|
Post by shred on Oct 28, 2012 14:44:32 GMT
Herbert in flying gear.
|
|
|
Post by shred on Oct 28, 2012 14:48:17 GMT
Herbert (middle of middle row) with other sergeants of the AAC.
|
|
|
Post by shred on Oct 28, 2012 14:52:35 GMT
Letter sent to family informing them that Herbert was missing.
|
|
|
Post by shred on Oct 28, 2012 14:54:39 GMT
Letter giving details of an allowance that the family would receive whilst Herbert was missing.
|
|
|
Post by shred on Oct 28, 2012 14:59:45 GMT
Official confirmation that Herbert is a POW.
|
|
|
Post by shred on Oct 28, 2012 15:01:18 GMT
Postcard from Herbert giving details of where he is being held.
|
|
|
Post by lester on Jan 31, 2016 18:33:41 GMT
HERBERT RANFIELD
|
|
|
Post by shred on Aug 5, 2016 21:00:25 GMT
|
|
|
Post by joopsiep on Sept 17, 2016 15:47:23 GMT
In the 1990, I did research to a Horsa glider (CN927) which crashed at Wageningen, on the 18th September 1944. Around that time I got in contact with the second pilot Sgt Jack Bruce, who visit Wageningen in 1994. On the 18th September 1944 this photo was taken a hunderd meters of the crashsite. Attachments:
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 17, 2016 19:35:40 GMT
Click on the image to see a larger version. Ben
|
|
|
Post by shred on Sept 18, 2016 11:00:34 GMT
Joopsiep,
Thank you for posting the image. Do you know if the man wearing the white bib is Staff Sergeant Ranfield? If so, I will contact his daughter and let her know that you have posted this wonderful picture.
|
|
|
Post by shred on Sept 18, 2016 12:00:29 GMT
LinkCatalogue number 29528 Production date 2007-01 Subject period Second World War Alternative Names object category: IWM interview Creator IWM (Production company) Hart, Peter M (recorder) Bruce, Jack (interviewee/speaker) Category sound Content description REEL 1 Recollections of background in Brighton and London, 1919-1939: family background and social circumstances living with grand parents after death of father, 1920; education; move to live with mother in Tottenham, 1931; various jobs including work for German furriers, ca 1938-1939; recreations including cycling, snooker and dancing; awareness of approach of war; outbreak of war, 3/9/1939; effect of war on furriers and consequent redundancy; office work, 1939-1940; question of air raid shelter; call up, 1/1940. REEL 2 Aspects of period with B Coy, 2/8th Bn, Middlesex Regt in London area, 1/1940-12/1940: initial billets in Bounds Green; hospitalisation during influenza outbreak; kitting out; basic training; relationship with recruits; move to guard Millwall docks; conditions of service; patrolling dry docks; move to Whetstone; billets; German air raids. Recollections of periods in Belfast, Port Rush and Limourde, Northern Ireland, 12/1940-10/1942: journey out to Belfast; billets; use of lorries; winter conditions; move to Port Rush; training on Vickers machine gun and composition of unit; role on Barr and Stroud rangefinder and promotion to lance corporal; tactical exercises including indirect machine gun fire and offshore demonstration; relationship with ORs and NCOs. REEL 3 Continues: relationship with officers; background to move on promotion to lance corporal to C Coy at Limourde; demotion after fight with OR on exercise; interview on volunteering to join Glider Pilot Regt, 10/1942. Recollections of period at Glider Pilot Regt Depot, Tilshead Camp, 11/1942-8/1943: first impressions and treatment as recruit; PT; threat of being returned to unit; drill instructors question of weapons training; initiative training exercises; delays in flying training; detachment on telephone switchboard; attending battle course; prior marriage, 4/1941; promotion to corporal. Recollections of training on Tiger Moth with 21 Elementary Flying Training School, Booker, 8/1943-10/1943: flying from Denham satellite airfield; ground training on parachute; first flight and attitude to flying; opinion of flying instructors. REEL 4 Continues: problem with flying instructor; checking instruments and cockpit drill prior to take off; method of take off, circuit, landing, turning stalling and spinning; abbreviated nature of course; first solo, 2/9/1943. Recollections of flying Hotspur II glider with 3 Glider Training School, Stoke Orchard, 11/1943-12/1943: nature of Hotspur and