Max Hastings tells the tale of the extraordinary, ordinary men of D-Day
'We were eager. We were fit. And we were totally innocent.' So wrote Sandy Smith, a Cambridge blue turned paratrooper. 'My idea was that everyone was going to be incredibly brave with drums beating and bands playing and I was going to be bravest among the brave.'
Expectations were high on D-Day, June 6, 1944, when Operation Overlord was launched, probably too high. Judged by those expectations, the day was a disappointment. Judged more realistically, it was a stunning success.
Max Hastings first wrote about the Allied invasion of Normandy in his massive tome Overlord, a conventional top-down war book published in 1984. This new book accords with recent historiographical trends; it's about individual soldiers, in particular the British who attacked Sword Beach, the
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Wales Online
6 hours ago
- Wales Online
'Ambitious and bright' hiker died after falling from Welsh peak as friends watched on in horror
'Ambitious and bright' hiker died after falling from Welsh peak as friends watched on in horror Maria Eftimova died after falling nearly 65ft from Tryfan in Eryri Maria Eftimova tragically lost her life after falling from Tryfan in Eryri (Image: UGC ) An "ambitious and bright" hiker died after she tripped and fell from mountain in Eryri, an inquest heard. Witnesses at the inquest into the death Maria Eftimova recounted the tragic last moments of her life before she fell from Tryfan on February 22, 2025. One witness told the inquest that the 28-year-old fell off the rockface, flying over him as he "froze". Another witness said Ms Eftimova was in a "freefall". It is understood that the Ms Eftimova, who worked as a civil engineer, fell nearly 65 feet to her death, suffering severe head injuries. At an inquest hearing in Caernarfon, senior coroner for north west Wales, Kate Robertson concluded Ms Eftimova's death was accidental, reports North Wales Live. The inquest was told that Ms Eftimova was born in Sofia, Bulgaria, was a British Citizen who lived in St Helens, and had graduated from the University of Salford. Don't miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here Harry Jones, who was hiking with Ms Eftimova, said in a statement that he had joined a group of 20 hikers before they set off up Tryfan at 9am that day. Tributes have since been paid to the 'ambitious, bright and cherished' woman Article continues below While on the hike, Mr Jones and Ms Eftimova, along with another five hikers, split from the rest of the group attempting to take a harder route to the summit. The rest of the group chose to take an easier route for the summit. Mr Jones said: "We travelled in single file, moving from ledge to ledge, once the person in front had vacated it." Another hiker, named Neil Oakes was ahead followed by Maria, and then Mr jones at the back. Mr Jones said: "I could see on one particular ledge Maria stopped in order to get a handhold. To pull herself up. I was six feet below her, to the left. "She swung her right leg up to pull herself up. I asked 'Got it well?' and she said 'I think so'." However, Mr Jones said that he then saw Ms Eftimova "flying over me" going down the mountain side. Mr Jones added that he "completely froze". The inquest was told that the other hikers then came down, lowering Ms Eftimova to a safer ledge, and called 999. One of the fellow hikers continued to give CPR to Ms Eftimova until Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team (OVMRT) members arrived followed by a helicopter. Another fellow hiker, Neil Oakes, said in a statement he was also part of the small group which had chosen to go through the Grade 2 route. Mr Oakes was ahead of Ms Eftimova. Mr Oakes said: "I turned and saw Ms Eftimova tumbling through the air below me. She was already in freefall. I knew there was going to be an impact on the rocky outcrop below so I turned away for a split second. I was shouting 'No, no, no, no.' "When I turned back she was on the ledge below. I knew that it was serious. (Another hiker above) said 'What?" and I said 'She's gone. She's fallen'. I was in shock." Consultant histopathologist Dr Muhammad Zain Mehdi carried out a post mortem examination at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd. The doctor found that