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Norman D. Landing


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4 hours ago, General Apathy said:

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Hi Mikie,

 

The wood of the confessional is only the width of a finger and the the Thompson would have only been a couple of paces away so little chance of the heads still being in the wood, when you look through the holes there is daylight on the other side.  A good point though its made me think that I should check the other side of the box next time I visit to see if there are any exit holes on the opposite side.  . 

 

I would say that hundreds of people have opened that door and looked inside without ever making any confessions. 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 23  2022.

 

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I'm sure they were as pure of soul as we are, with nothing to confess.

 

It would be interesting to take a look. 

 

Mikie

 

 

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General Apathy
50 minutes ago, mikie said:

I'm sure they were as pure of soul as we are, with nothing to confess.

 

Mikie

 

 

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Mikie,  perhaps the old adage ' only the good die young '  . . . . the rest of us have yet to confess . . . . . . . . . . . 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 23  2022.

 

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General Apathy
On 6/21/2022 at 6:20 PM, Johan Willaert said:

 

I play around with my dolls.... ;-)

 

 

Kot-Mannequins-Mei22 (33).JPG

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Hi Johan,

 

one of the ' dolls ' in my stores, dressed in some of yours and mine favourite gear, early war blue denim, I just photographed the image from a 2005 book that my store was in for unusual store names.

 

Notice all the original unissued HBT shirts / jackets on the shelf behind the ' Doll ' , in 2005 I had approaching a 1,000 shirts / jackets all unissued., Trousers were much harder to obtain, they were mainly sold off to factory or building workers in the post war period.

 

Note the striped women's seersucker dresses in the bottom left corner. 

 

fullsizeoutput_12dd1.jpeg.0159529d55b738ebfd1036b8a1651d74.jpeg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 23  2022.

 

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General Apathy
On 6/20/2022 at 7:19 PM, numbersix said:

 

Very welcome, it is nice to contribute in some small way to such a grand thread and brings me great joy to be able to be part of it; thank you.

 

An additional note for the map is that the original order, to maintain secrecy of the operation, was for a map that covered the area from Scandinavia to the southern Spanish coast and it was made by a subsidiary company owned by Tri-ang, the toy maker. Most of the map was discarded on delivery and the bit we see is all that was used. The two carpenters who put it in place were then placed under house arrest at Southwick House until September 1944 to maintain secrecy as they were now part of the small group that knew where the then coming invasion would take place! By all accounts this was not so bad as food and other items were not rationed there so they were detained in some considerable comfort.

 

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Hi numbersix,

 

I just recalled that either 1974 / 75 around sixty wartime vehicles and owners heading for a trip to Normandy started off with an afternoon at Southwick house and sailed for France the following day.

 

Thanks for all the additional information about the makers of the maps and the fate of the men once they had put the required sections of the map in place.

 

Hey what did you do in the war dad. !! you won't believe it we missed it we were kept locked away for several months of the war. . . . . . . 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 23  2022.

 

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7 hours ago, General Apathy said:

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Local field find . . . 

 

A local friend found this American toothbrush in a field near his house, I have checked what toothbrushes I have and don't have a matching brush to try and ascertain the actual maker. The word ' Professional ' is clearly seen, little else. 

 

Here's the last remaining unissued ' Park Avenue ' brush I kept along with the shipping carton when I sold militaria, with the matching manufacture I found in a field near Bastogne maybe thirty years ago.

fullsizeoutput_1292f.jpeg.d84a76c7576dcc5511cabc39b2f7adee.jpeg

 

fullsizeoutput_12db7.jpeg.70441cc01e09770b5944b8e545158e2e.jpeg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 23  2022.

 

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The only one I have that states "professional" is this one by DR. West. It is a slightly different model, though

 

SAM_2169.JPG.53d7d4fdcdfd7fe0080bc3df91261445.JPG

SAM_2170.JPG

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20 hours ago, General Apathy said:

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Ste Marie du Mont village church.

 

The story goes that a church warden / cleaner heard German voices in the confessional box inside the church in Ste Marie du Mont and went outside and reported it to an American soldier who went inside and sprayed the booth with Thompson rounds. !!!!!  I took the photo of the Confessional box last week, the box is just inside the front door of the church and on the right.     Ste Marie du Mont is the first village encountered when leaving Utah beach heading for the larger town of Carentan. 

 

.fullsizeoutput_12d78.jpeg.785b43f20878fa14e1e2dec66d866814.jpeg

 

fullsizeoutput_12d87.jpeg.b89a1fc9df3380e8d1d8924876a02c66.jpeg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 22  2022.

 

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Is it known if there were actually Germans inside the booth?

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2 hours ago, General Apathy said:

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Mikie,  perhaps the old adage ' only the good die young '  . . . . the rest of us have yet to confess . . . . . . . . . . . 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 23  2022.

