D-Day 80 Special - The Last Surviving Warships

D-Day involved 7,000 ships - how many warships survive today that were off the beaches on 6 June 1944? Find out here...

Very special thanks to the following people/channels for allowing me to use their footage and/or photos of warships:

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Disclaimer: All opinions and comments expressed in the 'Comments' section do not reflect the opinions of Mark Felton Productions. All opinions and comments should contribute to the dialogue. Mark Felton Productions does not condone written attacks, insults, racism, sexism, extremism, violence or otherwise questionable comments or material in the 'Comments' section, and reserves the right to delete any comment violating this rule or to block any poster from the channel.

Credits: US National Archives; Library of Congress; Bundesarchiv; Imperial War Museum; Igor Khrupin; Thil Count Drone; HMS Medusa; National Historic Warships; Allison; Mike Peel; Pierre-Olivier Buan; TimSC; Kevin A. McGill; ITookSomePhotos; Mike Searle; Doncram; Crazyale; Christopher Round; Ben Salter; Sam Tait.

[danthewalkingmanen-dorsetg]

Respect to all the fallen of d day and those who fought and survived

[Old_BH_Gunner]

Last year I had cardiac arrest and it took 15 minutes of CPR to get my heart started, they told my wife and daughter I would probably not survive, and if I did I'd be severely brain damaged, after 10 days in a coma I woke up and they asked me what the date was, well there was the date written on the info board in my room, it said 6 June, I saw that and answered D-Day, they all thought I was indeed suffering brain damage until one of the nurses said "omg, he's correct" it seems of the 7 people in my room, only her, and I knew the date and what it means.

[angusmacdonald]

My father was US Navy during WWII. When he died in 1999, our family found that the funeral service he had paid for turned out to be scam. We looked around for some way to honour him. My father's first assignment in WWII was detached duty to a Liberty Ship in the North Atlantic Convoy. I tentatively contacted the folks at the Jeremiah O'Brien. They said, "He was a Liberty man? We'll take care of him." They didn't ask for many money, only the chance to take photos and video of the ceremony, as well as information about his service record. I still honour the people who work on that ship.

[tonymcdonnly]

Dr. Felton, the 80th anniversary of D Day would be incomplete without a lesson from you. Thank you.

[TroyDowVanZandt]

As an Army ROTC cadet at the University of Arizona over 40 years ago, I was part of a select group mentored by a retired general named Smith. On D-Day, he was Captain Smith. He told us that his landing craft hit the beach right alongside another. The other landing craft's ramp fell immediately, and a German machine gun killed everyone inside. Smith's ramp got hung up, and the bullets ricocheted harmlessly off. As the machine gun crew turned their aim elsewhere, the ramp fell and they were out. Wow.

[augustuswayne]

Rest in peace to all those who fought and died for the cause of freedom .

[DeliveryDemon]

Yup. My great grandfather bravely fought with the US 4th Infantry Division, landing at Utah Beach. He was there all the way through the end of the war, and then was transferred to the 25th and going into Korea. Wish I knew him. Those men made sacrifices that are untold and we are eternally grateful. God bless you, boys

[blueboats]

For those not familiar, in the footage showing USS Texas under tow for the latest dry dock work, those bright green boxes are electric generators placed on board to provide power to run bilge pumps etc. while under tow

[MacTireAonair]

We stand on the edge of living history with this D-Day anniversary ! Soon and rather sadly so these ships and planes will be our connection to WW2 as the men and women who lived and fought through it will be gone. More now than ever it is our duty to them to hear their stories and keep telling them. Well done to Mark Felton for doing this service.

[Cta]

Approximately 1, 950 Norwegian military personnel took part in the Normandy campaign in separate Norwegian units or as part of other Allied units in addition to 45 civilian ships with approximately 1, 000 men from Nortraship. The Norwegian units operated under British command and were therefore primarily employed in the Gold, Sword and Juno sectors.

