BlueNoser352A Red Hot Dodge CHALLANGER
I see the B-25… but it looks like a 1970’s bright Red Dodge Challanger sitting in front of that B-25 Mitchell ! Maybe used in the film ” Catch 22″ …. in need of some repairs I see… intresting photo for sure !
BlueNoser352Andy thanks for the note !
Andy :
Thanks for the note here and have enjoyed this book and know you spent many long hours in research in prepration for its final outcome. Looking forward to your new work . I know it was be a great success !
A salute from :
BlueNoser352!
BlueNoser352Lezza wow… like being in a time machine !
Lezza :
Wow…. your were in your own time machine back then…sad that none of these aircraft survived that smelter heaters ……….. great stuff on Preddy. I know from talking to 352nd Historian Sam Sox Jr… I believe he told me that a young Lt Preddy was ingaged to a local woman ..but will have to check into this again. Great story here and you had your own WW II barn yard for sure. Yes… ” Best Years of our Lives ” is a remarkable film about returning WW II veterans…… my favorite is ” 12 O’Clock High” with Gregg Peck ……….. the films have similar recall sequences ..both are outstanding in their own right. Hey I did go to Amiens on June 1st on my way down to Normandy……….. what a feeling to be standing in front of the very place we have been talking about on the forum…….. I visited the final resting place of Group Capt Pickering & Navigator Broadley……. I offerd a prayer to them & a salute for their service in the cause of freedom. I had a nice visit to Amiens and will post some photos here soon. Thanks for the great story on Preddy and the tip on Google Earth……….. will check that out for sure. Just home today from Paris & Normandy..a bit groggy and will respond with a longer email soon………….. now if I can just get my hands on a copy of the 2005 documentary …that would be great..so far all my emails the the parties involved…..have not been returned. But it was remarkble to stand in front of a place I have read about for so long. Yes now the prison is closed in my homes and stores………so different from the 1944 footage………… thanks Lezza for the great stories here and will keep in touch. I can and will be happy to send you those photos in an email if you wish ………… now off to get some needed sleep !
BlueNoser352!
BlueNoser352Lezza I did go there two weeks ago on June 1st
Lezza:
Well after all these years BlueNoser352 finally made it to Amiens.. flew over for the D-Day observances and it was an honor to stand before the final resting places of Group Capt Pickering and his navigatior Broadley and offer a prayer and salute for their serivce during the dark days of WW II. I took photos and will post them here soon. You are welcome to copy any of them. It was rather and easy drive by GPS from Charles de Gualle and had my copy of “After The Battle ” with me for reference. Had a few nice talks with some local Amiens residents as I stood there with a copy of the magazine in my hands talking photos. The workers in the British cemetery were nice enough to point me right to the final resting place of the men. A rather larger number of World War One & Two buried there and a large section of French as well. The beauty of the French countryside is breaktaking and I noted several small war grave plots along the way. That part of the world has really seen its share of death and voilence in the last century. Really remarkable to stand in such a place for sure…. my Normandy experiences was again very emotional for sure. I have been going there for many years and it was nice to finally go to Amiens first before my Normandy travels. Meet several outstanding British veterans and its remarkable just to talk to them. Will get my photos organized and post them here soon. Thanks to all here for your assistance with information in helping me with info on the Amiens prison raid !
A salute from BlueNoser352 !
BlueNoser352Preddy in Australia !!!
Lezza:
What I forgot to say was….a young Lt Preddy was based in Australia ..flying his P-40 named TAR HEEL……………named after the great state of North Carolina. mid air collision took him out of action .Sent back to the states..got into the newly formed 352nd…………..sent to the UK…Bodney..flew Thunderbolts first ………………..then along came that lovely P-51 Mustang….then all H*ll broke loose on Hilters thugs from the men at Bodney !!!!!! Think he flew out of Darwin….. but its late and I can’t recall …so at least he enjoyed sometime in your fine country!
BlueNoser352
BlueNoser352THE GREAT ESCAPE THE Reckoning!
Lezza
I see you live in Australia..BlueNoser352 sure hopes to make it out that way
one day. Maj George Preddy flew P-40’s early in his military career before a flying accident put him in the hospital and he was transfered into the newly formed 352nd. So there is a great connection there..fell in love with a local girl…he gave her his wings…guess there was marriage plans in the works. But sadly he was a victim of friendly fire on Christmas Day 1944….. I got a copy of the Australian production ” THE GREAT ESCAPE : THE RECKONING….very good production.well worth it being added to your collection.Got mine from the ABC shop on line. Will post more questions from the book here later. Thanks and have a great summer Lezza.google earth give you a great modern day look at the prison…unreal !
A salute from:
BlueNoser352!!!!
BlueNoser352Lezza its a great book !
