Bailey Bridges

[Tom Canning]

Owen - Adam - I have tried on three occasions to respond to Slipdigits message this a.m. but find that I am informed that I have used 44 - 42 - now 38 images where I am curtailed at 25 images - I have cut my response to - 38 by cutting swathes out of my response - If I should cut any more - I am liablle to finish up with "dear Slipdigit" ??? Can you advise please
Tom Canning

[von Poop]

Aha, Tom I'm guessing that you're cutting and pasting the response having pre-prepared it in a word processor such as word?
The Difficulty is that these programs use invisible format marks to lay out the page properly, so when they're copied across to the 'Plain text' editor used on the forum it treats all these marks as just more characters.
As the marks can be the same as the shortcuts used for entering smilies here ( ':' & ')' = etc.) the software then thinks you're flooding it with smilies.
(Hope that makes some sense.)

If it's word being used then I know that the document can be 'saved as' a plain text page which will then (hopefully) just slot right in.

It can be a real pain... as many of us must know.

The format marks can be pre-edited by pasting the text into 'notepad' on Windows, which uses the same plain text format as here. If that seems like a lot of bother (quite tedious sometimes) then if you email the original document to me I'm happy to excise them manually and return a 'postable' version to you.

Cheers,
Adam.

[Tom Canning]

Adam - that makes a great deal of sense - hadn't come across that before - very odd ! - I try sending in clear later .....
Tom

[Tom Canning]

Slipdigit - I have not forgotten my response to you but after labouriously re typing my message - it somehow disappeared - now and again my PC has trouble with me !
Tom

[Tom Canning]

Slipdigit
Thank you for your explanation of your personal ethics – highly commendable I would say – but your use of the “MR” Canning did throw me as I seldom am addressed by that title – in the past I often heard it from employees seeking a raise ! Tom will be good enough for me.
Living as I do within ten miles of the Washington State Border – I have many American friends some of whom address me as “Sir” – others “hi’ya’ll and even others who say “hey buddy” so to read “Mr” canning was a bit unexpected !
I suspect that you were anxious of my inclusion of Gen Collins of the 25th Division on my list of dis-obedient Officers – the dis-obedience of US gen. Mark Clark has been acceptedby many American Historians as being a fact – but many more have been forgotten for reasons unknown to many.
What surprised me so much was the fact that Collins had a tremendous reputation in the Pacific for doing things to the extent that MacArthur nicknamed him “ Lightning Joe “ on being transferred to Europe and promoted to V11 Corps he did an equally great job in landing and pushing forward on Utah beach on D day plus later capturing Cherbourg.
The n to find at the Bulge that he disobeyed his new Army group commander – Monty in becoming involved in attacking both 5th and 6th panzer Armies with three depleted divisions – was to say the least – surprising from a
Tactical point of view !
With sincere regards
Tom

[Gotthard Heinrici]

I think Bailey Bridges are a brilliant piece of equipment.

[Slipdigit]

Tom,

I guess I need to change my ways when posting in this forum. We are more formal here in rural Alabama than other parts of the world and old habits die hard. It is difficult to convey tone and inflection of the spoken word in typewritten messages as "Mister" also can be used derogatorially here and is so indicated by how the word is said. Again, I assure you that it was not intended in that manner.

I will call you Tom henceforth since you request it of me, but by doing so, it doesn't mean I like it.

I was merely inquiring as to whether or not you were thankful that you didn't have to run the risk of falling into the gorge if the bridge were to collapse, since you were not the driver and could be off of the bridge while the vehicle was on it?

[Tom Canning]

Slipdigit -
Not wishing to fall into the gorge was the primary consideration - but it did'nt dawn on us until later that we might have become P.O.W.'s as we were only armed with our hand guns ! Fortune smiled however and we were able to proceed to make the other side P.O.W.'s - The astonishing thing was that The Bailey Bridge exceeded ti's limts by some 15 tons or thereabout a truly remarkable performance.

[Franek]

Alabama;
The bridge that your Dad told you about was at Remagan. The RR bridge(LUDENDORFF) was heavily damaged and it was a matter of time before it collapsed. The 9th armored division took that bridge and established a bridgehead on the east bank.. To keep reinforcements coming. A pontoon bridge was built just north of the LUDENDORFF. It is true. Many engeneers were lost due to fire from German 88s. They even fired V! rockets in attempt to knock it out. I know. I was there

[51highland]

Took this photo a couple of days ago in Museum near Best, Holland. Thought 1 or 2 might like the half track too.!!!