Congratulations to the honneurable Mr Delahoy!

“Thank you for the very great honour today – Vive la France!” – Anthony Delahoy, Chevalier de la Legion d’Honneur

veterans

Silverknowes man Tony Delahoy was among nine Scots veterans to receive France’s highest distinction of honour for their role during the liberation of France during the Second World War.

Eight of the former servicemen received the Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur at a presentation ceremony on board the French navy destroyer Aquitaine docked at Leith yesterday.

Servicemen Thomas Cave (91), Cyril Deas (93), Anthony Delahoy (92), Alexander Govan (99), John Greig (90), Hugh Maguire (95) William Pritchard (94), Walter Sharp (101) and Aidan Sprott (96) risked their lives during the D Day landings and the subsequent furious conflict to drive the Nazis back and liberate France – bravery and comradeship that has never been forgotten by the French people.

A spokeswoman for the consul general said: “France will never forget the gallantry and bravery they showed in taking part in the liberation of France 70 years ago.

“The actions and sacrifice of these men, and that of so many who fell on the battlefield, was instrumental in bringing back freedom and peace in France and across Europe.”

Emmanuel Cocher, Consul General of France in Scotland and Rear Admiral Patrick Chevallereau, the French Embassy’s defence attaché presented the medals to the old soldiers.

Gunner Anthony ‘Tony’ Delahoy was a dispatch rider in the Royal Artillery. He undertook vital communication and reconnaissance operations between HQ and Anti-Tank Guns engaging Panzers. He saw action throughout Normandy during the campaign and was involved through the Caen Sector and in the Battle for Le Havre.

A proud Tony (pictured above, third left, back row) said: “On my many returns to Normandy over the years each succeeding generation of the people of France have welcomed Veterans with great kindness, dignity and honour, expressing their heartfelt feelings for the return of their freedom.

“We Veterans owe to the people of France admiration for their courage and
determination to survive the terrible times of the occupation, we pay tribute to them and particularly to the citizens of Normandy for their courage and
sacrifice during the battles for liberation.

“One personal incident I would like to mention, on the way over to France, June 1944, our ship was hit by a large electrically guided bomb but it failed to
explode. I have always believed that somewhere brave resistance workers
sabotaged that bomb. Thank you.

“Thank you for the very great honour today – Vive la France!”

France to honour Tony Delahoy

France’s top honour for ‘Mr NEN’


Tony Delahoy

North Edinburgh’s Tony Delahoy (above) is one of nine Normandy veterans to receive France’s top honour, the Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur, at a ceremony on board the French frigate Aquitane tomorrow.

Tony will become a chevalier of the Legion d’Honneur at the ceremony at Leith’s cruise liner terminal which will also be attended by the French consul and Edinburgh’s Lord Provost Donald Wilson.

The veterans will be presented with France’s highest honour for their role in liberating the country in the Second World War in June 1944.

Tony has been a staunch supporter of the North Edinburgh News (NEN) since it was launched as The Commune over thirty years ago and over that time has contributed hundreds of letters and articles, both in print and more recently on our blog.

Back in July Tony shared his D-Day experiences with NEN readers in an article entitled ‘Normandy Remembered’, and I’m delighted to share this once again (below).

Many congratulations, Tony!

NORMANDY REMEMBERED

tony

I was a dispatch rider for the 219th battery of the regiment – my motor cycle was a BSA 500cc, a really good machine. My personal armament was a pistol and a sten machine gun.

On the night of 4/5 June 1944 my Unit, the 55th Anti-Tank Regiment Royal Artillery, moved from Great Yarmouth to London docks to embark for France. After sailing down the Thames we joined other ships in the Channel and moved towards France.

After a couple of hours there was a submarine alert but nothing developed; however during the night the ship was later by enemy planes. Their bombs missed the ship but a second attack was made and the ship was hit by a huge electrically-guided bomb. Fortunately this failed to explode – a fantastic escape for everyone! I like to think it was the resistance workers who sabotaged the bomb! The ship stopped for a time, of course, and destroyers stood by to help if necessary.

When we finally reached the coast of France the ship was attacked again, but not hit. I wondered if it was possible the enemy knew our ship was carrying important anti-tank guns?

On scrambling down the nets into the landing craft I found that the pilot of the landing craft was my next door neighbour from home – what a place to meet!

