Norman D. Landing

[cutiger83]

Ken,

 

So glad you are feeling better and were able to get out! I think it is so great how people always talk to you and discuss so much history around the towns. It sounds like y'all could fit right in here in the south in the US!

 

...Kat

[LtRGFRANK]

My before and after. 30 miles from where my son live is the mining town of Bisbee AZ. The +100 year old city hall burnt. My son me a picture of it burning and an early picture of it. Since it's close to the Mexico border I wonder if it's Gen Pershing getting ready to invade

[General Apathy]

Ken,

 

So glad you are feeling better and were able to get out! I think it is so great how people always talk to you and discuss so much history around the towns. It sounds like y'all could fit right in here in the south in the US!

 

...Kat

 

Hi Kat, thanks, on the road to recovery. I used to enjoy the south when I used to visit friends there a couple of times a year back in the nineties.

 

Talking of Americans, yesterday Ste Mere Eglise was flooded with American tourists I think we counted six of the fifty seat coaches. Spoke with a number of them mostly from P.A. and we shared comments about some of the towns that they lived in and I had passed through on other trips. Our two Jeeps were photographed many times stood in the car-park by the church while we took a coffee. A large family of two sets of Grandparents, their children and the grandchildren were sat next to us, I did a group photograph for them. Thinking about it now perhaps I should have taken one of them to show here, they lived ten minutes outside of Carlisle P.A..

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, October 15 2017.

 

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[General Apathy]

My before and after. 30 miles from where my son live is the mining town of Bisbee AZ. The +100 year old city hall burnt. My son me a picture of it burning and an early picture of it. Since it's close to the Mexico border I wonder if it's Gen Pershing getting ready to invade

bisbee fire.jpg

bisbee army.jpg

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Hi Robert, then and now as it unfortunately happens, sad though to see the old building on fire.

 

Interesting to see how the small pup tents have been erected, never seen it done that way before, with the tents taller at one end and shorter at the opposite end, possibly done to give a wider area of space at the lower end.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, October 15 2017.

 

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[LtRGFRANK]

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Hi Robert, then and now as it unfortunately happens, sad though to see the old building on fire.

 

Interesting to see how the small pup tents have been erected, never seen it done that way before, with the tents taller at one end and shorter at the opposite end, possibly done to give a wider area of space at the lower end.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, October 15 2017.

 

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THANKS for your comments, At least SOMEONE thought it was an interesting photo

 

[Dogsbody]

Hi all, been a bit busy this week so I only had a chance to dip in and out. Maybe this evening I wil post some Then and Now shots I've been preparing.

 

@ Robert: Thanks for your Then and Now shot! It's always great to see some other area's and time frames. If possible keep 'm coming.

 

Rene

[Dogsbody]

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Private photos for the Liberation of Villiers le Bel, Paris August 1944 . . . . .

 

so here are the photographs shown to Piet and myself today while looking at Then & Now locations. These are the private family photographs of Monsieur Georges Demisdle they were taken in his village of Villiers le Bel, seventeen kilometres outside the centre of Paris, Georges was eleven years of age in August 1944 when American troops liberated his village.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, October 12 2017.

 

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Hi Ken, thanks for showing the pictures. It is always interesting to find new pictures that haven't been published before.

 

Rene

[BEAST]

My before and after. 30 miles from where my son live is the mining town of Bisbee AZ. The +100 year old city hall burnt. My son me a picture of it burning and an early picture of it. Since it's close to the Mexico border I wonder if it's Gen Pershing getting ready to invade

bisbee fire.jpg

bisbee army.jpg

 

That's a shame about the city hall. Was anything saved?

 

Nice photos by the way. I think a then and now book of the punitive expedition would be kind of interesting.

[mikie]

 

THANKS for your comments, At least SOMEONE thought it was an interesting photo

 

Hi. Sorry for not commenting sooner. There have been lots of distractions around here lately. It is always depressing to see a piece of history lost. I too hope they were able to save it.

The California wine country fires are about 100 miles north of us but we've had foglike smokey haze and burned wood smell in the air all week. Prayers to everyone affected, and God bless the firefighters.

