Bespoke Western Front Battlefield Tours

14/05/2025

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Castle_Itter

I have lots of learned friends out there, how many of you know about this? What a story! Can’t believe it’s never made a book, documentary or film.,

The Battle of Castle Itter was fought on 5 May 1945, in the Austrian village of Itter in the North Tyrol region of the country, during the last days of the European Theater of World War II.

12/05/2025

You're a 19 year old kid.
You are critically wounded and dying in the jungle somewhere in the Central Highlands of Viet Nam .

Its November 14, 1965 . LZ (landing zone) X-ray.
Your unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense from 100 yards away, that your CO (commanding officer) has ordered the MedEvac helicopters to stop coming in.

You're lying there, listening to the enemy machine guns and you know you're not getting out.
Your family is half way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you'll never see them again.
As the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.
Then - over the machine gun noise - you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter.

You look up to see a Huey coming in. But.. It doesn't seem real because no MedEvac markings are on it.

Captain Ed Freeman is coming in for you. He's not MedEvac so it's not his job, but he heard the radio call and decided he's flying his Huey down into the machine gun fire anyway.

Even after the MedEvacs were ordered not to come. He's coming anyway. And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun fire, as they load 3 of you at a time on board.

Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the doctors and nurses and safety. And, he kept coming back!! 13 more times!!

Until all the wounded were out. No one knew until the mission was over that the Captain had been hit 4 times in the legs and left arm.
He took 29 of you and your buddies out that day. Some would not have made it without the Captain and his Huey.

Medal of Honor Recipient, Captain Ed Freeman, United States Army, died at the age of 81, in Boise, Idaho.

God bless our vets!

12/05/2025

King's Birthday Flypast Rehearsal 2025

https://www.military-airshows.co.uk/press25/kingsbdayflypast2025/kings-birthday-flypast-rehearsal2025.htm

There will be a King's Birthday Flypast on the 14th June 2025, involving a large formation of military aircraft, but before that there will be a King's Birthday Flypast Rehearsal, on either Tuesday 3rd June or Wednesday 4th June 2025. For example if the weather was bad on Tuesday then it would take place on Wednesday.

The rehearsals will start in the vicinity of the North Sea adjacent to East Anglia, then along a corridor via RAF Marham, Norfolk, RAF Cranwell and RAF Waddington, Lincolnshire, where dispersal will occur. This will be the same route as the VE Day 80 Flypast Rehearsal although the timings are different.

Area A - (between 10.00 & 12.30pm BST, SFC to 10,000ft AMSL).
Area B - (between 11.30 & 12.15pm BST, SFC to 7,000ft AMSL).
Area C - (between 11.35 & 12.30pm BST, SFC to 3,000ft AMSL).

The map shows the corridors where the flypast will take place and include RAF Marham, RAF Cranwell and RAF Waddington.

More details will be announced at:

https://www.military-airshows.co.uk/press25/kingsbdayflypast2025/kings-birthday-flypast-rehearsal2025.htm

11/05/2025

Last night Severn Trent illuminated Derwent Dam in red, white, and blue to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day

The tribute honoured the Dambusters, who trained over the dam in 1943, flying just 60 feet above the water to prepare for their legendary raids.

A powerful reminder of the bravery and sacrifice of those involved in the mission—and all who served in WWII.

Severn Trent, a proud supporter of our armed forces, made this moving display possible with the help of veterans on their team.

What a striking and respectful way to mark such an important anniversary.

Read more here: https://www.severntrent.com/media/news-releases/severn-trent-lights-up-derwent-dam-in-red--white-and-blue-to-hon/

10/05/2025

04/05/2025