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Originally posted by DaveCox
There you are ,Great and Stalwart (acting)Holder of the Delete Key, a useable birthday pressie from the colonies..the best LMG ever to maintain our Most Sovereign Nation from the hords of incoming euro-tourists. LOL
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How appropriate, and an Inglis too coming from Canada.
Dave an I will set up a position on the White Cliffs of Dover to keep this sceptre'd Isle, a green and pleasant land, as it is and was fought for previously; no EU Fourth Reich here thank you very much.
I did go past the King's Stone yesterday on purpose. The single and privately placed little vase of flowers says it all; what you can't see is a small hand written card behind it, this says simply and concisely:
"Thank you for all you've done."
As you know this privately organised memorial to commorate the parade and inspection of 21st Army Group before King George VI on 22 May 1944 was a huge but military only event and as such details are scarce. Of course none of the troops would have known at the time what was to come in a few days hence.
Our best research endeavours suggest it was largely Canadian being well in the area of Canadian only "occupation" although 21st AG was officially composed of British and US troops too. The larger mass of 21st AG was indeed composed of the 1st Canadian Army and reading the extensive composition of 1st Canadian is a real eye-opener.
The Solent Area MVT, and myself, take a dual view of the significance of this memorial in that it is also a celebration of the lives of the troops stationed here before they were thrown into the Normandy carnage.
One large element of the 1st Canadian Army is of course the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, so its not impossible that Carman's uncle Eddie Smith may just possibly have been part of the parade, I'd like to think so, but we'll probably never know.
R.