Harbour chat

[Irish Rambler]

As with all military conflicts there are always several key features that dominate the tactics of both the defender and the attacker.
Bridges are one of those, remember the film 'Remagem Bridge' ? in the blog here on TF and my book 'Windmills and Wine' there are photo's and a description.

When the parachute regiments were originally formed in Great Britain they adopted as their cap badge the emblem of 'Pegasus', the mythical winged horse.
As part of, and in support of, the D day landings a bridge was named Pegasus bridge. From the small port of Oustrieham on the coast of France a short canal 20 kilometre long runs from there up to the town port of Caen. It was across this canal that Pegasus bridge is sited.

A key objective in both blocking any enemy counter attacks on the still vulnerable beach heads, and allowing the allies its use in pushing forward their objectives it became hotly contested territory.

Rommel, in charge of defences ordered all the low lying fields flooded and any flat piece of ground sabotaged with trenches, caltrops and barbed wire obstacle to frustrate any assault on the bridge.
The allies planned to use Horsa gliders towed over by DC3 Dakota's, after releasing the gliders and its own cargo of parachutists.
The attack was to take place on the night of the 5th. Many men lost their lives drowned in the surrounding flooded fields and swamps, some were lost through navigational error as the gliders were released too early and plunged into the sea short of the target, those who did land were below the complement originally planned for the attack.

Undeterred by the snafu the Commando's commander Lord Lovatt rallied his troops and took the fight to the enemy in typical commando style.

Photo's.
1, Entrance to the canal at Oustrieham.

2,3,4,5, Self explanatory.

6,8, Horsa glider.

7, Profile of Lord Lovatt with the original Pegasus bridge in the background.

9, Bofors quick firing gun used at Pegasus bridge by the British.

10, This is the 'new' replacement as it is today for the 'old' Pegasus bridge.

 

[Irish Rambler]

Having finished our tour of the 'D' day landing beaches I hope someone somewhere who has family connections but who are unable to visit, can see from the photo's places they may have heard of.
Nothing can recount the mayhem of shot and shell, nor recount the wounded's agony, all the films in the world can't conjure up the smells of acrid cordite smoke, vehicle fuel smells and in some cases abject fear until its overcome by the adrenalin of battle and the will to survive, provoking acts of heroism hardly anyone notices in the heat of battle. Those of you who've been there, know it and will never forget it.

Have you ever heard of Ouradour Sur Glane ?

I thought not.

Down in the South of France in WW2 was what was known 'Vichy' France, basically the top half of France was occupied and the Southern half rolled over and let the Germans takeover all the administration.
A bit like the EU today where Germany calls the shots, and France follows like a puppy dog.
In this part of France some Germans were transferring between places and for some unknown reason decided to stop at Ourador sur Glane and commit an abominable atrocity.

They sacked and burnt the town.

They herded all the locals into the church and set fire to it, there were 3 survivors, young children who hid until they'd gone.

Photo.
1, Orientation map.

2,3,4, Self explanatory.

5, Charles De Gaulle the exiled President of France decreed that the village be closed off, nothing should be touched as a permanent reminder of the Germans atrocity, it would be named the Martyrs Village in permanent memory so that no one could forget.

6,7,8,9,10. The whole village, every single building and it's contents were set on fire.

 

[Irish Rambler]

More photo's from Ourador sur Glane.

 

[Irish Rambler]

Ourador Sur Glane continued.

Photo's.
1, Town garage,

2, Doctors car in the square, the Doctor was stopped taken from his car and taken then to the church and imprisoned with the rest of the village. His car was burnt here and it remains untouched today as you see it in the photo.

3,4, Lower main street. Note the railway lines passing down the street.

5, Another photo of the Dr's car.

6,The town church.

7,Church interior,

8, Note the child's pushchair.

9, The dark grey blob is the church bell with the clapper.
Everyone was herded into the church, the doors barred and it was set alight, the heat was so intense it melted the church bell.

10, The town memorial.

 

[Irish Rambler]

History has a habit of repeating itself.
Twice in this century the Germans militarily subdued Europe but failed to conquer Great Britain.
This time it used a different method and was the instigator of the European Union, along with (Vichy) France.
They succeeded initially through trade agreements, that's now morphed into an unelected political establishment known as the EU.
They also began to pursue the 'Kalergi' plan, if you don't know what that is, then please Google it.
Great Britain in the beginning entered a trade agreement which slowly turned it into the second net contributor of the EU budget.
The EU imposed rules and regulations and allowed an unprecedented flood of immigration until finally the British public had enough and voted to leave the EU.
Mikhail Gorbachov said recently 'I can't understand the EU walking down that road when communism has failed in Cuba, China and Russia'.

