N.O.S.

Trench Map Team - I've just looked on Western Front Association website at the trench map service. Most of their maps are black and white copies, they advise that the 1/10,000 (6" to the mile) and 1/20,000 (3") contain so much detail that the trenchlines and ditches (red and blue on originals) are difficult to distinguish. There are also some at 1/5,000. So may be better to download copies of the originals? If someone sends me the files I could get them printed out full size in colour by our business printer and post to whoever needs them? Rick was the map you posted the Richebourg 36.sw3 one? And you want to see others surrounding it? And what about david ives's ref for Beugny, map no. 57c nw4 - is that located yet? How about I try to get a contact no. from the WFA area chairman for their map specialist, you could then talk to each other :dunno:

Which point do you need co-ordinates for? Also if you can give me a trench map reference for the approximate area I might be able to get a copy of the cover for that one which should link you to what you need. Are you after these for both Favreuil and Beugny areas, or just the former? I hope to meet with the WFA guy tonight/tomorrow.

It wasn't me , I must have overheard the voices inside Tony B's head :dunno: It was the Forum made me do it, no doubt about that. Thanks for the pics of the cemetery - what a peaceful spot. This morning I sought the view of the Sec. of the Anglians Association (includes the Norfolks and Sufolks), who is also a trustee of the Norfolk Regiment Museum. He is very keen to help in securing an appropriate home for the stone. I will get in touch with your Norwich WFA contact - thanks for that. Again, I had no idea all these groups existed!

:goodmorning: Andy Hope you enjoy the mayhem (sorry general). Looks like your 12 year old son knows his way around computers, judging by his website! Unfortunately as yet there is no mention of HMVF in the Links to other Sites - it wouldn't surprise me if CHAS imposes extra cleaning duty on both of you until this state of affairs is rectified.... (CHAS - Club House Admin. Section)

Financial Times (think it was Oct 19th?) carries an article about the rebuilding of the wartime Stilwell Road through Burma. The derelict single track road is being turned into a two lane highway giving an important economic connection between India and southeast China. In Feb 1945 American forces completed construction of the massive highway project linking Ledo in northeastern India, with Kunming in China. The highway ran southeast through the top of Burma. A long section of the Burma Road was upgraded at the same time (was this incorporated into the route?). Over 1,100 U.S.servicemen and many more local labourers died during the construction of the road, which helped break a 3 year long Japanese land and sea blockade of China and hastened the end of the war. It was quite a feat of engineering. After the war the road quickly fell into disrepair, completely disappearing in some places in Burma. The Chinese section has already been rebuilt, the Burma and Indian sections are due for completion by March 2008. Some good sites with wartime photos on the web, search "Stilwell Road".

Hi Steve, That's a great project you have there in the Scammell - bet she's done her fair share of winching in her time, given the roads around that part. Looks like the sea air has given it a decent tan and more than a few wrinkles! And is that a Leyland 680 under the bonnet? Better keep quiet about that - a good job you have the Gipsy (assuming its petrol), or you would be banned from a large part of the Clubhouse :whistle: Enjoy the forum - its a great college of knowledge.

Where's my manners - Yo Brent, nice wheels!

HOT SPANNER :evil: :evil:

If you need a reminder of why Armistice day is so important, look at these pictures taken of Ypres before and after the hostilities of WW1. I found them in a booklet of period postcards pairing "before and after" views. I find myself asking why we could let scenes like this be repeated across Europe so soon afterwards in WW2, and if we really have learnt much since these two wars :dunno: We shouldn't keep dragging stuff like this up for the sake of it, but if that's what it takes to keep us remembering, so be it.

There may be an element of truth in the following: City guy drives his flash Merc down to the edge of a ford, sees farm labourer leaning on fence, and asks "You there, is it shallow enough for me to get across OK in this?" Our man replies "Well, I should ha' thought so, sir" So city man puts his foot down and stops with water lappng windscreen - "You idiot, you said it would be OK!" Labourer looks embarrased and replies "Well tha's a rumm'n, the water only come half way up the master's ducks"

They're big enough to be covered ammo dumps, but not WW2 surely?

Changed my mind already - still airfield site somewhere in UK, but air raid shelters.

Airfield site - machine gun test / practice butts?

This could be 36.SW3 - very difficult to tell from photocopied handwriting. SW might make more sense, refering to south west :dunno: If so, :oops2:

Oh yes, but no rush - it could be a long winter!!

:thankyou: Just up and running by the look of it, should become a very informative site (they need the smileys though :whistle:)

And pictures like these of ground crew and especially vehicles are so rare! :tup: Lawson have you visited 467th at Rackheath east of Norwich, or 388th east of Thetford yet? If not, let me know beforehand if possible - I will be pleased to arrange for the 388th museum (private collection) to be opened anytime for you. You'll need a long tacho break :whistle: Also, I found out when visiting guy I know at Rackheath yesterday, that he owns and has just restored the Control Tower at Rackheath on the industrial estate! I had a tour around, office tenants moving in soon but there is a display room which is accessible. You'll just need to make a phone call to get access to this and the roof.