 

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:lol:

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General Apathy
On 6/23/2022 at 7:47 PM, Dogsbody said:

The only one I have that states "professional" is this one by DR. West. It is a slightly different model, though

 

SAM_2169.JPG.53d7d4fdcdfd7fe0080bc3df91261445.JPG

SAM_2170.JPG

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Hi Rene,

 

thanks for the image of your Dr. West's toothbrush I have sent it on to the friend who found his in a field, they might both be Dr. West's but from different years.  The ' Park Avenue ' ones I showed have differences between the unissued and the found one, difference in the shape at the end and one has two rows and the other three rows again maybe manufactured different years.

 

.fullsizeoutput_12db7.jpeg.0bc379e1a04964a8b4aa9e25fae66bf0.jpeg 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 24  2022.

 

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General Apathy

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Another Then & Now from Len . . . . . . . 

 

Still within the Grosvenor Area of London, the facade of the old building on the right has been rebuilt in line with the building first right and as Len said note the rows of air-bricks running upwards between the windows across the road behind the Dodge truck.  The tall cast-iron lamp-post appears to be the same in both shots and unmoved, note the new brickwork around the edges of the window where the window has been added to the wall post war. 

 

.fullsizeoutput_12e11.jpeg.42605fdee06d0288515754b3a14de214.jpeg 

 

fullsizeoutput_12e14.jpeg.6d3b26383f40440c3e04ab07b8f8752a.jpeg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 24  2022.

 

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On 6/23/2022 at 4:51 PM, General Apathy said:

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Hi numbersix,

 

I just recalled that either 1974 / 75 around sixty wartime vehicles and owners heading for a trip to Normandy started off with an afternoon at Southwick house and sailed for France the following day.

 

Thanks for all the additional information about the makers of the maps and the fate of the men once they had put the required sections of the map in place.

 

Hey what did you do in the war dad. !! you won't believe it we missed it we were kept locked away for several months of the war. . . . . . . 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 23  2022.

 

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Southwick House was still a Royal Naval "stone frigate" in the '70s, HMS Dryad, as it was during the War; I hope they were hospitable in true Navy tradition! I wouldn't be suprised if the carpenters kept mum about it all; I have always been impressed that not one of the Bletchley Park staff let the cat out of the bag even after the end of the 30 year rule.

 

The historian who gave the talk when I visited did mention one incident where an officer, on exiting a pub in Portsmouth after a night out with chums a week or so before D-Day, shouted across the crowded bar in response to being asked if he would be up for drinks 'next week' that "No! I will be in France!". Stern words were had after!

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General Apathy

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German Blockhouse For Sale . . . . . . . 

 

D-Day week I spotted this sales notice on a militaria dealers van window, hopefully self explanatory its at Port Port Lois, Place Port de Plaisance which is over the coast near St. Nazaire. 

 

fullsizeoutput_12e21.jpeg.1bd67d39cf38feb8324a28a94ffad9a3.jpeg.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 25  2022.

 

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1 hour ago, General Apathy said:

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German Blockhouse For Sale . . . . . . . 

 

D-Day week I spotted this sales notice on a militaria dealers van window, hopefully self explanatory its at Port Port Lois, Place Port de Plaisance which is over the coast near St. Nazaire. 

 

fullsizeoutput_12e21.jpeg.1bd67d39cf38feb8324a28a94ffad9a3.jpeg.

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 25  2022.

 

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Will that fit in your shoebox?

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8 hours ago, General Apathy said:

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Hi Rene,

 

thanks for the image of your Dr. West's toothbrush I have sent it on to the friend who found his in a field, they might both be Dr. West's but from different years.  The ' Park Avenue ' ones I showed have differences between the unissued and the found one, difference in the shape at the end and one has two rows and the other three rows again maybe manufactured different years.

 

.fullsizeoutput_12db7.jpeg.0bc379e1a04964a8b4aa9e25fae66bf0.jpeg 

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 24  2022.

 

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I'd better get one of these.  Not having anything military dental is a real cavity in my collection that needs filling.

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General Apathy

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Beautiful looking watch with history . . . . . 

 

fullsizeoutput_12e61.jpeg.0a2b85f7261257e65150abe9ba87f6dd.jpeg

 

fullsizeoutput_12e63.jpeg.12ed7178611bc39bae8c15be49ac127a.jpeg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 25  2022.

 

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manayunkman

He bought a Rolex watch in captivity?

 

That I don’t understand.

 

It is a beautiful time piece.

 

 

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25 minutes ago, manayunkman said:

He bought a Rolex watch in captivity?

 

That I don’t understand.

 

It is a beautiful time piece.

 

 

 

Many Aircrew privately purchased Rolex watches and the Germans confiscated Allied Pilot's watches on capture; Hans Wildorf, the founder of Rolex, got to hear of this and offered to send a replacement watch to the POW with the invoice being settled once the War was over:

 

"By the start of World War II, Royal Air Force pilots were buying Rolex watches to replace their inferior standard-issue watches. When captured and sent to POW camps, their watches were confiscated. When Wilsdorf heard of this, he offered to replace all watches that had been confiscated and not require payment until the end of the war, if the officers would write to Rolex and explain the circumstances of their loss and where they were being held. Wilsdorf personally oversaw this effort."

