Just thought you would all like to know

Sunday dawned and we headed for the first of the trips to the cemeteries as it was overcast and then in the afternoon we went down to the coast heres a few more of our favorite beach Longues sur mer bellow the battery's nice sand and loads of rock pooling and we even found the remains of either a truck or a half track there going from the metal

This is going to take ages to get all these phots posted on here so you will have to bear with me as I am moving my daughter tomorrow and then set off for the ferry to France tomorrow evening at 6pm as I have a collection from Seville in Spain to get back to London by Thursday....

I will post some pics in the meantime as best my memory serves me be as accurate as possible

Regards Lee

 

more pics

 

Just a few more to go.......tonight

Sorry its taking so long only I have only just got back from Spain and am off again tomorrow....

Lee

 

more

 

Lee, I've just read for the first time about your drive to Dover. Are you sure you missed all the speed cameras ?

It might be worth having a look here :-

UK Speed Camera Database. Check to see if you have been caught speeding

Rich

 

I do between 60, and 80,000 miles a year Rich and have a Tom Tom with all the lastest map share and speed camera data base and a Road Angel professional....

I dont make a habit of it but when needs must!!!!.......and before anyone says anything its not clever!

By the way thats my son not me!!!...........:p

 

You don't have to explain to me, Lee. I know only too well the "I'm going to miss the ferry" feeling . I used to bounce my old K100 off the rev limiter quite regularly down the M26.

That link has been causing some concern over on the 'Real Classic' forum, some of the old blighters fell for it.

I typed in the number of a Raleigh Runabout that I couldn't put back together about 35 years ago and it said I had been clocked at 81.4 mph on it ! I'd have kept it if I'd known it was that quick !

More seriously, did you notice that cameras are springing up all over the French RNs ? Recent installations by the look of it and not just aproaching villages either.

 

Yes coming from a bike history like mine its hard not to speed but most of the time I am in my trusty Merc Sprinter and its my diesel so I plod along at 60 loaded and 70 unloaded to save on wear and tear......thats why my wife dont like me driving the old M3 cos I have a lead foot, and she prefers the sedate wafting of the barge as we call her

Check this link out for free updates for sat navs pockets pc's etc its better than the tom tom stuff and you dont have to subscribe

Pocket GPS World Forums-Windows Mobile - Pocket PC/Smartphone

 

Hi Lee,

Great photos. Particularly the farmhouse. What a great place.

Have been really time poor lately so will have to catch up with the photos.

Thank s for all the detail. Must have been a most enjoyable holiday.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Hi Lee,

Thank you for the photos.

This is the digital record available for P/O Frost at St Desir War Cemetery off the internet from our National Archives.

http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=5243275&I=1&SE=1

It gives all aircraft that he has flown as well.

Tiger Moth
Harvards 1 and 2
Masters 1 - 2 -3
Spitfires 1 -2
Hurricane 1V
Typhoon
Oxford

FROST, John Thomas Naldrett - (Pilot Officer); Service Number - 412514; File type - Casualty - Repatriation; Aircraft - Typhoon MN 719; Place - Vimoutiers, France; Date - 20 August 1944
http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/Imagine.asp

 

Flt/Lt Anderson, Thomas Robert Bowden at Ranville War Cemetery:

http://naa12.naa.gov.au/scripts/imagine.asp?B=5384519&I=1&SE=1

ANDERSON Thomas Robert Bowden - (Flight Lieutenant); Service Number - 409081; File type - Casualty - Repatriation; Aircraft - Mustang B160; Place - Fontaine Etoupetour, France; Date - 10 June 1944

 

La Delivrande War Cemetery

Squadron Leader William Walter Blessing DSO DFC.

BLESSING William Walter - (Squadron Leader); Service Number - 404648; File type - Casualty - Repatriation; Aircraft - Mosquito BM 964; Place - Northern France; Date - 7 July 1944

AWM Collection Record: UK0331 - 404648 Squadron Leader (Sqn Ldr) William Walter Blessing DSO DFC, RAAF serving with 105 Squadron, RAF of Braidwood NSW (centre) outside Buckingham Palace after an Investiture, with Miss A P Birch ...

From: http://www.lostbombers.co.uk/bomber.php?id=7437
Mosquito ML964 Information

Type Mosquito Serial Number ML964 Squadron 105 X1D GB-J Operation Caen Date 1 7th July 1944 Date 2 7th July 1944
Further Information

"Serial Range ML956 - ML999. 44 Mosquito B.MkXV1. Powered by Merlin 72/73 engines. Part of a batch of 152 delivered by De Havilland (Hatfield) between 24Nov43 and 4Dec44. MM170 was not delivered. First operational sortie 21Mar44. Airborne 1946 7Jul44 from Bourn as a primary Target Marker. Shot about by a fighter and badly damaged. P/O Burke baled out, as ordered, and landed safely inside Allied held territory, his gallant Skipper remained at the controls to enable his navigator to abandon and was unable to get clear of the aircraft himself. S/L W.Blessing DSO DFC RAAF KIA P/O D.T.Burke On 28Apr01 the obituary of W/C Edward 'Barty' Barton who had been Chief Signals and radar officer with the PFF was published in 'The Daily Telegraph'. In particular he helped introduce and develop Oboe, the most accurate blind-bombing aid of the war. The Oboe secret was so valuable, that when this Mosquito was shot down with the equipment on board near Caen, Barton was despatched in another Mosquito to investigate. He succeeded in findng the Mosquito. S/L Blessing had been killed before he could destroy the Oboe equipment but Barton was able to remove it from the crash site before the enemy came upon it. In this obituary S/L Blessing has been designated 'Wing Commander'. "

 

Owen the Red phone box is in Ranville right by Pegasus bridge no idea why its there but it has a french phone in it and was being used by the locals when we were there and is just outside the church that you can see in the previous pictures this was the first of many stops to get all of Spidges pics taken.....

