Dwight D Eisenhower's Secret.

D, day.

We have all heard of this historical day from WW2 and the outcome and eventual victory of the Allied forces in Europe but very few of us know the inside news, or secrets.

In this very short story I will reveal one of the amazing facts of the historic Normandy Landings, Codenamed, 'Overlord'.

A few days before, it was made known that the Germans had broken the radio code which was to be used at the time of the invasion, the logistics of which were astounding.

The air borne invasion was set to take place at midnight on the 6th June, with 24,000 British, American, Canadian and Free-French troops followed by the 6,30am amphibious landings with 5,000 ships and 160,000 troops.

The Commanders had no time to use another code system and with the invading forces already massed on the opposite shore, to hide the intent of the Allies was an utter impossibility.

Eisenhower, the Overall Commander, was to say the least, a tad apprehensive. To speak on open mike with the forces under his command, frightened the life out of Dwight, and he asked for assistance.

No one came forward to help but one of Eisenhower's batmen, was Sergeant first class steward, Francis Travers and for most of the time he kept his own council, but while clearing away the tables full of the clutter used by Generals and Majors at war councils, Francy, who hailed from Elgin and whose Mother tongue was the ancient Doric, could see the General was at a loss.

'Fit fur yie wurrit aboot Sur? A see yur niddin tae Gang yer ain gate, but sharely I, fur fit suits, wid gae yie a haun Sur, fur yia canna fund an answer'.

The general was gobsmacked he couldn't understand a word, he stared at Francy for a moment, then slowly, ever so slowly like fire catching on wet tinder, the smoke cleared and the solution to his problem burst into flame.

'Are there any other people who speak this language soldier?'

'Ach aye Sur, fin the aal cock craws, the young eens learn; an A did’na come up wi the last load o hay, an fir dinna try tae tell ma ye canna blaw an egg. A've deen it mony a time; it's na lik a dina ken a bee fae a bull’s fit. A will sharely funoot fits wrang an soartit furrye. Aye! That a wull Sur".

The Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Forces, when Francy's reply was translated, was ecstatic.

'Wonderful! Fantastic, Francy. You may have solved my problem, and perhaps, have probably saved the lives of thousands of allies here today:There will be a promotion, and maybe a medal in this for you'.

'Weel a coudnae haud the cat and play wie the kitten,wur best a luteet oot, It’s a steady drap that wears the steen.'

A message was sent to all forces to send any Doric spikkin loons to headquarters to be given a crash course in radio operation.  They were subsequently placed at all strategic points to facilitate the logistics of the Normandy Landings. The opening message of the invasion was...

'Jist aw yeez haud yir wheesht the noo, fir am spikin tae tha Loons aboot. Hing in noo, fir It tak’s a lang speen tae sup we a Fifer,...Wull hae thone Germans Caad aff thur stotter's!  Sa aw thae Boatties, haud the haunnel tae the lum’...

With that, the Invasion began. The German 'Loons' and 'Quines' were flummoxed, and the rest, as they say, is history.

©Weefatfella.