More Rare Items from the Imperial War Museum,
and Al Kirby, Woodstock Ontario
[ART3475. THE RAID ON THE BRUNEVAL RADIO-LOCATION STATION,
27TH-28TH FEBRUARY 1942. IWM.]
Full caption that accompanies the above artwork, as found at Imperial War Museum: White cliffs, lit by a flare, against a dark sky and showing the radar-location station on the cliff-top. A group of parachutes descend on the upper right of the composition, with two motor-boats on the water. The flare has been fired by a group of soldiers on the beach below the cliff.
Richard Eurich was employed as a war artist for much of the Second World War, utilising his passion for seascapes to paint largely naval subjects. Educated at the Slade, Eurich spent much of the 1930s visiting ports in southern England. During the Second World War he produced 34 paintings of naval subjects that were acquired by the WAAC. This example is a reconstruction of the combined operations raid on Bruneval in France in 1942; Eurich had not witnessed the incident or setting but aimed for veracity of detail and photo- realism. Men of the 2nd Parachute Regiment can be seen dropping onto the cliff top beside a German radar station, with evacuation forces ready at the water’s edge. The brightness of the chalk cliff face and the sea contrasts with the darkness over German-occupied France, reflecting the contrast between safety and danger, home and occupied Europe. R. EURICH, 1943 ]
Introduction:
I have been able to locate and download dozens of very clear and rare photographs from vast archives in the United Kingdom. And while visiting England a few years ago I visited the War Museum (not too far from HMS Belfast, London Bridge, Tower of London and much more) and happily snapped dozens of pictures of WWII memorabilia in extensive displays.
Introduction:
I have been able to locate and download dozens of very clear and rare photographs from vast archives in the United Kingdom. And while visiting England a few years ago I visited the War Museum (not too far from HMS Belfast, London Bridge, Tower of London and much more) and happily snapped dozens of pictures of WWII memorabilia in extensive displays.
While I explored IWM, a video played re an LCI (L) at D-Day Normandy
Lovely model of an LCT, i.e., Landing Craft, Tank
Before more photos are displayed here, please read the following excerpt from Al Kirby's (continuing) account of the raid at Dieppe:
A Great Orange Flash
At first, I thought that our destroyer had been hit with a blockbuster, but as my senses slowly returned to me, I realized that she had just fired a broadside with all six guns, and sitting here, under her muzzles, we had just received the full force of the concussion. We were not long getting out of there.
Starting our engines, we all scattered in every direction, but our Flotilla C.O.'s boat called us to muster around him and we watched from a more comfortable distance as the destroyer tossed several salvos into the cliffs on the left side of our beach. There was now a great deal of noise and flashing on the beach but we couldn't tell what was going on.
Suddenly, the sound of machine gun fire drew our attention to the left, as, low over the horizon, three aircraft came streaking at us. This just had to be the enemy, as they were no more than fifty or a hundred feet high. All the landing craft joined in a great chorus of machine gun fire that I thought would be impossible to penetrate. Hop opened up with our Lewis and I joined him with our Tommy gun, even though I had never heard of a Tommy gun being used for anti-aircraft before (because of its very short range).
As the three planes roared over our heads, we could all see the R.A.F. Roundels on their wings, and the silhouette of the Boston Bomber was as plain as day. Now what in the hell are three Bostons doing stooging around at fifty feet in an area where the minimum altitude is three thousand? Lord Jesus, it's a wonder that we didn't blast them out of the sky with all the lead we threw up at them, but fortunately, they continued on their way, leaving us wondering if they wished that they had bombed us while they had the chance.
Just about noon, we received the signal to form up again in line ahead and the Flotilla headed once more for the beach. This time I was not a bit confident about the future as I strained by eyeballs toward the shore, hoping to find some evidence that we were in control. Ahead of us was a group of LCA's, the British built landing craft, with armour plate construction. As we began to overtake them with our superior speed, I found myself wishing that I was in one of them, instead of our plywood R-boats.
However, when we were still about a mile off the beach, our Flotilla turned, first to port, leaving the beach on our starboard side, then, after a couple of minutes, we turned to port again, leaving the beach on our stern. Looking back I saw the LCA Flotilla heading into another hail of fire that soon obliterated all sight of them. The poor devils, I thought, as my mind and my attention turned back to the job of keeping formation.
After about a half an hour of heading out to sea, Leach got on the Aldis light and learned that we were heading back to England. Who is going to pick up our Camerons? What happened to the LCA's which continued on to the beach? What was the lot of the entire operation? We are still four boats missing from our own Flotilla. What happened to them?
A great many questions kept running through my mind as we ploughed our way through the water of the English Channel, retracing the course that we had spent all last night following to France. At any minute we expected to be attacked by Stuka dive bombers or Junkers 88's as our boats staggered, hodge podge, toward Blighty.
Pages 56 - 57, Combined Operations by Londoner Clayton Marks
Readers can link to the previous excerpt from Kirby's story at Dieppe Raid 1942 - Operations RUTTER/JUBILEE (6)
The following photographs and captions are located at the Imperial War Museum, U.K. One can peruse the Museum's vast collection of photographs (stories, maps, collections of various kinds, etc.) by visiting THE IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, Search Collections.
More photographs related to the Dieppe Raid will follow.
Please link to Photographs: Dieppe Raid 1942 - Operations RUTTER/JUBILEE (6).
