D-Day Despatches

Now on CD for the first time, this programme focusses on the largest seaborne invasion in modern history - and one of the world's most tightly kept secrets. It brings together despatches from the BBC War Correspondents who brought up-to-the-minute, graphic descriptions of the events to the listening public.
This is a unique collection, a chance to hear history in the making: the day and the hour of D-Day June 1944.

'The Landings' 5-6 June 1944
1 General Sir Bernard Montgomery, Commander-in-Chief, 21st Army Group addresses the Allied Expeditionary Force on the eve of the landings...
2 Robin Duff describes the preparations and the tenseness in the air as time draws near. The course will soon be set for France...
3 Frank Gillard describes the countryside of Britain which has become one enormous ordnance dump and field park. Columns of men are getting ready, the green fields are transformed but there is still time for cricket.
4 Robin Duff reports form on-board ship as H-Hour approaches - waiting and watching, a feeling of tension.
5 Guy Byam joins the airborne troops - the overnight assault on Continental Europe and the prelude to the seaborne landings.
6 Chester Wilmot describes the landing of glider troops on French soil.
7 Colin Wills with the seaborne armada witnesses the preparations for landing.
8 Howard Marshall describes the scene as the naval bombardment begins.
9 Colin Wills prepares to disembark - 'This is the day, and this is the hour'.
10 John Snagge reads the first official D-Day announcement over the BBC. 'This is London...'
11 Howard Marshall reports as the troops come ashore.
12 Richard Dimbleby sums up the progress of the invasion forces on day one. The first fhase seems to have gone 'corking well'.

'Ashore in Normandy' 6-20 June 1944
13 General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Supreme Commander Allied Expeditionary Force makes his official address to occupied Europe.
14 Michael Standing reports from the Normandy beaches.
15 Richard Dimbleby broadcasts from a Mosquito aircraft flying over the seaborne armada and the invasion beach-head.
16 Frank Gillard drives inland from the beaches to the front.
17 Frank Gillard broadcasts from the frontline.
18 Stanley Maxted reports on the battle to keep the sea lanes open, and witnesses an engagement between MTBs and the German E-Boats.
19 Richard Dimbledby describes a tactical bombing raid in northern France.
20 Michael Standing reports from a newly-liberated French village.
21 Alan Melville broadcasts form a small church in Normandy. The bells ring out...

Password:
englishtips.org