Robin's Red Rambles

20/08/2024

Today I paid homage to two young Canadian Spitfire Mk V pilots who lost their lives during the Dieppe raid August 2942 They were flying with 403 Squadron (CIty of Calgary), from RAF Manston, on their first sortie of the day and we're in pursuit of a German fighter at tree top height over the Foret de Arques. Monchier's plane lost control and collided with Gardiner's plane. All three aircraft crashed were destroyed when they hit the ground at high speed. Gardiner was a prolific writer and his diaries and correspondence have been published.

06/07/2024

The eyes of the world are upon you...the text of Eisenhowers message to the Soldiers, Sailors, and Airmen. This powerful and poinient piece was written at Southwick House near Portsmouth, and recorded for broadcast on June 5th 1944.
So we now have this superb new monument standing in the village square in St Mere Eglise.

04/07/2024

A note to fellow Normandy tour guides and expectant tourists, unfortunately the cliff edge and M262 observation bunker at Le Pointe du Hoc remains closed. Visitors will also find two of the walkways are not accessible to the public. These closures make the site very congested at times, so allow extra time in your itineraries.

04/07/2024

🇨🇵 Il y a un an disparaissait Léon Gautier, dernier vétéran du célèbre commando Kieffer.

Léon Gautier n'a jamais manqué une occasion d'honorer la mémoire de ses frères d'armes.

Découvrez son parcours
https://www.calvados.gouv.fr/Actions-de-l-Etat/80e-anniversaire-du-Debarquement-et-de-la-liberation-de-la-Normandie/Ressources-historiques-et-sites-memoriels/Portraits/Resistants-veterans-acteurs-et-temoins-du-Debarquement-et-de-la-bataille-de-Normandie/Leon-GAUTIER-membre-des-Commandos-Kieffer

27/06/2024

Congratulations to Charles Norman Shay who is 100 years young today. He was a 19 year old, Combat Medic serving with the 16th Infantry Regiment, and landed on OMAHA beach on D-Day 1944.

https://actu.fr/normandie/colleville-sur-mer_14165/heros-du-d-day-sur-omaha-beach-lamerindien-charles-norman-shay-a-100-ans_61263048.html?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTAAAR07D0XtlTzDw6jOoM1lm38kG7d9xpQLVu32TrnPm4qUbHUvKViO9nzyNDc_aem_LBbkUcr4JyQPbi7JL-F6-A

Infirmier de combat du 16e régiment de la 1re Division d'infanterie de l'armée américaine, le vétéran amérindien Charles Norman Shay célèbre ses 100 ans ce jeudi 27 juin 2024.

27/06/2024

On Sunday 7th July we will be hosting a book talk with James Daly.

He will be discussing his new book Proposed Airborne Assaults during Operation Overlord Cancelling Allied Plans in Normandy and Brittany.

The event starts at 11am and is free to attend.

25/06/2024

Jewish-American U.S. Army 1st Lt. Nathan B. Baskind was laid to rest with full military honors at Normandy American Cemetery, France, today, 80 years after his death during World War II.

15/06/2024

Despite having to dodge the weather for the last two days, we completed the most satisfying tour of this year to date. We commemorated the Royal Canadian Artillery and remembered their role in the liberation of Normandy.

14/06/2024

Wow! a great way to finish today's Canadian tour....

14/06/2024

Today we paid our respects to the youngest Commonwealth soldier to be killed in the Normandy campaign. Jack Banks was born in 1927 and lived in Darwen. Prior to serving in the Durham Light Infantry, Jack had served with the Home Guard. Jack was only 16 years old when he was hit by a mortar shell. He died of wounds the same day.

14/06/2024

𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗡𝗼𝗿𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗸 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘂𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗹𝗸 𝗔𝘃𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝘂𝘀𝗲𝘂𝗺

𝗔𝘃𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗗𝗮𝘆

The Norfolk & Suffolk Aviation Museum is pleased to be able to hold a miniature day – where all of our exhibitors are mini!

The bigger Minis are the collection of well restored and loved examples of Sir Alec Issigonis' best known creation courtesy of the Bury Mini Club – and the smaller Minis are the wonderful 1:72 scale models that make up the recreation of the 2005 flight line at the Duxford based Flying Legends air show.

𝗦𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟭𝟲𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝗳 𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗲 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 is the date you need to put into your diaries.

