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Norman D. Landing


bilko1
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General Apathy

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Hi Fellow Members, here are another four slightly unusual patches from my friends collection mentioned above.

 

3rd Army. looks and feels like silk thread. ??

 

35th Inf Div. looks and feels like silk thread. ??

 

4th Inf Div. embroidered on felt

 

34th Inf Div. Tan front edge / black thread rear

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, Aug 6 2008.

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General Apathy

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Cont........ here are the rears of the previous four patches.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, Aug 6 2008.

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Always love 1st ID stuff

Also I started posting some of my collection. Look under Field and Personal gear for OD Green Gear. Robert

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General Apathy

Lt.RGFrank, Hi Robert pleased to see that you are posting some of your collection on line.

 

Also good to see that you appear to share the hobby with your son, that's good for keeping the bonding going.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, Aug 7 2008.

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  • 2 weeks later...
General Apathy

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Hi Forum Members, today's post is about a new monument to Medal of Honor winner Charles N. DeGlopper, C.Co, 325th Glider Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne. This was erected in June 2008.

 

It is located close to La Fiere bridge which is a couple of miles west of St Mere Eglise. This bridge is over the Merderet river along the causeway ( road ) between St Mere Eglise and Amfreville. The fields either side of the causeway were flooded during the period of the June 6th parachute landings and for some time after that, which created heavy fighting for these causeways.

 

DeGlopper died providing cover for for some of his fellow troopers by standing in the road firing his weapon and creating a diversion for the troops to re-locate to a better position from which they could attack the enemy.

 

The location of this monument, is to take the road out of St Mere Eglise ( D15 ) towards Amfreville, at the village of La Fiere and the bridge is a large grassed area and monument to ' Iron Mike ' , this is an older monument and has been there a number of years, still worthwhile seeing. There is also a bronze relief map of the action in this area.

 

Continue over the bridge towards Amfreville and take the first left fork towards Picauville, approximately 100 yards on the right hand side is the new monument to DeGlopper.

 

There should be three photographs for this post about DeGlopper

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, Aug 8 2008.

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General Apathy

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During the month of June there were American and French flags on either side of the monument.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, Aug 8 2008.

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General Apathy

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The citation for Charles N. DeGlopper's award of the Medal of Honor.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent, Aug 8 2008.

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Been trying ti figure out how to respond. I'm usually not at loss for words. All I can think of is THANKS for posting. Very Special. Robert

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General Apathy

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Hi Robert ( LtRGFrank ) thanks once again for your addition to my post, pleased it interests you, I was hoping it was good reading for members that may not find it easy to get here.

 

It's a sad day for the French nation today as ten French soldiers were killed in Afghanistan yesterday, fighting alongside American, Canadian, Dutch , English and other nationalities in this war.

 

My additional post today is one of those spooky little happenings that sometimes occur.

 

I went down to Utah beach on Sunday for two reasons, one to fly my radio control aircraft for an hour, and also to walk the beach and see if there was anything new washed up. It was too windy to fly so i walked the beach and found a broken sand crusticle that I have mentioned in earlier posts.

 

Looking at the inside if the sand crusticle I could make out some writing which was in reverse, coming from whatever was in there. I thought that this was interesting and could make out the date of 7-43 and the word Fuze ???. I took it home for further research and to photograph for keeping. Shown in the next two photographs are the crusticle and a close up on the writing imprint.

 

The spooky little happening will come in the following written post to this one.

 

Norman D. Landing. Forum Normandy Correspondent. Aug 19 2008.

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General Apathy

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Cont.... Shown is the inside of the crusticle and the wording within, I have yet to try and research what the item was.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent. Aug 19 2008.

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General Apathy

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Hi Forum Members, Now for the spooky little bit mentioned in the previous post.

 

On Monday evening I received an email from a friend in England, he had visited me here in Normandy on Tuesday whilst over here on holiday. On the Friday before sailing home he had gone to Utah beach and whilst on the sand found one of these large crusticles and broken it open. In his email to me on the Monday evening he attached photos of what he had found when he broke it open.

 

Shown here is what he found and it corresponded to the broken remains I picked up on the beach two days later, a spooky little happening considering the size and length of Utah beach, and tides coming in and out.

 

Norman D. Landing. Forum Normandy Correspondent. Aug 19 2008.

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General Apathy

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Cont....... Here is a side view of what my friend Brian had found when he had broken the sand crusticle open with a large hammer, they take some breaking, the composition of these sand lumps is virtually concrete.

 

I am pleased to say that for Brian and his family that this one never went bang, ????? It is still obvious to see that this is a shell of sorts with the copper ring towards the base and the heavily misshapen head.

 

If you ever come to Normandy and find these sand crusticles please treat with caution.

