hi every one im new to the forum and im looking for any information on my late father or 6th airborne heres what i do know rifleman leslie edwin eacott regiment no 14750762 6th airborne 6th airlanding brigade 1st battilion royal ulster rifles enlisted april 43 assigned to 6th airborne soon after went in on d day by glider lz n near ranville returned to uk redeployed to the ardennes returned to uk took part in operation varsity again by glider pushed onto wismar to link up with red army back to uk posted to palastine to 1948/49 when he was alive he would rarely speak about it but when we had a few drinks together he would tell me some of his experinces i am desparate to find out more so any one out there who served with my father or the royal ulster rifles 1st btn i would be delighted to hear from you i have posted a photo which shows 6th airborne troops with a russian telegraphist my dad is on the right holding her arm the photo was taken in wismar 1945 regards cubann
Hello cubann and welcome to the forums. I'm sure that you will find some info of use here in your search.
Welcome, Cubann The fact that you've got your father's operational history is a great start. Have you seen a book called Go To It! The Illustrated History of The 6th Airborne Division by Peter Harclerode? For specific 1st Battalion history see 1st (Airborne) Battalion Steve W.
hi gpregt thanks for the book tip have it on order along with the rifles are there my newphew leses grandson is also reseaching and has been in touch with the rur museum and they are going to email anything they find i notice your glider pilot crest are you associated in any way regards cubann
Welcome to the forum. That's a great photo. Your Dad looks well impressed with the Russian woman, quite cute isn't she?
I appreciate this thread is far from new - is anyone able to ID any of the other men shown in this image? I am particularly interested in the 1RUR officer smoking a cigarette with a holder and the MP on the left. They appear in many images from this event. Just a heads up - I do not own the copyright of this image. Cheers, Mark
Hi Mark, Thanks for uploading the photo, I've not seen that version before. The fellow on the young lady's left arm is Captain Frank Garstang, an Observer Officer attached to the 6th Airborne. His account of the incident was published in the Burnley Express and News on May 19th, 1945 (thanks to member Guy Hudson). Frank Garstang accompanied war correspondent L. Marsland Gander in the same glider on Operation Varsity. Hopefully the upload isn't downsized. I'm sorry I can't help with the identity of the I RUR Officer. Your photo also appears to show a couple of men with 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion. The occasion was also caught on film by Movietone and can be seen on YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5k55UCxlwQY If you have any other photos of the event I would love to see them, especially anything from the farm house mentioned in the article. If you would like the full newspaper page send a request privately and I'll pass it on by email. Regards ...
I really like the fact Mr Garstang had worked for the News Chronicle. So did my father but that was after the war when he came home.
Hi Mark, Here's a slight variation on the above from the Pathe film Victory in Europe where we see your MP (?) and 1 RUR Officer talking during the greeting with the Russians. I suspect you are well familiar with it and possibly the reason you are interested in identifying those two men? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m70ne68zEBk
Hi Mark, I'll go out on a limb and say the Officer with cigarette is Captain P. John A. Shelley, CO of the 6th Airborne Divisional Defence Platoon. This would make sense as Major-General Bols' contingent on his May 3rd visit to Russian Lieutenant-General Panfilov at the Neuhof Estate would have comprised, beside the out-riding motorcyclists, members of his Defence Platoon. The newsreel was taken away from the Neuhof Estate and Margarete Henzel whose father owned the property is still seeking any photos of the meeting between Bols and Panifilov in and around the manor house itself. http://www.pegasusarchive.org/varsity/Photos1/Pic_Neuhof.htm Regards ...