[mikie]

Hi. Sorry for not commenting sooner. There have been lots of distractions around here lately. It is always depressing to see a piece of history lost. I too hope they were able to save it.

The California wine country fires are about 100 miles north of us but we've had foglike smokey haze and burned wood smell in the air all week. Prayers to everyone affected, and God bless the firefighters.

I forgot to mention, I love seening pictures of soldiers wearing campaign hats.

Mikie

[Dogsbody]

Hello everyone, some Then and Now shots from Eindhoven again. This time I'm going to give a little bit of background info.

 

On september the 18th 1944 the men of the 506th PIR went on their way to Eindhoven from a northernly direction. 3rd Battallion leads the way and encounters rifle and machine gun fire from several small German infantry groups. As 3rd Bn reaches the outskirts of Eindhoven it gets pinned down by direct fire from two German 88mm AA guns and mortars. Trying to force its way forward was going to cost too many unnecessary lives so colonel Sink ordered 2nd Battallion to swing around to its left and try to move down an adjoining road toward the centre of Eindhoven. F company 2nd BN was to peel off and make a flank attack on the German 88mm gun positions that were pinning down 3rd BN and take them out.

 

To get a bit of an idea of the situation I made this map. It's not entirely correct but it gives a better understanding of what happened.

 

 

The X marks the spot at Frankrijkstraat where the Sherman Firefly was standing after the link up (see one of my earlier posts).

 

The first Then shot shows the 88mm with gun shield that was attacked by private Robert Sherwood and private Homer Smith 2nd squad F Co who managed to take out the gun using rifle grenades. On the map it is the one closest to Frankrijkstraat. At first this gun was firing in the direction of 3rd Bn but when the Germans found out they were being attacked from behind they swung the gun around to fire at the men of F co. The gun crew hid in the house directly behind the gun but was attacked by rifle grenade and mortar fire wounding most of them.

 

 

The situation today is quite different but the gun would have been standing where now the office block is situated.

 

 

Will be continued.

 

Rene

 

 

 

 

 

[LtRGFRANK]

The City Hall burnt to the ground but they got most of the files out. It was built about 1906 as a mining co headquarters and was one of the first poured concrete buildings in Southern Az so maybe it can be rebuilt

[LtRGFRANK]

Hello everyone, some Then and Now shots from Eindhoven again. This time I'm going to give a little bit of background info.

 

On september the 18th 1944 the men of the 506th PIR went on their way to Eindhoven from a northernly direction. 3rd Battallion leads the way and encounters rifle and machine gun fire from several small German infantry groups. As 3rd Bn reaches the outskirts of Eindhoven it gets pinned down by direct fire from two German 88mm AA guns and mortars. Trying to force its way forward was going to cost too many unnecessary lives so colonel Sink ordered 2nd Battallion to swing around to its left and try to move down an adjoining road toward the centre of Eindhoven. F company 2nd BN was to peel off and make a flank attack on the German 88mm gun positions that were pinning down 3rd BN and take them out.

 

To get a bit of an idea of the situation I made this map. It's not entirely correct but it gives a better understanding of what happened.

 

SAM_2442 kaart.jpg

 

The X marks the spot at Frankrijkstraat where the Sherman Firefly was standing after the link up (see one of my earlier posts).

 

The first Then shot shows the 88mm with gun shield that was attacked by private Robert Sherwood and private Homer Smith 2nd squad F Co who managed to take out the gun using rifle grenades. On the map it is the one closest to Frankrijkstraat. At first this gun was firing in the direction of 3rd Bn but when the Germans found out they were being attacked from behind they swung the gun around to fire at the men of F co. The gun crew hid in the house directly behind the gun but was attacked by rifle grenade and mortar fire wounding most of them.

 

88mm no 1 then.jpg

 

The situation today is quite different but the gun would have been standing where now the office block is situated.

 

SAM_2398 88mm 1 now.jpg

 

Will be continued.

 

Rene

 

 

I love pictures showing combat gear

 

 

 

[mikie]

Hello everyone, some Then and Now shots from Eindhoven again. This time I'm going to give a little bit of background info.

 

 

 

88mm no 1 then.jpg

 

The situation today is quite different but the gun would have been standing where now the office block is situated.

