Bailey Bridges

Discussion in 'Weapons, Technology & Equipment' started by Gerry Chester, Jan 22, 2005.

  1. Old Git

    Old Git Harmless Curmudgeon

    Brian,

    I've had a look on Google Earth for your Bailey Bridge but I can't actually find the Monastery, there are several buildings there that look like they could have been monasteries but none that are actually indentified on Google earth as such. Any idea what the place is called today, or could you re-trace your steps to the place on a modern map?
    Also, I can't find a stream on the map but there does appear to be a small canal running through the place, could that be it or is there also a stream that I haven't yet found?

    If it's still there then it's conceivable that Google Earth will allow you to 'virtually' walk across it again! I do love that aspect of Google earth, never have to go anywhere again. I can now fire up the browser and walk down the street and say, "Yup, done that!", LOL
     
  2. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Hi
    back in 1944 it was a training site for the "White Brothers" Named as such for the thick white robe they used as a belt. The place was run by the training staff ..They were mainly Nuns.. The place is near Marheeze and Gemert it was a monastery but was changed to care for"Youngsters with learning difficulties " or something along that line. We definitely put a small Bailey over the stream as a Thank you to the Nuns and Brothers.....

    One of the buildings looked not dissimilar from a church spire???? I recall there was a small bank or hedge row running along the open area.

    The Monks gave up their solid framed beds for us...We could not sleep a wink... A hole in the ground was our best bed.....

    Let me quote..Company moved from Weert to Monastery at Euvelwegen....and carried out stores
    res maintenance.. Unquote.
    I am sure??? that they buried my mate Jock there. I can see the picture of the place clearly......
     
  3. Some may recall that we stopped at the "White Brothers Monastery" at Euvelwegan (Evil way) on the Market garden Operation. We were there for one night (We had run out of everything ) and had to replenish. We had one night where we put on a show .To reward their kindness, we built a little bailey over a stream there.. Just as a Thank you...
    I wonder if it is still there?

    It is now a home for those with personal difficulties I am informed.... The monks beat us at football 7- nil if I recall correctly. So is there still a bailey there????/

    I am not sure, but my bbest amet Jock Mathers was brought back and buried there.....
    Sapper

    No.14363710 Sapper William Milne MATHERS, 246 Fd Coy RE, died 13 October 1944 aged 22,
    CWGC - Casualty Details

    buried Row A, Grave 7, MAARHEEZE (STERKSEL MONASTERY) CEMETERY:
    CWGC - Cemetery Details

    The Monastery today (Brotherhood "Providentia"), with an aerial view and more photos on the right and yet more photos on thumbs at the bottom of the page:
    Panoramio - Photo of Sterksel - Albertlaan 19 : Broederhuis Providentia
    Panoramio - Photo of Sterksel - Albertlaan 19 : Broederhuis Providentia

    Its Chapel:
    Panoramio - Photo of Sterksel - Albertlaan 19 - Kapel broederhuis Providentia.

    The Cemetery:
    Panoramio - Photo of cemetery Maarheeze (Sterksel Monastery) WW2
    Panoramio - Photo of Rondje Sterksel 14

    Jock Mathers' grave (in second post down):
    http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/war-grave-photographs/14535-war-graves-holland-7.html#post210056

    Brian, I can only encourage you to install GoogleEarth on your PC, so that you can travel virtually to any place you want :). Then you may click on the many photos taken by users, such as those linked above, and you can also roam along a road from one photo to the next using StreetView.

    I could not find any trace of a Bailey bridge, but the terrain is heavily wooded so it might still be there but not be visible from satellite.
     
  4. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    That is the place. The only thing missing is the place we played football.
    I do have Google Earh but could not find it. Thank you very much....fascinating Specially as it is 68 years on. The foorball field had a low bank/hedge, or something similar that ran alongside the field....
     
  5. That is the place. The only thing missing is the place we played football.
    I do have Google Earh but could not find it.

    Copy the following into the GoogleEarth Search box and you'll land just in front of the main Monastery building:

    N 51 21 32 E 05 37 25

    Unfortunately there's no Streetview available there, but the football field may be one of the large fields nearby. Maybe the rectanguler field just left of the tennis court a bit to the south of the main building? Try:

    N 51 21 26 E 05 37 26
     
  6. ritsonvaljos

    ritsonvaljos Senior Member

    Donald Bailey tribute wall,
    Pegasus Memorial Museum
    Benouville, Calvados, France


    A British soldier remarked:
    "The three most famous names in the army are Eisenhower, Montgomery and Bailey".

    The attached photograph may be of interest to some. If nothing else, Mr Bailey is a famous 'name' of WW2.
     

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  7. Old Git

    Old Git Harmless Curmudgeon

    Just had an email from an old mate who is an ex-sapper and works at the RE Museum in Chatham. I asked him about the false bows and he had this to say...

