I wrote this on another site just after midnight here in the UK as i work the nightshift:

It's just after midnight as I write this and 75 years ago troops from the ox and bucks landed in 3 gliders at the river orne bridge. leaping into action they assaulted the 2 vital bridges, private Wally Parr shouted "Come out and fight you square headed bast*rds as he attacked a machine gun emplacement.

Lieutenant Brotheridge led his group of men across the other side of the orne bridge and secured their objective, however the lieutenant was shot in the neck and died instantly. He was the first allied soldier killed in the Normandy invasion.

A short while later the American 101st and 82nd airborne began their air assaults as the British parachute regiment began to drop over the orne area to reinforce the initial attack. One of those men was the British actor Richard Todd.

The Germans launched a counter attack against the lightly armed glider troops using tanks. it was at this moment the most important tank kill of the second world war happened. Sergeant "Wagger" Thornton fired his PIAT at a range of only 50 yards! He only had 2 round of ammunition and there wouldn't be time to reload if he missed. The Germans feared that the British had a 6 pound anti tank gun and promptly retreated.

If those German tanks had gotten through the would have played havoc with the landing on gold, sword and juno beaches and may have lead to the invasion failing.

I thought I would take this opportunity to mention the names of those men who we owe so much too and who we honour for their bravery on this auspicious occasion.