On this day in history : 4th September 1939 – The first 200 Citizen’s Advice Bureau establishments open across Britain – the day after the outbreak of World War 2….
The Government had begun to consider the need for an information service in 1935…. By 1938 World War 2 was looming, so the National Council of Social Services formed a group to study and understand how to meet the needs of the civilian population during war time…. Their recommendations being :- “Citizen Advice Bureaux should be established throughout the country, particularly in the large cities and industrial areas where social disorganisation may be acute”….
THE WORK OF THE CITIZENS’ ADVICE BUREAU, ELDON HOUSE, CROYDON, ENGLAND, 1940 (D 522) A widow of a civil servant seeks advice about her delayed pension from volunteer Mrs Wraight at the Citizens’ Advice Bureau in Croydon. Mrs Wraight was one of 12 volunteers working at the bureau at this time. Copyright: � IWM. Original Source: http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205197564
On the 3rd of September 1939 World War 2 was declared; the following day the first 200 Citizen’s Advice Bureaux opened…. Initially volunteers ran the service from private houses or sometimes public buildings – dealing with problems such as lost ration books, evacuation and homelessness….
Godalming Citizen’s Advice Bureau, 2013 – Juan J Martinez via Flickr
On this day in history : 23rd August 1944 – An American Liberator bomber crashes into an English village school in Feckleton, Lancashire – killing 61 people, 38 of whom are children….
Two recently refurbished B-24 bombers had departed from Warton Aerodrome at 10.30 in the morning on a test flight, when a violent storm blew up…. Both aircraft were recalled to the USAAF airbase and as they approached visibility was greatly reduced because of the torrential rain and 60mph gusts of wind….
B-24H Liberator bomber – similar to the one that crashed. Image : United States Army Air Forces – Public domain
Pilot John Blosmendal, in the first of the two bombers, reported to the control tower that he was going to abort his landing attempt and would circle around again – only his aircraft was to disastrously crash into the Holy Trinity Church of England village school, which lay to the east of the airfield…. The right wing of the B-24 was ripped from the fuselage as it hit a tree-top; it then impacted with the corner of a building…. The fuselage of the 25-ton bomber then continued to plough a path of destruction, partly demolishing three houses and ‘The Sad Sack Snack Bar’ – which catered for the American servicemen stationed at the base…. The aircraft then burst into flames, whilst another inferno raged, caused by the ruptured fuel tanks of the bomber, at the infants school….
The Feckleton air disaster instantly claimed the lives of the B-24’s three crew members, thirty-four children, a teacher, six American servicemen, one RAF airman and seven staff at the snack bar…. A further four children, a teacher, an American serviceman and three RAF airmen died later in hospital – and many more people were injured….
Feckleton Air Disaster Memorial and Remembrance Garden
On this day in history : 20th August 1940 – The speech “Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few” was made by Prime Minister Winston Churchill….
Winston Churchill, British Prime Minister, giving a V sign in 1943 – British Government, public domain
It was in recognition of the efforts of the Royal Air Force, who were in the midst of the ongoing Battle of Britain, fighting against the German Luftwaffe – as Britain was anticipating an imminent invasion….
Churchill had apparently first said the words during a visit to the No.11 Group RAF Operations Room – during a particularly harrowing day of battle; it was an experience he found emotionally moving…. He was then to use the words as a basis for his House of Commons speech, in an attempt to inspire the Country…. He pointed out that although in the previous months the Allies had seen monumental defeats, the situation now was much better…. He was right, not long after Britain had won the Battle – the first major defeat of the Luftwaffe….
To this day, pilots who fought in the Battle of Britain are known as ‘The Few’….
On this day in history : 5th June 1944 – Ahead of the following day’s D-Day landings a small café in Bénouville is the first place to be liberated after British troops seize a vital canal bridge….
Every June 5th since, shortly before midnight – to celebrate the D-Day anniversary – Mme Arlette Gondrée has offered Champagne to everyone present in her café….many of whom have been veterans of the Normandy invasion….
Cafe Gondree in 2009 : Runvald – Public domain
The walls of the quaint interior are covered with photographs, old uniforms, helmets and regimental insignia…. Now known as the Pegasus Bridge Café, the two-storey, red brick building was once called ‘The Café Gondrée’….
Georges and Thérèse Gondrée had met in Cannes…. Georges had been a banker, working at Lloyds and so his knowledge of the English language was excellent…. Thérèse being from Alsace was fluent in German…. They married and settled down to run a coffee shop in the Commune of Bénouville in the Normandy region of northwestern France…. Their little café being situated on the West Bank of the Caen canal – at the north end of the Bénouville Bridge (now called Pegasus Bridge)….
However, in 1940 France was invaded by Germany; Georges and Thérèse found life under German occupation intolerable…. They began to support the French Resistance in Caen and passed vital information via the French Underground Movement to British intelligence…. Thérèse did not let the Germans know she could speak their language – she and Georges were able to gather details on the German garrison and the defences of Bénouville Bridge….
On the eve of D-Day three gliders were released from 8,000 up into the pitch-black, stormy night…. Sixty paratroopers, a Glider Unit of the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry Regiment, British 6th Airborne Division under the command of Major John Howard, had orders to take and hold the bridge…. Howard had been able to put together a detailed plan with the information received from the Gondrées….
