249th (Airborne) Field Company RE on D-Day and Battle of Normandy

Discussion in 'Airborne' started by PRADELLES, Jul 9, 2015.

  1. Congratulations ! I think you did find what must be the remains of the footbridge, because the location is the right one and the groups of three stumps look exactly like those found by Danny on the postcard in his post #149 above:
    249th Field Company RE on D-Day and Battle of Normandy

    Michel
     
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  2. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Great find Xavier!

    If you go up the road a wee bit you can actually see the remnants of the old road leading to the footbridge. It was more or less located at the apex of the triangular area which can be seen better on the satellite view or the July 12th aerial.

    A link to Xavier's Facebook site:

    249th Field Company Royal Engineers

    Regards ...
     
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  3. As Cee says, there's a track from the main road (route de la Pointe du siège) to the left bank of the Orne, visible here:
    https://www.google.fr/maps/@49.2557...4!1sRPZYIps6aNkt_C5blCL5BA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

    Footbridge 1 - SW2013.jpg
    Footbridge 2 - SW2013.jpg
    Footbridge 3 - SW2013.jpg

    I first thought that what look like ruins in the foreground might have been a casemate guarding the bridge, but they are more likely to be a watergate for the drainage ditch visible on the satellite views and maps.

    Michel
     
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  4. This bridge seems to be made up of 4+2+2+4 barges:

    Back to Normandy - YORK 2 or TOWER 2 bridge - Notes.jpg

    It must therefore be either YORK 2 or TOWER 2. The house circled in red above confirms this:

    106G-0711_3033, 6 Jun 44 - part - Notes.jpg

    bhc007078-crop - Notes.jpg

    Box_0312-12-July-1944-3131 - Notes.jpg
    Box_0112-9-Aug-1944-4015 x2.jpg

    Although YORK 2 and TOWER 2 were similar in design and built close together, I think the bridge on the first photo shows YORK 2 before TOWER 2 was built, because the angle of the house with respect to the bridge matches YORK 2 better than it would TOWER 2.

    Michel
     
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  5. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Michel,

    You have included some excellent images. To build the Tower 2 Bridge they would need to detach the boom seen on the July 12th aerial and move the rhino downstream. You can see a boom to right of the bridge in the above ground photo seen from the east bank of the Orne.

    Box_0312-12-July-1944-3131 - Notes-2.jpg

    I think all they did at some point is reattach the boom in the same position. So possibly what you are seeing there is Tower 2 in close proximity to the boom. I figure the background building is fairly close to the boom and bridge. If the aerials were better quality you might be able to pick out other features on the west bank as well.

    The rhino arrived on July 3rd. On the July 5th aerial there is still no boom evident down stream of York 2 though there might be something just upstream of the footbridge. Some info on the erection of booms during this period in early July from "the Circus".

    the_circus_234 _field_company_3.jpg

    York 2 Bridge was built on June 13th, York 1 on June 27th and Tower 2 on July 23rd. Having said all that I noticed on the unclear August 9th aerial there doesn't appear to be a boom near Tower 2? So I could be completely off with my theory ...:)

    Regards ...
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2018
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  6. Cee,

    I think that you are right in your post #136 above and in your next one #138 249th Field Company RE on D-Day and Battle of Normandy and that these two photos, reproduced below in case they disappear from "Back to Normandy", shows YORK 1 as seen from the East bank of the Canal. On this first photo we can see that there are three main spans of Bailey, delimited by the two breaks in the lateral walkway, with three narrower sets (pairs) of pontoons for the middle main span:
    Bailey br nr house - 126261 - Notes.jpg
    Bailey br nr house - 126261.jpg
    Bailey br nr house - 126260.jpg

    The house is visible on several aerial views, and the vegetation (or lack of it) also matches:
    Box_0309-5-July-1944-3166-Large - Notes.jpg

    I cannot however see the upstream barbed wire boom on aerial views...

    Michel
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2018
  7. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Michel,

    Another real fine presentation, you clarify it all exceedingly well! Yes I was wrong in my initial hunch in post # 134. Once I found other photos for York 1 on Back to Normandy it became apparent there were views from both side of the canal and the other "dark" photo was one of the bridges over the Orne.

    There are also some good views of the house on the west bank of the canal in the video posted in # 147. There are actually quite a number of films at the IWM that record the crossing of bridges during the Goodwin Campaign. Most of them are not viewable. I made a list but can't find the damn thing now.

    A really fine job putting that together Michel, many thanks.

    Regards ...
     
