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Hi All!


Nicola

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Hi everyone, im Nicola. I collect items related to family regiments, or that just take my fancy. 

Go to a few 40's events each year, and as part of my job I run a military remembrance project at school. Last year i took them to the somme, this year we are going to arnhem. 

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Hello Nicola,

 

Welcome to MCN...And I commend you for the Military Projects you run, hard work but the benefits are very satisfying....Well Done....Best Wishes...Desert Rat

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If it encourages a few more into our fold thats good enough for me! I have 28 of them give up an hour each week after school to learn more 

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Welcome Nicola, I think you will enjoy it here, we are a mad bunch of guys, who have one thing in common, Militaria. The main thing is get involved, ask as many questions as you like and they will be answered, nothing is considered too silly, There are some extremely experienced collectors here and a lot of us have travelled to the battlefields of Europe on many occassions. Hope you find it useful, Dave

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Nice Welcome Dave to Nicola.....My Welcome to her also...Hope you enjoy it Nicola as we all do, any questions you need to know..Dave is your man to answer them...!!!

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Yes Nicola, I think as you it is most important to educate the young people today in what their Great Grandfathers went through during WW1, and those who suffered so much during WW2...Please read my story about WW1...as I visit the Battlefields every year in France , Belgium and those of WW2....Normandy etc.

 

http://www.edenbridgetown.com/in_the_past/index.shtml

(Images ....Sole Copyright of Ian R. Bridle   www.edenbridgetown.com...not to be used without permission)

 

Best Wishes & Thank You....Desert Rat

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I run the project after school, and we select a battle to look at each year. I will be taking 20 students to arnhem in four weeks time. It will be a different experience to my September trips taking the students!

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You might want to visit the Airborne Museum "Hartenstein" at Oosterbeek, it is dedicated to the Arnhem Paratroopers, and has displays inside, its open now and times are 10am-5pm, the House itself played a major part in the battle

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We are, i have a full itinerary taking in the main sites important to the battle. I had a relative fought there so have been over the past few September's, theres something very special about the place for me

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Hello Nicola,

 

If you have the chance to visit the beaches at Normandy....you will not be disappointed, unless to have been there before. Super Museums, ideal location and so much to see and find. I was there 3 years ago, just driving down a country Lane, saw a sign - German POW camp - for all the enemy captured. Of course a visit to Omaha Beach Cemetery...Sad, Tearful, but  a Beautiful place for All the US Killed on Omaha Beach....just hundreds of metres away! So much to visit and see!

Best Wishes... Desert Rat

 

No1/ The US Cemetery at Omaha Beach/ no 2/ Memorial to Richard Winters of the 501st Airborne Division( Screaming Eagles) / N0 3/ St Mere Eglise Church (The first town in France Liberated by the US Forces - with the paratrooper stuck on the steeple--a true story)/ No4 Omaha Beach....No cover, no protection, just storm the beach and hide behind the mines wooden stakes with teller miners attached (Rommel's Aspagarus)

ALL IMAGES SOLE COPYRIGHT OF IAN R BRIDLE....www.edenbridgetown.com NOT TO BE COPIED WITHOUT PERMISSION!

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Thats the plan for next years project, Normandy and Dunkirk 

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Brilliant...You will all have a great time....(if it's not raining - as usual in Normandy)

 

Best Wishes...Desert Rat

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When you get to Normandy, go visit the Dead Mans Corner Museum, fantastic displays, plus you can experience what it was like to take off in a Dakota on route to D-Day and then crash land after being hit, its so realistic because its based on an actual incident that a 101st Paratrooper called "Pee wee" Martin went through that  day,. When it was first opened they had him go on it and he said it was just like being back there on that day.

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Thanks for the recommendation, will definitely look into that! 

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Hello Dave & Nicola,

What town is the Museum in?

Best wishes to you all....Desert Rat

18 hours ago, Davejb said:

Dead Mans Corner Museum

 

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Another place you might think of visiting is the Merville Battery, this is where Ottway and 60 paratroops took the Battery and destroyed the heavy guns that were able to cause carnage on the landing beaches, this mission was one of the most heroic as there were supposed to be many more Paras but were either lost or unable to form up with Ottway, The site has been turned into an experience museum and is well worth the visit, I can recommend many more if needed

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3 minutes ago, Desert Rat said:

Hello Dave & Nicola,

What town is the Museum in?

