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The Light Infantry & All Former Light Infantry Regiments
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| Viewing Page 1 of 1 (Total Posts: 15) |
| Author | Comment |
Jochen Nubel
Dec 5, 07 - 5:28 AM |
Inquiry
Dear Sirs or Madams, I should like to ask you for your help regarding a WWII episode that I witnessed in 1944 as a German soldier during the Normandy landing. In August or September of 1944 a comrade of mine, Herbert Schmidt, and myself found a wounded British soldier our age ( 19 at that time, I am born in 1925, thus 82 years of age now) in a Norman wood leaning against a tree. His legs were both fractured, he was wailing and he could not walk any more. He shouted to us: “Don’t kill me!” And we replied: “We won’t kill you!” We were all very scared of being killed. Then he sang the German national anthem composed by Haydn based on a poem by Ferdinand von Freiligrath. And we sang the British hymn “God save the King” in order to calm him. Then he said: “I am a flutist of the London Symphony Orchestra.” We answered: “We are also musicians!” He seemed to be glad about this. Then we put him onto our bicycle and transported him to the nearest German military hospital where he was operated on. Unfortunately we never heard of him again. Now I should very much like to find this British comrade and to invite him to my home near Avignon where I live as a pianist. Would you be so kind as to display this text on your website or in your guestbook? Thank you very much in advance. Yours faithfully, Jochen Nubel 14 rue van Dongen F 84310 Morieres-les-Avignon France jochen.nubel@yahoo.de |
Derek Lovemore ex 1DCLI
 Dec 5th, 2007 - 10:21 PM |
Re: Inquiry
Hello Jochen, I trust that you will return to your original message to read this reply. The story that you write is quite remarkable and heartwarming and I sincerely hope that we can all help in identifying and locating the soldier you mention. Time and consequence of the injuries might not be on our side unfortunately, but I know that many of us will try to assist. There are many Old British Soldiers today who are active in publishing websites and blog sites that are designed to find Old Soldiers from the WW1,WW2 and Korea eras and later in more peaceful times, and we have been marginally successful in putting together old mates from over 60 years ago from all over the planet. My email address is published to the lhs together with my Most Wanted website URL. Please communicate further with me to verify that we have a common interest. Carpe Diem! |
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Jochen NUbel
Dec 6th, 2007 - 5:55 AM |
Re: Inquiry
Dear Derek, I am very happy that a kind person like you responded so promptly and I would be extremely glad to locate this British comrade. I hope he hasn't died yet or else that he narrated our story to his family. I know that a very long time has elapsed but I thought I would have to settle matters ( and to meet this unforgettable man)now that I am 82. I am trying to find out the exact place, time and the name of the British division in Normandy in 1944. Thank you so much for your kind help! And don't forget: Mors certa, sed hora incerta! Sincerely, Jochen |
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Derek Lovemore ex 1DCLI
Dec 6th, 2007 - 1:10 PM |
Re: Inquiry
Hello again Jochen, Thank you in turn for responding - both to this message on the LI Guestbook and directly to me by email. Let's hope that others will perceive the benefits of the many working for the few - in terms of searching for Old Mates. Far too many simply post a Guestbook message and ignore the replies. We shall correspond directly by email to develop the possibilities. For the non Latin scholars "Death is certain, Life is not" Tempus Fugit! |
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Derek Lovemore ex 1DCLI
Dec 6th, 2007 - 3:40 PM |
Re: Inquiry
We have appealed to the Keeper of archival records at the London Symphony Orchestra in London to assist us in the search for Tommy. Who knows - we might in turn get some Old Soldier who gets a kick out of Memories! Memories! He might even remember Vera Lynn and her wartime lyrics that kept the home fires burning! Carpe Diem! |
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Derek Lovemore ex 1DCLI
Dec 7th, 2007 - 2:05 PM |
Re: Inquiry
We have now launched the website "The Search for Tommy Atkins WW2 Merxem Belgium 1944". The progression of events and comments are now all inter connected through the URL shown lhs. My email is also published to receive comments. Carpe Diem! |
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Derek Lovemore ex 1DCLI
Dec 7th, 2007 - 5:11 PM |
Re: Inquiry