Some of the participating units:

Air Force
331 Squadron
332 Squadron
Navy
HNoMS Stord S-class destroyer
HNoMS Svenner S-class destroyer
HNoMS Glaisdale Hunt-class destroyer
HNoMS Andenes Flower-class corvette
HNoMS Eglantine Flower-class corvette
HNoMS Rose Flower-class corvette
HNoMS Nordkapp fishery protection vessel
Motor Launches No. 128, 213 and 573

[Nick-zieu]

I recall coverage of the 1984 40th anniversary.

A bunch of veteran paratroopers did a reenactment drop over the area.

They would have been around 60 +/- a couple of years at the time....

[SiVlog]

Prior to his passing aged 91 in 2016, although I knew he served in the Royal Navy during WW2, but I never realised until afterwards that my grandfather served on HMS Chelmer, a River Class Frigate, during the D-Day landings. He had a picture of the ship proudly hung up on the wall of his flat that he lived in for most of the rest of his life

[CbM-L]

As a Texan who’s been watching Mark Felton’s videos for years, it made my year to see this video! Thank you for all your hard work Mark!

[thedarknight]

One of my Mom's many uncles served aboard the Battleship Texas. When it was first put on display, moored at The San Jacinto Battleground, that uncle gave my Mom's family (my grandparents, my Mom, and my uncle) a guided tour of his battle station, his duty station, and where he lived and slept, even remembering to point out the GD-blankety-blank brass fittings that it was his duty to shine up every GD day! LOL! (He hated shining those brass fittings!) 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[biscuitag]

I worked on the former LST 510 a few years back and have driven it countless times. The captains and engineers had some stories that may or may not be true. One of the stories is that 510 was returning from France and a torpedo was launched towards it by a plane or boat. Due to the bow being so light and so high up in the water the torpedo went under the hull. I have also heard that when the engineers replaced some of her hull plates they found fragments of shrapnel. Regardless, a framed picture of her original crew hangs in the wheelhouse. At over 80 years old there are no plans for LST 510 to be retired. The company that owns it also owns a shipyard that can drydock her in a matter of hours. She is in good hands.

[dflamm]

My granddad landed in one of the first waves on D-Day and fought all the way through to Germany. Never met him since he died before my birth but my dad always said he had bad feet from a winter in the Ardennes. As a Jew fighting the Nazis I couldn’t even imagine what he experienced, but from sources like this video I can gain a little bit more insight. Thank you for this video and every other one, each is an invaluable opportunity for both knowledge and remembrance. May the experiences and sacrifices of our forefathers never be forgotten.🙏

[Jacobismychannel]

My grandfather in-law served on the SS Jeremiah O'Brien and took part in the anniversary sail to England and France. Thanks for including the liberty ships in your video, it was vital work and often goes unappreciated. Logistics wins wars.

[JoeBerry-hnzz]

I’m currently in Normandy for the 80th anniversary and there’s a tug moored up opposite my campsite on the orne canal, just up from Pegasus bridge, that’s called Challenge. She was present at the evacuation of Dunkirk helping out and also tugged across parts of the mulberry harbours for d day. Such a privilege to see an old ship that’s been restored to seaworthiness and now a living museum.

[secretbaguette]

The Jeremiah O'Brien is amazing. I visited earlier this year, around Christmas. The company that runs the ship is all volunteer and many of them keep their accoutremants and a few personal effects needed to go to sea in the cabins of the ship. It still runs, and the whole thing is so immaculately preserved, although I may not have been meant to do this, I was able to sit in and fully traverse one of the medium anti-air cannons. Up, down, right, left, but for a few key parts of the firing mechanism, the whole gun was still perfectly operational as easily and smoothly as it was when it rolled off the blocks in Maine (I believe) in 1943. Those of you who've had the opportunity to climb around other museum ships know that is an incredible feat for a ship that was never meant to survive anywhere past the end of the war, and has been exposed to the elements for the whole time since.

[oldesalt]

Another apt appropriate history lesson for us all on D-Day 1944 80th 2024 Anniversary