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  8. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    Hi all,

    Sorry to cut this interesting conversation about those bridges, but I had received some new pictures about Lieutenant Bence, second in command of the platoon of Royal Engineers who landed with "Major Howard Force" :
    "Lieutenant Bence RE arrived on the scene : his glider had landed some 500yd from its target. Lieutenant Bence RE then set about the next task which was to assess what load class of vehicle the two bridges were capable of carrying. This involved taking measurements with tape and footrule and applying a known formula, and it was no healthy task with the sites still under aimed small arms fire. The answers showed that both the bridges were Class 30, ie capable of carrying Sherman tanks, but the approaches to the Ranville bridge were rather below this figure. This was important, as a Squadron of the amphibious Sherman tanks that had swum ashore leading the seaborne assault over the beaches were due to cross into 6 Airborne Division's Area to provide sorely needed tank support. Bearing in mind also that the formula included a factor of safety and that the doubtful area was clear of the watergap, the Commander Royal Engineers (CRE) of 6 Airborne Division took the decision when visiting the bridges during the morning that the tanks should be allowed to cross. This they did later without mishap."

    Extract from The 6th Airborne Divisional Engineers on D Day 1944

    Thank you to his daughter for the pictures.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Feb 22, 2018
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  9. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Xavier,

    Very nice photos of Lieutenant Bence! Is there a story behind the group photo which from all the ribbon bars evident appears to have been taken post war? There are a mixture of men from different regiments present.

    Regards ...
     
  10. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    Hi Cee,
    I hoped you could help me to find that.
    No information...
    Regards,
    Xavier
     
  11. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    Another photo.
    May be a platoon of the 249th...
     

    Attached Files:

  12. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Xavier,

    From the side caps with white band It could be an Officer cadet training unit (OCTU) group. If the daughter has his service papers it would tell you where he took his Officers' training.

    As for the group photo above (#168) I haven't a clue. They all appear to be Officers. Possibly a course of some kind? The presence of two RAF men made me think it was a jump course, but the Officers all look be too experienced for that?

    Regards ...
     
  13. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    Hi Cee,
    A course...I have an idea...another photo...I must confirm that.
    I return to you later.
    A boat course, Wyke Regis Camp...
     
  14. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    Hi all,
    Two pictures :

    The boat race (May be at the Wyke Regis Bridging Camp).
    upload_2018-2-27_12-7-48.png

    Brigadier Hugh Kindersley ?
    upload_2018-2-27_12-9-6.png

    Regards,

    Xavier P.
     
  15. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Xavier,

    Very interesting photos. I'm not sure if it is Brigadier Kindersley or not? Is this a post-war event? Did Hugh Kindersley continue in an active role immediately post-war after the serious wounding he sustained at the beginning of the Battle of Breville? From available information it seems he returned to business and held honorary military positions afterwards. The insignia is not very clear. Brigadier Kindersley's original regiment was the Scot Guards. He was also trained as a glider pilot and wore the GPR wings on his left breast.

    I can see a resemblance to Major-General Roy Urquhart. Though how he fits in with events at an engineers facility is not clear. So I could be completely off the mark there.

    Taking a look around on Google Maps I noticed there is a "Wyke Regis Bridging Camp" still present in the area. No doubt the channel separating it from Chesil beach is where they would practise bridge building at one time.

    Regards ...
     
    Last edited: Feb 27, 2018
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  16. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    Hi Cee,
    A post-war event ? I don't know.
    Urquhart ? Why not. May be the man behind him could help us. I feel I've seen it before.
    I contact the daughter of Lieutenant Bence, but I am not sure to learn more.
    Regards,
    Xavier
     

    Attached Files:

  17. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Xavier,

    Major-General Urquhart is a possibility only at this time. He was the first Commander of the newly formed 16th Airborne Division during the years 1947 and 48. At 6 foot 2 inches, 200 pounds he was a fairly big man. The Officer standing behind at the table appears even taller, although his height might be exaggerated by the slope of the land?

    Major-General Lathbury took over command of the 16th Airborne after Urquhart's departure in December 1948. He was tall man and somewhat lanky when younger. A cropped photo of him next to Lt General Gale in 1949 from ParaData.

    Lt-General Richard Gale & Maj-General Lathbury 1949.JPG

    The event in your photos appears to be some kind of games or competition involving a range of Airborne units.

    Regards ...
     
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  18. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    Hi Cee,
    A specialist confirm what you think, it's Urquhart !
    Regards,
    Xavier
     
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  19. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Xavier,

    Thanks, it's good to know ... :)

    Regards ...
     
  20. Jon Reid

    Jon Reid New Member

    My Grandfather Lt. Norman Reid, was in glider chalk 41, landed at Ranville at 03.20 and was killed shortly after.
    He is buried in Ranville churchyard.
     
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