sgt myhill (eddie) Royal Engineers 77 Assault Sqn from swansea

Discussion in 'Royal Engineers' started by nanasbrother, Aug 26, 2013.

  1. nanasbrother

    nanasbrother New Member

    Hello all and thank you for looking at my post :)
    Looking any info that can be given on my Nans favourite brother Eddie. She would never talk much about what happened except he was shot on 6th june 1944 near sword beach. I am waiting for his service record but was hoping for some insite here.
    His service number was 1871107
    and he is buried at HERMANVILLE WAR CEMETERY.
    Many thanks
    Lisa
     
  2. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Hello Lisa
    do you have any photos you could post
    might assist forum members to provide further info

    regards
    Clive
     
  3. MarcD

    MarcD Grandson of Royal Engineer

    I've recently obtained copies of the Royal Engineers Battlefield Tour books etc. There may well be something in there specific to 77.
    I'll have a look tomorrow and let you know.
    Cheers
    Marc
     
  4. DannyM

    DannyM Member

    Hi,
    The there is an entry in the 77 Squadron War Diary for the 6th June - 09.00 -10.00 “Sgt Myhill killed by shellfire while working dismounted Spr Spiers wounded”.

    Regards

    Danny

    SGT  PICT8863  Edit.jpg
    SGT  PICT6274  ed.jpg
     
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  5. MarcD

    MarcD Grandson of Royal Engineer

    Hi,

    Just checked the RE Battlefield Tour book. He is also mentioned in there by name quite a few times, in one of the personal accounts, as is Spiers.
    It details what he personally was doing, which is quite a find when researching this sort of thing.

    If you would like a copy of the relevants pages, just send me a PM with an email address and I'll get them over to you.
    Cheers
    Marc
     
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  6. MarcD

    MarcD Grandson of Royal Engineer

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  7. Hello Lisa,

    MarcD's document is the translation into plain English of Capt Low's after action narrative of the D Day events. Here's the next such narrative by Lance Corporal WELFARE who was the Demolition NCO (and second in command = 2IC) in Sjt MYHILL's crew:

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    REPORT BY L CPL WELFARE 2IC 2B


    On leaving the LCT we made our way up the beach to the sand
    dunes and dropped our br on the A tk gun. Sjt MYHILL climbed out to loosen the br

    as the holding hooks had jammed.

    We then advanced over the br and tried to blow the fabric on the
    front Besa, but failed : I then climbed out and ripped it off.

    We turned right along the first lateral and marked the gap as we
    went along.

    The inf were being held up by MG fire so we gave them a hand
    till Tp ldr called us back.

    We then returned to the beach and again went up the br : Sjt MYHILL
    said he was going to see the Tp ldr, which was the last I saw of him. We
    waited for his return, but after a short period, we called Tp ldr to see if
    Sjt MYHILL had been to him : the answer was "no". Tp ldr issued orders for us
    to advance and meet him at cross rds, which we did, marking the gap as we went.



    12 Jun 44 (Sgd) L cpl WELFARE

    -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Sjt MYHILL's tank, a Churchill AVRE (Assault or Armoured Vehicle Royal Engineers) carrying an SBG (Small Box Girder) Assault Bridge, was numbered '2B' for the second ('B') vehicle in the 2nd Troop, 77 Assault Squadron RE. It is almost certainly the tank seen in IWM photos B5036, B5037 & B5040, showing an AVRE named BULLDOG, at the crossroads at La Brèche d'Hermanville on 6 June 1944:
    http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205205807
    http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205205808
    http://m.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205201946

    Sjt MYHILL landed from Landing Craft Tank Mark IV 1092 (Landing Table Index Number 111), which carried, in order of landing:
    1. Sherman Crab No.26 (callsign 2G) commanded by No.320501 Serjeant Walter “Paddy” SMYTH, 3 Troop, 'A' Sqn, 22 Dragoons
    Crew: Trooper LONGBOTTOM (Driver Operator), Trooper FROST (Gunner Operator), Trooper PERRY (Gunner Mechanic), No.7928811 Trooper John Wallace HOGG (KIA) (Driver Mechanic)