As a dispatch rider my job from day one – and throughout the campaign – was to keep contact with the guns. Finding them in different locations meant many hours of lone travelling on the bike, making a reconnaissance of areas to make sure we knew where the enemy were and at the same time making a mental note of the route taken.

The front line is not a straight line, so it is easy to get into enemy-held areas and coming under fire for doing so! When we were just to the south of Caen I had to reach a gun position – to do this I had to cross a large field, but on leaving the site I was usually targeted by enemy mortar shells. Fortunately these always fell behind me: on subsequent visits to Normandy the gun crew told me they used to bet on which shell would hit the target!

The role of my regiment, which was part of the 49th Infantry Division, was to protect the infantry and to destroy the enemy Panzer tank divisions, preventing them breaking through to the landing beaches and so splitting the front in half. This they tried very hard to do: in the area roughly halfway between the cities of Caen and Bayeux bitter fighting took place around Tilly sur Suelles, Cristot, Fontenay le Pesnel, Rauray and Villers Bocage. Our Division suffered great casualties: a monument to the 49th Division, whose insignia is the polar bear, is to be seen just outside the town of Fontenay le Pesnel (below).

monument

Many escapades on my motor cycle took place in those areas. The enemy left snipers behind to do as much damage as possible and to act as observers; observation of movements brought down concentrated mortar shelling.

Two things cannot be described in writing: the sheer volume of noise of a battle and the terrible stench of dead cattle all around. 

The city of Caen, with it’s road network south of the city, was vitally important for both sides. Many Panzer divisions were concentrated in the area, so after the battles mentioned above our anti-tank regiment moved to the Caen area by way of Pegasus Bridge.

The weather, which had been wet for a few days, turning the ground into deep mud, turned hot, drying the ground out quickly. This meant that any movement raised a cloud of dust, resultng in heavy shelling from the enemy.

My job continued, finding the location of guns; a lonely and sometimes frightening hours-long experience. Night time journeys were more so, but mental notes of a route made during daylight were of great benefit in keeping out of trouble.

The Demouville, Cagny, Freemental Mesnil and Frenouville areas were heavily fought over. During one night time reconnaissance I came upon a chateau near Frenouville which I hoped was deserted. After carefully looking and listening, I decided to stop there in the kitchen and get some sleep. During the night I heard voices – I couldn’t tell whether ours or theirs – but thankfully they went on their way. It was a patrol, but whose I will never know – and thankfully they didn’t spot my motorbike hidden in the hedge!

Caen

Throughout July and August we fought our way south of Caen (above) and with the Americans moving from west to east the enemy was practically trapped. My division then attacked east to reach the River Seine to attack and capture the port of Le Havre: it was vital for supplies and the enemy knew it …

These experiences, mine and hundreds of others – from Normandy and Belgium and Holland too – have led to many of us old comrades returning year after year. Most veterans have returned to Normandy to take part in official ceremonies, particularly at the 50th, 55th, 60th, 65th and now 70th anniversaries of D Day 1944, remembering those who died fighting fascism.

Also to visit graves of comrades in beautifully kept cemeteries throughout Normandy. And to see and feel how much the restoration of freedom has meant and means to each succeeding generation; to get an understanding of the sacrifice and courage of the peoples of France, Belgium and Holland during their four years of occupation – and their elation on being liberated.

The most important result of the veterans returning for 71 years, I feel, has been the bringing together of hundreds of thousands of people from countries everywhere, not to glorify war but to celebrate the necessity of peace.

As a focal point the ability of veterans to continue visiting Europe is diminishing, so each generation must be that focal point and guard their future by understanding the events and mistakes that led to World War.

veterans

I was invited to write the foreward to Rene Vos’ ‘Sporen uit het Verleden 1940 1945’, a book about the occupation of Holland as I was involved in the liberation of that area too. I’ve reproduced it below: 

Citizens of Cranendonck Community,

To remember and to celebrate is not to glorify militarism but to show the united will of the people for a peaceful world.

It is important that events of the 1930s and 1940s are told to each generation so they can avoid the ‘mistakes; made during that period: the ‘mistake’ of tolerating racism, the ‘mistake’ of ignoring the fascist states’ determination to expand their control over others, all of which led to world war.

