195th Airlanding Field Ambulance 6th Airborne Division

Discussion in 'Airborne' started by S.V. Korn 195th ALFA, Nov 27, 2011.

  1. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

  2. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Xavier,

    Do you want to get in touch with Simon Cooper? If so email Mark Hickman at the Pegasus Archive and explain briefly your research and why you would like to contact Simon. Hopefully he will pass on his email address.

    pegasusarchive@googlemail.com

    Regards ...
     
    PRADELLES likes this.
  3. PRADELLES

    PRADELLES Well-Known Member

    Thank you Cee.
    But Mark Hickman failed to contact Simon Cooper. I tried another way...
    Regards,
    Xavier
     
  4. brithm

    brithm Senior Member

  5. Ron Kennedy

    Ron Kennedy Member

    Hello
    25th years ago I was given a manuscript by a Mr Kay Larsen who landed by glider with the 195th ( Airlanding) Field Ambulance who asked me to publish it.
    It is more or less a D-to Day account of their activities and makes fascinating reading and I hope to get it in paper back form before the summer.
    I would like to enlist your help.
    Are you aware of any group photographs of the unit etc particularly one where it is possible to identify individual ?
    Many thanks
     
    brithm likes this.
  6. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Hi Ron,

    As you probably know there are a few informal group shots of men of 195 ALFA on the Pegasus Archive and Paradata with the odd man identified. The Wellcome Library has documents of the unit online several of which are downloadable. None of them contain photos unfortunately.

    195 Airlanding Field Ambulance - Wellcome Library

    Regards ...
     
  7. brithm

    brithm Senior Member

    Ron,

    Airborne Forces Museum archive do hold photographs of the "PARA FIELD AMBULANCE" the doc number is 1.E.3 but not sure how much of them are 195th Airlanding RAMC.

    These are all the 195 RAMC photographs I have Cpl. Lodge, Ronald Matthewsa nd Sgt. Walter Booth, G.M.

    They're not really up to scratch.

    brithm
     

    Attached Files:

  8. Ron Kennedy

    Ron Kennedy Member

    Many Thanks for your help , my apologises for delay in responding earlier. I have been busy formatting the memoirs into a form that can be published and obtaining permission to include certain photos etc.

    I am puzzled by the following :

    Some online records show that the 195 landing zone was LZ "W" which would have put them west of the Orne canal
    This makes sense given Mr Larsen's memoirs which describe him approaching Ranville from Pegasus Bridge. However some reports say some the unit landed near Ranville ?

    I wonder if you can throw any light on this anomaly ?
     
  9. Ron Kennedy

    Ron Kennedy Member

    Many thanks for your invaluable help and pointing me in the right direction
     
  10. Ron Kennedy

    Ron Kennedy Member

     
  11. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Ron,

    The official report of 195 ALFA is available here for download:

    Wellcome Library | Photocopies of the History of 195 Airlanding Field Ambulance on Operation "Overlord" (the invasion of Normandy, 1944), and reports, recommendations and statistics of the Field Ambulance's activities

    A reenacting site covers some of the same info:

    195th (Airlanding) Field Ambulance

    There were 10 gliders assigned to the the 195th, six to the M.D.S. and two to Section No. 4 (Ox n' Bucks) which left from RAF Harwell for LZ W on Op Mallard. Section No. 3 attached to 1 RUR would have left from either RAF Broadwell or Down Ampney with two gliders destined for LZ N. One of those gliders carried the CO. There was also a detachment with the Armed Reconnaissance Group who were on a special mission until it was cancelled.

    I only have chalk numbers for six gliders out of Harwell 146 to 151 who left on the tail end of that lift behind the Ox and Bucks and could possibly be the M.D.S. group. Here's a photo showing those gliders lined up before take off. Note the group resting to the immediate front were probably with Chalk 151A and not connected to the 195 AFLA.

    Horsas RAF Harwell Op Mallard.jpg

    An account by Cpl J Cooper of 195 ALFA in the Ardennes and Germany on BBC's WW2 People's War site:

    BBC - WW2 People's War - The Ardennes and the Crossing of the Rhine

    Regards ...
     
  12. brithm

    brithm Senior Member

    Attached Files:

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  13. Ron Kennedy

    Ron Kennedy Member

    Hello

    I would like to thank everyone for their help pointing me in the right direction for information regarding the book I have just published.

    Does anyone know have a the contact details for Colonel Watt's relatives ?
    I used his picture in the book not knowing whom to contact for permission to ensure I could get the book published in time for the 75 anniversary of D-Day, Many thanks.


    Crossing The Bridge - The Forgotten Manuscript

    ISBN 9781095967829

    Crossing the Bridge is a collections of reminiscences of Kay Larsen an RAMC orderly with 195 Airlanding Field Ambulance who landed by glider on the eve of D-Day near Pegasus Bridge. His introduction to war was brutal. slumped alongside him within minutes of crossing the enemy coast was his best friend killed by anti aircraft fire ( Flak). Under intense fire unarmed and protected only by a Red Cross armband he attends to the wounded both friend and foe


    Available in Kindle form on paperback from Amazon.
     

    Attached Files:

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