    2. Sherman Crab No.28 (callsign 2H) commanded by Corporal NASH, 3 Troop, 'A' Sqn, 22 Dragoons
    Crew: Trooper MYCOCK (Driver Operator), Trooper WINNARD (Gunner Operator), Trooper CROFT (Fitter, replacing Trooper Don FAIRWEATHER as Gunner Mechanic for the assault), Trooper ELLIOTT (Driver Mechanic)

    3. AVRE (callsign 0A) with Plough & towing Porpoise commanded by Major Kenneth du Bois FERGUSON (137162), Squadron Leader, 77 Aslt Sqn RE
    Crew: Sapper JOHNSTONE (WIA), Sapper PETTERFIELD WIA, No.2118563 Lance Serjeant Arthur Frederick SPENDER (KIA), Sapper WATKIN, Lance Corporal JACOB (probably Demolition NCO)and perhaps one Squadron Fitter as passenger

    4. AVRE (callsign 2A) with Log Carpet and Twin Boase Bangalore & towing Porpoise commanded by Captain Arthur LOW (226292), 2 Troop Leader, 77 Aslt Sqn RE
    Crew: Sapper YOUNG, No.2154346 Sapper John Kenneth MANUEL (KIA) (Gunner/Mortarman), Lance Corporal PARSONS (WIA) (Demolition NCO), Sapper SAMSON (WIA) (Driver) and one other

    and also (the order of landing is not certain):
    5 or 6. AVRE (callsign 2B) (probably named BULLDOG) with SBG Bridge commanded by No.1871107 Serjeant Albert Edward "Eddie" MYHILL, Troop Serjeant, 2 Troop, 77 Aslt Sqn RE
    Crew: No.1908609 Sapper William Henry TREDREA (KIA) (Wireless Operator), Lance Corporal WELFARE (Demolition NCO) and three others

    5 or 6. AVRE (callsign 2C) with Bobbin and Twin Boase Bangalore commanded by Corporal GREGORY, 2 Troop, 77 Aslt Sqn RE
    Crew: Sapper SPIERS (WIA) (Gunner/Mortarman), Lance Corporal ARNOLD (Demolition NCO) and three others

    After Sjt MYHILL's death, his AVRE 2B was taken over by Lieutenant Charles James Pennell TENNENT (277803), 2IC 1 Tp 77 Aslt Sqn RE, for the assault on LION SUR MER during which 2B's Wireless Operator No.1908609 Sapper William Henry TREDREA (not TREADREA as per Capt LOW's account) was killed. See:
    http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2341580/

    "Sad Sack Villa" as referred to by Capt LOW is Villa Les Algues. See here:
    http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/35890-1050-port-maintenence-re-d-day-and-beyond/?p=449156


    Lisa, do you have any names for the remainder of your great uncle's crew on D Day, or any additional information such as photos maybe?

    Michel
     
  8. BrianM59

    BrianM59 Senior Member

    Dear Lisa,

    I don't know how I missed that post - sorry. My dad, George Machin was a sapper in 3 Troop of 77 Assault Squadron, commanded by Captain Carruthers, and knew your great uncle - I don't think well, but in 2004 when he was invited to Normandy to receive a medal, he couldn't go because of ill health and general curdmudgeonliness, but he did mention a few names of people that had died and Sgt. Myhill was one. My brother and I visited his grave and some other lads who are buried or commemorated in Bayeux. I'm sure that Michel is right and I'm amazed at such detailed information, but George always thought that Eddie Myhill was the demolition sergeant in an AVRE, but it turns out he was the commander? My dad thought he had been 'blown up' while disarming mines or shells on beach obstacles as his troop were doing, but again, he may have been confused and that doesn't seem to tally with the account above. He also remembered a Corporal Walter Fairlie from Scotland who was blown up either by a landmine or a shell on a beach obstacle as a tank hit it - there wasn't enough left of poor Fairlie to bury. It must have taken some courage to get out of those AVRES under fire and disarm mines and shells - Captain Carruthers was hit in the hand and I suppose his MC will have to do for the rest of those lads. My dad was 20 when he landed and I don't think anyone on his AVRE was over 25.