Talking of which I am going to post some more now leaving the best till last as for me its only fitting and you will all understand when I post the last pic...

Also I have taken a few pics of the requested graves but what I have noticed is a lot of them tend to be I presume bomber pilots as they all died the same day and tend to be grouped in fours fives & sixes....and also the aussies tended to be the pilots...I have taken group photos as well as single pics so hopefully someone cn shed some light on the subject....

Regards Lee

 

for Geoff ( Spidge ) I think he's been a patient little rupert lol

 

Hi Lee,

Fantastic pics.

In the previous few grave photos you posted, I put a bit of background on the lads. I will see what I can do with what they were doing when they were killed. I have been a little time poor of late.

Thanks again for the pics.

Cheers

Geoff

 

Great photos Lee.

Any chance of naming which cemeteries are which?

Cheers

Geoff

 

The three RAAF lads that were killed on 7th May 1944 and buried at Bayeux cemetery were Biltoff, Jackson & Knight.

Air Commodore Ivelaw-Chapman was the most senior RAF officer taken prisoner while in Bomber Command Service.

(Does anyone know what BCWD means?)

Lancaster ND783 Information

Type Lancaster Serial Number ND783 Squadron 576 X1D UL-C2 Operation Aubigne Date 1 6th May 1944 Date 2 7th May 1944
Further Information

"Serial Range ND324 - NE181 This aircraft was one of 600 Lancaster Mk.111s ordered from A.V.Roe (Chadderton) and delivered from Dec43 to May44 with Merlin 38 engines. ND783 was delivered to 576 Sqdn 29Apr44. Also took part in the Key Operation against Mailly-le-Camp 3/4May44. When lost on its second Key Operation ND783 had a total of 14 hours, and was the only aircraft lost on this operation. Airborne 0015 7Jul44 from Elsham Wolds to destroy an ammunition dump. Those killed are buried in Bayeux War Cemetery.
A/C Ivelaw-Chapman was the most senior RAF officer taken prisoner while in Bomber Command Service. He had recently taken up a Staff Officer post in 1 Group. See BCWD for further details.

F/L J.M.Shearer RNZAF KIA
A/C R.Ivelaw-Chapman (P2) PoW
Sgt C.N.G.Drew KIA
W/O A.H.Biltoft RAAF KIA
Sgt J.A.Ford RAAF Evd
Sgt C.V.Fox KIA
Sgt J.W.McLeod RAAF KIA
Sgt A.R.Jackson RAAF KIA
Air Commodore Ivelaw-Chapman was detained in the Dulag-Luft Interrogation Centre. No PoW No. "

 

The details of the two RAAF lads and the crew that were killed on D-Day and buried at Bayeux War Cemetery are listed below.

Lancaster ND874 Information

Type Lancaster Serial Number ND874 Squadron 50 X1D VN-R Operation Coastal Battery Date 1 5th June 1944 Date 2 6th June 1944
Further Information

"Serial Range ND324 - NE181 This aircraft was one of 600 Lancaster Mk.111s ordered from A.V.Roe (Chadderton) and delivered from Dec43 to May44 with Merlin 38 engines ND874 was issued to 50 Sqdn 6Apr44. ND874 took part in the following Key Raids: Schweinfurt 26/27Apr44; Mailly-le-camp 3/4May44; Duisberg 21/22May44; . Airborne 0231 6Jun44 to bomb the Coastal Defence Battery at St- Pierre-du-Mont.



Of those killed, three are buried in Bayeux War Cemetery and three are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.



P/O R.G.Ward RAAF KIA

Sgt D.P.Mangan KIA

Sgt K.O.Smith KIA

F/S R.Haine KIA

F/S G.F.Livingstone KIA

Sgt S.K.Reading Evd

F/S M.r.Burgess RAAF KIA "

 

Looking at the death of one other RAAF death on D-Day, I came across this aircraft that was lost. All were lost without a trace and are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.

Lancaster ND739 Information

Type Lancaster Serial Number ND739 Squadron 97 X1D OF-Z Operation St.Pierre-de-Mont Date 1 5th June 1944 Date 2 6th June 1944
Further Information

"Serial range ND324 - NE181 This aircraft was one of 600 Lancaster Mk.111s ordered from A.V.Roe (Chadderton) and delivered from Dec43 to May44 with Merlin 38 engines. ND739 was delivered to 97 Sqdn Mar44. ND739 wore the ID's OF-E/Z ND739 also took part in the Key Raid against Schweinfurt 26/27Apr44, flown by W/C E.J.Carter DFC. ND739 was one of two 97 Sqdn Lancasters lost on this operation. See ND815. Airborne 0256 6Jun44 to bomb a Coastal Defence Battery at St.Pierre. Lost without trace. all are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial.



P/O Dunning and W/O Watson had their Awards published as recently as 2Jun44, while F/O Jeffery, flying as second Bomb aimer, had flown with No.9 Sqdn, his DFM being published 10Sep43.



S/L M.Bryan-Smith was the Sqdn Gunnery Leader.

W/C E.J.Carter DFC KIA

P/O G.e.Dunning DFM KIA

F/L R.J.Conley DFC RAAF KIA

F/L H.W.Rieger RCAFKIA

F/O H.W.E Jeffery DFM KIA

F/L A.Chambers DFC & Bar KIA

W/O F.R.Watson DFM KIA

S/L M.Bryan-Smith DFC & Bar MiD "