1944 Video - 51st Highland Division, St Michielgestel

Discussion in 'NW Europe' started by 51highland, Oct 2, 2007.

  1. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    This film clip was given to me in May of this year by the gentleman who as a 9 or 10 year old helped the local priest bury glider borne soldiers at St. Michielsgestel, Holland. Filmed by a citizen of St Michielgestel it shows 51st HD moving through the town the day after they were liberated. Afew Bren carriers and tanks with infantry on show.
    He also gave me a clip of aircraft going over for Market garden a month earlier, filmed whilst the town was still occupied by the German army, which seems quite incredible to me. Am trying to enhance the video to make it worth while posting.

    <embed width="448" height="361" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" src="http://i143.photobucket.com/player.swf?file=http://vid143.photobucket.com/albums/r134/51highland/51hdholland.flv">
     
    stolpi and von Poop like this.
  2. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Wonderful stuff 51H.
    Thank you very much for sharing that.
    Hope the next clip goes well.

    Cheers,
    Adam.
     
  3. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Really superb bit of film - thanks for sharing that.
     
  4. Jakob Kjaersgaard

    Jakob Kjaersgaard Senior Member

    The quality in that clip is great to be honest!
     
  5. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Wonderful footage.
    Thanks.
     
  6. marcus69x

    marcus69x I love WW2 meah!!!

    Done well 51. Really captures the era.

    Cheers for that.
     
  7. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    Had to play around with it for while to get to a decent postable quality. Now working on the clip of OMG planes going over the place.
     
  8. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Well done indeed !

    Bren Gun Carriers AND Shermans in the same shot..... looked for myself and then remembered I was in Italy at the time :)

    Cheers !

    Ron
     
  9. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Days of my Youth....Big Sigh!
    Sapper
     
  10. kfz

    kfz Very Senior Member

    Cast hull M4A4??? Sherman firefly?? pretty rare. Classic example 3 75mm M4's and a sdingle firefly.

    No AA guns deplyed on the tanks. I think one of the trucks is pulling a Bofors though.

    great bit of film.

    Love the few locals taking no notice of a column of shermans piling throughthe village, is if it was an everyday occurance.

    Kev
     
  11. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    Love the few locals taking no notice of a column of shermans piling throughthe village, is if it was an everyday occurance.

    Kev

    Probably have that "Can't quite believe we're liberated" feeling, or "it hasn't sunk in yet"
     
  12. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Just watched your Market Garden snippet.
    More interesting stuff, but I see what you mean, Looks like a tricky job to clean up.
     
  13. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    The viewer is actually watching Operation Colin, a lesser operation within Operation Pheasant. Pheasant was to liberate middle and western province of Nord-Brabant area of Holland. Pheasant began 20th October. Operation Colin began on 23rd October with the advance on Schijndel, from St.Michielsgestel. 51st HD was fighting under command of 1st Canadian army. Heavy fighting took place for Schijndel, an example being, 5th Camerons lost 71 casualties 23rd October, 8 officers and 63 other ranks. attached My Fathers medal from the people of Nord-Brabant. Pheasant one side, Map of the area on the other and dated 1944 - 2004. The 60th anniversary.
     

    Attached Files:

  14. soren1941

    soren1941 Living in Ypres

    Yes, thank-you for posting this 51st.
     
  15. xsancs

    xsancs Junior Member

    Excellent piece of film. Many thanks.
     
  16. Wim Kievits

    Wim Kievits Member

    Hi, I am writing to you with an awkward question. We are a recently installed history workgroup working towards autumn of this year when we want to organise an exposition about the liberation of Vught in october 1944 to commemorate the 75th birthday. The exposition will feature the step by step fighting/liberation during those 3 days.
    We also want to publish a book that will aim to present all the known facts about these days, based on war diaries, battle reports and pictures to get the most detailed and actual description of what happened during that limited number of days.

    Can you help me/us in that strive ? Every help, suggestion, link, will be greatly welcomed! Regards, Wim
     
    Chris C likes this.
  17. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    You will need war diaries of 7th Black Watch, they are credited with Liberating Vught, though it would not have been possible without the rest of the regiments fighting in and around Vught. I have all 5th Camerons diaries plus 1 or 2 other snippets from various regiments.You can find the attached 'Charter' in the Scottish room at the old Gemeente Huis, least ways it was housed there last time I was in Vught. I think that 1st Gordons fought hard in a large country house estate, possibly Huiz Bergen? 26th/27th October. Not Huiz Bergen but BEUKENHORST
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Feb 18, 2019
  18. Wim Kievits

    Wim Kievits Member

    Hi 51Highland, I am aware of this charter as I am a Vught citizen and historian. In the mean time I tracked pictures from the Black Watch diaries, bu being an opportunist I hope that more records prevailed.... Thanks for your swift response! Regards, Wim (alway open to more suggestions!)
     
  19. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    I hope to be in Vught again later this year, been a while since I met up with some good friends, (Brexit permitting of course)
     
  20. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    51highland Very Senior Member
    New
    The Vught Plaque which was given to my Father by a Dutch family in 1944, is in the possession of Peter van der Krabben a resident of Vught.
     

    Attached Files:

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