Armed Forces Day 2026 - Newcastle

 

Armed Forces Day Newcastle 

Armed Forces Day Newcastle Veteran Parade

Armed Forces Day Newcastle Veterans

Armed Forces Day Newcastle Veteran Parade

Armed Forces Day Newcastle
Tyneside Scottish Branch RAA

Armed Forces Day Newcastle 
Tyneside Scottish Branch RAA Five Swans

Red Bulls 2025/26 v Sale

 

Unbelievable game.... 

Sale open the scoring after a minute and by halftime they lead the Red Bulls by 25 points.... Red Bulls 10 Sale Sharks 35.  

As the 80 minutes comes to an end the Red Bulls have closed with 4 points (Red Bulls 38 Sale Sharks 42).  Red Bulls have a scrum on the 5 metre line, win the ball  and try to break out of their 22.

Then ......

Northern FC - 150th Anniversary Dinner

 

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Northern FC - 150th Anniversary Dinner IJ VM

Army v Navy 2026

 

Twickenham Stadium Army v Navy 2026 IJ

Twickenham Stadium Army v Navy 2026

Northern FC Regional - 2 North League Champions

 Northern FC

Regional 2 North League Champions

2025 / 2026

 Northern FC

Regional 2 North League Champions 2025 2026

Northern FC McCracken Park IJ

Red Bulls 2025/26 v Stade Rochelais

EPCR CHALLENGE CUP

Newcastle Red Bulls v Stade Rochelais

Red Bulls v Stade Rochelais IJ

Red Bulls v Stade Rochelais

Magpie Progress 26 - Omaha Beach

 

Omaha Beach Vierville Sur Mer IJ

Omaha Beach was one of the two beaches on which American Forces landed on the 6th June 1944.  It was positioned between the other American Beach, Utah Beach, to the west and the British Gold Beach to the east.

The landing area was a 8-kilometer (5-mile) stretch of coastline from Sainte-Honorine-des-Pertes in the West to Vierville-sur-Mer in the East towards Point-Du_Hoc.

Vierville-sur-Mer looking West

Vierville-sur-Mer looking East towards Point du Hoc

Steep cliffs overlooked the beach, giving German forces a commanding view and devastating crossfire on the incoming troops. 

Vierville-sur-Mer (Charlie Sector)

Omaha Beach Coleville (Fox Green Sector)

The beach was heavily fortified with defensive positions including machine-gun nests, artillery, beach obstacle, barbed wire, and concrete bunkers..

Omaha Beach Defences

Anti-Tank Gun Bunker Vierville-sur-Mer

German Machine Gun Emplacement Omaha Beach

German Defences Omaha Beach

German Defences Omaha Beach

The landing on Omaha Beach was assigned to the American V Corps consisting of the 1st Infantry Division (including 2nd Ranger Battalion) and the 29th Infantry Division. 

Supporting the infantry were specialized units of combat engineers and naval demolition teams.  These forces were organised into Regimental Combat Teams (RCT) tasked with clearing obstacles and opening exit routes from the beach.

The Regimental Combat Teams were assigned to sectors: 

Charlie         2nd Ranger Company

Dog Green   116 Regiment / A Company

Dog White   116 Regiment / G Company

Dog Red      116 Regiment / F Company

Easy Green  116 Regiment / E Company

Easy Red       16 Regiment / F & F Company

Fox Green    16 Regiment /  I & L Company

Fox Red

From the early hours of 6th June Allied bombers targeted German defences. However fog and low cloud cover resulted in bombs falling inland and missing the beach fortifications. A naval bombardment at dawn was also ineffective due to poor visibility.

USS Texas bombarding UTAH Beach

From 05:30  American troops of the 1st and 29th Infantry Divisions, plus Ranges, battled their way through rough seas in landing craft towards Omaha Beach. Tanks modified to float towards the beach sank in the heavy swell.

Landing Craft Omaha Beach

Landing Craft Omaha Beach

Landing Craft Omaha Beach

At 06:30 the first wave landed on Omaha beach.  

Troops landing on Omaha Beach

Troops landing on Omaha Beach

The sea conditions caused many of the craft to land in the wrong place leaving units scattered and disorganised.

Omaha Beach Planned and Actual Beach Landings

The troops landing on Omaha Beach were met with withering fire from the fortified positions the preliminary bombardment had failed.  The assault floundered as the infantry without the support of tanks took cover behind beach obstacles. Successive waves coming ashore are also pinned down on the beach. Heavy casualties were sustained.

Omaha Beach assault

Omaha Beach assault

Gradually small groups began to infiltrate between strongpoints and engineers started to clear obstacles. By 10:00 troops had managed to fight their way on to the bluffs overlooking the beach and attack German strong points form the rear. The defences began to be neutralised and exits opened up from the beach.

Omaha Beach assault

By 12:00 the beaches were secured. Reinforcements were landing and starting to  push inland to link up with fellow American troops from Utah Beach to the west and British troops from Gold Beach to the east.

Omaha Beach Secured

Omaha Beach Reinforcements

Omaha Beach Troops moving inland

The D-Day operation was successful with the Allies establishing a foothold in Normandy which would be the start of the Liberation of Europe and the defeat of Nazi Germany. The number of casualties sustained on D-Day, (killed, wounded, missing), was estimated as 10,300. It was on Omaha Beach where the biggest loss occurred with an estimated 2,400 casualties. 

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