D Day WW II, sailboats?

Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
as an isolationist country prior to WW II with war raging in Europe and the Pacific with a small military and taking care of ourselves, this country was forced into war without warning or provocation when Pearl Harbor was bombed. The greatest generation are those who served to protect this nation and our values/way of life some which are in jeopardy today.

Friday is the 75th anniversary of D DAY, please remember those who served as many of us had relatives there. Many are gone with a few left.
Personally, my father is credited flying the first observation plane over the Channel to direct gunfire and lived later to observe the tyranny of a socialist nation under Hitler when Dachau concentration camp was liberated.

Although at Dunkirk some sailboats were used to evacuate the Allies prior to our intervention, my father use to tell me as a child seeing a few sailboats in the Channel headed toward Normandy during the Invasion If there are any photos of any sailboats used during the Normandy Invasion crossing the English Channel, would you please post them here as I have never have seen any.
Again, remember those who served and those who are still alive as we celebrate the 75th anniversary of D Day on Friday. I salute all who served to protect our values and way of life. Thank you on a job well done.
 
Aug 2, 2005
1,155
Pearson 33-2 & Typhoon 18 Seneca Lake
Thanks for posting, CDC,

If memory serves (and there is no guarantee of that) there were sailboats in some scenes of the Dunkirk evacuation in both the recent film and in earlier versions. D-Day invasion? I would not say it couldn't have happened, but with all the military shipping and secrecy the use of sailboats would seem unlikely. I'm interested to see what others post.

(Father-in-Law) George Linden, Jr landed in Normandy D +1 (My Father) Gerald G. Correll served in North Africa, Sicily, & Italy. Both men returned to civilian life after their service and married or my wife and I would not be on this planet!
 
Sep 6, 2015
110
Unknown snipe delaware bay
Thanx for posting Dave. My father, a commercial fisherman and sailor in his later years. Went into north Africa and all the way to Berlin. He is gone now 8 years and never spoke of his time in the service, only to say "We did what we were asked to do."
Eric
 
Jan 1, 2006
7,039
Slickcraft 26 Sailfish
I just stand in awe of the people who landed in Normandy knowing the danger they were in. Not that they were volunteers. But they did what they had to do and many have crosses in Normandy to mark their service. I pray that someday mankind can find a better way of resolving conflicts than slaughtering each other. We really stink at that.
 
Feb 20, 2011
7,990
Island Packet 35 Tucson, AZ/San Carlos, MX
If there are any photos of any sailboats used during the Normandy Invasion crossing the English Channel, would you please post them here as I have never have seen any.
Would the soldiers disembark at a marina, or might these sailboats have a really shallow draft?
 
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Sep 26, 2008
546
Hunter 340 0 Wickford, RI
IMG_0451.JPG
Dave,
Here in Wickford RI, we had one of the ships that was used in Dunkirk. It was moored across from my boat for years and was used as a a sightseeing/schooling vessel in the 1990's to about 2005. It was taken out of service because of its steel hull and the ravages of time (rust) on her. I believe it still sits in dry dock. We would love seeing her leave the dock and hearing the Captains warning to other boats "Don't follow us...we draw no water! But once out of port what a beautiful site it was when hoisted her sails.
I'm including an article and photo of her for you to see.

"Brandaris, the 63-foot Dutch-design sailing vessel, was launched in 1938 as the private yacht of William De Vries Lentsch, Jr., shipyard owner and famous Dutch designer. After a colorful escape from German occupation in WWII, Brandaris participated in the evacuation of Dunkirk. Now berthed in Wickford, Rhode Island, she is available for excursions, sailing charters, and special occasion functions from weddings to funerals. Brandaris also offers a Classroom Afloat program featuring educational field trips and curriculum-based experiential learning programs. Many of these programs have received sponsorship from corporate and grant-based underwriters at no charge to schools."Who Sails? Elementary School, Middle School, High School, College, charter groups
Program Type: Maritime History, Marine Science
Normal cruising waters: Narragansett Bay, RI
Built: 1938"

Crew: 2
Contact: Captain Douglas Somers
E-mail: brandaris@earthlink.netWho Sails? Elementary School, Middle School, High School, College, charter groups
Program Type: Maritime History, Marine Science
Normal cruising waters: Narragansett Bay, RI
Built: 1938
Crew: 2
Contact: Captain Douglas Somers
E-mail: brandaris@earthlink.net

Flag: United States of America
Rig: Sloop
Homeport: Wickford, RI
Sparred Length: 63'
LOA: 58'
LOD: 55'
LWL: 53'
Draft: 2' 6
Beam: 18'
Rig height: 59'
Freeboard: 4' 6
Sail Area: 1317 square feet
Tons: 60
Hull: riveted iron
Facts
tallshipsamerica.org
 
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Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
Watching the 75th commencement this morning, THE BEDFORD BOYS OF THE 29th INFANTRY DIVISION were mentioned by the President. As I understand, the largest life of loss by percentages came from a community named Bedford, VA which many died.

