Let’s not forget the D Day Dodgers

‘D Day Dodgers’ was the name MP Lady Astor gave to soldiers who weren’t storming the beaches on June 6. She thought they were skivers who didn’t want to fight in the real war.

She was talking about troops of the Eighth Army, many of whom had fought in North Africa, and were part of the allied advance on Rome. In winter 1943 they arrived at the Liri Valley, where their route was blocked by the mountain fortress of Monte Cassino.

The Germans turned these heights into the most formidable defensive position in Europe. Dug into a maze of tunnels in the rock, they couldn’t be seen yet could see every movement for miles. They’d mapped every detail of the valley floor - any movement down below brought down instant, accurate fire. Tanks weren’t much use in mountains. Fighting had to be done by infantry – often hand to hand - while a never-ending artillery barrage churned the valley into a first world war hellscape.

This 4-month campaign was Britain’s most brutal encounter with the German Army on any front in World War Two. German troops compared it to the horrors of Stalingrad. British, American, Canadian, French, Indian, Moroccan, New Zealand and Polish Armies involved suffered 55,000 casualties.

The campaign increasingly suffered as resources were diverted to the planned invasion in France. By the time of the 4th battle for Cassino, General Alexander stated that the main objective was ‘to force the enemy to commit the maximum number of divisions in Italy at the time the cross-channel invasion is launched.’

Cassino was finally taken on May 18 1944. Just two weeks later D Day happened and that was all folk cared about. Those involved in the Italian campaign were insulted, ignored and forgotten. The troops never forgave or forgot Astor though. They took her words as a badge of honour and turned them into a sarcastic song. Many veterans had it played at their funerals.

My old fella was a D Day Dodger.

 

My dad was serving in Burma, piece of pi$$ evidently....

 

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ce99vz560dno.amp

 

She was a Tory so her out of order comments don't surprise me. She also sailed close to espousing fascism. Stafford Cripps (Labour) referred to her as 'The member for Berlin.'

 

I visited Monte Casinso some years ago and the rebuilt castle is very impressive. Another beautiful place in a beautiful country. I don’t have the right words to describe my feelings about the grave yards there The German grave yard lies adjacent to the allies cemetery and it brought home to me that they also lost so many. The theme today is rightly about pushing back the Nazi forces but in truth the opposing forces were ordinary men and boys just like the allies

 

My Grandad was in North Africa and Italy too. You're right btw. It is hardly mentioned. Glad you posted a separate thread and even more pleased I read your post in it's entirety.

 

Wasn’t Astor the one who said to Churchill,
“Winston, if I was your wife I’d give you poison”
“Astor, if you were my wife I’d drink it”

 

My uncle was killed in the battle for Monte Cassino.
Wasn't it Lady Astor who called the miners the blackclocks of the earth? or something upon them lines.

 

So was my grandad and I’m proud of him.

 

I’m just glad I wasn’t a D day dodger OR at D day landings in fact I’m glad I wasn’t involved at all.
Everyone played a part in an awful period of which we all should be grateful.

 

So was my Grandad. In the KOYLIs.

One of the lucky few to escape the Japanese invasion into India. Apparently he was 6 and half stone when he reached safety which caused him to lose a kidney and also lost 95% of his hearing.

A great man and the daft buggar lived to 93.

 

My dad was also in Burma. He caught dysentery twice and was as thin as a rake. That's all he would ever mention about the place.

 

By that's just brought memories of my dad flooding back. He was in the Duke of Wellingtons and was in the North Africa and Italian campaigns. Heard him mention Monte Casino and I have a photo somewhere of him on border duty at Trieste on the Italy /Yugoslavia border. He also mentioned an audience with the Pope whilst in Rome. Other than those snippets he rarely spoke of it (the war that is).

 

Do you know? It’s the first time I realised that Lady Astor was on the beaches! Live and learn!

 

KOYLI's take a bow, I was 2 LI then 1 LI which was formed after we lost the Light Infantry county regiments in 1968 ( DLI, KSLI, S&CLI and KOYLI)

 

Not heard that word for a long time - blackclocks. I think that’s what people called beetles when I was growing up

 

My Grandad died in North Africa in 1943, must have been one of those dodgers.

 

Yeah, my Dad’s dad, survived the North Africa campaign only to meet his end in Italy

 

My Grandma's brothers Albert and Sidney were Sherwood Foresters, both taken PoW by the Japs. Sidney had to work as batman to a Jap leader on the camp. When the guy died, Sidney had to dig his grave, and was then promptly buried alive with his 'masters' coffin. In front of Albert and hundreds of others.

Albert was one of the most tortured men I ever knew. Totally haunted. Died about 2005.

I have a newspaper cutting somewhere with Edith (my Grandma) alongside her siblings Joyce, Sidney, Albert and Stanley all serving at the same time in either the army or Women's Land Army. All long gone, Edith the last one in 2012. I managed to get to Canada to say my goodbyes a week before she passed.

Always remembered.

 

Albert was moved to Hiroshima and kept prisoner underground with a slit window. Hearing a big bang one day they peeped out and saw the mushroom cloud. Poor blokes were rehomed to a prison in Nagasaki!!