Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The Boat Ride

The background to this story in part one of Welsh Cakes: Book of Short Stories is a ride in one of the vessels that launched the British soldiers onto the shores of Normandy, France in an offensive against the Germans in the Second World War. The ocean going vessels were nosed onto the beach and the end of each vessel then dropped to form a ramp from which the soldiers disembarked and rushed on shore where they engaged in battle with the enemy. Years later, ordinary people were given a chance to see and experience some of what the soldiers went through by taking a ride on one of these vessels. My father took my brother and me on this vessel. I couldn't swim and was afraid of the water so I was very nervous about the boat ride. This story gives honour to our solders who went through this dreadful war experience in which their courage, bravery and desire to save their country overcame the fear that they must have had during these dreadful times.

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