 

Still have to research the item and the fuze details.

 

Norman D. Landing. Forum Normandy Correspondent. Aug 19 2008.

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Hey Ken,

 

Sorry i didn't get chance to see you this past cupple of weeks,As i've been seeing the ORNE and LOIRE parts...

 

Here's a cupple of pics if thats ok.

 

Dave.

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General Apathy
Hey Ken,

 

Sorry i didn't get chance to see you this past couple of weeks,As I've been seeing the ORNE and LOIRE parts...

 

Here's a couple of pics if that's OK.

 

Dave.

 

Hi Dave, sorry I missed you over here, go ahead and post your photos, but no topless please I have had the misfortune to see your chest before.

 

Norman D. landing. Forum Normandy Correspondent. Aug 19 2008.

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I guess I need not to go to Normandy ....... I just keep following your posts here! twothumbup.gif

 

Keep up the fine work (and please don't get yourself blown up).

 

Erwin

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General Apathy
I guess I need not to go to Normandy ....... I just keep following your posts here! twothumbup.gif

 

Keep up the fine work (and please don't get yourself blown up).

 

Erwin

 

Hi Erwin. Thanks for your kind comments on my posts. Don't worry I hope not to blow myself up any time, far more likely I will get shot by some irate jealous husband. w00t.gif

 

Did I not mention my second hobby. :rolleyes:

 

Anyway back to more serious details, my friend Brian has been back into work today ( sort of work nearly everyone on here would like to do, rebuilds WWII tanks for private collection ) well here is his new email below.

 

Hi Ken,

just had a look in one of my Sherman manuals and identified the shell as a 76mm HE round Base Detonating ( no delay ) It and it's brass shell case probably parted company when the vehicle they were in blew up and the nose/fuse of the shell got squashed during this explosion.

We gave it to a French man who was collecting items as well. He said he would dispose of it. Not sure what it would do as it dried out. Composition of contents mature with time and can become unstable. Did not want to even risk bringing it in car over to your place to show you or leave with you. Had it gone off it, would leave a crater nearly big enough to put a car in. Nice souvenir to find though.

The French man had found part of a Jeep battery and a Harley battery encrusted and more sadly, three M41 jacket buttons.

Speak soon,

Kind regards,

Brian.

 

Thanks Brian.

 

Dave thanks for the two photos of monuments you added.

 

Have a good week everyone and be safe and happy, life is a day shorter each day. ????. :blink:

 

Norman D. Landing. Forum Normandy Correspondent. Aug 19 2008.

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Hi General! Allways a pleasure to read your posts Nice finds on the beach, and thanks for the addition of the MOH plaque. Very interesting!

 

Yannick

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All,

 

Keep up these great posts! I'm directing some of the junior officers and NCO's that I work with to look at them and use them in their Professional Military Education (PME).

 

Thanks Again,

 

John

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General Apathy

Hi Yannick, thanks for the comments about my posts here, no-where as nice as the items you are bringing up with your searches. I am trying to just have general interest posts about the Normandy area and anything here from then to now.

 

Best regards Ken

 

Hi jjDevi1, welcome to the posts here, pleased to hear that these ramblings may be of some use to people other than passing time. Hope to be adding more monuments and locations as time goes on.

 

best regards Ken

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent. Aug 20 2008

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To be living in an area where so much history has taken place. I told my wife I wanted to retire in the Norman countryside and she agreed! Only 20 more years to go...ugh!

 

Keep posting. I am really enjoying your stories!

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General Apathy

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To be living in an area where so much history has taken place. I told my wife I wanted to retire in the Norman countryside and she agreed! Only 20 more years to go...ugh!

 

Keep posting. I am really enjoying your stories!

 

Hi Dave, thanks for taking the time to read my posts, makes it all worthwhile. thumbsup.gif

 

Only 20 more years to go before you could move to Normandy, France, well that's about all I have got as well twenty years, just fancy buying my place with a loft full of militaria already in it. Hee Hee :lol:

 

Cheers ( Lewis )

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Ken,

 

You're quite welcome! I used to take junior officers on "walking tours" of the Normandy area for tactics training as part of their PME. Used to give them period maps, provide the tactical situation as it was, and test their thought process as we worked through events. All of them not only learned some history (The United States Army is lousy for teaching our history on a macro level, as much as I hate to admit it, the USMC are the only ones who do! :D)

 

My father was with the 82nd all the way from North Africa through the end in Germany. In fact if you've read Gen. Gavin's book "On to Berlin" my dad is mentioned several times in there. Having spent 9 years stationed in the UK, and another 4 in Germany, I would love to retire there too, but I'm afraid I couldn't afford it! LOL Either way, keep the great posts coming!

 

John

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