General Chat

Monday BBC 1 9pm.

The clips look good. Normally I wouldn't watch anything to do with sportsmen, but this isn't about Gary, so I think it should be good and interesting for anyone who has an interest in history or the war.

Kath. x

Booting it to the top :-D

Just watched it. Very good indeed!!

my dad srved in north africa and italy, so what an eye opener. I had never heard of the d dodgers and i think it is right to say by tying down the germans in italy d day became a success.
Ihave found the lyrics to the song - very long but 2 verses i found meaningful

Forgotten by the many, remembered by the few
We'd our armistice when an armestice was new
One million Germans gave up to us
We finished our war without much fuss
For we're the D-Day Dodgers
Out here in Italy

If you look around the mountains in the mud and rain
You'll find scattered crosses, some which bear no name
Heart break and toil and suffering gone
The boys beneath them slumber on
For they're the D-Day Dodgers
Who stayed in Italy

Very good programme, interesting details I never knew about,
very brave men who need to be recognised more than what
was reported.

My father was in the RAMC in the 2nd WW so it was interesting.

He also was in Italy and North Africa with the Eighth Army.

He was very lucky to survive.

He was in the back of an ambulance with 5 others, the convoy stopped for a rest and a smoke. They all got back in the ambulance but he sat in the other side. Going along they got hit and the guy who was sitting where he was previously was killed.

I've just watched this and wow it was good.

My Dad was also in North Africa and the Italian campaign. I never thought about how he got to Italy.
He never talked about the 'bad stuff' - he was full of other stories. But I do know he was at Monte Cassino. He had great respect for the Polish troops who were part of the attacks.

I think so much of Italian campaign was overshadowed by other major WW2 events. Gary did mention that the Capture of Rome on 4 June 1944 was overshadowed by the Normandy Landings on 6 June 1944; back in the day news was not as 'instant' as it today.

I think that was what made the programme that much more interesting to me was because the Italian campaign doesn't get as much coverage as it should and is still today overshadowed by other WW2 events!

I did choke with with Gary when he said he wished his mum was here to see this or words to that effect.

A very interesting programme....well done, Gary Lineker :-)

Great programme, my FIL was in Africa then Italy. OH enjoyed seeing and hearing about the campaign to take Italy.