Horsa gliders, which had landed a hundred yards from the bridge. The cafe can be seen in the background – Royal Air Force Official Photographer – Public domain
All three gliders managed to land in a nearby field, the rough terrain causing considerable damage to the aircraft…. What followed then was a short but fierce battle in which the British troops managed to take control of the bridge…. It was not without loss of life, several died….the very first casualty of the D-Day operation is buried in the cemetery at nearby Ronville…. The taking of the bridge was a key part of the preparations for D-Day – as it made it extremely difficult for the Germans to launch a counter-attack during the days of the Normandy invasion….
The Benouville Bridge, 9 June 1944 – Christie (Sgt) No.5 Army Film & Photographic Unit – Public domain
The Gundrées had been woken in the early hours by the noise of the gliders landing and then the following gunfire…. Georges had looked out of the window to see what was happening and was shot at by a British soldier….he had been mistaken for a German…. Georges and Thérèse quickly bundled their three young daughters into the safety of the cellar and spent the next few hours trying to work out the nationality of the soldiers – as they knew they were not German….
At 6.20am there came a loud knocking on the door….and all was revealed – as there stood three British paratroopers…. Café Gondrée was officially the first French building to be liberated…. Georges responded by digging up 99 bottles of Champagne he had buried in the garden and for the rest of the day gave celebratory drinks to the passing soldiers….
Pegasus Cafe as approached from the bridge. Image credit: SIMCard25 at English Wikipedia CC BY-SA-3.0
In later years the café was taken over by Georges and Thérèse’s daughter, Arlette, who had been 5 at the time of the liberation…. It is because of Arlette that the café continues to honour the anniversary of D-Day, with Champagne of course….but I do believe the café serves a very decent cup of tea as well…. Of course, only the British would ensure that the first place to be liberated would be somewhere they could guarantee a great cuppa! The café became an Historic Monument on the 5th of June 1987….
The following video clip shows Mme Arlette Gondrée at the 6th of June 2011 Ceremony
On this day in history : 2nd May 1942 – HMS Edinburgh is sunk in the Barents Sea off the Norwegian coast….with a cargo of gold bars, which lay un-salvaged until 1981….
HMS Edinburgh, October 1941 – Royal Navy official photographer Coote, RGG (Lt) – Public domain
Under the command of Rear-Admiral Stuart Bonham-Carter HMS Edinburgh was acting as flag-ship escorting a convoy of 17 ships departing from Murmansk, Norway on the 28th of April 1942 bound for Britain…. On the 30th of April a torpedo hit the Town-class Light Cruiser and she began to list…. Quick acting crew managed to close the watertight bulkheads at the front to prevent her from sinking….
Rear-Admiral Stuart Bonham-Carter – from the collections of the Imperial War Museums
Shortly after another torpedo was to hit Edinburgh’s stern, crippling her…. It was decided to try and attempt to tow her back to Murmansk; two destroyers – Foresight and Forester – along with four minesweepers – Niger, Hussar, Gossamer and Harrier – were despatched to accompany her….
HMS Edinburgh’s wrecked stern – image assumed Royal Navy – Public domain
Progress was slow but on the 2nd of May the small convoy and stricken Edinburgh reached Bear Island, the most southernmost Norwegian Svalbard Archipelago island – but then she was attacked by three large German destroyers….
Edinburgh cast off her tow and started to sail in circles, at the same time firing her guns…. One of the German destroyers was so badly damaged its crew scuttled it….
Edinburgh took another torpedo hit and her crew were forced to abandon…. Gossamer and Harrier took the crew onboard; 58 men had lost their lives….
Harrier then attempted to scuttle Edinburgh using gunfire….although 20 shells were fired she remained afloat…. Even after depth charges were used she refused to sink…. Eventually Forester used her last torpedo to sink HMS Edinburgh….
Barents Sea Map – assumed author NormanEinstein CC SA 3.0
4.5 long tons of gold bullion went down with Edinburgh….465 gold ingots in 93 wooden boxes, which were stored in the bomb room at the front of the ship…. She was carrying the gold back to the UK; it was part of a payment from Russia for war equipment received from the Western Allies…. In 1942 the bullion was worth £1.5 million, equating to nearly £70m today….
In 1954 the British government offered the salvage rights to a British salvage company….but because by then the relationship had become strained with Russia plans were put on hold…. In 1957 the wreck became a designated war grave making any further thoughts of retrieving the gold improbable….
However, in the late 1970s the government became increasingly worried that Russian salvagers were going to attempt to recover it…. In the early 80s a contract was awarded to a leading global diving company…. Experienced divers from Jessop Marine, under the guidance of Wharton Williams Ltd were to attempt to cut into the wreck – far more sensitive and appropriate for the situation as opposed to the normal explosive methods usually employed….
In April 1981 survey ship Dammtor began to search for Edinburgh in the Barents Sea – in less than 48 hours it had found her….in 800ft of water…. Using detailed film footage the team were able to evaluate the recovery project…. Edinburgh’s sister ship HMS Belfast, moored in the Thames, was also invaluable to the planning of the operation…. The divers were able to gather vital information and knowledge as to the layout and interior of the ship especially around the bomb room area….
HMS Belfast
The diving operation began on the 30th of August 1981, under the leadership of Mike Stewart, a former Royal Navy clearance diving officer. On the 15th of September diver John Rossier found the first gold bar….by the 7th of October 431 of the 465 gold ingots had been recovered….but then bad weather forced the operation to stop…. However, it was a bullion recovery project in deep water diving that set a world record – a record that still stands today….
In 1986 a further 29 bars of gold were brought up….that means there’s still five bars down there…!
Cottage Capers 