Martragny B7

Hello Pat

Thanks Pat, nice photo - pity it was the 12th of August and not the 2nd of August or it would have been from the historic world's first jet photo recce, using the Arado 234, flown by Erich Sommer.

See http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=2985 and from that link I suggest you use this one http://aerostories.free.fr/events/juvin/page2.html - which gives a lot more detail of his venture over Normandy.

And, as he flew over Arromanches (and surrounding area), it is likely he photographed B.7 "By flying three different passes, he meticulously photographs the airdromes where the famous Typhoons "tank killers" are based, the troop transports, the boats, and even some fields that have resisted to the June assault."

regards

Allan

 

After mopping up operations in the area Bazenville on the 7th June 1944 the 24th L moved to help secure Martragny where they seemed to have rested during the 7-8th June night.

Whilst at Martragny the main problem for the 24th L seems to have been a sniper who targeted the tank commander of one of the lead tanks:
http://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2328639/POOLE,%20ALICK%20HUGH

Reports I've seen seem to suggest that this was a female French sniper targeting the British in retaliation for the death of her German boyfriend the day before.

Nb. The 24th L were slightly delayed in their arrival on Gold Beach due to the bad weather and whilst they had a tank damaged nr. Bazenville by a bazooka - as related on p146 - in Monty's Marauders by Patrick Delaforce : https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=v7LgAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA154&lpg=PA154&dq=monty%27s+marauders+24th+Lancers&source=bl&ots=k9ZFukAXaa&sig=86H6hNesyhF64I2jwF4HuJ9jc1g&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KlpLVYTKF4muswGe9IC4DQ&ved=0CEIQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=bazenville&f=false

...and possibly some wounded, they did not "as such" fight on the beaches - though they might have been shelled whilst coming ashore - I think that Captain Alick Poole is (to my knowledge thus far) the first 24th L to die in Normandy after D-day.

There is a slightly different account however here in : Wisden on the Great War: The Lives of Cricket's Fallen 1914-1918 edited by Andrew Renshaw: https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=eyoeAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA168&lpg=PA168&dq=captain+alick+poole+24th+lancers&source=bl&ots=quESaBZ1DB&sig=OLvEXGNcfkzbuuOigLm1i2gPk3o&hl=en&sa=X&ei=lUYQVb_hDI3jO8W0gbgL&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=24th%20lancers&f=false

Though this might be put down merely to the fog of war.

Passing from Gold Beach to Bazenville, Martragny the 24th L were next to try for Loucelles and Putot-en-Bessin (in the direction of later B6 - Coulombs), but when that failed due to tough German resistance they managed to find a way through the German lines to Point 103 and the village of St.Pierre, in the direction where the ALGs "B12 - Ellon", "B18 - Cristot" and "B19 - Lingevres" were later built.

All the best,

Rm

 

Oddly enough, B7 does not appear on this wonderful site; unless I missed it.

http://www.forgottenairfields.com/france/

 

There's a tribute here...

Polish Tribute Spitfire, Stanisław Skalski

To Stanisław Skalski who was based at B7 Martragny.

 

B7 Martragny

 

From "La Bataille Aerienne De Normandie 1944" by Benamou and Robinard, page 68, it seems. Another good resource is "50 aerodromes pour une victoire - Juin - Septembre 1944" by Robinard, Trombetta and Clementine

Allan