Suzy Henderson

Ernie Pyle was a household name in America during the 1930s and 1940s, and a Pulitzer-prize winning journalist. Born in Indiana, on August 3rd, 1900, he would go on to become a journalist and an accomplished writer who became a war correspondent, covering many events of World War Two. In all, Ernie Pyle wrote four books of his coverage of the war years. Ernie Pyle image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons He once said that when peace was restored, he would like to return to London, "and stand on a certain balcony on a moonlit night and look down upon the peaceful silver curve of the Thames with its dark bridges." Ernie never got the chance to do that. He was tragically killed by a Japanese bullet on April 18th, 1945, while covering the war in the Far East. He was a humble man, who took it upon himself to go around England, visiting American bases, soldiers and airmen, and seeing what life was like for them here in the UK in wartime. He ventured a little further from his fe...

74th Anniversary of D-Day   On this day, D-Day, June 6th 1944, the Allies launched the largest air, land and sea operation, codenamed Operation Overlord. There were more than 5000 ships, 11000 aircraft, and over 150,000 troops. Training for the operation had begun some months before in England and for days leading up to the 5th June, equipment and vehicles had lined the streets in England, as the troops waited for the order to ship out. In addition, there were around 100,000 French Resistance ready to carry out planned acts of sabotage on German targets. The airborne invasion was to commence first and pave the way for the amphibious landings. Easy Company (now immortalised as the "Band of Brothers"), part of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, had their marshaling area in Upottery, Devon next to an airstrip. On the 4th June, in preparation for the mission, many of the men had their heads shaved or opted for a Mohawk haircut. On the afternoon of the 5th, someone f...