    If Michel knows any more about 77 Assault Squadron on D-Day, I'd be grateful to read it.
     
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  9. Normally the Demolition NCO was a Corporal (or Lance Corporal), but there might have been exceptions, just as normally an AVRE commander should be at least a Lance Serjeant, but we see some were commanded by a Corporal (e.g. Cpl Gregory). It may be that Eddie Myhill was given the command of an AVRE shortly before D Day, so that your Dad might not have known about it.

    Spr MACHIN is named in the after action narratives (in bold type in the following verbatim transcripion):

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    REPORT ON 3B by SJT NUTLEY RE

    The journey across was rather trying, the whole crew was as sick
    as it was possible to be.

    At H – 20 approx, we saw rockets dropping around the craft and we
    had several near misses from "Shorts". We noticed several yellow rafts from
    DD and concluded that crews had to bale out.


    / At H
    -------
    - 2 -


    At H approx we got caught on a sand bank and waited for about 10
    mins whilst the skipper got the craft off it. In the meantime an explosion
    occurred on 4 Tp's craft, which was on our left, and Capt CARRUTHERS called to me
    to help take off and throw overboard our B Bangalore. I heard whilst we were
    manhandling it that the one aboard the 4 tp craft had been hit and had exploded.
    The fire from shore at this time was moderate: at least they didn't seem to
    be aiming deliberately at us so were weren't unduly worried. We made another
    run ashore and came in on the left of 4 tp and could see clearly a hole
    approx 6' – 8' wide in the port side of the craft.

    The skipper beached and plumbed the depth of water : it was 4' so
    away went the first flail, Sjt TURNER, Cpl AIRD, Capt CARRUTHERS, Lt DICKINSON,
    3B, and Sjt SNOWSHALL in that order.

    As we came off the ramp I could see it was going to be ticklish
    getting through the obstacles with the br, so we ran right through in first gear
    and had to stop several times for neutral turns. It was at this time that we
    lost sight of Capt CARRUTHERS and eventually contacted him about 10 mins later.

    We stopped just before gap No 12 and recced a site for the br,
    as we could see that Capt CARRUTHERS intended to follow the flails himself.

    At this time Spr SEDGEWICK came up to us and said that the crew of 3C (Sjt FREER's)
    had to swim for it. He was very shaken so I slipped him a drop of the Sjts’
    Mess whiskey. He was seen later escorting four GERMAN PWs down the beach at
    the point of his Sten, (some whiskey).

    L cpl THOMAS took the windsock from Capt CARRUTHER's tk and I also
    sent Spr MACHIN and GILL to mark the gap entrance.

    I left 3B complete with br at the entrance of the gap as Capt
    CARRUTHERS came running back with a damaged hand and asked me to see his tk
    through to the lateral. This I did, and left it at No 11 Gap in a bay, making
    that the tp rally.

    Sjt TURNER and Cpl AIRD flailed their way back along the beach
    but had to stop owing to congestion. On the beach a bty of SP guns had sited
    themselves and were just going into action.

    I made my way back to 3B along the lateral and could see that we
    had plenty to do up there so after dropping the br, 3B made its way along the

    lateral dragging a Sherman from the 13/18 out of the path of the following traffic.
    On arrival at tp rally we found that 3A had been sent fwd under Capt LOW or
    Capt McLENNEN.

    We remained on the lateral sweeping the verges for mines and had
    3B standing by to pull out any vehs that got stuck.