Since the vote to leave the EU, called 'Brexit', pressure has been building on Great Britain to back down and ignore the democratic vote of its people.
Threats from the EU have now become a daily occurrence in the British way of life, of course trade is a key/lever issue and the EU (read Germany/France) threaten to close their borders to British goods.
Ireland is caught in the middle.
The EU wanted Northern Ireland to remain in the EU in a blatant land grab.
Southern Ireland being part of the EU, can only pay lip service to its masters in Brussels.
Northern Ireland being part of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland wishes to remain a part of it.
By this time next year Brexit will be a done deal and once more Britain will needs its allies.
This time Great Britain faces the might of Europe completely alone. No men, guns or ammo are needed this time around,

Britain needs your trade, if you are, or know someone in influence who can facilitate trade with Great Britain I ask you to use your best influence to do so.
Britain stood by its allies in the Iraq, Afghanistan.
Now it needs your support.

Change of subject.
During the winter months we've taken you along with us to various places.
But I'm a live aboard boating man and the weather's improving daily, its time I shifted my backside and got everything shipshape on 'Snow Mouse' and get ready to go cruising.
We plan to cruise with friends from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic via the canal du Midi and the lateral a la Garonne and back to our home port sometime in the Autumn.

Thank you for your company following this thread.
IR.

 

[dhays]

By this time next year Brexit will be a done deal and once more Britain will needs its allies.
This time Great Britain faces the might of Europe completely alone. No men, guns or ammo are needed this time around,

Britain needs your trade, if you are, or know someone in influence who can facilitate trade with Great Britain I ask you to use your best influence to do so.
Britain stood by its allies in the Iraq, Afghanistan.
Now it needs your support.

Hm... The UK voting public decided that the EU bed didn’t suit, so they decided to go sleep alone. Yeah, sleeping alone can get a bit cold. They will have to deal with it.

 

[BruceK]

Australia is seeking better trade relations with the UK in a post EU UK. Something like the old British Commonwealth days, pre the UK entering the EU. Note the UK did not adopt the Euro,though Eire did and remains in the EU. Surely the main UK motivator to leave the EU was loss of control of its borders,and the consequences. Spend a day in Frankfurt to see what happened there.
Australia is also negotiating trade arrangements in the EU. France`s Macron is visiting here right now.We might even accept the USA belatedly entering the TPP they derided and snubbed, but are now reconsidering. But I think, on the member nations terms.
Even so, talk of "Free Trade Agreements" is really BS. For 2 nations to move to "Free Trade" simply requires is an agreement to "trade freely",which does not require months/years of negotiations,tarrif discussions,exclusions,limits etc. "Free Trade" does not mean "trading freely".
I`m sure the UK has a good post Brexit future. By excluding the currency,they were only ever partly "in".

 

[Irish Rambler]

In fact when I update the Kindle version of any of my books I also update the printed version at the same time.
This is possible because of Amazons 'print on demand' service which I think is brilliant, unlike having a large print run and 'old stock' lying in a warehouse.
Thank you for your support.

 

[Irish Rambler]

When the UK became part of the EU it started as harmonisation laws on trade, for that read cartel, and UK wasn't allowed by the EU to continue with the Commonwealth trades built up over hundreds of years.
You're perfectly correct Bruce the loss of sovereignty and control of its borders were the reason for 'Brexit'.
The reason UK stayed out of the Euro was to allow the city of London services a free hand on the world financial stage which also suited the EU.
After Frau Merkel made a mess of the EU immigration policy telling all and sundry Germany welcomed them, then imposing them on other nations, coupled with opposition in Germany to her policies Frau Merkel is all but finished politically.
Being more presentable on TV and in the press Macron has now been pushed forward as the leader of Europe.
Part of the reason for Macrons visit to Australia and America is to gently dissuade any preferential treatment for the UK.
There is of course the world security and up until now British forces have been at the frontline in Iraq and the Stan and any EU forces deployed have been remf's. That of course will have to change now.
You are absolutely correct in that free trade should mean exactly that, without months of meetings and agreements which are as you correctly point out are a load of bs.
India for example only wishes to trade on the conditions we take in more immigrants from India.
Our family business is in Northern Ireland so it will be interesting days ahead but were confident for the future.

 

[siestakey]

Looking forward to your summer adventures

 

[Irish Rambler]

Thank you Alan,
May I use your earlier post as a screenshot to send to Amazon regarding the availability of books ?
Am in touch with Amazon at the moment trying to resolve the issue.
I will not use it without your permission.
IR.

 

[Irish Rambler]

You are perfectly correct Bruce, hopefully we'll get back to the old Commonwealth trading asap when all the political hot air has been expended.
As you correctly state, where there's a will there's way minus all the bs.

Siestakey.
I attach a screenshot I've received from Amazon regarding book availability. I hope it explains their position.

Plus a cheeky Blond I saw standing at the side of the road, couldn't resist the photo.