Lancaster Bomber 514 Squadron

Really good reading !! I was thinking how much the world has changed in 62 years but the urge to sneeze is still the same.

 

To the Campbells:

My thought are with you today,as well as with the other crews that went down in my region that night 62 years ago. I went to the grave of the SRV2 crew (crashed 15 mn after your aircraft) in Rebrechien yesterday and was very happy that at least three other people brought fresh flowers too. I will drive past Chateaudun in two weeks and lay flowers on Bob Giffin's grave at Saint Cloud. If I have time I will ask for the Arthur farm. Between Chateaudun and Stuttgart 39 ships went down that night, not to mention those which fell on the 25th and the 26th. I took a very nice picture of a 2 year old boy watering flowers on a comonwealth grave, this gets me optimistic as to the keeping of the graves for the following generation.

 

Skipper,

Thank you for your wonderful comments. I am not sure if Dad has been communicating with any of Bob Giffin's family but it would we must try to make them aware of this post. How wonderful to know that someone like you is driving around the French countryside keeping the memory of these young fliers alive.
Can you post the picture of the young boy?

E.W. Campbell

 

Hello,

I tried to paste the picture of the grave, but it doesn't work that way. Could someone tell me how I can post a picture? Regarding the Giffin family it would be interesting to try to trace them down.

 

Skipper,

An image must already be stored on the Internet somewhere. To add an image use the "full reply form" option, select the "image" button and then enter the URL (http://***) link to the image.

I resized the image below to 400 pixels wide so it would fit easily on the page. I believe dad is standing with a member of the ground crew.

 

Ok I get it, I need some sort of buffer zone. The problem is that I don't have a site where I could store pictures on the internet before creating a link.

 

Feel rather guilty butting into this excellent and fascinating thread but the site 'Photobucket'
http://photobucket.com/
Is very handy for uploading pictures to the web, very simple to register and use, even gives you the ability to simply cut and paste the 'IMG' code wherever you would like the picture displayed.
Hope that helps somewhat.
Cheers,
Adam.

 

thank you for this address. I will give it a try. The picture is on the net now. I hope it works.

 

Skipper,

Beautiful image!

 

There are eight men buried there (101 Squadron had an extra crew member on board) . This is the Lanc that was shot down by Heinz Rökker at 00.14.
did you notice the two propellers? Curiuosly the date says July 28th whereas it was just after midnight and it should have beeb July 29th.

 

Skipper,

Thanks for the details about the image of the grave. I did notice the props.

In one of your previous posts you mentioned "In Rökker's Chronik I Gruppe Nachtjagdgeschader 2
There are pictures of Strassner, Hahn and Pareidt."
Do you have this image? Would it be possible to post it here?
I am interested in seeing a picture of Strassner and his crew.

E.W. Campbell

 

to the Campbells,

Here is a picture of Strassner and Hahn. I don't know whether I have one from Pareidt. I'll check later. It must be a strange feeling for you to see the faces after so many years.

 

Skipper,

Thank you so much. You can't imagine how amazing this is. To have completed this search and now have an image of the pilot of the Ju88 who successfully attacked my Dad's lanc on July 28, 1944.

E.W. Campbell

 

This is so amazing to see the images of the people and places from such a long time ago. The technology
and expertise of those using it can be mind boggling
to me. Thank every one of you for contributing to
these most enjoyable postings.
Alex Campbell Skipper of Lancaster "C Charlie"

 

This is the picure of Strassner's JU-88 G1 (code 4R+AK).
It is probably the very aircraft he used on July 28th.
As we have mentionned earlier it was not fitted with the experimental "nashorn" device for combat operations.
You can clearly identify the codes. The crew members are Hahn and Pareidt (one is headless on the cockpit, didn't fit on the picture) .

 

Hello.
I got an answer from Chateaudun yesterday. The lady in charge of the Veteran Association does not know Mr Liger or the big Arthur. She has never asked for names and only knew people by nicknames, therefore it is difficult for her to say that she knows such an such person. However I did not completely draw a blank as she has conveyed several airmen to Freteval 62 years ago and remembers these events. I will ask her for more details about Freteval and I will try to Find The Arthurs and Mr Liger elsewhere.

 

Skipper, thanks for your continuing efforts on this story. We are creating an interesting narrative here that starts with Erich's detective work that led us to Strassner. It is exciting to think that you may be able to find someone with knowledge of the people who helped Dad in the summer of 44. I have attached an image of the newspaper account, probably from the Toronto Star.

Regards, E.W. Campbell .

 

Nice newspaper article. It must have been terrible when Mr was actually reported missing for several weeks.

I have found some more interesting things at places you don't expect. Two days ago I drove to Blois and saw a museum there. I did not have the opportunity to visit it, but I found out that they have a Freteval room there. I met a former resistant who showed me a green silk parachute that was used for SOE droppings in the Loire et Cher, possibly supplies for Freteval. I also drove to Chambord where Kaplan and Klemmstine ( Freteval evaders) landed. There is a nice memorial at the crash place which mentions Freteval too.

 

Tomorrow I will be going to Britanny. On my way I will stop at St Cloud en Dunois and take a picture of Bob Giffin's grave as well as a picture of the village. I will be back in a couple of days.

 

Skipper, we are looking forward to your images from St. Cloud.
I have posted another newspaper item, I believe this was printed in the Toronto Star.

Regards, E. Wayne Campbell