the laptop is the bees knees! on it right now and it is doing absolutely sterling service. Thank you Brian. {{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{Brian}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}
Thank heavens for that Kitty. Why I ask, even though it was brand new there is always the chance that something would go wrong. It is always comforting to know it worked well Cheers Kitty Best wishes
Photographer: Laing (Sgt) No 5 Army Film & Photographic Unit Title: THE BRITISH ARMY IN NORTH-WEST EUROPE 1944-45 Collection No.: 4700-29 <!-- [View Collection Summary]--> Description: A mine-detecting part of 3rd Division at work, 25 November 1944. The leading man is wearing special protective clothing and 'skis' to spread his weight on the ground. Just reading in the 5th Div History of something similar to those "skis". 22nd February 1944.Italy Demonstration was given also on that day of the "snow shoes" that were invented within the Division for moving about unscathed in minefields. They appeared to be effective. It doesn't mention whether they used them after the demo.
Excellent pictures Owen, I must a look myself. Any news on your holiday, or are you still searching Gave up on it, have some days out instaed, and boringly pay off some bills .
Right on Owen... those men are some of my company mates ...OR were! Looks like Overloon to me? I just noticed the name Overloon Sorry! Yes they are definitely my Mob. I recognise the officer, cannot recall his name? Cheers sapper
What sort of camera equipment were the official photographers using in 1944 ? Was it still the old large format stuff ? Full/half plate stuff would still be available and occasionally used for more formal work but medium format and 35mm were widely available and officially issued. We have their versatility, portability, & improving quality to thank for the many fine photographs obtained in ww2. Some examples: American Kodak 35 combat camera: German Leica, this one being investigated at the moment. They're widely faked due to the enormous values they now carry for collectors: British Ensign Commando, medium format rangefinder. I have one rare example issued to British Officers to photograph the effects of the war in it's last year (this one is slightly postwar, but largely the same.): Robert Capa's Iconic shots of DDay (most of which were lost to an office processing error ) were most likely taken with a pair of Contax II's: Didn't know Kriegsberichter's could wear cuff titles??:
A Sherman Crab and Royal Engineers in Overloon, 14 October 1944. Must be 3rd Div sappers? That picture also appears on page 130 of "Monty's Iron Sides" by Delaforce. Will have another read to see if there's any clues to identities. the caption reads: Divisional sappers and flail tank advance through Overloon
Regards cameras , just found this. Although it is a cine camera. Cameramen in uniform: Sergeant Mike Lewis of the Army Film Unit posing with a De Vry, the camera most widely used by British combat cameramen. Mike Lewis transferred from the Parachute Brigade to the AFU, and filmed Arnhem and the liberation of Belsen. A photographer and cameraman of the Army Film and Photographic Unit, Sergeant W A Greenhalgh, uses a daylight changing bag to load his camera during Exercise FABIUS, a training exercise for the D Day landings in Hampshire, England. The photograph clearly shows how the AFPU were equipped for the landings. With only a few minutes’ worth of film to use before they had to re-load, cameramen had to learn to be careful about what they chose to film.
I found this today from one of Brian's officers. I think Brian will have something to say about this....."a Field Company does not sit in the front line" Memories of D-Day: Fighting inland Mr R.M.S. Maude was a Major in the Royal Engineers, with 246 Field Company, 3rd Division, and 12 AGRE. In a letter to a relative, he described life behind the lines in Normandy: “ You have entirely the wrong impression of what a battle is like! I will try and explain. You see you are only actually fighting for a very small part of the time, then you don’t get much time to sleep or eat. But most of the time both sides just sit and look at each other, and nothing happens except sporadic shelling and patrolling at nights. And a Field Company does not sit in the front line, but two or three miles back if it has any sense. When I was with 246 there were periods when we sat in our orchards in the sun and there was literally nothing to do, and we were bored. But apart from D-Day we were never involved in any heavy fighting except very sporadically, and most of the time it was quite peaceful and I used to play with the children next door and visit the doc in the evenings for a cup of tea and a chat. Our work consisted of road mending and mine clearance or tidying up, which was done as though we were in England except that there was always a risk of shells, but they are alright provided you get warning of the first one. The French seem extraordinarily unconcerned about the battle and the swarms of troops in their orchards and villages. They just carry on their normal lives. They are always friendly and helpful if you approach them directly, but they don’t go out of their way to help or take notice of you.” [Warren Tute Collection, D-Day Museum]
This lot got wiped out on D Day; as they have no known grave am presuming it was a LCA/LCI that got hit off-shore and sunk? Film Unit D Day 6th June 1944
There's a fair bit of 3 Div Engineers (Pic's and Text from Vets) in ATB's D-Day. I'll copy some stuff and pics next week and post it up on here. Cheers Andy
That letter was to his relatives to make them think that it was a doddle.It also did us the greatest harm ever! I have the war diaries here and the casualty lists pages of A4 ! That letter was absolutely stupid! How the hell does any one think how the sappers won more gallantry medals than any other mob? And with less men? Stupid and idiotic. For example one platoon of 253 RE had every man wounded. I just had a look. 4 pages of A4 casualties. I should not think that all the officers we lost would think much of that letter...Do you? Let alone Our CRE Colonel, Tiger Urquhart who was blown up on a mine... And who always reminded us "You are soldiers first and Sappers after. Sapper
Robert Capa's Iconic shots of DDay (most of which were lost to an office processing error ) IIRC the darkroom tech over-cooked the negatives in the drying cabinet
Brian, 3rd Div sappers on here. any of them you? From new member Tom's website. cattle <TABLE border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width=637><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TD vAlign=center width=617 colSpan=7 align=middle></TD><TD height=327></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD height=4 colSpan=9></TD></TR><TR vAlign=top><TD height=123 colSpan=2></TD><TD width=607 colSpan=5>Standing amid the ruins of a farmhouse, the crew of Gun F3, 318 Battery, 92nd (Loyals) Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Artillery, pause to watch 3rd Division engineers herding cattle to safety at Herouvillette, Normandy, in August 1944. </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>