    Spr MACHIN reported that some mines had been stacked in a gateway
    and on examination we found 286 Teller 42. We enlisted the help of some
    CMPs and moved them as the house was beginning to burn. We then went back
    to the beach to help in beach clearance as far as conditions would allow.
    Sjt ACKERMAN had just joined us so I sent him to join Cpl MORRIS 3D and Sjt
    BARCLAY 1D. We received orders from the OC to pick up the br; we were called
    away twice to pump besa and petard into houses that contained snipers.
    Incidentally we wounded one of the beachmasters and a gap offr with the petard;
    they were told to shelter behind the rec veh but insisted on looking round the
    corner of the veh and were wounded by shrapnel and blast as 3B was only a short
    distance in front.

    We finally erected the br after taking about a dozen nose dives under
    the tk. Jerry was shooting up the beach and bombing the bay all night. We
    reached harbour at 0600 hrs to learn the br could be dumped. On examination
    3B was found to have blown a cylinderhead and one exhaust pipe was broken.

    ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Notes: "Sjt SNOWSHALL" is actually Sjt SNOWSILL; Capt McLENNAN's name is regularly misspelt in reports as 'McLENNEN'.


    Here's what I've got so far regarding the LCT from which Spr MACHIN landed:

    Landing Craft Tank Mark IV (Pennant not known, Landing Table Index Number 110) carried, in order of landing:

    1. Sherman Crab No.16 (callsign 3G) commanded by No. 410525 Sergeant Nathaniel TURNER R.A.C. (KIA), 1 Troop, 'A' Squadron, 22nd Dragoons
    Crew: Trooper BURDON (Driver Operator), Trooper HULME (Gunner Operator), Trooper CAPSTICK (Gunner Mechanic), Trooper GOODIER (Driver Mechanic)

    2. Sherman Crab No.18 (callsign 3H) commanded by No. 7928998 Corporal Robert “Bobby” AIRD R.A.C. (KIA), 1 Troop, 'A' Squadron, 22nd Dragoons
    Crew: Trooper HALPIN (Driver Operator), Trooper Joe LINDEN (Gunner Operator), Trooper COPE (Fitter, replacing Trooper STEELE as Gunner Mechanic for the assault), Lance Corporal COLLINSON (Driver Mechanic)

    3. AVRE (callsign 3A) with Log Carpet and Twin Boase Bangalore & towing Porpoise commanded by Captain William Charles Sinclair CARRUTHERS R.E. (220964) (WIA), 3 Troop Leader, 77th Assault Squadron R.E. – OC 3 Team/Blue Gap, QUEEN WHITE Beach
    Crew: Sapper MORRIS (WIA) (probably Wireless Operator), No. 2118524 Sapper Frederick William NORRIS (Gunner/Mortarman), Sapper ELLIOTT (WIA) (probably Driver), Sapper BUCHAN (probably Co-driver), No.2015755 Lance Corporal Frederick Ronald SHEA (KIA) (Demolition NCO)

    4. AVRE (callsign 3D) with Plough & towing Porpoise commanded by Lieutenant Ivan Charles Barron DICKINSON R.E. (256828) (WIA) – Troop Officer, 3 Troop, 77th Assault Squadron R.E.
    Crew: Corporal MORRIS (Demolition NCO) and four more, plus one Squadron Fitter (7 men total)

    5. AVRE (callsign 3B) with SBG Bridge commanded by Serjeant NUTLEY R.E., Troop Serjeant, 3 Troop, 77th Assault Squadron R.E.
    Crew: Lance Corporal THOMAS (probably Demolition NCO), Sapper GILL, No.1929573 Sapper George Frederick MACHIN (Gunner/Mortarman), maybe “Johnny” FARMER (Driver) and one other

    6. Sherman Crab No.32 (callsign unsure) commanded by Serjeant SNOWSILL R.A.C., 4 Troop, 'A' Squadron, 22nd Dragoons
    Crew: Trooper CARNWELL (Driver Operator), Trooper GRAY (Gunner Operator), Trooper BOTTING (Gunner Mechanic), Lance Corporal MALONEY (Driver Mechanic)


    Brian, do you have any additional information about your father on D Dday, such as his full name and service number, his position in the tank, names/positions of other crew members, name of his tank (and WD registration number...), pennant number of his LCT etc.?

