May We Never Forget

This week is the 75th anniversary of Operations Overlord and Neptune, otherwise known as the D-Day Landings at Normandy.
April and May 1944 saw many coastal towns and villages along the south coast of England taken over by British, American, Canadian, and other allied forces in preparation for a major assault to liberate Europe from Nazi Germany.
In the weeks leading up to the landings American troops took over large areas of South Devon, using the beaches of the South Hams area (Blackpool Sand and Slapton Sands) as training beaches. It was off Slapton Sands, on the 27th April, during one of these dummy runs, that German E-boats attacked the landing craft taking part, sinking a couple. Further confusion ensued when survivors who made it to shore were faced with 'friendly fire', troops stationed on the beach for simulation of the landing. They should've been using 'dummy' bullets, but in fact were firing live rounds (this has never been confirmed officially). The official death toll was around 750 (more than were killed on 'Utah' beach on the real day) but is believed to be much higher.
The troops training in this area would board landing craft from the 3rd June ready for the landings. It is impossible to imagine what must have been going through their minds, many would never return home.

Let us never forget the sacrifice they made.