Oi ! Careful of my Combination ! (4th Battalion Royal Northumberland Fusiliers)

Discussion in '1940' started by Rich Payne, Apr 2, 2008.

  1. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

  2. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Thanks for that Andy. Far more detail than the War Diaries. The diary doesn't make it clear just how bad 'Y' Company's losses were.
     
  3. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    No worries Rich, I found quite a few private diaries from 1940 at Kew and they do make for interesting reading. I've only got 12 more to copy :D
     
  4. JCB

    JCB Senior Member

    Yes fascinating ,reads like a novel ,also has a bit on my interest the Green Howards at Ypres 28th/29th May
    Re. 21st May- Scout platoon - fuel tanks mounted above drivers and gunners heads - any one know what vehicles he means , carriers?
     
  5. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    The cars were Dingos. We have a member who's quite well up on them. I've messaged him.
     
  6. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    The cars were Dingos. We have a member who's quite well up on them. I've messaged him.

    Hello Rich,

    I agree with you on this. Each Company of the 4RNF had a scout car platoon and in the photographs I have seen of 1940, they are using Dingo's!

    http://thumbp3-ird.thumb.mail.yahoo.com/tn?sid=3773458865&mid=AD1y%2BFcAAU4eS8cbvQ4G%2FAPfaXA&midoffset=1_31380&partid=6&f=870&fid=ThePath

    Best,

    Steve.
     
  7. Welbike

    Welbike Junior Member

    A still from the film was used on the cover of the 18th april 1940 edition of 'Motor Cycling' (The Green 'un).

    The censor has hidden the "TT" Formation sign. The front Big 4 outfit still has its pre-war UK tax disc holder.

    Rich

    Rik, first post here! don't want to be a forum addict, but after I found the locations I could not wait!

    Anyway, The picture on the cover of the "Motorcycling" is not a still from the film! it's a IWM photograph No. F3204

    I will tell the location later, You have to find it first! (X Coy!)

    Cheers,

    Alex
     
  8. Welbike

    Welbike Junior Member

    For the now shot you may have to replace the horse with a white Citroen CV! :D

    Don't worry, the pond is still there! no white 2CV's!!

    Will add picture later,

    Alex
     
  9. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Hello Lex, nice to find you on here. There is no better place for discussing the comings and goings of the BEF.:)

    I've realised since my original post and particularly after our outing to Herseaux that the cinema news film camera generally seems to have been accompanied by a stills photographer, often taking similar but not identical views.

    What are you doing on 20th March next year ? Is it time to wake the locals up again ?:rolleyes:

    Rich
     
  10. Welbike

    Welbike Junior Member

    Ok, here we go, since this started with the horsy picture, some pictures of that location, they are from horrible street view, but Jan and Rich and I will take better ones later!

    [​IMG]
    Sorry for the quality, still have to order the original from IWM!

    [​IMG]

    And the pond, don't have on from across.

    [​IMG]

    Then the 2nd location I found (2 days of Google maps/earth/streetview!)

    [​IMG]

    And the B4's where my main interest lies, as I have 2.

    [​IMG]

    And the location, just north of Fontaine Bonneleau on the D106.

    [​IMG]

    Thats all folks, for tonight,

    Alex
     
  11. Welbike

    Welbike Junior Member

    Hello Lex, nice to find you on here. There is no better place for discussing the comings and goings of the BEF.:)

    I've realised since my original post and particularly after our outing to Herseaux that the cinema news film camera generally seems to have been accompanied by a stills photographer, often taking similar but not identical views.

    What are you doing on 20th March next year ? Is it time to wake the locals up again ?:rolleyes:

    Rich

    Rich, 20th of March is as good as anything, but want to go earlier too, to find the grassy/hilly locations, (impossible on Google!) but have a good idea where to look!

    Is there a Herseaux topic here too? then I can post some then and now's from last year.

    Cheers,

    Lex
     
  12. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

  13. rewdco

    rewdco Senior Member

    Good meuning!

    If you nood simbody to tronsluut and took poctures, I'm your moan!

    Jan Crabtree :lol:
     
  14. May1940

    May1940 Senior Member

    Alex

    I am delighted you have found that iconic location by the pond. I had a look on Google myself and got nowhere. The building is much more colourful than I would have imagined.

    Now - who is going to persuade the horse to get into the pond and then sit on it? Perhaps you could ask the interpreter.

    Andrew
     
  15. rewdco

    rewdco Senior Member

    Alex

    Now - who is going to persuade the horse to get into the pond and then sit on it? Perhaps you could ask the interpreter.

    Andrew

    Listen very carefully, I shall say this only once. I have a plan, that can not go wrong. We shall ask Monsieur Alphonse, the undertaker, to come with his little hearse with the little horse. Monsieur Leclerc will sit on the horse, while the motorcycles are passing. Madame Fanny will do as if she has a puncture with her wheelchair. The men on the motorcycles will stop and help with the repair of that puncture. While the outfits are parked along the road the girls from the resistance will smuggle the two British airmen in the sidecars. They will then leave together with the rest of the English soldiers, and go back to England. This plan can not go wrong.

    Signed: Michelle from the résistance.
     
  16. May1940

    May1940 Senior Member

    Sounds like it will be an interesting day.

    Andrew
     
  17. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    From the Regimental History:

    On the 26th February there commenced a road move which terminated on the 29th at Fontaine Bonneleau, south of Beauvais. They remained there until the 29th March, when they moved to La Bassee.

    At the end of April a further move forward was made - to Lannoy, south of Roubaix on the Belgian frontier.
     
  18. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Don't worry, the pond is still there! no white 2CV's!!

    Will add picture later,

    Alex

    Hello Alex,

    I missed your posts completely; I was on holiday at the time - apologies. 'Great then and nows'

    There are no white 2CV's, but there does appear to be a 'Duck's' ski lodge in one of shots - 3rd photo, Message # 38! :D

    Best,

    Steve.
     
  19. LondonNik

    LondonNik Senior Member

    Deleted
     
    Last edited: Sep 16, 2017
  20. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Excellent post Nick.

    Per Geoff's search engine, the only 4RNF Corporal KIA between the 21 and 23 May 1940 was:

    Name: KEATING, CHARLES WILLIAM
    Initials: C W
    Nationality: United Kingdom
    Rank: Corporal
    Regiment/Service: Royal Northumberland Fusiliers
    Unit Text: 4th Bn.
    Age: 29
    Date of Death: 21/05/1940
    Service No: 4272284
    Additional information: Son of Charles and Mary Maria Keating; husband of Ida Keating, of Throckley, Northumberland.
    Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead
    Grave/Memorial Reference: Row B. Grave 2.
    Cemetery: BEAURAINS COMMUNAL CEMETERY

    The Regimental History; The History of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers in the Second World War (Brig. CN Barclay CBE, DSO), N&M Press, states that No. 11 (Scout) Platoon, Y Company, were supporting the 6DLI.

    Don't know if this is the correct man, but it is all I have at present!

    Best,

    Steve.
     

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