I hope this goes the way in which you can become involved in this respect. Plan regarding family matters is to have informal discussion with local press and Thetford School (hopefuly Monday) before deciding wheher to go any futher. My view is that the circumstances of the stone coming to auction are enough to give the FORUM free reign to choose an appropriate place. Meanwhile the TRENCH MAP team are digging furiously to uncover some wonderful detail of the campaign. This coupled with Joris's site work (take a good supply of frites and mayonnaise :whistle:) will enable a very informative write up of the story. A shame we did not have more time before Armistice Day to conclude all this, but we're not far off thanks to everyones' effort.

Rather than do the pressing job, the VAT return, I have just spoken to the proprietor of Trewhella. Some interesting facts - * Each Hengist and Hawser GLIDER (Arnhem etc) had a Wallaby winch with collapsible handle (down to 12") stowed, for use if needed to unload equipment. * Some Sherman tanks had a Monkey winch supplied as part of their standard equipment, stowed on the hull somewhere. He doesn't know for what purpose. * Monkey winches are still made for export (Africa etc for tree pulling) but are hideously expensive, like you could buy 3 Chinese copy tirfors!

I've been getting some strange looks. Makes messing about with the old trucks seem much more acceptable though :whistle: Think we need a specialist on the family trail - gets complicated after a certain level :shake: You need a certain mindset to get to grips with it. Anyone got a friend or whatever who's into this? I've established Henry was in Thetford in 1881 as an agricultural labourer, granddaughter's full name was lilian Dot Collins, born between Sep and Oct 1900. On reflection, this must be Bernard's sister Sarah's child.

We eventually have a handle on the family and some history (all pre war) - this from on-line search of 1901, 1891, 1871 census: Bernard's mother Emma was born in Croxton, on northern edge of Thetford, in 1849. In 1871 - Emma (age 22) is living with husband Henry (25) in cottages at (Manure?) works in Thetford, where Henry works. They have a daughter Mary Ann, 6 months old. Cannot get a link to the family in 1891 Census (???) By 1901 - Emma is a widow (52) living in Bury St.Edmunds with her daughter Sarah (28), elder son Harry J (21), Bernard (6) and a granddaughter Lilian D Collins, 9 months old, who was born in Horton-in-Ribblesdale. Harry is a grocer's assistant, Sarah is a draper's assistant. So in between these dates - It would appear that Emma and Henry lost their daughter Mary, moved to Croxton where Harry, Sarah and Bernard were all born, and (possibly following the death of husband Henry?) Emma moved to Bury St.Edmunds. Oh, and Harry (or Sarah) has a daughter, but no sign of the mother (or father) - maybe died?. Note that Emma would have been 46 when Bernard was born. And then Bernard goes off to war. But who had the memorial stone made? We should not make any value judgements based on the above, life must have been pretty tough back then. I suppose it helps to put our soldier's life into perspective, it would be interesting to know if Harry went off to fight (he would have been 34 at the outbreak of war). Quite frankly, this is begining to do my head in, I don't even know if I'm on the right forum anymore :dunno: I'm just going outside to re-cut a set of bald 7.50x20 bargrip tyres with a nail file - "I may be some time" :shake: :shake: :shake:

Funny you should mention that, on two counts - Firstly - the most comprehensive manual I've ever come across was in the college bookshoop, engineering section in 1976, costing £50. It was a two-volume, ring-bound mammoth manual, full of pull out schematics and the most amazing detail. Yep, it was for the U.S.S. Enterprise! Secondly, what you see below is what I encountered on a cubicle wall in the same year. Never seen better since...

I think he meant sanitation :whistle:

That would be good, David - we'll put one by the Thetford Memorial.

First stop Thetford Memorial. Only one Jackson - our man. Then New Buckenham - helpful butcher put me onto the vicar (elderly local farmer) who's son in law just up the road is a Jackson (no, sadly not as it turned out!!). Couldn't find him till late afternoon, he is unaware of any Jacksons from 1900s onwards. The Parish records are now in Norwich library so, if not destroyed by the fire some years back, may reveal some details from birth register. I checked the cemetery anyway, not a sign of a Jackson from 1880 onwards. A friend's son will brief the Thetford school history teacher on Monday and get him to contact me - Ed reckons teacher might do some work for us just for the challenge, routine stuff for him. One of the journalists for the regional paper does a lot of research at the Regiment Museum and is into wartime tales, so I could try him next week :dunno: There is a tenuous connection between the farming minister and the Forum, in that he will have had his lime spread at one time by a GMC spreader operated by a contractor Franklin, just up the road. Franklin offered it to me in 1980 (to use!!!) - chassis cracked in more than one place, I declined and it was bought by a collector near Bristol, who cut the body off and took just chassis cab. I wonder if was restored :shake:. Here is the Thetford Memorial.