Lezza:
BlueNoser352 here……..yes a tremendous work of history …have not put it down since it came from Australia and I got the back issue # 28 of AFTER THE BATTLE. Super effort by those two authors. Of course went right to the chapter on Amiens. With the nice help of Julian I found some great images of the prison and what the area looks like today……….its all grown up. Got some good help from folks on the airfieldsforumexchange.com site. Someone had placed several great photos of the prison today and I see the location of the large cemetery where Officers Pickering & Broadley are buried. Heading over to Normandy soon and have made plans to visit the site and pay my respects to all who were killed in the raid. Nothing is better from a historical point of view ..than being in a place where history was made. This will be one of those times. Thanks so much Lezza for the recommendation for the book. Also last week I got Andy Saunders super work on “Finding The Few”………………….. one great book…so well researched …so between those two fine works and getting ready to ” Drop into Normandy”.its been a great month of WW II historical research. I have seen The Great raids series several times on our History Channel..just really gives the basics of the raid..but the footage of those low level passes is tremendous. I am sure there are many more questions to be answered about the raid…. so I will look forward to the new work coming out on it. Would like to know more about the fighter cover given the mission..its so easy to judge from a 21st century military perspective . Lezza…its a rock solid effort……………in our sports jargon…… They hit a grand slam on this one…& that also goes for Mr Saunders book as well.
Thanks again !
BlueNoser352!
82nd AirBorne All American …ALL THE WAY !!!!!
The Day of Days is Fast approaching !!!
BlueNoser352Bad things happen when you fly to low!!!!
Snowy Evans according to some reports and two documentaries I have…one from The Discovery Channel…. no photo of Evans could be found…..guess will never really know. Might have been Snoopy operating in the trenches on that fateful day !
The Day of Days is Fast Approaching !
82nd Airborne Division all the way !!!!!
BlueNoser352
BlueNoser352Looks like a great show!
Wow…some concept for a show…..hope this one makes it over the big pond here in the states. Unlike their real counterparts…….man I hope their wearing parachutes………….. lets hope for a safe broadcast ! The Baron was a great pilot…but wasn’t he taken down by a single 303 round fired from the ground by an Australian trooper on the ground ?????
TC
BlueNoser352The Gestapo Hunters & Finding The Few !
Good day for BlueNoser352 :
Got two great Books in the post this week… our own Andy Saunders outstanding book ” Finding The Few”..which I have not put down since it came and The Gestapo Hunters…. great stuff in here. PLus today in my job as a television news photojournalist I got to meet & cover Prince Edward visiting our fair city of Greenville SC..he was in town representing the Queen. I should have ask him if he reads ” FLYPAST” . But it was strictly official business … !
Andy congrats on this marvelous well researched work…. outstanding research.
Heading off to Normandy and will visit the site of the prison & pay my respects to those lost in the raid. I understand the graves of Group Capt Pickering & his navigator are about 200 meters from the prison. Thanks Julian for the excellent info…. Google Earth is amazing. I’ll play 633 Sq as I buzz past the site of the old prison walls. Oh what Apaches with Hell Fire missiles & that chain gun could have done 60 plus years ago..but can’t alter history !
The main thing here is to stand on that historic ground were the raid happened and salute these men in my own way !
BlueNoser352 is a happy camper today !
The Day of Days is fast approaching!
BlueNoser35242 Ford…outstanding Jeepman !
Jeepman:
Its remarkable how many WW II jeeps survived the war and are still in use all over the world in one form or another. No one piece of WW II equipment has lived longer than the jeep. In Normandy next week I bet one will see many running around. A remarkable device developed for war & now used in many peaceful ways ! I am sure many were left by the USAAF in the UK after the war!
Is your jeep painted up or kitted out to represent any WW II theme.. US Army, Airborne…etc ?
BlueNoser352!
BlueNoser352Thanks for the heads up on Dam Buster program
jeepman :
Much thanks for the heads up on the program…. I finally got my hands on the last documentary on the Dam Busters ” The Last DamBuster ” This operation still continues to generate much interest in the historical community. like your photo… a Willis Jeep man perhaps ?
BlueNoser352
BlueNoser352Merkle my condolences to his family & friends
Merkle:
Than you for posting Sqaudron Leaders Brooms obit here…what a remarkable man indeed with an amazing record in combat. I salute this brave man for his service and offer a salute & condolences from across the big pond. Its men like tis that helped to defeat Hilter & his thugs. I a sure you have great memories to carry with you about your friend. Free men everywhere owe people like this & from his generation a debt of thanks we can’t even began to pay.
A salute from BlueNoser352!
Rest In Peace Sir!
BlueNoser352Loaded fine from the states !!!
Benn on the forum off and on today…seems fine now………….
The Day of days is fast approaching !!!!!
BlueNoser352BBC Link
Link To The story from The BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/bristol/somerset/7898939.stm
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