Sgt. Christie No. 5 Army Film and Photo Unit 6th Airborne Division

Discussion in 'Airborne' started by brithm, Jun 25, 2011.

  1. brithm

    brithm Senior Member

    Hi,

    I am researching all aspects of the 6th Airborne Division in Normandy including the War photographers and correspondents.

    There doesn't seem to be much written about Sgt. Christie, of No. 5 Army Film and Photographic Unit, and his journey to Normandy. Did Sgt. Christie land by glider or parachute for Operation Tonga, he took quite a few photos looking at the IWM Collections, over a hundred, remarkable.

    The only references I can find are in Ian Grant's book Cameramen at War and Vol 1 of D-Day Then and Now.

    Love to hear if any one has any info on Sgt. Christie of No. 5 AFPU.

    brithm
     
  2. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

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  3. brithm

    brithm Senior Member

    Hi Cee,

    Thanks for the link. Yes I have read this book, this is the reason why I was looking for info on him. I also bought the book Cameraman at war but that only had a sentence on him.

    There seems to be very little on him for D-day except for his photos at the Imperial War Museum.

    I hope someone does have info
     
  4. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    There' s a members' site on the web, but I didn't see Christie listed in the RoH. The contact address there might be useful. Sadly there aren't many of those chaps left now.

    I came across a few excellent threads here on the AFPU. In one someone threw up images of the cameras used. It was great exchange If I remember correctly. (The search function on here isn't working very well for me at the moment ...?)
     
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  5. brithm

    brithm Senior Member

    Cee,

    Thanks for that. I did get in contact with AFPU and it seems many people are looking for information on Sgt. Christie.

    The answers are out there.

    Thanks again
     
  6. NPMS

    NPMS Junior Member

    Sgt Jimmy Christie was a photographer with the Airborne (6th, I think) who was transferred to join 2 AFPS in Italy. 2 AFPS was the second section of the Army Film & Photographic Unit to be formed.

    I am close of publishing my book "When You're Smiler" about Eddy "Smiler" Smales of the AFPU. It will tell more about Christie - including that, on D-Day (having transferred to 5 AFPS), he landed with the 6th Airborne HQ gliders at 0335. Although he was para-trained, there was no point him going in earlier. Too dark to take pics.

    Watch this space for news of "When You're Smiler".
     
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  7. brithm

    brithm Senior Member

    Dear NPMS,

    That is fascinating, as I thought Sgt. Christie parachuted with the 13th Parachute Battalion. Do you know which HQ glider he was in?

    Thanks for the info

    Brithm
     
  8. NPMS

    NPMS Junior Member

    Sorry brithm. Don't know which glider Christie was in.
    Only that my dad Eddy was the AFPU cine-cameraman assigned to go in with Christie but sprained his ankle training somewhere near Exeter just days before. Which is why no movie film of the 6th Airborne or Ox & Bucks glider landings on D-Day.
    Where did you find the 13th Para reference?
     
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  9. Theobob

    Theobob Senior Member

    Just a throw-away line.
    My dad said a war correspondent jumped with them on Varsity,he was with 5 brigade.
    I looked into who it might have been but found no thread.
    Do we have any idea how many war correspondents would go on an operation?
    One of his colleagues carried a typewriter for another,they crashed in their glider were wounded and were captured,so sadly typewriter and newsman were never re-united
    My dad and his pals were in 2nd Forward Observer Unit RA
     
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  10. brithm

    brithm Senior Member

    Dear NPMS,

    I got info from someone researching 13 Para that a correspondent was in a 13 Para Stick sitting opposite one of them in an aircraft. It is a matter of pure guess and assumption that Sgt. Christie parachuted on D-Day.

    Leonard Mosley, Guy Byam parachuted whereas Fyffe, Woodward and Chester Wilmot landed by glider.

    Both photographers: Canadian Reynolds jumped with the 1st Canadian Para leaving Sgt. Christie who may have parachuted with 13 Para.

    On Operation Varsity there were only two BBC British War Correspondents Stanley Maxted and Dimbleby, one in a glider while the other in the tug aircraft.
     