    The bow sections brought in because of the problem of the pontoons being swamped by river surge the first time was over the Meuse at Hook. The bridge was called ILEX ,We have a picture showing the bow sections. They where used the most on the wide rivers and put on the upstream side of the bridge to protect against rubbish floating down stream.



    Just looked this up in the BLA book "Bridging Normandy to Berlin" (a large format post-war publication showing some of the major bridges that were constructed from during the advance from France into Germany). The ILEX is shown as being a Class 40 DS Bailey Pontoon over the Meuse at Mook. It had a total length of 1095ft. It's an interesting bridge in as much as there is as much of the bridge on land, on either bank, as there is floating on the river. In fact the fully floating portion measured out at 511ft. The bridge was built by 15 (Kent) GHQ Troop Engineers between 31st December, 1944 and 24th January, 1945. There's a good picture showing the bridge from the eastern approach and every Pontoon is wearing a flase bow. I estimate that there's about 40 Pontoons in use on the Bridge!
     
  8. Anne Johnson

    Anne Johnson Junior Member

    Hello there,
    I believe the new Ministry of Supply in late 1940 seconded RE7 to work on the Bailey Bridge for 15 months at the Military Engineering Experimental Establishment (MEXE). Really interested in any information about this group; in particular Leslie Charles Parish who was later awarded an OBE for this work.
    Anne Johnson
     
  9. andybelcher

    andybelcher Junior Member

    Anyone know where this is??
     

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  10. andybelcher

    andybelcher Junior Member

    It's my father Gordon Belcher sitting on a Bailey Bridge somewhere between Arromanches and Berlin but where?? He was in 233 Fild Company RE attached to 69 Bde 50th Divn.

    Any information or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
     
  11. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Sorry Andy. I cannot help with identity. There were so many bridges, so many places, where we spent a few hours. Sometimes not even aware of what was around us.

    We dealt mainly in assault bridging with the FBE ( Folding boat equipment) leaving the main bridging to be done by the follow up Sappers
    Cheers
     
  12. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Sapper,

    Here's your mob setting up the Bailey on the River Orne. The completed bridge can be seen in the cropped aerial dated July 5th, 1944.

    Thought you might like that - just wish I could find a clearer pic for you.

    Cheers ... :)

    (IWM B5231)
     

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  13. andybelcher

    andybelcher Junior Member

    Sapper

    Many thanks.

    I always thought the RE companies must have had an easier war than the infantry companies. This was until I read the 233 Field Company diaries. 233 was attached to 69 infantry Bde, which was as I understand it part of 50 divn.

    From reading the diaries it seems my Dad had to build Baileys at night. The germans knew this so threw everything they had at the crossing during the building. The bridge would then sometimes be destroyed during the next day and so the lads would have to go back the next night and rebuild it.

    As far as i can see the sappers were "at the sharp end" of the allied advance through Normandy, Belgium and holland and beyond.

    In one part of the diary it talks about how the 233 were told by the Div Commander [by that time I think the 233 were attached to a different Canadian(??) Div bc 50 TT Divn was disbanded - wiped out more like] that they were to have the "honour" of being first across the Rhine as part of operation Plunder. The diary recalls that no one felt that it was much of an honour really.

    I just don't know how people like you and my old man [who was a pretty mild mannered sort of bloke] actually did all of this?

    I have tried to imagine what it was like. I cannot.

    The free world owes it's entire existence to the likes of people like you and my dad. I try and remember this everyday. No one should ever forget.

    All the very best.


    Andy
     
  14. Tom Canning

    Tom Canning WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Andy - why limit their contribution to France & Germany - Sappers were always up front-
    lifting and planting mines - building roads and bridges - or knocking them down - you cannot possibly understand what they did to keep us moving on to kill the enemy- and with humour usually-

    I spent three hours with Sapper a few years ago and the whole time we were laughing all the way at some of the stupidities we had encountered in our service....after 60 odd years
    and 100% disabled he can still laugh his head off......

    One of the funniest tales of sappers was in North Africa when the final push was held up by a great wadi which needed bridging- and was named St Peter's crossing - the sappers were falling like flies - a very plummy English voice was heard to ask why the Tunisian Wadi had an English name - a voice from the back explained that if he tried crossing there to-day - he was sure to meet St Peter....

    I often quote that tale as it shows how the Sappers were up front and no matter how many fell - the job was always completed and the fighting troops were able to move forward
    Then you should "google " for the bridges at Cassino....same thing

    Cheers
     
  15. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    One thing that the elderly do at times is re[eat what they [osted before.
    So it is with some trepadation that I post this.

    For it describes what happened at Pegasus.(The one in the picture by the way)
    Pegasus Bridge!
    Tiger was wrong.
    Pegasus Bridge, The bridge that spanned the Orne Canal and River was of vital importance, it was the only link between the Airborne forces and Third British Infantry Division that had landed on "Sword beach" the most important conduit between two separated fighting groups in Normandy. Absolutely vital that tanks would be available to assist the Airborne to repel any Enemy counterattack, without armoured support, they would have been overrun for certain.

