Pegasus Bridge With Henri de Wailly

With what has become typical of our luck, we missed the jump by the British paratroopers because we were inside looking at their beautiful museum, and didn't know another jump was taking place!

HOSPITALITY CLUB

On Saturday night at the fireworks display at Port en Bessin, we were "picked up" by a young Iranian fisherman called Amir. I'm sure he was genuine, but Dale and I weren't familiar with the concept. He wanted to offer us "refuges" for the night. We would sleep at his home (our first night out of the truck sounded great) but would have to bring our own sleeping bags.

I think the idea was that he was moving to Marsellles and would need to accept others free hositality, so he wanted to get some credit points for himself.

LOSER'S CAR!

We'd noticed these cars around which sound like motorbikes. In fact they are a car you are allowed to drive when you've lost all of your points. They are slow and can only carry two people. No one admits to manufacturing them. They are so underpowered that they don't require you to have a licence to drive them. E.g. get booked for DUI and just go and buy one of these. The local opinion is that they are more dangerous underpowered and in the hands of unlicenced, inexperienced drivers. Just go and buy one and ride away like a push bike!

6th June D DAY

I hate to say it, but we didn't get up to convoy to Arromanches beach with the MVT at 5.00am to wait on the beach for the sun to rise. The 27 attending said it was very stirring but a hiccup in the convoy led to members arguing, laying blame, with organisers stressing out and vehicles scattering.

At 10.00am we convoyed with about 77 MVT vehicles from the campsite at Etreham to Asnelles, where we stayed at the memorial until 3.00 pm.

Then we all convoyed along the beach to Arromanches (Mulberry Bay) for a massive photo shoot.

Rob Miller a MVT member had hoped to assemble "65 WW2 bikes for 65 years" and got 146 submitted for a world record attempt.

Many of the bikes were in camp in the "field" at the MVT camp at Etreham. Keith J Leech had his BSA M20 pillion beauty there. Nigel Silver (told me to mention here that he is available!) and Pino Lombardia had their M20s as well as their "air drops" with them. The two of them went for an evening run around camp on the airdrops - noisy lttle critters. Sadly, Nigel's M20 was run into by an "intoxicated" French driver as he was on his way to Normandy. Nigel was fine, stiff with bruised legs, and will be able to rebuild the bike.

The bikes formed part of the display, with reanactments and up to three amphibs floating around in the sea in the background.

There was a huge crowd assembled at the waterfront with hundreds of Veterans. They were hoping that Prince Charlie was going to turn up and when the broadcaster announced that Gordon Brown was coming, a loud "boo" went up. The announcer said, "I'm not asking you to vote for him." It was a shambles, not even enough seats had been provided for the Veterans and the pommies were saying that the British Government hadn't provided for them.

THIS YOU WON'T BELIEVE! US GETTING LOST!

After making our own way to Noyes Bocage we shot off to "find petrol," made a wrong turn on the way back and completely missed the placing of the wreath on the Anzac WW2 Memorial neaq the village. We'd dug out our medals we had especially mounted for the trip to wear on this occasion. My miniatiure set didn't draw any attention, but two people came up to Dale and asked why he was wearing the medals as supposedly they were only for presentations. Dale got out of that by saying he was attending a ceremony later in the day, but the other man thought that Dale shouldn't be wearing Pacific medals in Europe?!

IT RAINED ON OUR PARTY!

Anna had created a garden setting at the Chateau resembling the Yalumba advertisement. Returning from a rest she discovered that it had rained. So instead of arriving to a garden party we were welcomed by Anna and Frank into their rather palatial 18th century Chateau. Their business address is Paris.

White linen, flowers, ornate platters with layers of cold cuts, real pheasants (dead) decorated both ends of the pressed aspic, champagne and the best red and white wines. Mirrors highlighting the tapestries, brocades, maroon marble fireplaces, paintings, clocks, piano, marble staircase, statues, renaissance furniture, with the stiring tones of the music of the forties.

It was a once in a lifetime experience, never to be forgotten, a real privilege. Thank you again Anna and Frank.

We spent the evening with Alejandro Gomez, Marianne, his wife and son, Alejandro, from Paris (formerly from Venezuala). They'd flown in from Paris and were staying in the nearby town of Villers Brocage. Their cab home had to come all the way from Caen at 1.00am, so we offered them a lift in the truck. With three of us lying in the back of the truck, we gave them a ride to remember on that rainy D Day night!

D DAY WRAPUP TO FOLLOW!!