100 years today.

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Rob Harknett
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Re: 100 years today.

Post by Rob Harknett »

Paul, I too have an AJS that spent it's war time years on a Norfolk? Suffolk? American bomber airfield. It was not too far north of Ipswitch. The bike is a 1938 AJS. Almost still untouched from new. It came with an amp metre in the instrument panel stating " Made in USA " That bike is remembered by the American airmen based there. The lady I brought it from had connections with the airfield. The control tower still remains, converted into a museum/cafe. Ex USAF personal visiting it donated uniforms etc. What catches your eye are Book shelves full of thick bound books. The books are one for each aircraft that flew from the airfield. The lady I got the AJS from had spent years hand writing them. They contain the history of every aircraft that flew from the base, its missions, crews etc. Plus many photo's. She took me to the airfield when it was closed. Wesat drinking coffee for ages. Just one of the books on the table. Many pages so neatly hand written. She pointed to aircrew in pictures remarking. That airman comes here often, that's his uniform over there. etc. I cannot recall the name of the airfield, I must have it written down somewhere. Perhaps some one reading this knows of the airfield I refer to.
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blackadder1952
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Re: 100 years today.

Post by blackadder1952 »

Could be Parham Airfield Museum, the 2017 Alternative went on a visit there.

John
rudelan_LAPSED
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Re: 100 years today.

Post by rudelan_LAPSED »

I am a member of the forum of the Great War 14-18.
I offered my service to take pictures of graves in military cemeteries within a radius of 30 km. This afternoon, I'm going to Denain (FR) to take some pictures for the families who asked me.
I feel as a former soldier a great pleasure to render this little service for the memory of those who have made us our freedom!
Ruddy
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Group Leader
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Re: 100 years today.

Post by Group Leader »

rudelan wrote:I am a member of the forum of the Great War 14-18.
I feel as a former soldier a great pleasure to render this little service for the memory of those who have made us our freedom!
Ruddy
Shame there is not a "Like" feature on the forum. What an excellent jesture Ruddy.

Alan
1953 AJS 16MS, 1939 BSA 250 and a 1/3 scale Sopwith Triplane but that's another story ..... :lol:
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GOLDSTAR
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Re: 100 years today.

Post by GOLDSTAR »

as an aside one of group, the local secretary for the BSA club asked if he could try locate a long lost great uncle buried in Belgium, after much research he narrowed the grave to a cemetery outside YPRES, following a BWG signpost a couple of cemetery's were located behind some bungalows, so many of these are now, we had to pass through the first and then walk round the side of a field to the other where Malcolm located the grave he sought, in this particular small cemetery were a good number of graves of fallen Hampshire regiment soldiers, as one of our group had served in this regiment it was a particularly poignant moment for him. He took photographs and has forwarded them to his regimental association.

'In a foreign field'

but of course it is not foreign anymore is it!

Humble regards
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Rob Harknett
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Re: 100 years today.

Post by Rob Harknett »

Remembrance is not just Nov 11th for many who's lives were affected. I can remember war. My life long pal telling me his Dad's ship was torpedoed. His mother forever jumping in the river to join him. Where ever his grave may be. This went on until he reached the age of 21 until his Mum finally ended her life. He never had a son that may have had a life he has had. Remembrance for him has been from 1943 to 2018, 75 years of his 78 years of life. I recently did a lot of research for a young lady who wanted to track down her Great Great Uncles life in my village, before he fell in 1915. I discovered family houses still standing under a different house name from early OS maps. Matching them with old photos she had, to pictures of the houses as seen today. Also pictures of his name remembered on plaques, on the War memorial, within the church and church Lynch gate. Also on the village hall, donated by the family in his remembrance. So she could tour the village and find all that to remember her fallen Great Great Uncle. I then wrote an article, with old pictures that was published in our Parish news magazine, in time for this years day of remembrance. There's something in the words, " Tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today " That I felt I was doing, as those that have also made such contributions here of their telling.
Big Pete
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Re: 100 years today.

Post by Big Pete »

Some great replies on here, fantastic that people do still take a moment to remember not just the fallen but the futility of conflict and the waste of life.
I stay in Fort William the historical home of the Commandos and any time we have visitors i try to take them to the memorial and Achnacarry castle in order to try and tell a bit of what they went through. If anyone has an interest in this i recommend a book called Castle commando by Donald Gilchrist , a fantastic account of his training and service.
Highlander, "There can be only one"…
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Cjay59_LAPSED
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Re: 100 years today.

Post by Cjay59_LAPSED »

This is an interesting site to look at,

http://silverhawkauthor.com/canadian-mi ... s_511.html
Matchless-G3L--350cc-OHV--1943-contract-motorcycle---Coesfeld--Germany--30-March-1945--nbsp-.jpg
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56G80S
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Re: 100 years today.

Post by 56G80S »

Great photo, my father rode a Matchless in WWII. His preferred mount in the RASC (Logistics now). Should've seen his face when I from arrived home in London from Middlesbrough riding the Matchless.

Wouldn't agree about the futility of all conflict, the Nazis needed stopping although the seeds of their rise may've been in the reparations at the end of WWI.

I was at our village remembrance as usual and the yurnout was highest I've seen. I was not in church for the following service this year as it was full and needed to get home as Linda poorly that day.

Johnny B
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Re: 100 years today.

Post by alanjennings »

I'm really glad I started this thread!! It was partly in memory of my uncle Terry who I knew quite well, he survived the first world war but was " damaged" and never married and stayed with his mother all his life but she outlived him and made 103!
Alan [Morini] Jennings
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