    When we arrived at the bridge the bodies of the Airborne were still laying about where they had fallen, I can recall how impressed I was by how close to the bridge the gliders of this task force had landed in pressing home their attack. Indeed, one of the gliders was very close to the actual bridge approach on the far, or East bank. I have seen films about D Day, and the scene where they assaulted with gliders was not right!

    One of those gliders landed much closer to the bridge than in the film! In the early of the invasion, there had been some doubt about the capability of Pegasus bridge to support the weight of tanks, and indeed, whether the bridge might have collapsed under the strain of such heavy loads.

    The CRE. Of Third British Infantry Division. Colonel ‘Tiger’ Urquhart. DSO. R.E. (A name he richly deserved) had forbidden tanks to use the bridge in case of its collapse, the argument being that if the bridge were to go, then the supply line into the Airborne areas would be cut, leaving them stranded. Tiger Urquhart was renowned for having his own private war with the Enemy, sometimes to be seen crawling back towards the forward infantry, and legend has it, without his driver and signaler.

    Elements of 246 Field Co R.E. because of the danger to the bridge, were drafted in and assisted in rafting and building tidal bridges over the Orne, as a back up to the existing bridge. The Enemy wanted that bridge back, no matter what. To that end, there was a lot of sniping, shell and mortar fire, making the rafting and bridging a very hazardous operation, not helped by Luftwaff pressing home very determined and continuous air raids, carried out at very low level, air attacks that resulted in 17 planes being shot down in the area, mostly by ground fire. (It is claimed)

    In one instance during this operation, one of the platoons engaged in the bridging came under such heavy fire that they had to withdraw, 2 platoon took up the challenge and finished the job.

    The Enemy shell and mortar fire succeeded in holing some of the pontoons, but someone had the foresight to fill them with empty Jerry cans before we left England, this prevented them from foundering completely, and enabled us to replace the damaged pontoons much quicker while still under artillery fire. One of the bank sites for a "tidal" bridge came under such severe artillery fire that we were forced to move to a different site. To make things even more difficult while we were engaged in the rafting and bridging, we had to break off at times and defend the bridge from direct Enemy attack.

    I dug my fox hole on the Western bank and about 40 yards to the South, when watching TV one day, I saw that the bank has trees growing along the bank .so my foxhole can no longer be there! Shame! I have heard how the family from the café close by, took part in helping our men, with great respect and from what I can remember, I never even saw the place, we had little time to pay attention to civilians, let alone café's.

    Later, and while the bridges were being constructed, the Germans put in a determined armoured counter attack to drive the Airborne into the sea, those under attack needed tank support desperately, a squadron of tanks arrived at the bridge to give the armoured support, only to find themselves staring across a road over the bridge they could not use. Lieutenant M. Edwards R. E. climbed down under the bridge and investigated the end supports to see if the bridge had "end packing" finding that the Germans had strengthened the bridge, he told the tank commanders that they could cross. The tank men still not happy about the situation, hesitated, then, when Lt M Edwards R.E. offered to sit on the front of the leading tank, they were convinced, they all drove over, Lt M Edwards sitting on the front of the lead tank! later, the armour returned with their hessian camouflage smoldering, having driven off the counter attack.

    During the assault bridging operation sniper fire was a constant menace, one of our R.E units tired of being subjected to small arms fire, broke off the bridging operations, located the whereabouts of a sniper in a church spire, sent out a fighting patrol and got him, much to everyone's satisfaction.


    Iam particularly proud of the bit where two platoon went in under heavy fire to complete the job. For I was one of them...
    Hope no one minds me recalling the times of fortitude.... AS to the casualties?...There was a dinner at a london hotel after the war...Sadly just a handful....
    Sapper... HI Tom best wishes mate.
     
  16. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Sappers very own 246 Field Company RE War Diaries on the above days:

    [​IMG]
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  17. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

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    Juha likes this.
  18. Alanst500

    Alanst500 Senior Member

    Could you tell what type of Bailey this is?
    Bailey 00000.jpg
     
  19. sapper

    sapper WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    It looks like a standard Bailey to me. The tail of the bridge had to be long enough to get it across without failure (Tipping)..... (Counterweight) The calculations would be worked out even under fire. Sometimes we used an armoured bulldozer to pull the bridge into position ...Like the Rhine crossing and the Kattenturn bridge.

    On long bridges the thing would be down the street, and sometimes houses were demolished to make room.The bridge would be twice as long to allow it to span.

    I know of one instance where they used a tank to push it across. Quick and easy....
     
  20. Trux

    Trux 21 AG

    A standard class 40 single single Bailey Bridge. This means that the side girders are one panel abreast only and one panel in height only. It will carry about 40 tons but this varies with the type of vehicle, tracked, 6 wheel or 4 wheel. It has a launching nose which is a skeleton structure tilted at an angle. The bridge is gradually added to at the land end and then pushed out on rollers. The nose should eventually come to rest on rollers on the far side when it will be dismantled.

    Mike
     

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