / sailor / airman knows that they may have to pay the ultimate sacrifice. That didnt mean that Montgommery and Eisenhower were laissez-faire about the cost in lives of the invasion. Leaders take a calculated risk - there can never be a military manouvre or invasion which is completely free of risk. If you are in uniform - its an occupational risk. Montgomery and Eisenhower took that risk, knowing that without it, Europe would remain in the hands of dark forces who were a threat to the world, not just our little island.