Norman D. Landing

[cutiger83]

5 hours ago, Dogsbody said:

German forests can bring some surprises....this surprise (there were more examples) was dicovered at Zernikow in East-Germany (after the unification). The swasitika was only visible in the fall and therfore hard to discover. 

 

 

 

 

 

This is wild. Is it known what caused this? Was this done on purpose? 

 

...Kat

[BEAT_NAVY]

6 hours ago, Dogsbody said:

German forests can bring some surprises....this surprise (there were more examples) was dicovered at Zernikow in East-Germany (after the unification). The swasitika was only visible in the fall and therfore hard to discover. 

 

 

 

 

 

That sure is something. I would’ve been super surprised to fly over that

[Dogsbody]

18 hours ago, cutiger83 said:

This is wild. Is it known what caused this? Was this done on purpose? 

 

...Kat

This sheds some light on the matter.

 

 

[cutiger83]

6 hours ago, Dogsbody said:

This sheds some light on the matter.

 

 

Very interesting! Thanks for the link...

 

...Kat

[General Apathy]

On 6/12/2022 at 7:05 PM, mikie said:

Not sure if this has been answered here before, but was that cow-catcher wire cutter bar on the front of the jeep an issue item or were they field modifications? I can easily see that they could be quite a valuable addition. When I lived in snow country in Upstate New York, there was occasionally some poor snowmobilier getting his head cut off by a half buried barbed wire fence. 

Mikie

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Hi Mikie,

 

I believe the wire-cutters were field modifications especially when you look at all the different examples of them on the front of Jeeps. I would say a great many of them would be made from the German barbed wire stakes as it was a very strong ' T ' section profile and hundreds of them found freely throughout Normandy.  Some examples can be seen with the complicated top still attached others appear to have had the tops chopped off and using just the steel stake.  

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 14  2022.

 

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[General Apathy]

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Cafe & Private Collection Museum in Ste Marie du Mont . . . . . .

 

I have been a little late reporting on this cafe in Ste Marie du Mont as previously it was just a small uninteresting one room bar, however that closed down and has reopened under new ownership. The new owner has really remodelled the bar and opened up a rear courtyard and his private collection in a building at the rear which is currently FREE entry. 

In the bar at the front he has lots of interesting pieces on the walls, shelves full of books and four large folders of Normandy wartime photographs, worth a visit if visiting Ste Marie du Mont, it's on the road leading out the square towards Utah beach, Bar du 6 Juin.

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 14  2022.

 

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[cutiger83]

Ken,

 

WOW!!  So much to see in those pictures! I see something different each time I look at them.  What is the toy jeep on top of the box on top of the glass case?

 

...Kat

[cutiger83]

Ken,

 

Seeing all of this made a crazy question pop in my head.  There were soldiers over there who served in the Pacific Theatre. Does anyone over there collect stuff from other theatres besides the European Theatre?

 

...Kat

[doyler]

4 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Mikie,

 

I believe the wire-cutters were field modifications especially when you look at all the different examples of them on the front of Jeeps. I would say a great many of them would be made from the German barbed wire stakes as it was a very strong ' T ' section profile and hundreds of them found freely throughout Normandy.  Some examples can be seen with the complicated top still attached others appear to have had the tops chopped off and using just the steel stake.  

 

.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 14  2022.

 

...

 

 

 

Keen beat me to it... the wire cutters were a local/ unit modifications from what ever they could rig up and find for steel as I understand it. 

[mikie]

Good info on the jeep wire cutters.  Thanks!  

 

Mikie

[mikie]

The nearby American Legion post hosted a small car show this weekend.  Here are some random pics of some of the cars.  Right in from was a jeep. I'm not sure if this may be the same jeep I posted a picture of at a parade a few years ago that some of you had opinions about. 

Since it was a veteran's hall, I figure I'm not too far out of line to post a couple of random shots of some of the civilian cars in case you'd like to see them. 

 

Enjoy!  

[General Apathy]

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Historic Chateau under restoration for museum . . . . .

 

Philippe the owner of the Holdy Militaria store in Ste Marie du Mont has purchased this large historic chateau that Eisenhower, Bradley & Collins stayed at post D-Day.  He has plans to open a museum in the rooms of the chateau, hold re-enactment events, military vehicle events and militaria fairs at the chateau. Below are photographs of Eisenhower, Bradley & Collins stood outside a door of the chateau in 1944 and the same unchanged doorway is still there today in 2022. 

 

The door seen in the first two photographs can also be seen in front of the GMC in photo four. 

 

https://www.ouest-france.fr/leditiondusoir/2022-06-03/le-projet-fou-de-ce-normand-qui-veut-transformer-un-chateau-en-musee-du-d-day-1b2da146-cb45-440c-b805-8324a226e303?fbclid=IwAR1V4Df9snFtflkQbAQNgIXu9tS6gqAFX0Z83NhfSKsohpNSMt7qZg0yExo

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 14  2022.

 

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[General Apathy]

6 hours ago, cutiger83 said:

Ken,

 

Seeing all of this made a crazy question pop in my head.  There were soldiers over there who served in the Pacific Theatre. Does anyone over there collect stuff from other theatres besides the European Theatre?

 

...Kat

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Hi Kat,

 

I would say that some UK & European collectors collected European & Pacific items back in the days when it was all a lot cheaper, some UK & European collectors specialised in only Pacific and Marine collections.  

 

Maybe it's a pity that there's not a similar thread to this one by some Pacific based forum member, probably more difficult to do as it's less populated, and many separate islands and harder to recreate ' Then & Now ' images.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 14  2022.

 

...