There is the National D Day Memorial located in Bedford off U S Route 460 which is halfway between Roanoke VA and Lynchburg VA. If in the area, it is well worth a visit dedicated to all who fought at Normandy on D Day and the days after. If you ever meet any of the remaining Veterans of The Normandy Invasion and all who served in WW II, take the time to salute thanking those brave soles for their service as they were the greatest generation defending our way of life
 
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Jun 8, 2004
10,024
-na -NA Anywhere USA
@31seahorse
Thank you all but hopefully someone can find a photo of sailboats used in the Normandy Invasion. Seahorse, my father was there D Day +1 as he was flying an L 5 observation plane leading others over. Instead of landing to refuel, he continued flying directing gunfire which knocked out two German gun batteries before landing. He said seeing some sailboats although I have yet to confirm that.
As a child I flew with dad in Army fixed wing and helicopters. Once he told me about Dachau Concentration Camp and the horrors seen. He broke down crying and said how a could a socialist country under a horrible dictator, Hitler, could kill their own people for no reason at all. He never said anymore about Dachau

In fact, once I saw an elderly Afro American who was trying to tell a couple of young men about the RED TALES. Although this gentleman was having a hard time telling his story, it was an honor to step up and saluted this gentleman for protecting the bombers. I then told his story to the young men.
Thanks to all confirming sailboats at Dunkirk
 
Aug 2, 2005
1,155
Pearson 33-2 & Typhoon 18 Seneca Lake
@31seahorse
Thanks to all confirming sailboats at Dunkirk
I hesitated to cite the movies, but I felt that some aspect of historical information was in them. Also, with the reshowing of news footage from Dunkirk or associated with the present D Day memorial activities there might be a glimpse of the sailboats your father mentioned.

Just a thought.....could sailboats from the French coastline have become involved in rescue or assistance activity during the invasion?
 
Jul 7, 2004
8,402
Hunter 30T Cheney, KS
@31seahorse
In fact, once I saw an elderly Afro American who was trying to tell a couple of young men about the RED TALES. Although this gentleman was having a hard time telling his story, it was an honor to step up and saluted this gentleman for protecting the bombers. I then told his story to the young men.
I have a DVD copy of the Tuskegee Airmen. I've been waiting for the 'newer' Red Tails movie to come out on Netflix or Amazon Prime.
 

Mikem

.
Dec 20, 2009
820
Hunter 466 Bremerton
Slightly off topic but directly related to D-Day. This has special significance to me for several reasons. This was my graduation day from the Naval Academy 1973 but more importantly for an action my parents performed in Normandy in 1984. My parents, as I said previously, my late father (corpsman in WW2) had a friend who took a German bullet on Omaha Beach. That good friend gave my dad's eulogy but back to the action my parents performed in Normandy in 1944. My mother had a vial of dirt from their hometown of Napa, Calif. My mom and dad walked to one of the cemeteries where so many of our countrymen are buried and while there my mom opened the vial of dirt from home and spread it across the graves with the words, "So that you will always be under American soil".
 
Jun 21, 2004
2,532
Beneteau 343 Slidell, LA
Three day event at National WWII Museum in New Orleans this weekend, commemorating the 75th anniversary of the invasion. Started at "H" hour this morning at 6:30 AM CST same as the official start. Of the 160,000 international invasion force, only 5,000 are living. Approximately 385 die each day, with the young survivors being in their 90's. Quite Sobering statistics. The museum planned a substantial anniversary commemoration as most of the remaining survivors won't be around for the next major anniversary. It still amazes me of the sacrifices that the men and women of the "Great Generation" made to protect our freedom. If you are in New Orleans, the museum is a must see attraction; takes one to two days to really see it. The museum started small with an initial objective to highlight the thousands of "Higgins" landing craft that was designed and built in New Orleans. Eisenhower once stated that the landing craft was one factor that won the war. Interestingly, the New Orleans Power Squadron trained over 15,000 enlisted seamen in navigation principles during WWII.