controls; opinion of flying instructor; take off; high tow position; flying in harmony with towing Miles Master; releasing tow; landing; flying solo; tow release. Period flying Horsa at Heavy Glider Conversion Unit, Brize Norton, 1/1944: status as second pilot alongside pilot under training; nature of Horsa; promotion to sergeant. Recollections of period as second pilot flying Horsa with A Sqdn, GPR based at Harwell, 2/1944-6/1944: nature of airfield; barrack accommodation. REEL 5 Continues: first flight as second pilot; acting as second pilot to Staff Sergeant Herbert Ranfield and gaining experience in flying Horsa; flying practice and exercises; stories of forced landing in fog, exercise with full load and difficulties landing during night flight; tow by Albemarle ferrying gliders to Brize Norton. Recollections of participation in Operation Mallard landing at Ranville, Normandy, France, 6/6/1944: prior briefing; load of 6pdr anti-tank gun, equipment and crew; flying kit and personal weapons carried; checking glider and load distribution; take off procedure; flying in formation in high tow position; taking over as pilot including problem with towing Albemarle and slipstream; personal morale; approach to landing zone and release of tow rope; landing near woods, opening tail section and unloading; situation. REEL 6 Continues: briefing AT gun NCO; move towards GPR rendezvous; German corpse; forming GPR unit and digging slit trenches; situation overnight, 6/6/1944-7/6/1944; march back to Sword Beach, 7/6/1944; evacuation by landing craft to GB, 8/7/1944; re-equipment. Period on standby at Harwell, 6/1944-9/1944: meeting evacuated family during period at rest camp in Somerset; brieinfg for aborted operations; flight as observer in Albemarle to drop supplies to French Resistance. Recollections of being shot down during Operation Market Garden landings at Arnhem, Netherlands, 18/9/1944: division of unit and move to Tarrant Rushton as part of second wave; load of Royal Army Service Corps unit and supplies; flight towed by Halifax; taking over controls; crossing North Sea; German anti-aircraft fire over Dutch coast; approach to Arnhem; story of tow being cut by German AA fire at 2,500 feet; effects of crash landing in field neat Wageninghen; capture by German soldiers. REEL 7 Initial period as POW in Netherlands, 9/1944: story of being photographed by Dutch civilians; personal morale; move to Wageninghen police station; personal morale; interrogation. Period at Work Camp VI C, Brathorn, ca 9/1944-10/1944: hut accommodation; relationship with Soviet POWs. Period at XIII A POW Camp, 1944: over-crowded conditions; attack of dysentery; food. Period at Stalag IV B Muhlberg, 1944-1945: conditions during prior cattle truck rail journey; hut accommodation; winter conditions; state of long-term prisoners; question of Red Cross parcels; food; daily routine including roll call and question of recreations; shower; concert party; relationship with prisoners and punishment of thief; barter system based on cigarettes. REEL 8 Continues: nationalities of prisoners and state of Soviet POWs; relationship with German guards; dysentery attack and treatment in sick bay; shell shock cases; British camp organisation; news from concealed wireless; question of escape attempts; loss of weight; personal morale; view of US aircraft attacking train; story of US airman parachuting into camp; strafing of camp by aircraft; departure of German guards; orders to remain in camp; liberation by Soviet troops, ca 3/1945. Period under Soviet and US control, ca 3/1945-4/1945: reactions to improved food; march into barracks; improved conditions; relationship with German woman reception on handover to US troops at River Turgow; flight in Dakota back to GB, ca 4/1945. Various postings in GB, 1945-1946: delousing and kitting out; leave including putting on weight and acclimatisation to civilian lifestyle; medicals; question of posting to Far East; period at Finmere; military police duties patrolling airfield on motorcycles. Demobilisation, 4/1946: demob suit; war gratuity. REEL 9 Continues: Post-war career: various jobs prior to career as salesman in tailoring; effects of war service and question of remaining in army; membership of Glider Pilot Regiment and Air Crew Association.
|
|