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.

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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.

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"Wars cannot be fought with dream stuff" - Sir Percy Hobart.

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

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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.

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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.

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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"

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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) .

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

Trivia Pros and Cons
I'd better post these items now as they don't improve with age as do some wines and seniors.
A few days ago I followed an interestig dialogue in the Forum about the recovery of an intact Merlin engine that now resides in the USA. I am not qualified to comment extensively on the Merlins as I flew the Mk III Lanc only long enough to be checked out.
Over many pints the merits of the Merlin and the Hercules powered aircraft have been discussed at length. The Hally and the Lanc would be two prime examples of this.
The ever present gremlins played many different pranks. With the Bristol Hercules there were two rather regular conditions encountered. They were known as "coring" and "frothing". As I remember they could both be cured by the same remedy. This called for a sharp reduction in revs followed by several bursts of speed. This usually worked.
Coring was indicated by high oil pressure and temperature while frothing was suspected when high temperature and low pressure existed.
High fuel consumption was everyone's concern and
certainly so for the Mk II Lanc. After one lengthy
and active trip I was in a discussion next morning with the Wingco. He pointed out that I had used an excessive amount of His Majesty's petrol and I should be made aware of it.The consumption rate was something like .8 miles per gallon. Instead of a reprimand I was offered a Bristol sponsored course at #10 OTU, Westcott. Interest there was focused on a most remarkable animated cutaway of a Bristol Hercules Mk XVI radial engine. Having worked one time as a mechanics' helper on the Cheetah IX and X powered Ansons I was most impressed with this giant sleeve valved power plant developing 1,650 HP.Shortly after this, again in conversation,I was commended For having achieved a 1.0 mpg average.
Our take-off consumption was 8 gals. per minute.
I believe the Mk II's could slightly outdo our Merlin people at this stage. However as we approched altitudes of 18 to 20'000 feet they could enjoy being able to look down on us from there on.
We had a "through the gate" setting which required forcing the throttles into an emergency position at the very forward end of travel on the throttle quadrant. This area was cordoned off by a length of brass lock wire which had to be broken in order to gain access to Maximum power. I believe the duration at this level of performance was restricted to no more than 8 minutes. I know our ground crew bods performed many extra hours to restore our aircraft to airworthy condition.
Hope some of you can relate to these bits of trivia. Enough for tonight.
Skipper of Lancaster A2 C Cheers Alex Campbell

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Thank you Mr Campbell - your recollections are most interesting indeed !

Many legends seem to have sprung up among post-war enthusiasts about the differences between between the Hercules and Merlin-engined Lancasters ( and of course, none of us has any experience whatsoever of the real thing.... ).

Reg Davey at the Mosquito Museum is often asked his opinion of the technical differences between the engines. Reg, of course, was a Navigator and he always just smiles and says :

'Oh, you know, as far as I was concerned, as long as the propellers kept turning round I wasn't really bothered......'

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"Stand by to pull me out of the seat if I get hit" - Guy Gibson

That was really interesting ! Thank you for writting about the engines. Did you ever meet any Manchester crew or have stories about the Vulture engine ?

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Work Harder ! Millions on welfare are depending on you.

This may be the cut-away Bristol Hercules that Dad is talking about.

http://www.enginehistory.org/G&jJBro...way%20view.JPG

Apparently this engine is at the Midland Air Museum in Coventry.

http://www.enginehistory.org/coventry.htm

Yes Martin, these navigators do seem to have a way with words don't they? Glad you enjoyed the trivia.
TA152 I had no first hand experience with the Vulture engine. They must have been a tragic failure
and accounted for the deaths of many airmen.
And thanks Wayne for the fine engine photos. They can be examined now in more detail than we possibly
could have done. Cheers to all EAC

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In looking back through the pages I see I have made no acknowledgement of Reg Davey. You welcomed me to the Forum as a fellow member of 514 Squadron. Yes you likely just missed us as we commenced Ops on May 19/44. You might have met Wendy Flemming from Alberta who attended a 514 reunion in England a few years back. Her father,Ross Flemming, was navigator on "Minnie the Moocher". Our navigator was Judy Garland, yes, Judy from Sydney NS.
Good luck with your Mossies Reg I'm sure you do a fine job there. Give us a course for home.
Bye for now Alex Campbell

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Hello to all and especially the Campbells.
I'm back from my holiday and as promised I drove through Saint Cloud en Dunois and took pictures.

It was six in the morning so I had no opportunity to talk to the locals. I drove around and found several isolated farms scattered around here and there. Then I drove towards the Chateaudun base. There is still a farm right next to the runways, although I could not actually get close enough to get pictures or see if these were inhabited. This group of buildings could possibly be the Arthur farm. In fact this farm is part of Chateaudun and is about five minutes from st Cloud (a good hour on foot) Another farm near the road seems abandonned but is intact. I guess I should go back there and ask locals. I'll post the pictures later today. The countryside with small hills and fields + isolated farms totally fitted in your description. I also made a short visit to Bob Giffin's grave. Sorry, as it was early in the morning and there are no shops, I had no flowers except a small plastic one.

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