3 RTR B Squadron

Discussion in 'RAC & RTR' started by Frank Flattery, Feb 7, 2020.

  1. Cass Jones

    Cass Jones Member

    It's not dad!
     
  2. AdamEdward

    AdamEdward Well-Known Member

    "Cass Jones, post: 972090, member: 83008"]When I enlarged the photo I could see it wasn't dad. I did post this somewhere already but I haven't a clue where!!
    I think it was on the ORBAT 3RTR thread, I didn’t think it was Len either if that helps.
     
  3. Pearl

    Pearl Maggie Brooks

    Cass, I've tried to lighten and sharpen this pic. Not sure if I've improved it. Great original, I think. Thanks. Caption should be: L to R: Len, George, Ted in Suderstapol (?)
     

    Attached Files:

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  4. AdamEdward

    AdamEdward Well-Known Member

    Maggie, I had a reply from Monique and Etienne in Brussels. They said they have 3 souvenirs from the photo . The clock the radio and Monique!The Vanhoukes did not have a camera so they are thrilled to see that , especially for Monique. D35EF220-D85F-44E7-9801-29BD91241C28.jpeg B6E104B3-1BF8-4319-BEEB-6DEBFDE60C72.jpeg 70835BBC-3E58-44B4-A412-002D213FC9FD.jpeg
     
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  5. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    Adam, Maggie, and Cass
    This has become an amazing thread, not that it wasn't amazing before. This is what the internet, and specifically this forum, is all about.
    Steve P
     
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  6. AdamEdward

    AdamEdward Well-Known Member

    C45846CC-2FCB-4D29-930B-4206C7B57855.jpeg I would agree. This is a photo of the little girl in the sitting room in the photo today! Monique is probably around 87 now and lives near Brussels. At the time she was Monique Vanhoucke, now Deseure.
     
  7. Pearl

    Pearl Maggie Brooks



    Oh, that feels sort of miraculous. Throughout my and my sister's childhood, that little snap has sat in the sideboard with the other war photos and when I looked at it, I wondered about the Vanhoukes and felt grateful that they'd been kind and hospitable to my father. I never thought they would turn into real people!
     
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  8. Pearl

    Pearl Maggie Brooks

    Amazing! Please send her our best.
     
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  9. Pearl

    Pearl Maggie Brooks

    I've only been on it 2 days, Steve, and it's been revelatory! As you say, only the internet and this forum has opened up to me what I previously thought was 'history that I'll never know'.
     
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  10. Pearl

    Pearl Maggie Brooks

    Wow! and wow! That beautiful Art Deco radio (imagine what news must have come out of it at the time) and the family clock still ticking. And Monica, of course, at the tea table. I wonder if she remembers that day?
     
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  11. AdamEdward

    AdamEdward Well-Known Member

    ]Amazing! Please send her our best.
    I’ll do that, we last visited her in 2014 when my wife was pregnant in Brussels.
     
  12. Cass Jones

    Cass Jones Member

    229851293_351778419984766_1163993300332930405_n.jpg
    This is a recent photo of Nelly and Jose Lemahieu, the children of Robert and Anna, where Len was billeted. As you can see they are at the war cemetery, Poperinge.
     
  13. Pearl

    Pearl Maggie Brooks

    Adam, you mentioned Len having spoken extensively about his experiences. Do you know if there are any interviews in the public domain or that I could access?
     
  14. AdamEdward

    AdamEdward Well-Known Member

    I know he did something for Bovington Tank Museum a few years ago. Cass should contact you soon, she will know better
     
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  15. Cass Jones

    Cass Jones Member

    'Pearl', I have replied to this somewhere (haha)- maybe on your messages. Anyway, it was about 18 months ago that Len was interviewed by David Willey, the curator at Bovington. It doesn't refer to other crew members by name but gives background to his army/wartime experience. It's not in the public domain- I had to sign to say it wouldn't be used in that way but the family has a copy of course.
     
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  16. Pearl

    Pearl Maggie Brooks

    Great profile picture of Len, Cass.
     
  17. AdamEdward

    AdamEdward Well-Known Member

    56B5A6CA-CC2E-4B3C-8353-6FE767FA6869.jpeg Maggie, this photo may be in an earlier message but I’ll post again, this is Ma and Pa Vanhoecke. For accuracy the spelling of their street is Casselstraat. I don’t know which child in the photo , they had 3 children 56B5A6CA-CC2E-4B3C-8353-6FE767FA6869.jpeg I believe, Monique Joseph and I think Therese.
     
  18. Pearl

    Pearl Maggie Brooks

    No, it wasn't, Adam. Thank you for posting. Mme Vanhouche's jacket looks 50s? Wallpaper looks distinctly fifties too so not Monique. I meant to ask you, is the happy looking young bloke to the left of the wartime photo a soldier or family member, do you know?
     
  19. Pearl

    Pearl Maggie Brooks

    I got a signed copy of 'A View from the Turret' in post this morning off Ebay. The sender said she bought it at a talk the Major gave in 2003 and got him to sign it. I find it a bit short of detail as far as the mere troops are concerned but I suppose that's par for the course.
     
  20. Cass Jones

    Cass Jones Member

    I so got a signed copy which probably originates from the same talk. A while back Len started to record his memories which have more detail about the troops. Unfortunately it is taking me ages to type them up and he stopped due to a short period of illness a couple of years ago. I am gong to persuade him to continue with them via speech recognition. Anyway you will be welcome to read them when they eventually materialise!
     
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