You're quite right Derek,I accept that it was a rather clumsy comparison and Junkers87 was right too about the date but I did not mean to sound trivial. Two errors I regret to say - senility approaches!

That said, I do have operational experience including coming under effective enemy fire on the odd occasion during my service in the Infantry, so I do have some sense of what it must have been like. I also have the pleasure of knowing many of the participants and taking them back over the ground again. I will be doing so at Evrecy (Normandy) on 14 July 14 where my Regiment suffered a mauling keeping up the pressure in order to facilitate the American breakout. They were pretty challenged by the whole thing, but I must say Derek from personal experience chatting to guys that were there, they never lost their sense of humour or sense of purpose.

I suppose the rational for my post was to illuminate,as is my wont, some interesting military facts along the way to add a little interest to an otherwise dull day on the markets. Some seem to have enjoyed it so perhaps it wasnot a total failure.

Ho hum back to the drawing board.