 

SAM_2398 88mm 1 now.jpg

 

Will be continued.

 

Rene

It looks like the building with the pointy roof is still there. But everything else looks like it's different. Hey, did you check inside the office building? Maybe they built it around the gun!

Mikie

[LtRGFRANK]

I forgot to mention, I love seening pictures of soldiers wearing campaign hats.

Mikie

 

like campaign hats.Heres a picture of my grandfather with the SD Nat Guard training at Ft Riley Ks in 1908. He's 2nd from right

[mikie]

S D trops.jpg

like campaign hats.Heres a picture of my grandfather with the SD Nat Guard training at Ft Riley Ks in 1908. He's 2nd from right

Awesome photo! I'll take a closer look at it when I get home tonight. Thanks for showing your grandfather wearing one of my favorite hats. I always thought they were neat. That would be something if it was still in the family. I used to play with my dad's campaign hat when I was a kid. He was issued it in 1940 when he joined the NY National Guard. Goodness knows what ever happened to it after I moved cross country.

Mikie

[cutiger83]

Hello everyone, some Then and Now shots from Eindhoven again. This time I'm going to give a little bit of background info.

 

 

 

 

Rene,

 

Very interesting having the background info and map to go along with the pictures. Thanks so much for posting these.

 

..Kat

[LtRGFRANK]

Awesome photo! I'll take a closer look at it when I get home tonight. Thanks for showing your grandfather wearing one of my favorite hats. I always thought they were neat. That would be something if it was still in the family. I used to play with my dad's campaign hat when I was a kid. He was issued it in 1940 when he joined the NY National Guard. Goodness knows what ever happened to it after I moved cross country.

Mikie

 

he had it all but when his house burnt in the 30s most was lost. What was saved didn't survive my brother and pawn shops in the 60s.

 

[Dogsbody]

It looks like the building with the pointy roof is still there. But everything else looks like it's different. Hey, did you check inside the office building? Maybe they built it around the gun!

Mikie

Hi Mikie, I'm not entirely sure about that buidling. The roof looks a little bit different but it is possible. I didn;t check inside the buidling but wouldn't that be something! Imagine going to work; entering the lobby and staring down the barrel of an 88mm AA gun

 

Rene

[Dogsbody]

 

S D trops.jpg

like campaign hats.Heres a picture of my grandfather with the SD Nat Guard training at Ft Riley Ks in 1908. He's 2nd from right

 

That's a great picture!

 

Rene

[Dogsbody]

 

 

Rene,

 

Very interesting having the background info and map to go along with the pictures. Thanks so much for posting these.

 

..Kat

Thanks, Kat

 

Rene

[Dogsbody]

Hello everyone,

 

This is part two of the Then and Now shots concerning the two German 88mm guns.

 

First up is a shot that shows some of the destruction that the gun (the one with the gun shield) caused as it fired at the approaching troopers of F co. At the time this building housed a butcher shop.

 

 

This Then shot shows the second German 88 mm gun (the one furthest from Frankrijkstraat). Both guns were positioned relatively close to one another. It too had its barrel swung around once the crew became aware of the approaching troopers. Again it was private Homer Smith who fired at the gun but this time without succes. Once the gun crew saw that the other gun was taken out they lost their appetite for battle and destroyed the breech block. The gun crew tried to escape but all were captured.

 

 

This is the situation Now. I had to move a little bit to the left while taking this picture because a tree obscured the only recognizable building.

 

 

Rene

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[General Apathy]

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Hi Normandy Then & Now images . . . . . .

 

Hi everyone pleased to see that Rene has been keeping everyone entertained with his images and comments being passed back and forth.

 

Shot of a local family in Carentan waving to passing US troops . . . . .

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, October 23 2017.

 

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[General Apathy]

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Normandy Then & Now images . . . . . . . . .

 

The same street corner in Carentan as it looks today . . . . . . . .

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, October 23 2107.

 

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[Rakkasan187]

Ken,

 

Once again you have gone above and beyond to provide us a glimpse into the past and present. You have provided us here on the forum some wonderful pictures, knowledge and love for militaria. Thank you for all you do on this forum..

 

Leigh