Welcome CTCarlisle, glad to have you here and a salute to your father, for his service.

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Best Regards,
JW

Welcome CT.

I joined the forum recently out of interest sparked by my father's involvement in the same salients as your father. He was at Falaise, the Seine crossing, Belgium and the battle of the Schelde. Fortunately, he is still with us, but as someone else has said, the veterans' numbers are declining. In recent years he has been willing to write about some of his experiences, which even in his understated style are quite hair-raising. Here is a web-page where some of his recollections are posted.

The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (P.L.)

Lest we forget.

Best wishes to all for the holidays and 2008.

Kieran

Kieran:-

I look forward, as I hope others will, to reading the article your father wrote. Instead of highjacking this thread of Sapper's, I will also respond privately to you.

It is so extremely reassuring to hear and read the words of these gallant soldiers...there is no better witness than to know these men and women and the gift they share with us is priceless -and much appreciated especially at this time of year. Thank you Kieran!

Charles Carlisle

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I realise that time is flying, and that the deeds of long ago are now things of History. But for many of us that are left, we still recall the deaths and woundings of young men with a great deal of sadness. So many young men, so long ago. Is it really nearly 64 years?
Must be.... all my pals have departed to where old soldiers go. There is no one left to talk to over the phone now. That is sad
Sapper

Sapper, I really missed you during the holidays, as I'm sure many did here too. (I know you were seeing your friend off). And, whereas none of us "young guys" (I'm a baby-boomer) can ever replace the buddies you had, I can state for a fact that you have in this medium a new-found list of people who read you, who therefore respect, and thank, you. Sure, the internet is different and what is now had in 'quantity' will never make up for the "quality" of the friends you once had, there is some solace in greater numbers...as the saying goes.

Personally, I had a great time over the holiday period going over my dad's (Lt. Col. TH Carlisle, 22nd Armoured Regiment, RCA) maps of his route through Caen and Falaise and onwards towards Belgium. Just the contact with members of this board and another French board, I saw movies and photographs of the actual battlefields, found a new set of "friends" to correspond with - and looking at the photos, watching the movies and reading the correspondance brought me closer to my dad that any time in the past. He passed away in 1963, a long time ago when I was a boy still, and sure, it's not as if he were here, but the sharing of the information did me a lot of good and made him feel next to me. Now it's whole new world...

So, yes, these photos are "History". But how many of us have ever read the words and stories like yours of someone who was actually living History as it happened? Not many...how precious is that???

So - at the very least - I can thank you for that! I wish you well and hope to spend more time reading your words.

Charles Carlisle
Montreal

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Hi Charles.
Falaise? What a bucket of worms that names conjures up! While the Canadians were at the top of the bag creating havoc, we were at the back driving them towards the neck of the bag. The fights that went on at the back from rearguards determined to give the German army time to get away, were to say the least FIERCE!
I have never seem so many bodies, and what was worse, piled up on each other in places. A real shocker.
It was the poor bloody horses that suffered the most. Panic stricken, running about on broken legs, to finish up, dead, legs in the air, amongst a horrifying mangled mess of bodies of men and animals. Many of them blackened, burnt, and rigid.

There is something quite horrible about the sight of the rigid burnt remains of men still standing in their tank turrets. It was a common sight, I recall that I expected them to move, for although they were burnt black they still looked like humans.

That combined with those that hung down from the tank turrets, burnt to death before they could finish getting out. Died draped over the side of the tank.

The carnage inside that pocket at Falaise, remains a picture of utter destruction, of misery beyond belief, as the Germans desperate to get out tried everything to get away. The stench of death was overpowering and never forgotten.
I sometimes wonder who had the job of clearing up that massive charnel house where so many died?
Not us, we were far away still chasing.

