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Relics from Moissy ford

Discussion in 'Battlefield Relics' started by TheRedBaron, Apr 18, 2004.

  1. Thomas6449

    Thomas6449 Member

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    Hi,
    I have just come across this forum and noted that you had talked about the ford at Moissy and the Vimoutiers Tiger Tank. I was at both sites last week and took some pictures. The ford has not changed, but I include some pics of the Tiger Tank.
     

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  2. jagdpanther44

    jagdpanther44 Battlefield wanderer

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    First of all, welcome to the forum, Thomas6449 and thanks for sharing your photographs.

    Great to see the Vimoutiers Tiger making another appearance on the forum, I've spent many an hour climbing all over the thing, what a beast...:)

    Please post more photos of your Normandy trip.
     
  3. krieg

    krieg Ace

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    yep all nice pics keep them coming we all like to see them well done
    best krieg:D
     
  4. S.Vestae

    S.Vestae Member

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    Hello All,

    nice relic and historical items

    sebastien.
     
  5. Thomas6449

    Thomas6449 Member

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    Hello again,
    Here are some more pics. The knocked out Panther is shown to give you the picture of the house that is in the background today. the cement structure is a Tobruk bunker on the western edge of Carpiquet Airport (near the flying club). The 50mm anti-tank gun is from a bunker overlooking Juno beach. The emplacement faces east-west along the beach and is heavily protected on the seaward side.
     

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  6. Thomas6449

    Thomas6449 Member

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    We went to the Abbeye d'Ardenne to see where 22 Canadian soldiers were murdered by members of the 12th SS Hitler Youth Division. I included the old pic from 1947 showing the damage the Abbeye sustained.
     

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  7. Thomas6449

    Thomas6449 Member

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    Here are some pics of the vehicles at the Mont Ormel Polish Memorial overlooking the Falaise-Chamois gap.
     

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    krieg likes this.
  8. Thomas6449

    Thomas6449 Member

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    Here is some misc pics. One is of a german 150cm shell at the Bretteville war memorial, Another is St Lambert Sur Dives, where David Currie won his VC, and just up the road from the Moissy Ford, and the last is of the grave in the Beny sur Mer cemetery of The Rev. Walter Brown. He was the only Allied chaplain murdered in WW 2. He was murdered along with his driver by advance units of the 12th SS Hitler Youth Division near Galmanche. A Canadian Lt. was wounded but feigned death and escaped back to Canadian lines. Rev. Brown's body was not found until early July in a ditch along with his portable communion kit.
     

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  9. krieg

    krieg Ace

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    great pics my friend thanks for leting us all see them keep them coming
    best krieg:D
     
  10. pegasus

    pegasus Member

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    Hi Thomas, nice pictures the abbeye-Ardenne is on my list of places to see in Normandy, I have been to the chataeu Adure (not sure the spelling of the chataeu is wright I will check later) where around 50 Canadans where executed by the SS, if you tell the hotel you are intersted in staying they will let you explore the grounds
    There is a lot of shrapnel and bullet damage on monument at the rear of the chateau
    there where fresh flowers on the spot where the majority where shot (rear of the orched)
    nice to see they are not forgoten
     
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  11. Thomas6449

    Thomas6449 Member

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    I suggest taking some pics of the Abbeye d'Ardenne taken during the war, and then compare the very quiet beautiful place it is today. Quite a contrast.

    We did two days with Battlebus Tours on their Canadian Battlefields and Juno beach tours. They really know their stuff and have lots of info and pics of the places they show you. Check out Battlebus - Tours of the D-Day beaches and battlefields of Normandy . They seem to be really busy though!
     
  12. Martin Bull

    Martin Bull Acting Wg. Cdr

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    Walking the battlefield with 'Jagdpanther44' recently, I told him how I reckoned I had accidentally lost or thrown away my very first 'relic from Moissy ford' :(

    But hunting around the attic back at home last week - I unearthed it for the first time in years ! When I first visited Moissy 11 years ago, the old man who then lived in the little cottage next to the Ford was working in his garden. He threw an object aside from under a bush - and on hearing my exclamation, gave it to me, obviously amused that I was interested in a piece of old tin.

    It was a readily-recognizable fragment of a German rifle-cleaning kit.....

    [​IMG]

    ...shown here next to an unissued one. The brass hinges still work. Yes, it's an old beaten-up piece of junk, but it was found just five paces from Moissy Ford.

    It was THERE...........:cool:
     
  13. bigfun

    bigfun Ace

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    Envy.

    ;)

     
  14. jagdpanther44

    jagdpanther44 Battlefield wanderer

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    I remember our conversation well Martin.
    I also remember setting my eyes to 'scan mode' after you had pointed out the spot where you found the cleaning kit case...to no avail...:(
     
  15. krieg

    krieg Ace

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    still a nice find anyway .. what do you fellows do with them clean them up
    or leave them the war they are for the collection ??
    best krieg
     
  16. Martin Bull

    Martin Bull Acting Wg. Cdr

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    If 'bits' are made from non-ferrous metals I clean them up. But mostly they are made of ferrous material and are so badly rusted by now that vigorous cleaning, wire-brushing etc would simply leave you with a handful of red dust....:(

    So I usually just clean them gently with a light brush and maybe some wire-wool, and then treat with a penetrating oil such as 'WD-40' which inhibits further corrosion.
     
  17. Skipper

    Skipper Kommodore

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    warm soap water and a tooth brush are the finest for small and fragile ferous items. I hesitate to use wire-wool because of the scratches and the fact that they can remove paint and text (if left)
     
  18. pegasus

    pegasus Member

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    Hi guys, I use stuff called deox c
    its made in England and avalible via post from bilt hamber laboratories in Essex, if you want there phone number pm me
    you just mix it with warm water and drop in your ferrous metal treasures, follow the instructions and it disolves the oxidisation, its also good on none ferrous metals
     
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  19. Skipper

    Skipper Kommodore

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    thanks for the tip Pegasus. I will meet a specialist this week, he is a real magician: give him a piece of torn and twisted iron , he'll get it fixed . Articulations are saved with intense heating, they burn the rust and the earth but save the metal. It's incredible how he seperates two pieces, that were melted together by fire and rust ,look almost like they were made yesterday.
     
  20. Martin Bull

    Martin Bull Acting Wg. Cdr

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    Thanks for the tip, Pegasus !

    I've checked out their website which looks interesting, & I've gone ahead and ordered some. I look forward to giving it a try.....:)
     

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