Ms Eftimova sustained severe head injuries. He said in a report that there was external damage to the brain including the brain stem which led to death. Dr Mehdi concluded that Ms Eftimova died due to a laceration to the brain, caused by a fractured skull due to a fall. The coroner concluded that Ms Eftimova's death was accidental. The coroner said: "It seems that Maria was scrambling with others when she has unintentionally and unexpectedly fallen and during the course of that fall she has sustained the injuries which have sadly led to her death." The coroner described Ms Eftimova as "bright and conscientious" and extended her sincere condolences to Ms Eftimova's family, who had joined the hearing via a video link with a Bulgarian interpreter, and her friends. The inquest had been told earlier that Ms Eftimova was a civil engineer for the Costain group, while her father Rosen Eftimov had stated that she had "snowboarded intensely", had been a surfer, and marathon runner. Ms Eftimova had trained in intensive swimming, winning awards and distinctions. This year in January, she undertook a glacier climbing course in Norway and had also practiced pole dancing, her father said. Following her death, people paid loving tributes to the "ambitious, bright and cherished" woman online. A fundraiser to raise £15,000 to bring Ms Eftimova back to her family in Bulgaria was also launched, garnering £19,389 in donations. The fundraiser's organiser Victoria Critchley said on the fundraising site: "Maria was an ambitious, bright and cherished 28-year-old, whose vibrant personality, energy and aura touched and uplifted all around her. She had a passion for engineering, having studied civil engineering at the University of Salford and a love for extreme sports. Article continues below "Her biggest passion being snowboarding, which she was super excited for and looking forward to doing again on her upcoming trip to Austria. She had an insatiable thirst for life and exploring our world's beauty. Tragically, she was taken from her family far far far too soon!"
Metro
7 hours ago
- Metro
‘Holy Grail' shipwreck filled with £15,000,000,000 in treasure ‘found'
Stunning underwater photos have brought researchers one step closer to confirming the location of the 'holy grail of shipwrecks'. The San José, a Spanish ship, sunk in June 1708 after an attack by the British Royal Navy off the coast of Cartagena, Colombia. At least 200 tonnes of gold, silver, gems, jewellery and other treasures collected in Spain's South American colonies were being shipped to King Philip V to finance his war of succession against the British. Spain and Britain were fighting the War of the Spanish Succession. But the huge hoard, thought to be worth about £14.8billion ($20billion) in today's money, went down with the ship and only 11 of its 600 sailors survived. The Colombian navy claimed it found the San José wreck in 2015, but evidence of its identity was limited – but new research published this week provides the strongest evidence yet that they are correct. The study, published in the Antiquity journal, includes pictures taken by remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) examining the shipwreck which rests about 1,970ft below the surface. The high-quality images, using advanced underwater imaging and high-resolution scans of the coins, revealed the date the coins were struck. The coins, known as cobs in English and macuquinas in Spanish, feature the mark of Lima, Peru. Some are stamped with the royal symbols of Castile and León, the emblems of Spain's empire. Crucially they are dated 1707, which is the year the San José set sail. Archaeologist Daniela Vargas Ariza, of Colombia's Naval Cadet School and the National Institute of Anthropology and History, explained: Hand-struck, irregularly shaped coins served as the primary currency in the Americas for more than two centuries. 'This body of evidence substantiates the identification of the wreck as the San José Galleon. 'The finding of cobs created in 1707 at the Lima Mint points to a vessel navigating the Tierra Firme route in the early eighteenth century. 'The San José galleon is the only ship that matches these characteristics.' In 2023, Colombian President Gustavo Petro said he would raise the wreckage before his time in office ends in 2026. check our news page.