 

A number of these Rolex have turned up on the BBC Antiques Roadshow.

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General Apathy
22 minutes ago, manayunkman said:

He bought a Rolex watch in captivity?

 

That I don’t understand.

 

It is a beautiful time piece.

 

 

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Hi Peter.

 

There was a certain amount of age-old chivalry between the airforces, the Luftwaffe and the RAF, the camps for RAF officers I believe were run by Luftwaffe officers, its well recorded that shot down officers were often entertained to an evening meal at opposing airfields before being sent to internment camps . . . . . . . . . a world gone-by.  !!!!

 

British Battle of Britain pilot Johnnie Johnson and Luftwaffe ace Adolf Galland became great post war friends, a UK Jeeping friend carried Adolf Galland around in his Jeep at an Airshow in the UK 1970's or 80's

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 25  2022.

 

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General Apathy

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Adolf Galland photograph from Jeeping friend . . . . . .

 

Hi Ken,

Catching up this morning after being at weekend show…

 

Read your comments about Galland and Johnnie Johnson and realised you were meaning my outing…

Pic below… which I was sent some years afterwards…

 

North Weald Fighter Meet Show - best guess is summer ’83.

 

‘ CB, would you take your jeep, go to the commentary box and give a couple of guests a spin 

along the crowd line -  Dominic will come with you… ’, PG.

 

So at commentary box was ushered air side of the very busy crowd fence and introduced to the guests…

 

Adolf Galland and Bob Stanford Tuck.

 

Both very jovial and trading stories the whole 8 or 9 mins that we drove the length of the runway and back.

Very unexpected and yet, here we are nearly 40 years later, remembering it all… but it was a good day.

 

Me driving, Dominic Gray is front passenger. The two in the back are as above…

 

All the best,

CB.

 

.fullsizeoutput_12ed0.jpeg.6de82f154d9419be9c75d77bc3760c8d.jpeg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 26  2022.

 

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General Apathy

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Can you tell what it is yet . . . . . . . . . . .  !!!!!

 

.fullsizeoutput_12f18.jpeg.643d19831b8ae88f8d50b7260c8b8cbe.jpeg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 26  2022.

 

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52 minutes ago, General Apathy said:

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Can you tell what it is yet . . . . . . . . . . .  !!!!!

 

.fullsizeoutput_12f18.jpeg.643d19831b8ae88f8d50b7260c8b8cbe.jpeg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 26  2022.

 

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I think it's a whatsamacallit. But not sure.  Give us a clue. 😁. Any story about it? 

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General Apathy
1 hour ago, mikie said:

I think it's a whatsamacallit. But not sure.  Give us a clue. 😁. Any story about it? 

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Hi Mikie,

 

sorry to say not much of a story found in a field near Le Haye du Puits on hill 95 where there was fierce resistance by the Germans occupying the heights of the hill.

 

On the same hill that the famous photograph used on the August 1944 ' LIFE ' magazine featuring 2nd Lt. Kelso Horne was taken. Kelso Horne died in 2000 and his ashes were interred under the monument dedicated to the battle of hill 95.

 

.fullsizeoutput_12f29.jpeg.605459352ff0f788fd502b28aa98893b.jpeg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 26  2022.

 

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General Apathy

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Reutilised WWII PSP planking . . . . . . 

 

spotted in Normandy being used as shelving in a farm yard  . . . . . 

 

IMG_2101.jpg.a9f70f235627d154a77fb7093a3a22cd.jpg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 26  2022.

 

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General Apathy

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From the Shoebox . . . . . . . . . .

 

A double sided tin plate store sign for Chesterfield Cigarettes . . . . . 

 

.fullsizeoutput_12f26.jpeg.eb989e7498ad270b8cc43034bbddbd4d.jpeg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 26  2022.

 

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3 hours ago, General Apathy said:

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Reutilised WWII PSP planking . . . . . . 

 

spotted in Normandy being used as shelving in a farm yard  . . . . . 

 

IMG_2101.jpg.a9f70f235627d154a77fb7093a3a22cd.jpg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 26  2022.

 

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That's pretty neat. I wouldn't mind having some odd and end bits of that stuff around here.

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3 hours ago, General Apathy said:

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Hi Mikie,

 

sorry to say not much of a story found in a field near Le Haye du Puits on hill 95 where there was fierce resistance by the Germans occupying the heights of the hill.

 

On the same hill that the famous photograph used on the August 1944 ' LIFE ' magazine featuring 2nd Lt. Kelso Horne was taken. Kelso Horne died in 2000 and his ashes were interred under the monument dedicated to the battle of hill 95.

 

.fullsizeoutput_12f29.jpeg.605459352ff0f788fd502b28aa98893b.jpeg

 

Norman D. Landing, Forum Normandy Correspondent,  June 26  2022.

 

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Cool! Nice to know where it came from. 

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