One saving grace about Falaise...The Das Reich. Number two SS Panzer Div. Responsible for the Horrors and murders. The burning alive of the women and children locked in the church at Orador sur glan, And later, of the Hanging of 99 men on the lamp posts in the little town of Tule, on their way to Normandy, from down near the Limoge area......They were caught up in the Falaise mincer. Sadly, they did not all get killed

That pocket showed Monty at his most ruthless.
PS, I still have copies of the D Day battle maps, for D Day and D Day plus one, the originals in a museum, brought back by a friend of mine, still had them stuffed inside his tunic when he arrived back in the UK wounded. I must admit they are a bit tatty now having been used for 60 years plus!

Cheers sapper

Sadly a great friend of mine. (Richard Harris 1st Suffolks) that was wounded during the drive at the rear of the Falaise pocket. Has just died. The last of my veteran friends.
It is very quiet here now.
Sapper

Sapper:-

Hello Brian...been away a bit as my sister (58 only) passed away suddenly just before Christmas and bless her, she left a house full of personal things that we the siblings have to sort through. Sorry to have heard of the loss of your friend, I think it was just before Christmas Day that I read your post - wasn't he the man who lost part of his hand in combat?

I read all your posts up until about the time you reached Holland and were injured the second time, so I have a bit of catching up to do. I also heard today that a gentleman from France, aged 110 years, and a veteran from WW1 just passed away. Also sad.

Not much point to this post, Sapper, but to let you know that I look for you every now and then, and hope to be able to do so for a long time to come. Oh yes, I found a photo of my dad, driving what appears to be a Ram tank somewhere either in Normandy in 1944, or perhaps even during training exercises in England in 1943 or 1944. I thought he commanded a Sherman, but the photo suggests a Ram, which I don't believe were common in July and August 1944 in Normandy at least... He was 35 in 1944 and has been gone for 45 years now.

All the best, and again thank you for helping us know the reality of the time...

http://i33.servimg.com/u/f33/11/82/83/22/dadin110.jpg

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Lovely to converse with you. Cheers .

hi brian
I have recently joined this forum and came across your story .
I think it is incredibly important that wwii veterans like yourself tell thier story .I allways think the truth is told by the ordinary soldier as it allways seems to differ from the "official version". Men like yourself tell it like it was ,not a version that might suit someones agenda . My dad passed away over a year ago now he to was a wwii veteran .He truly was my hero .Unfortunately he didnt talk much about it but my mam would tell me the odd story and i would wind my dad up sometimes and he would tell me some things.
I tell my children everything i know about it ,because they remember my dad as a frail old man not the crazy scottish highlander who rampaged through western europe from D.Day to belsen and helped liberate it. My son is 20 the same age my father was when he landed on sword beach. My son has problems getting his head around that.
Wonder if you ever came across my dads unit it was 141 rac.79th.armoured division the buffs.,he was a churchill flame thrower tank driver.
Well it was an honour talking to you , your good health.

Hi and thanks for your post.
Yes we had support at times from the 79 div. being ours was an Infantry div, we often had armoured support from the armour.

79th Div. If I recall had the divisional sign of a Bulls Head in a triangle, on a yellow back ground. Oddly enough the other armoured div that support us at time also had a bull insignia. The 11th armoured had a black bull in a rectangle on a white background...
How do I know all this after 64 years? I have the "Normandy Plate" with all the battle units badges that took part in the battles!
Cheers and best wishes.
Sapper

Dear sapper,

I am absolutely perplexed reading your stories. I cannot even begin to express my admiration for you and your brothers in arms.
I haven't gotten the time yet to go through all your posts, but what i've read up to now is very impressive. I just had to post a comment already.

I hail from Antwerp and used to live close to the 'Escaut' river, or as we call it in Flemish, the 'Schelde'. I will think of you everytime I cross the 'Albertkanaal' over the river.

I am very sad to hear your comrade has passed away. Rest assured that the next generation (i'm 25) will never let your heroic deeds be forgotten

Thank you Piron.
I am pleased that you find it interesting. I have never been back to France, Belgium, or Holland. It is difficult, If I visit one grave of my lost friends. Then I have to visit all of them on the long road from Sword Beach to Bremen. For we lost a great many.
Sadly I was also severely wounded and unable to do the walking that would be necessary. The losses were such that afdter the war we could not hold a reunion,There were not enough left.
I send you my best wishes.
Sapper

Sapper,

With great interrest I've read you're story. Living here in Belgium we're always remembered about the cruel wars who've passed here.To read the stories off men who fought for the savings off the coming generations is something special.