    Michel

    Edited 11 Sep 2013 to add Spr MACHIN's Service Number, first names and position, plus Johnny FARMER as possible driver in 3B - all courtesy BrianM59
     
  10. BrianM59

    BrianM59 Senior Member

    Michel - have replied with what I know off the top of my head in a PM and e-mail to you - in addition I do recall dad mentioning the relief they felt when the demolition NCO had left the tank - more room obviously and minus a whole pile of explosives.....amazing to see his name in print like that, thank you, I have only seen the squadron war diary and he isn't mentioned there but I never knew about after action reports..
     
  11. mezieres

    mezieres New Member

    My father in law, Fred Norris also served in RE 77 Assault Sqdn and knew Sgt Myhill. He is now 96 years of age but some years ago I sat him down to recount all that he remembered about the landing on D-Day and I wrote it all down and produced a small book about it. Your Eddie was in a bridge tank and Fred was in an AVRE armed with a petard. Fred said that as 5th Regiment were running up the beach and Eddie's tank had taken some hits from an anti-tank gun but that he drove his tank toward the gun and dropped the bridge on and disabled it. Eddie dismounted to release the bridge from the front of his tank and did so but before he could get back in he was hit by small arms fire. Another tank that came behind then ran over the bridge that eddie had laid across the German anti tank gun. Fred said that later it was seen that the German gun crew when they had zeroed in on Eddies tank had fired at the at the bridge on the tank rather than the tank itself and the bridge had taken a number of hits. Fred now has dementia and his memory is not so clear but he allways said that Eddie should have been decorated for what he did because disabling that german gun had saved many lives, but typical of the army men were rarely if ever decorated phostumasly.

    We have been in touch with the 77 since and their records tell of a tank running across an anti tank gun but their records suggest that it was another tank. However Fred has argued the point with them and he was their and knew every tank by their call sign. When you think about it logically any tank other than a bridge tank had run across a German gun they would definitely have lost a track, a bridge tank however can drop a bridge over one and then it can be crossed but not before without almost certainly losing a track.

    Army records are not allways correct they are written after the event. Fred was there and saw what he saw. He later that morning won a Military Medal during an attack on a German defence position in Lion sur Mer. The german position was called COD. The army citation says that Fred landed in Capt Mcllenan's tank whereas he didn't, he landed in Capt Curuthers tank who was injured and dismounted. Fred took his tank through the exit point from the beach and only at the rendezvous did Capt Mcllenan take the tank over. The army records are not allways right. Capt Mcllenan also won an MC but it was for attacking and silencing a machine gun post with grenades on the beach after he had lost his own tank to enemy fire. Fred's story is therefore the right one.
     
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  12. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9027989
    Screen Shot 2016-02-23 at 09.44.57.png
     
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  13. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C9023760
    Screen Shot 2016-02-23 at 09.54.16.png
     
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  14. Hi mezieres,

    Welcome to this forum. It's always a great pleasure to hear that a D Day veteran is still with us.

    What a superb initiative! Have you published this book? If so, could you tell us how to get it, or even better, can you post it here?
    Did he say which landing craft landed on his left and on his right?
    Meanwhile I'd like to clarify some of the points you raised:

    I did not know about the hits from the anti tank gun. However, as regards Sjt Myhill's death, it did not happen quite at that time: Sjt Eddie Myhill did dismount to release the bridge from the tank but came back safely to his tank, and then went up the bridge to the first lateral. He was killed later, when trying to get back to his AVRE after erecting a windsock. See account by L cpl Welfare who was in Sjt Myhill's tank in my post above:
    sgt myhill (eddie) Royal Engineers 77 Assault Sqn from swansea

    as well as the account by Capt Low, who was his Troop Leader, in the attachment to Marc's post above:
    sgt myhill (eddie) Royal Engineers 77 Assault Sqn from swansea

    It is possible that summary reports might give the impression that another tank ran over the A tk gun, but the two narratives I just mentioned certainly say very plainly that Sjt Myhill laid his bridge over the gun.