We have uncovered a possible KSLI connection to Tommy Atkins where reference in a publication entitled "Cinderella Army" - pages 39 and 39 - reports a British military presence in the Albert Canal, Merxem, 1944. Maybe Tommy is KSLI? GO TO: The Tommy Atkins website - URL under my name. GOYA - cheps!! |
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Derek Lovemore ex 1DCLI
Dec 9th, 2007 - 2:41 PM |
Re: Inquiry
This Tommy Atkins 1944 story is sure attracting some attention. The Curator of the Musee National D'Histoire Militaire Diekirch in Luxembourg is helping us with photographic memorabilia of the era. Click on the URL shown under my name to browse. Thanks to the enthusiastic few of us (as usual) we are getting things moving at LI pace. Tempus Fugit! |
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Derek Lovemore ex 1DCLI
Dec 19th, 2007 - 1:09 PM |
Re: Inquiry
I am in contact with Jochen via my alternate email address shown lhs, for any developments in our Search for Tommy Atkins. So far, the "Tommy Atkins" site remains open, but uneditable for latest information, due to a violation glitch that is under urgent investigation at the Google server. If anyone fresh on the scene and having some material evidence to assist our search, please click my email icon to lhs and email me for discussion. Meanwhile, Greetings for the Festive Season. Carpe Diem! |
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Terence Joll
Dec 20th, 2007 - 7:03 AM |
Re: Inquiry
I think you chaps are doing a wonderful job, I sincerely hope you can come up with the answers. Good Luck to you all Terry |
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Derek Lovemore ex 1DCLI
Dec 20th, 2007 - 6:41 PM |
Re: Inquiry
Further to Terry Joll's message of support for which we thank him and the many others who have become involved, we report the updated situation as follows. We are currently unable to post more information to the Tommy Atkins site due to a (hopefully short term) glitch in the Google websites that drive the entire 1DCLI and 1KSLI collection of Memorabilia and the sub pages that hang off the Home Pages. This Editor has been shut out from the Gmail email address given on those main and related sites. For all email communication until further notice, kindly click the mail icon under my name to connect with an alternative email address. Any additional information about Tommy Atkins will be greatly appreciated. Auget largiendo! |
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Derek Lovemore ex 1DCLI "A" Coy Bermuda
Jan 4th, 2008 - 12:00 AM |
Re: Inquiry
WE ARE STILL LOOKING FOR TOMMY ATKINS The Search for Tommy Atkins website is back up and running and waiting for your contributions. He might have been a Para dropped too early in Operation Market Garden (both legs were broken). Also KSLI were operational in the Albert Canal area of Merxem Belgium. Click the website icon at lhs to open the URL to browse the latest updates. Carpe Diem! |
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Michael Schmidt
Jan 12th, 2008 - 9:55 AM |
Re: Inquiry
Hello, I am the son of Herbert Schmidt. He was the comrade of Jochen Nubel in this story. My father died in the year 2002 but some years ago he told us this story. My family would be very happy if year search is successful in finding this young (and now a little older) man or at least his family. Lot of Greetings from Hildesheim in Germany Michael Schmidt |
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Jochen Nubel
Jan 13th, 2008 - 10:37 AM |
Reply to Herbert Schmidt's letter
Dear Herbert, I am pretty enthusiastic that you wrote to this forum and that you confirmed the story that I posted. If you know of any more details which your father might have told you or your mother kindly mention them here as well. You might also give me a ring under 0033 490 31 27 31. Best regards to you and your mother, Jochen |
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Derek Lovemore ex 1DCLI \"A\" Coy. Bermuda
Jan 18th, 2008 - 11:44 PM |
Re: Inquiry
BATTLE FOR ANTWERP - ALBERT CANAL - MERXEM SEPT 1944 Well!! Talk about a walk down Memory Lane. Check out all the latest additions that are hotlinked on the Tommy Atkins site. Astonishing stuff! and there's a 20+ page MOD article with rare photos of Monty and other Commanders. Literally thousands of Google pages to find and explore. Almost all of the British Army seems to have been involved at some stage or other. All this in the aftermath of "D" Day. I'm finding the Horsa Glider material to be quite fascinating. The bravery of those lads in a plywood tube - unbelievable! As a boy of 9 years of age in 1944 I watched those Gliders take off from Grove Aerodrome near Wantage in Berkshire and took buckets of tea to the British Soldiers being mustered in the southern counties prior to "D" Day. Carpe Diem! |
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