Unattributed Photos GH
Pages 56 - 57, Combined Operations by Londoner Clayton Marks
Readers can link to the previous excerpt from Kirby's story at Dieppe Raid 1942 - Operations RUTTER/JUBILEE (6)
* * * * * *
The following photographs and captions are located at the Imperial War Museum, U.K. One can peruse the Museum's vast collection of photographs (stories, maps, collections of various kinds, etc.) by visiting THE IMPERIAL WAR MUSEUM, Search Collections.
C3194. THE POLISH AIR FORCE IN THE DIEPPE RAID, AUGUST 1942.
Object description (above): Stills from camera gun footage (K2180) taken from a Supermarine Spitfire Mark VB flown by Flight Lieutenant Kazimierz Rutkowski of No. 317 Polish Fighter Squadron, as he shot down a Dornier Do 217 over Dieppe, while providing fighter cover during the Combined Forces raid, 19 August 1942. He also destroyed a Heinkel He 111 during this sortie.
F/Lt Rutkowski described the action in his report: "After my first bursts I saw his airframe catch fire and afterwards parts of his plane started dropping off. I fired my last burst at less than 100 yards. I was then warned that FW 190s were on my tail but as I turned saw the Dornier crash and explode north of Dieppe." Royal Air Force official photographer, Air Ministry Official Collection, WW2
C3195. The last moments of a Dornier Do217 over Dieppe on 19 August 1942,
as recorded by Sergeant Helge Sognnes of No 331 Squadron. A member of the
bomber's crew can be seen escaping by parachute, moments before the aircraft
plunged into the sea. Sgt. Helge Sognnes, RAF official photographer,
C5886. ROYAL AIR FORCE BOMBER COMMAND, 1942-1945. Vertical aerial
photograph taken during a daylight raid on shipping in Dieppe, France, by 12 Lock-
heed Venturas of No. 487 Squadron RNZAF. One group of bombs is straddling the
Quai du Hable and the entrance channel to the docks, while another group explodes
on the cliff top above the Avant Port. Photo - No. 487 Squadron RAF.
Air Ministry Official Collection WWII
CAN7. CANADIAN FORCES IN BRITAIN DURING THE SECOND WORLD WAR.
Sailors go ashore from one of the first Canadian destroyers to arrive in Britain following
the declaration of war. Canadian Official photographer.
CH6541. ROYAL AIR FORCE BOMBER COMMAND, 1942-1945. Operation
JUBILEE, the Combined Forces raid on Dieppe, France. A Douglas Boston Mark
III of No. 88 Squadron RAF, flying from Ford, Sussex, heads inland over France
after the bombing the German gun batteries defending Dieppe, (seen at upper left).
Royal Air Force official photographer. AIR MINISTRY OFFICIAL COLLECTION
H17472. THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM 1939-45.
Commandos in a landing craft taking them ashore during training in Scotland,
28 February 1942. Lockeyear, W. T. (Captain) Malindine E G (Lt)
H22580. An American soldier receives a light for his cigarette from a compatriot
at Newhaven on his return from Dieppe. This was the first time that American troops
had seen action in Europe during the Second World War.
Lt. Spender, Official photographer, WW2 Official Collection
H22583. Lt Col The Lord Lovat, CO of No. 4 Commando, at Newhaven after
returning from the raid. Lt. Spender, Photographer, WW2 Official Collection
H22588. Troops from No. 3 Commando arriving back at Newhaven.
Lt. Spender, War Office official photographer, WW2 Official Collection
H22597. A German prisoner, Unteroffizier Leo Marsiniak, being escorted
at Newhaven. He was captured at the gun battery at Varengeville by No. 4
Commando. Lt. J. H. Spender, photographer, War Office Official Collection
H22604. THE DIEPPE RAID, 19 AUGUST 1942. Commandos returning
to Newhaven in their landing craft (LCAs). Lt. J. H. Spender, photographer,
War Office Official Collection, WW2.
H22608. An Allied naval vessel putting down a smoke screen off the French
coast. Behind the smoke screen some of the landing craft are visible. In the fore-
ground are infantry and naval personnel. Photo - Captain W.T. Lockeyear,
WAR OFFICE SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION
H22612. The Dieppe shoreline viewed from a landing craft as it approached;
fires are burning visibly in the hinterland as a result of the naval and aerial bom-
bardment. Photo - Captain W.T. Lockeyear, War Office official photographer,
WAR OFFICE SECOND WORLD WAR OFFICIAL COLLECTION
H22618. Some of the men who participated in the raid with the Union Jack which
was flown briefly from the cliffs of Dieppe. Lt. J. H. Spender, War Office Collection.
H22620. Commandos have a cigarette after returning to Newhaven.
Photo Credit - Lt. J. H. Spender, War Office Official Collection, WW2.
H22626. Tired and dishevelled troops at Newhaven after the Diepper raid.
Lt. J. H. Spender, Official photographer, War Office Official Collection.
H22634. Destroyer ORP Ślązak (Silesian) of the Polish Navy arriving back at
Portsmouth from Dieppe, 19 August 1942. Wooldridge A W P (Sgt),
Official photographer. WAR OFFICE OFFICIAL COLLECTION
Please link to Photographs: Dieppe Raid 1942 - Operations RUTTER/JUBILEE (6).
Unattributed Photos GH
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