Gents, After having introduced myself, I have been "wandering" through WW2 Talk. I have found a lot of very useful information and learned of lot about the chain of commands and the changes in it of the units which were operating during September 25th, 1944 in the area between Nijmegen and Arnhem. That is a big help in my research for the 2ndTAF crashes during September 25th, 1944, because in the Operational Record Book of the squadron involved, it is mentioned that one of their pilots was rescued by a patrol from a unit of the Guards Armoured Division. In the War Diary of the 7th Green Howards I have found a useful link to the 2ndTAF operations at September 1944. Their Sitrep about September 25th told me that a parachutist came down in the sector of the 5th East Yorks. Unfortunately in WO 171/1303 the Sitrep of 69th Infantry Brigade is not present. Because the 69th Infantry Brigade was at this date part of the Guards Armoured Division the Intelligence Summaries Nrs 77, 78 and 79 of the GAD could also contain information about this crashed pilot. So I start looking for the files of the 5th East Yorks, 69th Infantry Brigade and Guards Armoured Division at the catalogue for downloadable files at the website of the NA. But no luck. So, I am looking for the Sitrep for September 25th,1944 of the 5th East Yorks, 69th Infantry Brigade and the Intel. Summ. Nrs. 77, 78 and 79 of the GAD. Who can help or point me in the right direction? Jaap Woortman Studygroup Air War 1939-1945 Documentationgroup Volkel AFB.
In the 5th East Yorks Diary the strep at 1945 on the 25th states "Considerable air activity and at 1720 hrs 3 parachutists seen to fall all approx one mile outside Bn area"
Maria, looking forward for the War Diary page. Horsapassenger, I hope it is the Sitrep of September 25th, 1944. The three parachutist are from the Mitchell FW211 of 98 Sqn. It has crashed at Hees. This makes the Sitrep or War Diary page of 69 Infantry Brigade more interesting. Jaap Woortman Studygroup Airwar 1939-1945 Documentationgroup Volkel AFB
Hi Jaap, can you send me a private message with your email address please? I'll get my partner to reduce the files size before I send. Sorry, it's been a long day. I hope you don't mind waiting until tomorrow? I'm away to put my feet up at the fire. Maria
The only mention of air activity in the 69th Inf Bde War Diary is in the attached strep fro 25th September
HI amberdog45 I think a member needs to have a total of 5 posts credited to their username before they can start sending PM's, but I guess that would not affect them receiving PM's (not sure on that). TD
Thanks very much Horsapassenger! So the next step must be Guards Armoured Division! See also in the appendix the page of the ORB of 412 Sqn. In the encounter report it is mentioned that the pilot was picked-up by patrols of the 43 Wessex Division. See appendix. So if the line to the GAD is not successful, I have to dive in the files of the 43 Wessex Division. Maria, my email address is j dot woortman located at onsnet dot nu Jaap Woortman
Hi Jaap, here's the sitreps for the 25th. The clerks typewriter No. 1 key must have been broken and was using the capital letter "I" to make do.
Could be "The clerks typewriter No. 1 key must have been broken and was using the capital letter "I" to make do." However... http://www.daskeyboard.com/blog/why-did-old-typewriters-not-have-a-number-one-key/ "When looking at old typewriters, you’ll notice the key for number one is missing. It’s not because someone took it out or because it broke. Here is another one: So did you find out why the one key is missing? Here is the answer: the number one key was not implemented by design. Instead, the L key – l – in lowercase, was used in its lowercase form as a letter or a number, because a lowercase l looks like a one. That allowed manufacturers to save some space in the overcrowded area where hammers were located." They tended to use a capital "O" instead of having a separate key for zero too. The latest QI podcast (26th Feb 2016): http://qi.com/podcast/ https://soundcloud.com/nosuchthingasafish/episode-102-no-such-thing-as-a-water-mortar Funnily enough was also talking about this... for being for "maximum efficiency" in the early typewriters (at 14mins in).
Maria, thanks for the Sitreps of 5th East Yorks! I was not aware that there were 3 Sitreps from different times during the day. Because of the fact that the documents of the units of the 69th Infantry Brigade does not give more specific information about the RAF and RCAF fighter pilots, I have to look to the other units of the Guards Armoured Division in the area between the Waal and the Rhine at September 25th, 1944. According to my information these were: 1st Bn Welsh Guards 2nd Arm. Recce Bn. Welsh Guards 2nd Bn Household Cavalry and the Irish Guards who where resting at Oosterhout at that date. The War Diary of the Irish Guards does not mention anything about these fighter pilots at September 25th. Jaap
Jaap, I couldn't upload these the other day. Think my router signal kept dropping. Sorry for delay. Good luck with the rest of your research. Keeps us updated please. Maria
In my (re)search for the crashlocation of the Spitfire Mk IX of F/O H.W. McLeod of 412 RCAF Sqn. I have made a small step. In the file of the 1st Can. Army Gen. Staff I have found a sitrep of September 25th of 30 Corps 252250A. In this sitrep is a small note and I quote:" Patrol HCR made contact with 29 Bde at St.Anthonis 7238." This was quite new to me. The 2nd Bn Household Cavalry Regt. was at that date part of the Guards Arm. Div. And according to this sitrep not completely operating in the Waal-Rhine area. It is known that just outside the village Elsendorp is a crashlocation of an Spitfire Mk IX. Can someone confirm that a patrol of the HCR has made contact with an pilot in the Elsendorp-St.Anthonis area in the afternoon of September 25th, 1944? Jaap Woortman
