What Was It Like To Be A Paratrooper On The D-Day Landings? | Guy Martin: D-Day Landing | Timeline

Perhaps the most famous part of D-Day is the landings themselves, but that is far from the whole story. Discover what it was like to be a Paratrooper, the allied troops who began the offensive that would ultimately liberate Europe.
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[@peetyw8851]

‘was fortunate 8 yrs ago to visit where my uncle had jumped on DDay. ‘had already fought in Sicily and Italy with the 82nd 505 PIR. Dropped without the engine on the port side being temporarily killed, thus the terrific jolt resulted in his morphine vile being shattered. Absolutely lost and unable to recover necessary equipment to go along with the 90 lbs or so attached to his body. Rounded up by the enemy probably a mile North of Ste Mere Eglise which was about 3 miles East of the drop zone. Marched toward Cherbourg, put on a train heading South. After tracks bombed, marched through Bricquebec to a small Village, Besneville, where he and the hundred or so other prisoners were strafed by our fighter planes. Hit by three bullets and put in enemy field hospital and well cared for. Told by doctors to tell the liberating troops of the good care rendered. Recovered in England in time for Market Garden and earning the Silver Star in the Bulge. 2 bronze starsand 5 purple heart citations. Before my trip, I had no idea of specifically of where his ordeal had played out. A lot of work and some good fortune led me to Besneville and the site of the attack. I Goggled “Bricquebec friendly fire after reading an account by a fellow 505 Co B POW mentioning Bricquebec. Besneville (identified only as a small town 4 or 5 miles South of Bricquebec) showedup in an account by a French Canadian whose account matched the few details I’d known about his experience. I strongly recommend your searching for that account. This video brought back so many of the memories of my trip.

[@rickkephartactual7706]

I don't think that kid that went through this will ever do anything as incredible as this again in his life. After this everything is easier.

[@philpartin8618]

Seriously dude?

[@t.l.1610]

6min. Take a min to appreciate Mr. Cooper. 98 y/o vet, sharp as a tack, making jokes. Love it.

[@AQPATRON]

Airborne for life , I loved it.

[@TenantRepGuru]

So well done. Thank you!

[@EDDIELANE]

i could watch the first 3 episodes of Band of Brothers over and over. D-Day is so scary/epic.

[@rolfgall9495]

Amazing! Thank you very much for this exciting experiment!

[@FunkyHistory]

True heroes, those paratroopers ❤

[@mohammedsaysrashid3587]

Overlord operations turned tides in the western front of the German military, which existed

[@assaultracoon4183]

Thanks for giving it all thanks ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@CineGisticMedia]

Is that the walk from Saving Private ryan in intro?

[@tozealegre]

guy is special

[@arg1051]

I'm sorry, but the world's best parachute team is not the Red Devils; it's the Golden Knights of the US Army.

[@UncleBuZ]

I was there, jumped into Normandy with Jeremy Dewitte attached to the 22nd Royal submarine jump battalion.

[@mkultra2877]

You sure 70s' kid?

[@P.u.p.p.e.t.M.a.s.t.e.r]

Submarine jump BN ? I'm sure he's sure. @@mkultra2877

[@Dunning.Kruger]

Dewitte is a well known impersonator. @@mkultra2877

[@blackhat5434]

I was also there, and can confirm. @@mkultra2877

[@joegiuseppepalermo2755]

there's always one autistic that can't figure the mood out. @@UncleBuZ

[@robbyakes8736]

MUSIC TOO LOUD !!!

[@WhyWorldWet]

I never knew Eddie Redmayne from Harry Potter was such a big WWII fanatic. Huh…

[@yomikez]

How do you post a 1 hour video every day what

[@sonus289]

the old parachutes werent very manuverable i dont think....

[@westwonic]

They dropped a lot quicker too

[@kj55]

I had the privilege as a kid to speak to a WWll paratrooper that jump on D day. He said Son it was an experience that was was worth a million dollars, but I wouldn't pay a nickel to do it over again. He talked to me for three hours telling me stories and how scared he was

[@sorenkazaren4659]

I’m gonna have to remember that million dollars nickel phrase. That one is a keeper. 😂

[@joedudderduke]

❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@ultrajd]

Um…Overlord wasn’t the largest amphibious assault ever. It was the largest amphibious assault in Europe. While the largest amphibious assault in the Pacific was Okinawa.

[@barnabybones2393]

You are correct. I chaperoned my sons class trip to the local history museum. His history teacher was talking about 'dday' being the biggest battle in WW2.

[@ultrajd]

@@barnabybones2393 I know it’s a small little nitpick on my part but things like that always drive me absolutely nuts. It’s kind of like when you’re learning about the engagement where the Bismarck was sunk. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen documentaries or read books or anything like that where the information is brought up that the Bismarck was the largest naval warship put to sea. This is incorrect. Officially the largest naval warship ever put to sea was the Yamato class from Japan. Specifically the namesake ship the Yamato and her sister, the Musashi. They were technically larger than the Bismarck. But the Bismarck was the largest naval vessel in the Atlantic. But yeah, when people bring up the fact that operation overlord was the largest amphibious invasion of World War II and they basically just make it sound like it was the end all be all it always kind of bothers me.

[@barnabybones2393]

@@ultrajd I agree completely but it's not nitpicky. I feel like its dishonorable to not know these things given the price paid. I never understood why so many people know everything about a grown man who chases a ball for a living and so little about the sons who sacrifice so much for family and nation. It's a shame really.

[@umollerstrom]

❤

[@alldog222]

I believe I would "touch the bars" at least once, over breaking my as... when I hit the ground. There gonna yell at you either way. I kinda figured that out about 2 days in to by Camp.

[@mariefaisal98]

It look to me these days it seems some people are being portraited with the old nose visuality.something that may have been lost or stolen. Is it the year 1948?, 75 years. Ava Maria.

[@wmsbbg6624]

Hollywood jump. No equipment. Did anyone notice he let his parachute just lay on the ground after the jump? 😮

[@83gt17]

Bob the pathfinder, to use an American expression, you have balls the size of an elephant. Thank you.

[@teridacktaljones4553]

🦝

[@Memovox]

Ultimately, Operation Bagration liberated Europe.

[@madaro504]

No Guy. Not a historian

[@apanapandottir205]

What?