Wales Online
8 hours ago
- Wales Online
Eryri hiker shouted 'No, no, no, no' as he saw friend freefall in Tryfan tragedy
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A hiker slipped and fell off a treacherous Eryri mountain, an inquest heard today. The final moments of Maria Eftimova's life were recounted by witnesses at the hearing into her death on Tryfan. One told how the 28-year-old fell off the rockface and flew over him to a ledge below and he "froze". Another said she was "in freefall." It is understood she fell some 65 feet and died from severe head injuries. Kate Robertson, senior coroner for north west Wales, concluded at a Caernarfon hearing that the death of Ms Eftimova, who was a civil engineer, on February 22 this year was accidental. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here The inquest heard Ms Eftimova, who was born in Sofia in Bulgaria, was a British citizen. She had graduated from the University of Salford and lived in St Helens. Fellow hiker Harry Jones said in a statement he joined a group of 20 fellow enthusiasts and they set off up Tryfan at 9am that day. During the hike they split up, with Mr Jones, Maria among seven of the hikers taking a harder route to the summit. The rest took an easier route. (Image: UGC) He said: "We travelled in single file, moving from ledge to ledge, once the person in front had vacated it." A hiker called Neil Oakes was ahead, then Maria, then Mr Jones at the back. "I could see on one particular ledge Maria stopped in order to get a handhold. to pull herself up. I was six ft below her, to the left. "She swung her right leg up to pull herself up. I asked 'Got it well?' and she said 'I think so." But then Mr Jones said he saw her "flying over me" and down the mountain side. Mr Jones said he "completely froze". Other hikers came down, lowered Ms Eftimova to a safer ledge and called 999, the inquest heard. One gave CPR until Ogwen Valley Mountain Rescue Team members arrived and later a helicopter. She was taken to OVMRT base but could not be saved. 'I was in shock' Another hiker Neil Oakes said in a statement he was in the small group on the Grade 2 route. He was ahead of Ms Eftimova. He said: "I turned and saw Ms Eftimova tumbling through the air below me. She was already in freefall. I knew there was going to be an impact on the rocky outcrop below so I turned away for a split second. I was shouting 'No, no, no, no.' "When I turned back she was on the ledge below. I knew that it was serious. (Another hiker above) said 'What?" and I said 'She's gone. She's fallen'. I was in shock," said Mr Oakes. (Image: © Crown copyright (2011) Visit Wales, all rights reserved) Dr Muhammad Zain Mehdi, a consultant histopathologist, carried out a post mortem examination at Ysbyty Glan Clwyd, Bodelwyddan. He found Ms Eftimova sustained severe head injuries. There was external damage to the brain including the brain stem that caused death, he said in a report. He found she died from a laceration to the brain, due to a fractured skull due to a fall. The coroner Ms Robertson concluded the death was accidental. She said: "It seems that Maria was scrambling with others when she has unintentionally and unexpectedly fallen and during the course of that fall she has sustained the injuries which have sadly led to her death." Ms Robertson passed on her sincere condolences to her family, who were on a link and had a Bulgarian interpreter, and friends for the death of Ms Eftimova whom she described as "bright and conscientious". Earlier the inquest heard the hiker had been a civil engineer for the Costain group. Her father Rosen Eftimov (corr) said she had "snowboarded intensely", and been a surfer and marathon runner. 'Ambitious, bright cherished' In her younger years his daughter trained in intensive swimming and won awards and distinctions. In January this year she took a glacier climbing course in Norway and she also practised pole dancing, he added. After her death, loving tributes were paid online to an "ambitious, bright and cherished" woman. A JustGiving fundraiser was launched to raise £15,000 to help bring her back home to her family in Bulgaria. It has raised £19,389 so far. In a post on the fundraising site, organiser Victoria Critchley said: "Maria was an ambitious, bright and cherished 28-year-old, whose vibrant personality, energy and aura touched and uplifted all around her. She had a passion for engineering, having studied civil engineering at the University of Salford and a love for extreme sports. "Her biggest passion being snowboarding, which she was super excited for and looking forward to doing again on her upcoming trip to Austria. She had an insatiable thirst for life and exploring our world's beauty. Tragically, she was taken from her family far far far too soon!" Get all the latest Gwynedd news by signing up to our newsletter - sent every Tuesday