For more information, go to: https://tockify.com/nandsavmuseum/detail/172/1718528400000

And if you would like to know more about forthcoming events at the Museum throughout the summer, go to https://aviationmuseum.site/events

#𝗡𝗔𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗙𝗹𝗶𝘅𝘁𝗼𝗻 #𝗡𝗔𝗦𝗔𝗠𝗕𝗟𝗢𝗚

07/06/2024

Today I am in Bayeux attending a commemoration ceremony where Monsieur Emmanuel Macron, President de la Republique de France will be addressing the invited guests.
It was on this spot, 14 June 1944, where General de Gaulle addressed the inhabitants of Bayeux and reestablished the Republican law on French Soil.

07/06/2024

A great finale flypast over Overlord Museum - Omaha Beach last night.

07/06/2024

In memory of Private John Derrick Halls, killed in 'Easy' Company's audacious assault on the gun battery at Brecourt Manor. Private Halls, aka 'cowboy' came from Mancos, Colorado and although not from 'Easy' he was known to Dick Winters as he played basketball with him.
John was killed on the assault of the 3rd gun by a mine or booby-trap and was the only member of lieutenant Winters team to be killed at Brecourt Manor. Lest we forget.

06/06/2024

Commemorating Sgt Joe Carini, left waist Gunner of a B17 that flew out of Parham airfield, near Framlingham, Suffolk, UK. Sgt Carini's aircraft 'Pickle Dropper IV' was lost on a 390th heavy bomb group mission to bomb Boulougne costal defences on 5th June 1944. The B17 bomber crashed in the sea off Dieppe and the entire crew were lost; only Joe Carini's body was recovered.

06/06/2024

**The Book Event of the 80th Anniversary**

The launch of a book by Michel De Trez is always a highly anticipated event, rarely limited to just a signing session at a bookstore!

In 2017, the first copies of his book on American paratroopers were dropped from a 1943 C-47, landing on the same drop zone used during the war. In 2019, the first copy of his book was delivered by helicopter in Italy. In 2023, another spectacular delivery was planned on a drop zone in Carentan for his book on the 101st Airborne in Normandy, but the operation was canceled due to poor weather conditions.

In 2024, the ultimate consecration will take place. His brand new 752-page book, dedicated to the small unit of 450 US Navy commandos, the 2nd Naval Beach Battalion, will be launched in an extraordinary manner. This unit, the predecessor of today's legendary U.S. Navy SEALs, landed on Utah Beach to clear and organize the beach for the assault infantry.

Naturally, the first copies of this book, titled "Utah Beach," will arrive by sea. And it won’t be just any landing! At H-Hour on D-Day, exactly 80 years after the Landing, U.S. Navy SEALs combat swimmers will swim with the first copies of the book from their assault boats to hand them over to 150 members of the veterans' families, who have come specially from the United States for the event.

This homage paid by the SEALs to their ancestral unit is exceptional. The SEALs, this elite of the American military known for their special missions in war zones, do not land books for civilians!

The launch of this book will be broadcast live in a Special Edition with coverage starting at 06:00 by TF1, BFMTV, France 2, and also by M6 (Zone Interdite), and the news programs of FR3, RTL TVI, M6, and the Associated Press for the USA.

A hundred reenactors in period uniforms will accompany the launch of this new book.

05/06/2024

A great morning to be jumping out of a Dakota over Normandy. Thanks to The Round Canopy Parachuting Team who put on two excellent displays at the Azeville Battery and have two more jumps this afternoon.

05/06/2024

101st Airborne at Saint-Marcouf June 1944 and the same street 80 years later.
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01/06/2024

It was great to meet and speak to so many airborne re-enactors yesterday on the ferry to the UK. As there were around 150 onboard, You might have thought that we were on a troopship!
The re-enactors were en route to North Weald Airfield in preparation for today's jump from C47s at Duxford Airfield.

I hope the Round Canopy Parachuting Team have a good jump later today - it is a bit windy this morning in East Anglia.

01/06/2024

NORMANDY 80: The 80th Anniversary of D-Day.
We are happy to announce that in conjunction with the Airborne Center we will be jumping the following locations and dates:
- June 3 Sainte Marie du Mont
- June 4 Boutteville
- June 6 Graigne

Come watch us jump, meet the team, and celebrate the greatest generation.
AATW

31/05/2024

On tour yesterday we explored a few of the less frequently visited bunkers on Utah Beach. Just one hundred metres from the Leclerc monument is Strong Point 10 at Hameau Mottet. This strong point contains an interesting cross section with several types of well preserved Tobruks for machine guns and 37mm anti-aircraft guns. There is an R676 bunker housing a 4.7cm Skoda anti-tank gun, and an R612 casemate for a 7.5cm gun - The R612 is being gradually undermined by the sea. The whole area is worth detailed examination at a later date. I wonder if there is a limit to how many bunkers you can visit in one day?

