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phil andrade
London, UK
Posts: 2334
 | | A lovely affair in Dorset : Anglo - American celebration | | Posted on: 7/1/2012 2:55:31 AM | Right now I'm posting this message from the seaside town of Swanage, in Dorset, UK. This is as "quintessentially english" as it gets.
My visit coincided with a remarkable event yesterday.
Wesley Mullin (Mullen?) was a GI who stayed in the town prior to the D-Day invasion. He arrived in October 1943 and landed on Omaha on 6 June.
He was a rifleman in 26th Infantry Regiment, Ist Division . Was that " The Big Red One" ? I remember a war movie starring Lee Marvin about that division.
The old fella was sprightly despite his ninety years, and was delighted to see the townsfolk turn out to greet him. He arrived at the station, in a steam train, with all the bunting out and the mayor of the town to greet him. He was accompanied by a retired Lieutenenat General of the 26th and also a young serving soldier who is about to return to Afghanistan.
He had vowed to return to Swanage to thank the people for the kindness they had shown him and his buddies nearly seventy years ago. British re-enactors had donned American battle dress from WWII and formed a guard of honour. There was Glen Miller music blaring out, and the dreadful British weather took a turn for the better and the sun shone on the sea.
We all - hundreds of us - re convened at the town's war memorial, overlooking the sea front, and Wesley and his entourage were driven to the commemorative service in a jeep. A special memorial plaque - made by a local stonemason and commemorating the stay of the regiment in the town prior to D-Day - was laid at the foot of the war memorial, and the British Legion attended as we listened to an address by the American general and a prayer service conducted by a vicar. The stonemason was made an honorary member of the regiment and rewarded with a special blue badge.
This was a truly lovely occasion, made all the more delightful because - for me - it was an unexpected event. I had no idea about it beforehand.
Above all, it made me think about the news headlines that dominate the British press at the moment .....we are so excercised with events in the European Union; so engaged in debate about whether we should remain in that institution. This episode at Swanage was a timely reminder of where our hearts and minds really belong.
Regards, Phil
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"Egad, sir, I do not know whether you will die on the gallows or of the pox!"
"That will depend, my Lord, on whether I embrace your principles or your mistress."
Earl of Sandwich and John Wilkes
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| Mike Johnson
Stafford, VA, USA
Posts: 2946
| | Re: A lovely affair in Dorset : Anglo - American celebration | | Posted on: 7/1/2012 6:25:30 PM | A picture posted by the Swanage Coastguard with an officer and a specialist from HM Coastguard Service with Wes Mullen today:
Mr. Mullen provided a picture of himself and two buddies from 1944 also posted by the Swanage Coastguard: 
The Coastguard Service notes that in 2012, the participants were on the right side of the barrier.
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| Lightning
Glasgow, UK
Posts: 653
| | Re: A lovely affair in Dorset : Anglo - American celebration | | Posted on: 7/3/2012 10:52:43 AM | Phil,
What a wonderful story. A true reminder of the bonds that tie the English-speaking nations together.
Regards,
Colin
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"There is no course open to us but to fight it out. Every position must be held to the last man: there must be no retirement. With our backs to the wall and believing in the justice of our cause, each one of us must fight to the end."
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| rich
Vienna, VA, USA
Posts: 124
| | Re: A lovely affair in Dorset : Anglo - American celebration | | Posted on: 7/3/2012 12:14:17 PM |
Quote:A picture posted by the Swanage Coastguard with an officer and a specialist from HM Coastguard Service with Wes Mullen today:
--Mike Johnson
Uh, Mike? I hate to bring this up, but the "specialist from HM Coastguard" is a U.S. Army Specialist. 
---------------
Richard Anderson
Cracking Hitler's Atlantic Wall: the 1st Assault Brigade RE on D-Day
Stackpole Books, 2009
Hitler's Last Gamble (with Trevor N. Dupuy and David Bongard)
Artillery Hell (with Curt Johnson)
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| Mike Johnson
Stafford, VA, USA
Posts: 2946
| | Re: A lovely affair in Dorset : Anglo - American celebration | | Posted on: 7/5/2012 8:29:19 AM | Yes, he is Rich. Thanks for the catch. The wasn't much on the story on the HM Coastguard Service page and went with the caption. I should have looked closer at the insignia.
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| phil andrade
London, UK
Posts: 2334
| | Re: A lovely affair in Dorset : Anglo - American celebration | | Posted on: 7/5/2012 9:23:31 AM | The plaque at the base of the Swanage war memorial gives a list of battle honours for the 26th :
D-Day and the Battle for Normandy
Aachen/ Hurtgen Forest ( Don't know which came first )
Battle of the Bulge
Czechoslovakia
Apparently, Wes was in the third wave at Omaha, so escaped the annihilating casualties that struck down some of the leading companies.
His platoon was ambushed in the subsequent Normandy fighting, and he was one of the eight that escaped unscathed.
The Mayor of Swanage gave the address and said that 90% of the leading infantry waves at Omaha were "killed", and also that all but eight of Wes's platonn were "killed" in the ambush.....I have to assume that he makes the usual mistake of confusing casualties with fatalities.
Nonetheless, I was thrilled at the effort that was made, and delighted to participate. I hope that Wesley Mullen enjoyed it, and felt that the people of Swanage did him and his buddies justice.
Regards, Phil
---------------
"Egad, sir, I do not know whether you will die on the gallows or of the pox!"
"That will depend, my Lord, on whether I embrace your principles or your mistress."
Earl of Sandwich and John Wilkes
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| prr
Posts: 37
| | Re: A lovely affair in Dorset : Anglo - American celebration | | Posted on: 7/6/2012 9:18:51 PM | I enjoyed reading that and now you've made me wish I could have been there. Typically this only happens when I read emails from relatives on vacation at some tropical location.
Quote:Right now I'm posting this message from the seaside town of Swanage, in Dorset, UK. This is as "quintessentially english" as it gets.
My visit coincided with a remarkable event yesterday.
Wesley Mullin (Mullen?) was a GI who stayed in the town prior to the D-Day invasion. He arrived in October 1943 and landed on Omaha on 6 June.
He was a rifleman in 26th Infantry Regiment, Ist Division . Was that " The Big Red One" ? I remember a war movie starring Lee Marvin about that division.
The old fella was sprightly despite his ninety years, and was delighted to see the townsfolk turn out to greet him. He arrived at the station, in a steam train, with all the bunting out and the mayor of the town to greet him. He was accompanied by a retired Lieutenenat General of the 26th and also a young serving soldier who is about to return to Afghanistan.
He had vowed to return to Swanage to thank the people for the kindness they had shown him and his buddies nearly seventy years ago. British re-enactors had donned American battle dress from WWII and formed a guard of honour. There was Glen Miller music blaring out, and the dreadful British weather took a turn for the better and the sun shone on the sea.
We all - hundreds of us - re convened at the town's war memorial, overlooking the sea front, and Wesley and his entourage were driven to the commemorative service in a jeep. A special memorial plaque - made by a local stonemason and commemorating the stay of the regiment in the town prior to D-Day - was laid at the foot of the war memorial, and the British Legion attended as we listened to an address by the American general and a prayer service conducted by a vicar. The stonemason was made an honorary member of the regiment and rewarded with a special blue badge.
This was a truly lovely occasion, made all the more delightful because - for me - it was an unexpected event. I had no idea about it beforehand.
Above all, it made me think about the news headlines that dominate the British press at the moment .....we are so excercised with events in the European Union; so engaged in debate about whether we should remain in that institution. This episode at Swanage was a timely reminder of where our hearts and minds really belong.
Regards, Phil
--phil andrade
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