    The German position in question was actually codenamed TROUT. COD was another one, located on QUEEN RED beach.
    You're right, the army citation compressed the events a bit, although it does not exactly say that Fred landed in Capt McLennan's tank.
    The citation (see dbf's post above) should have read something like:
    "This Sapper was one of the crew of Capt McLennan's tank, who had taken it over after his commander Capt Carruthers was wounded, and which landed on the beach at H hr 6 June 44".

    Michel
     
    Last edited: Mar 25, 2018
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  15. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    From 5 Assault Regiments war diary:

    [​IMG]
     
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  16. Thanks Andy. These are the planned locations for the Exits, not to be confused with the planned/actual landing spots nor the actual Exit locations, which were not always the same.

    Michel
     
  17. Thanks to the brilliant find by Kevin Tucker (see 77 Assault Regiment Vehicle Names), we now know that 'BULLDOG' was not AVRE 2B (Sjt MYHILL) as I suspected, but AVRE 3B (Sjt NUTLEY)

    AVRE (callsign 3B) 'BULLDOG' with SBG Assault Bridge Mark II
    commanded by Serjeant NUTLEY R.E., Troop Serjeant, 3 Troop, 77th Assault Squadron R.E.
    Crew:
    Lance Corporal THOMAS (probably Demolition NCO);
    Sapper GILL;
    No.1929573 Sapper George Frederick MACHIN (Gunner/Mortarman);
    maybe “Johnny” FARMER (Driver) and
    one other

    See also post #9 above: sgt myhill (eddie) Royal Engineers 77 Assault Sqn from swansea

    Michel
     
  18. KevinT

    KevinT Senior Member

    Michel I have only forwarded on the listing. Thanks should go to the serving Sgt. from 32 Engineer Regiment.

    Cheers

    Kevin
     
  19. BrianM59

    BrianM59 Senior Member

    Kevin,

    Michel Sabarly has sent me an e-mail regarding this as some time ago, I posted that I thought the well known picture of La Breche d'Hermanville crossroads on D-Day, which shows an AVRE, was my dad George's tank.

    I read the above post and it appeared to be '2B'. I have always had a funny feeling that it was my dad's tank - I know the photograph well and have been to that spot several times and sworn that I was right. Your post - and my thanks to your Sergeant in 32 Engineer - proves it.

    In addition, I came across a newsreel which appears to show the same tank, I only got a fleeting glance at the time as it was on someone else's computer. Now I've tracked it down on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SHRA-FH_S70
    at about a minute in. It zooms in to a face which I swear is my dad - he's in the right place, in the gunner/mortarman's seat in the right of the turret, peering out and not wearing a helmet, but a beret, as he was too tall at 6'1 or 2 and only wore the helmet when absolutely necessary.

    Does anyone recognise the newsreel? Would people agree that this is the same tank?

    My thanks to MIchel who continues to find mentions of my dad and e-mail me, which delights me and all of my brothers as we're very proud of what he did.

    Nice work,

    Brian.
     
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  20. Brian,

    Do you mean this photo? I know it only as a still photo, not as a frame from a film clip:
    AVRE Bobbin xB.jpg

    If so, this is almost certainly not your father's tank, because it does not have the SBG bridge mounting bar at the front (which was welded, so in the unlikely event that it had been removed, at least some trace of its former presence should show), plus it has brackets on its sides for fitting a Bobbin device, and finally the 'B' on the turret side is not the same colour nor orientation as the one on 'BULLDOG'. Of course, in theory all of these might have been altered between D Day and the time of the photo, but as far as I know Bobbins were not used after D Day, plus it would be rather illogical to convert a Bridge AVRE into a Bobbin AVRE rather than just using a Bobbin AVRE or converting a basic one.

    Additionally, the man with the beret is not in the turret at the mortarman's position, but peering out of the driver's hatch.

    Maybe the newsreel you saw was of a different tank?
    It is also entirely possible that your father switched tanks.

    Michel
     

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