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The cubes trip to Normandy 2014


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We had a great time, so here are some photos.

Friday we joined the test of the MVT at Portsmouth ferry port

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The ferry trip went without problems. Arrived in France and were (eventually) met with the Gendarmerie (cars, bikes and helicopter!!!)

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The convoy went without a hitch all the way to Etreham where we all found our pitches, set up and settled in for the night.

Saturday for the cubes was a free day so went shopping for essentials, wine, beer, bread and cheese mainly!!!

Later in the day our neighbour's brake hoses collapsed on his jeep so the cubedmeister lent a hand

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Whilst I supervised!

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Sunday we decided as a group to visit Pegasus Bridge. Now my dad has spent the past 18 months learning the bagpipes. Up until then he never played an instrument, he can't sing for toffee either but boy he can play the pipes!!!!!

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He received a great amount of positive remarks and I'm very proud of him.

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Bumped into some bloke who said he was someone of great importance!

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Bumped into some bloke who said he was someone of great importance!

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hmmm he would :D

 

Looks like a great event, brings back memories of 1994....I met Major Howard, just about where you were sitting outside of the Pegasus Bridge Cafe.

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On Wednesday we went onto Baron Sur Odon and hill 112. The villagers look after the Churchill on the monument on top of the hill 112. Me and hubby were members of the Solent MVT group who helped in the placing of the tank. It was great to see the tank again and to ferry the villagers about. We also visited a school for children with additional needs, they loved the vehicles and enjoyed being driven around by some of the drivers. The school fed us well, so many thanks to them for that.

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Unfortunately I don't have many pictures of this day as I used my dad's camera mostly.

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Thursday we headed out towards Omaha as Clive Stevens and Ed Abbot had organised a meet on the beach of as many GMCs as possible. Well we had 30 in total but not all at the same time.

Photo care of Clive

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We also stopped of at the American Cemetery. There loads of Veterans there and I found it profoundly emotional.

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byjyte2e.jpg (eldest cubelet with a Vet who landed on the beach 6/6/44)

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Friday, the big day. Up at 0400. Roll out at 0445. With a chill in the air everyone's thoughts were with what had happened 70 years earlier. We arrived at Arromanches at about 0600 I think. We couldn't get on the beach as the tide was in. Once again my dad piped (an ambition of his)

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Eventually we were allowed on the beach at about 0700 and we all lined up. There were hundreds of vehicles and thousands of people

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The day got hotter and hotter and the atmosphere was awesome.

Some lovely vehicles

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Friday night was storm night. My god I've never ever in all my (44) years ever experienced a thunder storm like the one we had that night. Hail, rain as heavy as you can get, lightening that lit up the night sky and thunder that rumbled, rolled and boomed across the sky for about 30 mins. Then the storm moved on but it sounded like the bombs going off and I think everyone who listened knew it must have been exactly one this 70 years ago. Creepy.

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Saturday was going home day 😞

Luckily the rains stopped and we packed up in the dry.

Thank you to all those who I chatted to, all the villagers who waved as we went through, to the Gendarmerie for looking do cool

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Glad you're all safely back and that you enjoyed things and thank you for posting the pics for those of us who couldn't be there. Respect to your Dad for learning the pipes, that must have been tough. In the pic of the bloke with the hair what in hades is that Leopard skin thing he's got alongside him, is it a replacement for the pink cushion?:D

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hmmm he would :D

 

Looks like a great event, brings back memories of 1994....I met Major Howard, just about where you were sitting outside of the Pegasus Bridge Cafe.

 

Yes it does kinda bring back memories of 1994. I too met Major John Howard, and took a photo of him as he autographed a black and white post card of two horsa gliders taken in 1944.

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