  11. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

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  12. Wills

    Wills Very Senior Member

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  13. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Wills that's uncanny you should throw that up as I was just looking at a PDF of the same in relation to the two well known official photos of Pont L'Eveque. Though not strictly related to this thread someone suggested they may also be by Christie. Not sure how true that is?
     
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  14. NPMS

    NPMS Junior Member

    I'm conceding.

    I think I've been confused by two things. Firstly, my Dad being scheduled to go in on the gliders on D-Day. Secondly, Christie's photos in Varsity gliders. Brithm's evidence isn't 100% but he has a stronger case that Christie dropped with 13 Para on D-Day.

    However he arrived, pretty likely that Christie took the Pont L'Eveque pics. It was his patch. Took a knock at one stage (shellfire, I think) and was out-of-action for 48 hours. Didn't stop him being prolific in the weeks after D-Day.

    Incidentally, two other AFPU chaps were in the Varsity gliders - photographer Harry Oakes and cameraman Bill Lawrie (who impressed the US 17th Airborne sufficiently to be awarded a US Bronze Star).
     
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  15. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    The earliest photos I have been able to find by Christie on D-Day that are actually dated on the IWM site show the arrival of Hamilcars and the unloading of Horsas on Landing Zone N. This would have been the second lift or Operation Mallard, early evening D-day approximately 7 PM at both LZ- N and LZ-W.

    But please point me to anything earlier especially in relation to the 13th or 12th Battalion as I would love to see that.


    Chuck
     
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  16. NPMS

    NPMS Junior Member

    Cee...
    The photos you mentioned contributed to my original thoughts that Christie came in with the HQ gliders at 0335. But of course they give no credence to his means of arrival, only that he was already there when this later lift touched down.
    Did you know that the IWM archive is much bigger than just what appears online? Might be some prints or negs of pics Christie took earlier on D-Day?
    Cheers... NPMS
     
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  17. Theobob

    Theobob Senior Member

    I came across these names the other day,the following were supposed to have jumped with 6th Airborne (Op Varsity?)ever heard of them?:

    Seaghan Maynes who was a Reuters correspondent parachuted with the 6th Airborne

    Robert C. Wilson Associated Press correspondent who parachuted with 6th Airborne, his aircraft caught on fire on the jump.

    Jack Smyth Reuters parachuted too, not sure if he jumped with the 6th Airborne, but he was taken prisoner.
     
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  18. NPMS

    NPMS Junior Member

    Theobob...
    My research has focused on the AFPU and I've not come across Maynes, Wilson or Smyth. Have to be careful with the term "correspondent" of course. Can mean 'word-smith' journalists or 'snappers' (still or movie cameramen). Which bit of the 6th Airborne were they with on Varsity? Or were they with the US 17th Airborne?
    Cheers... NPMS
     
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  19. Theobob

    Theobob Senior Member

    Theobob...
    My research has focused on the AFPU and I've not come across Maynes, Wilson or Smyth. Have to be careful with the term "correspondent" of course. Can mean 'word-smith' journalists or 'snappers' (still or movie cameramen). Which bit of the 6th Airborne were they with on Varsity? Or were they with the US 17th Airborne?
    Cheers... NPMS

    Well,
    I have been doing a fair bit of putting things together myself,due to lack of information (dangerous i know) but..
    My dad jumped with 5 brigade on Varsity,and a long time ago he told me that there was a correspondent who jumped with them,i`ve never been able to track him down.( dad passed in 79,so a bit stumped there)
    Maynes is the real deal,i have googled him and he had got about a bit in WW2,and i have found an intriguing link to an article he wrote for the Maple Leaf, post Varsity about his exploits with 6th Airborne but havent seen the article,my dad was a Canadian serving with 6th Airborne,so it would fit that he jumped with the canucks.
    Its a bit of a stretch i know,but i am still digging around on the interweb trying to find out some more info.
    As ever with this kind of research,i have ended up down some blind alleys
    Hey ho!
    Rob
     
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  20. brithm

    brithm Senior Member

    Picture of Seaghan Maynes on the far left with Patton
     

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