It was the ordinary people of all lands who finally defeated that evil; it is the ordinary people of all lands, armed with the knowledge of the past, that will safeguard the future.

Tony Delahoy

Letter: Why Politics Matters

Dear Editor

We work through a Parliament or a Council to change things, so it is crucial to know whom the Members represent and why.

Throughout history there have been many changes in how society works – but not without struggle. Those resisting change stood to benefit from the old system: it is the same today.

The system of Capitalism under which we live is not a stable one; it exists in crisis, followed by a mini-boom, followed by another crisis. The result is unemployment, restricted wages for most people and cuts in public services of all kinds.

The system cannot be stable if the main aim of the owners of industries is private profit making; Capitalism as a system can no longer cope and poses a danger to all. It is time to be replaced by a Socialist sytem, where increasingly industry will operate for the benefit of all, not the few.

This means a struggle, as in the past, with those resisting change. The areas of struggle must be decided by the needs of the people. This will arouse the wrath of the resisters, taking many forms: diverting attention in various ways, pitting one section of people against another to disrupt unity of purpose nationally and internationally.

Throughout history there have been many changes in how society operates: the present society of Capitalism will change but must be replaced by a fairer system called Socialism – that operates for the benefit of ALL.

A.Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

Letter: Take back our essential services

Dear Editor

For six years the Tory government has carried out sweeping cuts to the people’s income and they have decimated social services of all kinds – in the name of dealing with the financial crisis caused by the banks and financial institutions.

These financial institutions – here and overseas – are still creating havoc: buying and selling shares regardless of the effect this has one people’s lives here and overseas.

Yet despite all the evidence of greed and complete mismanagement, political action taken by the Tories is mainly against the people, not the culprits!

Why did the Tories poll 37% of the votes cast in the general election (although this was a minority of the population’s vote, it gave them enough to form a government)? Their access, support and possible control of most avenues of information, newspapers, etc. gave them a tremendous advantage, coupled with their ‘we have a plan’, repeated over and over again, convinced many people to give them another chance – a terrible mistake, and the bad effects of their policies will be increasingly felt.

The Tories always were and always will be the political representatives of the rich, who assume it is their natural right to govern.

As 90% of the population are wage earners, in other words they sell their ability to labour daily, to get the best possible wages and working conditions it is far better to have representation for your interests: the same is very true of political representatives.

To repeat, the Tories always represent the rich, the Liberals are never very sure for whom they speak and that leaves the Labour movement of unions, co-operatives, the Labour Party and SNP.

The Labour movement must now show they have a plan, a plan that works for and benefits the 90% of the population: for example free from private profit making the services that enable the 90% to function – gas, electricity, water, rail and road transport, among others.

A. Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens

Letter: People Matter

Dear Editor

Information available through newspapers, television and radio have contributed to the disillusion beu#ing felt about politics. I believe it is confusion caused by the similarity of party programmes, in effect making people pay for the debts caused by banks and investors, also having many public services cut and cut again.

Without making changes in the system there is no guarantee this will not happen again. Confusion will lessen and a high level of unity could be had around an initial programme of taking back services from private investors: services that are absolutely essential to be run for the benefit of everyone.

The obvious ones on which we all depend include electricity, gas, water and sewerage and the rail network.

Real hope would be established that, at last, PEOPLE MATTER!

A. Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens 

Letter: Time expired

Dear Editor

The system of capitalism under which we live – where resources are mined, extracted, made or grown – are mainly owned by private investors; they even claim ownership of the land itself.

To realise profit on these materials they need the labour of the wage-earning population to turn these resources into items to sell or use. The cheaper this can be done – by keeping wages and conditions of work as low as possible – the more profits are made.

The lives and poverty of the wage-earning population throughout history, including today, shows capitalism is a failed system for the majority, by it’s nature of seeking maximum profit for the few – even to the extent of closing industries if profit is considered not enough, regardless of the devastating effect on workers and their families.

This is why generations of people – men and women – have struggled in their various ways to change the system to one where the wealth of resources and labour power is used for the benefit of all. These generations called the new system Socialism.

The system was, and is, heavily weighed against them in many way. Communication is the only way to start to convince people of the necessity for change, but how to do this when most channels of communication are owned by private companies or individuals? The sheer volume of their support for capitalism blurs the truth and can shape people’s minds. The working population, by contrast, has limited access to alternative socialist communications, they have limited means to promote it – and have limited time to do so.

