90-year-old D-Day veteran’s song tops UK singles chart

NY Post ^ | 6/6/2019

[dead]

A 90-year-old D-Day veteran’s ditty about the Allied forces landing at Normandy is beating out songs by artists like Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber and Ed Sheeran on Amazon’s singles chart in the United Kingdom, a report said.

Jim Radford, who was a 15-year-old galley boy in the British Merchant Navy at the time, said he has been “overwhelmed by the response” to the song, “Shores of Normandy,” he wrote 50 years ago, ABC News reported on Wednesday.

The Normandy Memorial Trust rereleased the song he penned after returning to the French beaches on the 25th anniversary of the landings to raise funds to build a memorial at the invasion site.

“I didn’t know when I went that my first trip was going to be the invasion of Europe,” Radford said. “The song is to remember the brave lads that didn’t come back.”

The youngest of three brothers who served in the British Merchant Navy, Radford was aboard a tug boat during the D-Day invasion.

​He still clearly recalls the brotherhood ​that existed among those fighting that day.

​”Your main concern ​i​s not to let your comrades down,” ​he said. “You’re not thinking about king or country, you’re not thinking about democracy. You’re thinking about, ‘My mates depend on me, as I depend on them.’ That stayed with me. Anyone who was in Normandy, we all feel that bond to each other. And especially to all the lads who didn’t come back.”​

[dead]

The performance is spectacular and touching.

The Shores of Normandy by D-Day Veteran Jim Radford - Supporting The British Normandy Memorial

[rlmorel]

Sigh. He is a complete, total, and utter leftist. Moonbat territory. I made the mistake of watching an interview with him.

I should have just listened to the song, but the dove and peace sign buttons made me look deeper.

[LucyT]

.

PING

[polymuser]

Well, I’m sure he’s strong on reminding his fellow crumpet-eaters of the Nazi-muzzie love affair. Right?

[rlmorel]

Yeah. If that’s the case, maybe he could come over here and educate a couple of our congress critters who want to re-write THAT history...

[Bender2]

Charles Durning (February 28, 1923 – December 24, 2012) also went ashore on D-Day and was awarded the Silver Star, Bronze Star, and three Purple Heart Medals for his service in Europe. He was always one of my favorite character actors appearing in in The Sting (1973) as the crooked cop, Lt. Snyder.

Other film credits off the top of my head include Dog Day Afternoon; the Senator in The Final Countdown; the Captain in The Hindenburg; Twilight's Last Gleaming with Burt Lancaster; True Confessions with Robert De Niro and Robert Duvall and playing "Pappy" O'Daniel, a cynical governor of Mississippi i in the Coen Brothers' O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000).

Rest in Peace, Charlie, we honor your service.

https://www.industrycentral.net/sites/default/files/2018-07/Charles_Durning-The_Sting-%281973%29-1140x450.jpg

[Mr Radical]

I’ve had the privilege to meet Jim. His tug boat was a rescue tug. On D-Day, close in to the beaches his boat ran aground and stuck fast on a sand bar. They sat like the proverbial sitting duck until an American tug came in, successfully passed them a line and then pulled them clear. The water all around was boiling with shot and shells, the German gunners bracketted them repeatedly. He never could understand how neither boat was hit.

The role of the rescue tugs in the war is too little told - they saved a tremendous number of men and ships. I can recommend the documentary film “MayDay - Tugs of War” and also the book by Ian Dear “The Tattie Lads”

[TalBlack]

A gripping, haunting dirge. Good job. Great song.

[Atticus]

I thought from his pony tail and peace symbol “pieces of flair” that might be the case. But that does not change the fact that he risked his life and witnessed the horrors of war and has delivered a beautiful and touching (and non-political) song.

[dead]

He can be whatever he wants to be at this point in his life. When the bell rang, he answered it.

[Salvation]

Thanks for this additional information.

[rlmorel]

Sure.

[rlmorel]

Yeah. He is in with the whole Veterans Against War crowd.