1940 Italy declares war on United Kingdom and France 1942 German soldiers level the Village of Lidice in Czechoslovakia in retaliation for the assassination attempt on Reinhard Heydrich in Prague 1944 German SS Troops commit atrocities in the village of Oradour sur Glane, killing 642 men, women and Children
Good reminder on a truly horrible date; thank you. Would you consider posting the first paragraph in the "Marking the 70th Anniversary" - thread as well?
Das Reich. No 2 SS Panzer Division. Orador ! They eventually got to Normandy, where it gives me great pleasure to inform the friends here, a great many of them were caught in the Falaise Pocket, and were slaughtered without mercy........ Even if the stench of death was unbearable. I had the dubious pleasure of seeing the mass of mangled bodies. Sadly, not all were slaughtered there. Some got away. I just wish that those that escaped, will have to suffer, and listen, to the agonised screams of the women and children, as they were burned alive in Orador church. Hopefully they will have to listen to those terrible sounds, as the women and children watched their own flesh melt and fall off their bodies.... They should listen.....For all eternity.... Hopefully? The Good Lord Willing? Then. Again.... the Good Lord Willing, they will be called to account for the atrocities they, and the Vichy French committed at Tulle, where they hung a 100 men from the lamp posts. The could not count, it was 99... Perhaps they will be called to pay for their cruelty.(Along with their Vichy friends than hung on the victim's legs to ensure they died) And for the fact that they dumped the bodies on the local rubbish dump...... What better? than they experience what it is like to be burned alive....for ever. Locked in a time loop where they have to listen to the agony........For ever. Sapper
Good reminder on a truly horrible date; thank you. Would you consider posting the first paragraph in the "Marking the 70th Anniversary" - thread as well? Thanks for the tip off StormBird. Duly completed. Actually, put the whole lot into the thread.
Possibly the RAF's first action against the Italians? It has often been reported that during the night of 10/11 June 1940, Air Commodore Collishaw undertook an unofficial bombing mission accompanied by a volunteer crew in a Vickers Valentia nicknamed 'Bessie' They took off from Ma'aten Bagush with a crate of hand-granades stowed on board, with which they attacked an Italian camp. Collishaw's second pilot was F/O. Harvey. After the attack the aircraft returned to Ma'aten Bagush. 70 and 216 Squadrons were the two units that operated the Valentia in Egypt at this time. Taken from ' Desert Prelude' - Gustavsson/Slongo
Vickers Valentia - And if you are wondering what type of plane Peter's referring to in his post, here be a link to her
Gerrard, You may have started something with your post with dates that crop up like that. I wonder how many more there will be that come to light and are posted. Regards Tom
Gotthard, Sapper and all who remember dates such as these 10/6/1944 Oradour-sur-Glane 10 June 1944 Lest we forget ! Ron
Sapper - you can be assured that they would be called to account for their atrocities - and for those who didn't believe in Hell - would, when they got there ! Cheers
No, no, no Gotthard! Not the EARLIER seaplane, but Type 264 Valentia! Look here instead: Vickers Victoria and Valentia Not very far forward in design from WW1 machines!!
Effectively a development from the Vickers Vimy Commercial which married the WW1 bomber's wings and tail to a new enclosed passenger cabin (which had more leg room than a Ryan Air flight).
24th L - War Diary - Saturday 10th June 1944... The 24th L - War Diary has... Pt 103 10/6/44 At first light, 3 of ‘C’ Sqn tanks together with the Sqn Leader who was wounded arrived at Pt 103 and reported heavy opposition from St Pierre and fire from enemy tanks in the area. The DLI, in the village had suffered heavy casualties and the remainder of the Regiment left Pt 103 and advanced to St Pierre, ‘A’ Sqn on the right covering the bridge crossing the R. Seulles to the East of Tilly and ‘B’ Sqn on the left overlooking Fontenay. The remainder of ‘C’ Sqn tanks withdrew to the perimeter at Pt 103 and covered the action. St Pierre 10/6/44 By the late afternoon the situation in St Pierre had been restored and leaving the infantry to hold St Pierre, together with a Sqn of SRY, the Regiment moved back to Pt 103. During this action the Regiment suffered casualties in tanks and personnel and the Commanding Officer was wounded. Major.G.L.Streeter, MC,. took over Command of the Regiment.