30/05/2024

Today I was on the trail of the 82nd Airborne. We made a brief stop behind the Chateau de Bernaville in Picauville where Lieutenant General Wilhelm Falley was ambushed on 6th June 1944. Falley was the first German general to fall in action during the Normandy campaign. Falley had been in command of the 91st Luftlande Division for a mere six weeks. He had been on his way to the 'war games' in Rennes on the night of 5th June when he became aware of intense aerial activity over the Cotentin. He turned back to his HQ at Chateau de Bernaville, and was almost there when he ran into a group of paratroops from the 82nd Airborne Division.

1st Lieutenant Malcolm Brannen takes up the story:
At that very moment a German staff car approached. I jumped into the road and I ordered the car to stop. The car started to speed up and refused to stop, so the paratroopers opened fire. The car veered and smashed into the farm house. The German officer was thrown into the road unhurt. The driver jumped out unhurt and crawled into the cellar window of the farm house. I walked to the German officer who shouted, “DON’T KILL, DON’T KILL!”. At the same time his hand began to move towards his Luger Pistol. I called out “STOP, STOP!” When the German officer’s hand touched the Luger, I shot him dead. I inspected the dead German officer. He was dressed in field-grey German officer’s uniform with the General officer ivy insignia that we had been taught to recognize. Inside the officers hat was the name Generalleutnant Wilhelm Falley.

30/05/2024

Fellow Normandy guides might like to know that work continues at the American Cemetery. Preparations are being made for the commemorations next week. Access to the Cemetery is currently quite limited. The daily flag ceremony is still taking place... even in the rain!

The Cemetery will be completely closed to visitors on 5th June and open to Ticket holders only on 6th June. Obviously it will take a while to dismantle the seating and temporary shelters, so we can expect several more days of limited access to the cemetery.

29/05/2024

29/05/2024

On tour in Normandy today we were stuck behind a low loader as the King Tiger arrived at the Overlord Museum - Omaha Beach.

25/05/2024

My deepest sympathy goes to the family of the pilot of MK356 and to the devoted and hard-working technical team at RAF Conningsby BBMF.

Emergency services are at the scene of the crash near RAF Coningsby in Lincolnshire.

23/05/2024

On tour this week, we commemorated the Loss of Halifax Mk III, LW127 'AL-F', of No. 429 Squadron RCAF (Bison Squadron). This bomber was dramatically destroyed as a result of 'friendly-fire'.

On the morning of 18 July 1944, LW127 had taken-off from East Moor airfield, 7 miles North of York, as one of 942 aircraft of Bomber Command dispatched to bomb German-held positions East of Caen in support of Operation 'Goodwood'.

Unfortunately, the bomb aimer, flight engineer and the rear gunner were killed. Four crew members parachuted to safety but were captured by the Germans.

The Mid Upper Gunner, Sergeant McGregor however, evaded capture and gave an account of what happened to the Halifax bomber over Mondeville.
"We dropped our bomb load and approximately half-a - minute later we saw the aircraft above with the bomb doors open. I told the pilot and told him to turn to the starboard but it was too late. I saw the bombs fall. One hit the tail and broke it off, one just missed the turret and one hit in the front of the aircraft. The pilot gave the 'prepare to abandon aircraft ', and about ten seconds later 'jump' . The tail gunner was at the rear hatch and should have jumped behind me. I saw 3 parachutes as I was coming down. We lost height very fast."

Those who made the ultimate sacrifice are at rest in the Canadian cemetery at Cintheaux.

Pilot Officer John Cunningham of Derby, England. Flight engineer RAFVR
Pilot Officer William Gillespie of Toronto, Ontario. Rear Gunner
Flying Officer Ronald Ellis of Dieppe, New Brunswick. Bomb Aimer

Lest we forget.

23/05/2024

Visitors and fellow guides visiting the Normandy American Cemetery at Coleville-sur-Mer this week might like to adjust their Itineraries. Preparations are being made for the accommodation of 8000 guests (By ticket only) and VIPs on June 6th. A one-way system has been installed and access to the centre of the cemetery is currently unavailable. This is very likely to prolong visits as large numbers of visitors are being concentrated in a restricted area.

07/05/2024

Tomorrow is the 79th anniversary of the end of WW2 in Europe. The Airborne Museum makes a full re-opening to visitors just 3 weeks before the 80th anniversary of D-Day.

05/05/2024

What a great finish to today's tour! Low tide exposing the remains of the Mulberry Harbour.