 

 

 

[General Apathy]

6 hours ago, cutiger83 said:

Ken,

 

Seeing all of this made a crazy question pop in my head.  There were soldiers over there who served in the Pacific Theatre. Does anyone over there collect stuff from other theatres besides the European Theatre?

 

...Kat

.

Hi Kat,

 

I didn't photograph everything that there was there on display, in one corner there is a bed and the bed sheet is a piece of camouflaged parachute, a lot of the exhibits are French items from the occupation period, before the occupation along with US items supplied by the US after the invasion and items made from US equipment. 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 14  2022.

 

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[General Apathy]

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Museum Location . . . . . . . . 

 

The museum and chateau can be seen central in this post war aerial photograph of the American cemetery ( Blosville ), although named Blosville by the American forces the land is actually within the boundaries of Carquebut community, and should have been the Carquebut cemetery. The cemetery contained 6,000 bodies by wars-end in 1945.

 

The road running left to right across the photograph was widened post-war and renamed the N13.

 

Carentan is off to the left of the photograph and Ste Mere Eglise off to the right of the photograph

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 14  2022.

 

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[General Apathy]

3 hours ago, mikie said:

The nearby American Legion post hosted a small car show this weekend.  Here are some random pics of some of the cars.  Right in from was a jeep. I'm not sure if this may be the same jeep I posted a picture of at a parade a few years ago that some of you had opinions about. 

Since it was a veteran's hall, I figure I'm not too far out of line to post a couple of random shots of some of the civilian cars in case you'd like to see them. 

 

Enjoy!  

.

Hi Mikie,

 

 

Thanks, classic American cars are always good to see . . . . . . . .

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 14  2022.

 

...

 

[earlymb]

22 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

Hi Mikie,

 

I believe the wire-cutters were field modifications especially when you look at all the different examples of them on the front of Jeeps. I would say a great many of them would be made from the German barbed wire stakes as it was a very strong ' T ' section profile and hundreds of them found freely throughout Normandy.  Some examples can be seen with the complicated top still attached others appear to have had the tops chopped off and using just the steel stake.  

 

.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 14  2022.

 

...

 

 

During my trips to Normandy I have kept an eye out for one, hoping to pick it up for my collection. I did see quite a few of them but all still in use so obviously I didn't touch them. Still hoping to come across one in a corner somewhere! :)

[General Apathy]

1 hour ago, earlymb said:

 

During my trips to Normandy I have kept an eye out for one, hoping to pick it up for my collection. I did see quite a few of them but all still in use so obviously I didn't touch them. Still hoping to come across one in a corner somewhere! :)

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There were plenty around at the militaria fairs in June . . . . . . all sizes. The farmers like them, lasted eighty years now without the cost of replacing them. 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 14  2022.

 

...

 

 

[General Apathy]

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it's Fathers day Sunday and I had a card from my daughter . . . . . .

 

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Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 15  2022.

 

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[General Apathy]

1 hour ago, earlymb said:

 

During my trips to Normandy I have kept an eye out for one, hoping to pick it up for my collection. I did see quite a few of them but all still in use so obviously I didn't touch them. Still hoping to come across one in a corner somewhere! :)

.

There were plenty around at the militaria fairs in June . . . . . . all sizes. The farmers like them, lasted eighty years now without the cost of replacing them. 

 

When my sister visited several years ago I left for the village dump in my pick-up with hedge trimmings and came back with three of these stakes, my sister said she thought the idea was to throw stuff away at the dump not collect it, I said besides the historical implications of them they sell around 80 euros each at militaria stores . . . . . . . why pass up freebies.  !!!!

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 15  2022.

 

...

[mikie]

4 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

it's Fathers day Sunday and I had a card from my daughter . . . . . .

 

.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 15  2022.

 

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Ain"t it the truth!  

Mikie

[mikie]

Just in time for Father's Day, I'm a Grandpa!!!  

 

I came home from work yesterday to be surprised by my dear daughter having adopted this little guy.  His name is Gungi.  I have always loved dogs, but this is my first one since I moved from home in 1982.  So far he seems like a sweet little guy. He is 10 weeks old and an unknown breed mix.  

 

Mikie 

[mikie]

4 hours ago, General Apathy said:

.

There were plenty around at the militaria fairs in June . . . . . . all sizes. The farmers like them, lasted eighty years now without the cost of replacing them. 

 

When my sister visited several years ago I left for the village dump in my pick-up with hedge trimmings and came back with three of these stakes, my sister said she thought the idea was to throw stuff away at the dump not collect it, I said besides the historical implications of them they sell around 80 euros each at militaria stores . . . . . . . why pass up freebies.  !!!!

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 15  2022.

 

...

Some people dump, some people pick up.  It all works out well for everyone in the end.  

Mikie

[mikie]

On 6/14/2022 at 8:33 AM, cutiger83 said:

Ken,

 

Seeing all of this made a crazy question pop in my head.  There were soldiers over there who served in the Pacific Theatre. Does anyone over there collect stuff from other theatres besides the European Theatre?

 

...Kat

Being the son of a Pacific War vet, I can definitely say that Pacific War collectors and history buffs are a definite minority in the States.  I can only imagine that it is even more so in Europe.  

Mikie

[cutiger83]

17 minutes ago, mikie said:

Being the son of a Pacific War vet, I can definitely say that Pacific War collectors and history buffs are a definite minority in the States.  I can only imagine that it is even more so in Europe.  

Mikie

Mikie,

 

I figured as much but some people tend to forget that soldiers from Europe served all over during WWII.

 

My grandfather served in the CBI. That is definitely a forgotten theatre. 

...Kat