The working population can make lives better if they seek maximum unity to right glaring wrongs, such as privately-owned essentials for everyday living. These should be publicly owned – electricity, gas, water and sewerage. Rail and bus transport to get to work and/or leisure. These are essential to all, as is the National Health Service.

A. Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens 

 

Letters: A not so cunning plan

Baldrick

Dear Editor

The worldwide financial crisis started in the USA, creating huge debts everywhere. These were not caused by working people.

The Conservative Party’s leading spokesperson Chancellor Osborne repeatedly told us over the last five years he ‘had a plan.’ If you were not sure about the objective of the plan then, you cannot now be unaware.

The working population is not only to pay the debt, public services will be cut again and again and there will be further selling of public property to private investors.

The Conservatives now see no need to hold back in carrying out their ‘Plan’ and feel safe in doing so.

The Tories now have the audacity to claim they are now the party for the working person – this they can never be!

The partial support at the general election must be falling away now that they are putting into practice their real intentions: that support must haunt those who voted for them.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens

 

Letters: Capitalism or Socialism?

letter4

Dear Editor

It would seem that in some quarters there is glee with the situation the Labour Party and Labour movement is in, overlooking the fact it is a setback for most people in their struggle to make society work in their interests.

For many decades the focus of the labour movement was the transforming of the capitalist system into a socialist society: not an easy job to do, but great strides were made after the war from 1945 with the introduction of universal services such as the NHS, nationalisation of the rail system, the electricity and gas suppliers and the coal mines – may other welfare services were also initiated.

A frequent criticism if the labour movement is that it did not go far enough to curb the power of the rich, so for today’s ‘flag carriers’ the following article, written many, many years ago is worthwhile reading and worth pondering on:

Socialism v Capitalism

How long will we continue to tinker and patch at an inherently rotten system; every attempt to remedy it’s defects will shed light on the real way forward.

When socialism becomes better understood, when it’s aims are seen not only to be beneficial but possible of accomplishment it will attract men and women to take the path of reconstruction and regeneration of society.

Cooperative management would become a well-defined system and lead to an organisation of society which would take over the present system of fierce competition and selfish class interest to secure the welfare of all, to realise in time the best of humanity.

Men shall be brothers yet, and a’ that.

Tony Delahoy

Letters: Lessons from the fracking USA

runningrtapwater

Dear Editor

Fracking – Danger Ahead

Fracking in America has made vast profits for investment companies: it has also caused contamination of the water table, with toxic chemicals making the water impossible to drink or use.

In some areas water is having to be transported and stored in containers by the householders. Imagine that happening in areas already earmarked for widespread fracking in our central belt of West, Mid and East Lothian.

The immediate danger arises – as it did with wind turbines – of private landowners making deals with fracking companies: this must be prohibited now.

The Scottish government must, without any ‘ifs’ or ‘buts’, state clearly that fracking will not be allowed in any shape or form. The potential disaster for the people of polluting our water supply in the pusuit of private profit must be stopped.

A. Delahoy, Silverknowes Gardens

 

 

Letter: Capitalism – making millions miserable

capitalist-democracy

Dear Editor

Most people have felt the effects of the latest economic crisis; many people have experienced more than one.

The population needs to work regularly to be able to care for their families; they need good pay, decent conditions of work and security of employment.

We live in a capitalist society where the owners of money wealth control where and when to invest. More important to them is their right, if they find profit too low, to withdraw money from industry and business – even to the extent of closing them down – regardless of the effects on employees. This investment and disinvestment happens every day on a large scale, and the system allows a relatively small number of wealthy people to have power over the lives of many people. This cannot be right and must be changed.

As a first step in changing the sytem, the industries on which all people rely – electricity, gas, water supply and sewerage – should be excluded from private profit making as they are essential to every home. Rail and road passenger transport services are also essential in getting to and from work and for social mobility. Again, these industries are needed by everybody so it is essential they should be operated for the benefit of everyone, not for the private profit of the few.

Other essential universal services could also be ncluded, making furthr changes to the system of capitalism that has caused so much hardship to millions of people: people who are now being forced to pay for the crisis they did not create.

A. Delahoy

Silverknowes Gardens