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WWII Photos of the liberation

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Zed View Drop Down
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    Posted: August 10 2017 at 12:32pm
Having very kindly been given a copy of a photo archive of a local French town. I thought I'd share a few with you guy's; and thought that maybe we could start a thread that other people add their own photo memorabilia from any major conflict or time spent in the Service.

These first few are from mid August 1944; the town is Bonneval, France. 


local resistance fighters, possibly one of those Enfields is the one I aquired recently! We are currently trying to identify some of the fighters.

parade in front of the "Mairie" (town hall) which has the French flag raised (out of shot)

locals and US soldiers in the centre of town, the cafe behind is still there. Get my Saturday morning coffee there.

There a lot more to come from this wonderful archive; although it's just a small slice of history!
I would enjoy seeing other peoples photo's; please share if you have some!

Zed.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 10 2017 at 2:26pm
I was thinking I could make it a sticky, that way it would never get lost, but I don't seem to have the power? Let me check a bit more.
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 10 2017 at 2:38pm
Nothing from the service, too many  moves round too many countries.
A couple snagged from Google Earth though.
The student apartment in Paris (7arr) which I used as a "pied a terre" instead of constantly getting ID cards in hotels.
The restaurant seems to change hands every month or so!


The courtyard was the parking lot for the building though the archway. & the concierges office was behind the wall panneling.


My "Home away from Home" in Vervins. My Buddy & his familly lived there & so I had a room that was actually located behind a secret panel! I wonder if the new owners actually know its there?
The white building behind the gate is a dorm & garage for the truck drivers. That was where I learned to speak "real Belgian French"! usually while playing petanque or (worse) domios or cards. It wasnt till then I knew there were numbers like "Septant, Huitante, & Nonnont"! The running joke was the Belgians could actually count to 99! (nononte-neuf)Evil Smile




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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Canuck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 10 2017 at 3:40pm
I have a good feeling about this thread....I think its' going to be really neat! All I can add to this is an old grainy photo of my paternal grandfather who was a gunnery trainer for the Canadian army in WW1. He had a clubbed foot so he couldn't serve in the army as a regular but he was recognized for his accurate shooting and rifle acumen. He is kneeling on one knee for the photo holding his Ross rifle in front of his pup tent. When I get this photo from my brother I will update this post.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 11 2017 at 3:55am
I'll add some extra photos next week. Looking forward to a long weekend at the house and no internet! Probably sooting thoughThumbs Up
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 11 2017 at 5:40am
Enjoy!
http://bakebottlebrew.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/A-votre-sante.jpg
Don't shoot till you see the whites of their thighs. (Unofficial motto of the Royal Air Force)
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote A square 10 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 14 2017 at 7:26pm
funny how happy they were to see us then , and how different its been over the years , im sure the folks in those photos were genuine in their rejoice , 

this past week i had moment to pause as we - in my family did- over the anniversaries of nagasaki and hiroshima , my fater was there , he always said they were the reason he got home and so many others , because of what was planned on the island of the rising sun , 
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 15 2017 at 10:01am
Here are a few more photos from the archive. 
Plus I had a very interesting conversation last weekend with a lady in our village, she is 94 years old, with a memory as bright as a spark!
 During the war she spent most of her time in Paris; but would cycle out to Chateaudun on some weekends to see family and stock up with fresh veg' and food; then cycle all the way back on Sunday with the  suitcase strapped to the rack of the bike. Sounds easy; but it's a 200 mile round trip! No wonder she's still in fine form at 94!


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shamu Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 15 2017 at 2:42pm
Great stuff, keep 'em coming.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Pukka Bundook Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 16 2017 at 7:27am
Sham,
 
Have you seen that Canadian war book, I think called "Then and now", or "The way we were" or something?  It is full of war-time photos, and also pictures of the same places today. Very interesting book!  It has [plenty of Liberation photos.   Book's by Ken Bell if I remember right.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 16 2017 at 12:33pm
The US Air Force bombed the town just before the liberation. They were aiming for the railway bridge; but unfortunately they missed the bridge completely; although not by much! You can see it next to the remains of one of the houses.




However the Resistance did the job a bit further down the line at Marboue. According to the book "last combats in Eure and Loir" they recovered transported a 250 kilo unexploded bomb to the bridge at Marboue; then set it off with 15 kilo's of plastic explosive. Seem's to have done the trick!


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Zed Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 24 2017 at 12:46pm
These Senegalise Riflemen have our favourite rifles! I note that the Bandolier looks exactly like the one I got from the parachute drop cache.

I believe it is also British uniforms as well but I'm not sure; maybe someone with more knowledge of uniforms could tell me!

According to book mentioned previously; they were fighting with the Resistance fighters in the battle for the liberation of this area.


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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hoadie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 24 2017 at 1:31pm
These fellows seem to be somewhat of a curiosity to the locals!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote 25-5 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 29 2017 at 1:43pm
Zed
What a good idea.  Nice archive.  I enjoyed the pics and look forward to more.
 
My uncle Warren was a "Hump" pilot in the CBI theater.  Flew C46's and C47's. 
They relied mostly on their own drawn maps.  A peaks to avoid kinda drawing.
He and two buddies are hunting in the mountains near Kunming China.
Warren is on the left with a Thompson, fellow in the middle has a M1 carbine, and the end guy has an M1 Garand.  They all carried a 1911 and knives.  Not in the photo was a jeep with a mounted M2.
"Unc" was important in my life and I miss him.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote hoadie Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 29 2017 at 5:29pm
Wow,eh? When we were young. That's what it brings to me..Are they still with us? Most from that era aren't.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Canuck Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: August 29 2017 at 6:17pm
Those that are still with us, Hoadie....are quite long in the tooth now. I'm so very thankful to all our brave armed forces members from any era.
Castles made of sand slip into the sea.....eventually
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