Best wishes to you all....Desert Rat

 

Its in Saint Come du Mont, Carantan

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Many Thanks Dave....Will visit that this year, I am sure its a wonderful Museum, this Bunker Museum in Caen ( bit hidden away down a some side roads)...but worth a visit. Not to forget the "Pegasus Bridge"  superb!!!....Best to you D/ Rat

Images Sole Copyright of Ian R. Bridle....www.edenbridgetown.com

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You are right Dave, 

This battle occurred on 6 June 1944, part of Operation Tonga, intelligence interpreted that this was part of a major position to be defeated. That could and would threaten those landing on Sword Beach (where my Dad Landed on the afternoon on 6th June) which was only 8 odd miles away

The 9th Parachute Battalion was a part of the 3rd Para Brigade, which formed part of the 6th Airborne Div,  they were given this objective of destroying the battery.

When the battalion arrived over Normandy the parachute descent was completely dispersed over a vast area, so the fact remained that with over 600 men starting the opposition....only 150 were left to battle with the Germans at the Merville Battery!

This was a very heroic time for Lieutenant Colonel Otway and his 150 men, they had to break through deep barbed wire defences under intense machine gun fire.

They finally captured it with great losses, tenacity and determination...whatever the cost! After the ensued battle they captured the area and sadly only 75 men remained...Losses were high but they had reached and defeated the enemy in that area and safely secured it from bombarding the beaches.

I have been there a few times over the years....here is an image of a Horsa glider (that carried the British Airborne troops) and a C47 Transport Plane That towed the gliders, which dropped the Parachute Brigades British and US Forces all across Normandy 

Images sole copyright of Ian R Bridle.   www.edenbridgetown.com   more war stories on this website that I have written

C 47.jpg

HORSA 01.jpg

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On 5/21/2017 at 17:15, Desert Rat said:

Many Thanks Dave....Will visit that this year, I am sure its a wonderful Museum, this Bunker Museum in Caen ( bit hidden away down a some side roads)...but worth a visit. Not to forget the "Pegasus Bridge"  superb!!!....Best to you D/ Rat

Images Sole Copyright of Ian R. Bridle....www.edenbridgetown.com

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IMGP3781.JPG

IMGP3778.JPG

 

Been there many times, great museum all with original gear in

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  • Major General

A big welcome from me too Nicola! It's great to see a lady being so involved with military history, a departure from the norm I think you'll agree?!

we are a big friendly family in here, no nonsense allowed! Feel free to ask anything and contribute too, looks like you'll be a valuable contributor!??

Bill

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I totally agree Bil,

 

Good to see a lady interested in this....Well Done Nicola!

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My interest started when I was 8, my grandfather passed away and no one could answer my questions (or believed that he was in the navy in the war) so i set out to find the answers myself. It sort of snowballed from there! Collecting, 40's events, books, running the military remembrance group at school, and most recently I've been interviewing those who lived through ww2 for the Wargen project. I spent last weekend in London with a glider pilot veteran who was at Arnhem 

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Hello Nicola,

 

Well I commend you on your personal progress...well done!!!

I have been searching for SOE agents and the French Resistance members, also the Comete Line from Belgium for years and have met quite a few - George Millar (SOE) Pearl Witherington (Cornioley) Georges Molles (French Resistance) Michou U****x (Code named "Lily").....A Comete Line member (with her sister Nadine) who at 20 years of age escorted over 200 Allied airmen from Belgium all the way to Angelet (Safe House) then over the Pyrenees with her Basque Guide - Florentino - just her alone with her "Parcel" of 2 - 3 men over the mountains to Spain, there to meet their next agent to assist them. This trek over the mountains could take from between 12 - 24 - 36 hours depending on the weather, and in all weathers, the heat of summer, the rain, storms, freezing blizzards......What A Woman. I have met her three times and hope to see her again this year. I have so much more to relate, I would be here for years!

To ALL those of "The Comete Line" who sacrificed their lives.....and there were hundreds...I Honour and Remember You...!!!

The image is Madame Molles and me a few years ago, her husband Georges was a very good friend of George Millar (SOE) when he was parachuted into France/ the Doubs in 1944

Best Wishes...Desert Rat/ IanB

 

Absolute Sole Copyright of Ian R Bridle   www.edenbridgetown.com   NO unauthorised copying with permission..Thank you!

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GEORGES MOLLES AND ME.jpg

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Hello Nicola,

 

My Grandad was in WW1 as a stoker on the Dreadnoughts, I don't know really anything about him, only that he died at 47 years old and is buried in the cemetery near me at Chiddingstone, Near Edenbridge, Kent. My Dad who landed on the afternoon of D-Day never really mentioned him, but I know my Dad was a young boy when his Dad died..........??? I only have left a lovely image of him....I wish in all my life as you do that we could have met them.....!....Miss You ALL...!!!

 

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