Thank you sincerely for doing what you did 64 years ago.

I'm not a man of great words, like you can read, but you're always welcome when you pass and need a cup of tea.

greetings Arne

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Sixty-four bomber pilots and crew lie in the cemetery at Wevelgem Communal and today many locals still pay their respects to those brave men from high in the skies.

Hello Arne.
Belgium? Oh I shall never forget the kindness shown to me on that one night we went into Brussels. That elderly couple in the Forest area of the City gave me all they had, and insisted they had been waiting for all the long years, till they could invite a Young liberator soldier into their home, and to show him the City.

At the time I was quite upset, because I thought I was taking all they had, and it stuck in my throat a bit.

They were kindness itself, and I have never forgotten them, though they must have passed on many years ago.

Before I left that morning, I looked out the bedroom window to get a fixed image picture in my mind of what it looked like, so that if I survived, I could return and take them out to repay their great kindness. I still have the image in my mind clear and sharp as a photo. An upstairs flat with a window that looked out on a small street, with a very colourful town hall, or building, to my left, at the end of my view, And on the opposite side of the road. The building had some red colouring on it, near the front top! Not bad for 64 years ago!

Sadly I was wounded again, this time between Overloon and Venrraij. The injuries were severe with a fractured spine and serious leg injuries.
That prevented me from returning to thank them properly. BUT ! I have never forgotten them. And I never will.
One thing I recall, was that they told me that Grandmother had flown round Brussels at the age of Ninety before the war.

The next night I was back in action....

Best regards to you and all the friends here.
Sapper

HI, i'm sure you here this all the time but it is great to hear these stories first hand and it is great that you are willing to share them, both my grandfathers were in ww2 i don't know much about them except that one was part of the 6th Airborne Division to land at normandy (being the only one in our family interested in ww2 she gave me his shoulder flashes, metal and cloth wings and his pagasus patch). And my other grandfather was a submariner I don't know anything else except that he was the boats boxer. Anyway I love reading your posts it brings everything I have read seem more real in my mind, and helps me to understand it a bit more. thankyou

Hi.
If your Grandfather was in the 6th Airborne div, he was not far away from where we were. We were the Company, along with 17th Field Company RE, that kept Pegasus bridge open, and built bridges to allow the passage of tanks into the 6th Airborne area.

In the first place, Pegasus bridge was not allowed to carry tanks. It was thought by our Colonel (The CRE Tiger Urquhart. DSO) (CRE? Colonel of the Royal Engineers) that it would collapse. if that happened then the 6th would be cut off from armoured support. And could easily be over run.
It is not well known, but the Sappers arrived at the bridge shortly before the Commandos arrived to relieve the airborne with Piper Millan.

One of our Sgts was very impressed when he saw them arrive.
Later, after Captain Edwards RE got under the bridge and inspected it for load? the tanks were allowed to cross freely. And continued to do so.
Best Wishes.
Sapper

So Pagasus bridge couldn't hold tanks, or so it was thought? does that mean no one ever tried, and if the bridge would have collapsed dosen't that mean they were already cut off from armour support because neither the allies or the germans could get tanks across, or am i just misreading?

It means that we had to build bridges under fire to ensure the tanks could get across. The bridges were floating, and had to rise and fall with the tide. The tide did affect that area. At the time the incoming shells were so bad that we moved the bridging further down. The bridge was also attacked as the enemy wanted it back. If I recall correctly 17 planes were shot down in attacks on the bridge.

It was Captain Edwards RE that later found that the Bridge was supported sufficiently to take the weight of tanks. There is the story there somewhere how he took the first tanks over the bridge.

I see so you planned for the worst did it the hard waym and found out later that there is an easier route? I do not know a lot about Pegasus bridge, and I didn't know about the tanks thats interesting, and were they allied or german planes shot down, and were there many losses over the bridge trouble?

All enemy planes knocked out while attacking.