Eurotrip

[Sir Black Pig]

Well, here we are folks, a write up of the recently completed trip around some of the WW1 & WW2 battlefields of Europe, ie Belgium and France.

This trip could never be described as Great fun, it was never intended to be, it can however, be described as very enjoyable, moving, somber and above all emotional.

So, we began on Saturday morning, into the car down to Prestwick airport, dropped Anne and her clan off, they were off to sunny Espania - OLE!
Back to mine and got changed then jumped astride the bike then off to Jeff's house.

(The reason I mentioned the airport was because that was a 110 mile round trip before I even looked at the bike!)

Huckled Jeff out of his wife's arms and the pair of us set of to Edinburgh, 85 miles later we were at Pauls house. Coerced some bacon and eggs out of Paul, then 20 mins later back on the road.. next stop Newcastle another 120 mile trip - God Bless Saddlemen and thier lovely after market seats!

So at Newcastle jumped aboard the ferry for an all u can eat dinner and a few beers, next stop Ijmuiden (Amsterdam, Holland).


Paul checking out the lifeboats ..... you never know....

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/DSCF0010.jpg


Then about 30 miles out from Ijmuiden, a most amazing sight a seaborne windfarm, really don't know why people complain about these things, i think they are full of grace and beauty.


https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/DSCF0009.jpg


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Next morning we docked in Ijmuiden then jumped back on the bikes for a 200 mile hop to Lille for the first night's stopover.

Jeff's Tomtom got us to "somewhere near to the hotel" and then when we stopped to ask for directions Paul's Hayabusa started playing silly games and he couldn't disable the alarm or get it started... Bugger!

We were stuck there for a couple of hours trying different things....

Stranded...
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/DSCF0014.jpg

We decided to leave the bike for an hour or so, to give the fob battery some rest (we couldn't get a new battery as it was Sunday and everywhere was shut and at this point we deduced it could only be the fob battery).

So we went back to the bike and the restaurantuer asked us to move it as he was opening up. We did, and hey presto the bike started playing again and has done ever since, we think that perhaps it was subject to some form of radio interference.

Happy days.

Next morning we set off for the war grave in St Omer, (one of Jeff's relatives lies there), hmm, I said "the war grave" I meant "a war grave" as the entire contryside is peppered with gravesites - hundreds of thousands of poor souls.. Anyway St Omer..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/DSCF0020.jpg

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You may have noticed that the British military grave at St. Omer is joined on to the community graveyard, not that uncommon, apparently. It also contained a few souls from WW2...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/DSCF0017.jpg

Jeff's relative.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/DSCF0018.jpg

Well after that somber moment, it was back onto the bikes and off to Caen in Normandy for the next leg of the trip, another 200 mile hop.

Tuesday morning Jeff and I went to the first of our normandy beaches via the beatiful wee town of Bayeux - where we went to visit the tapestry.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/DSCF0028.jpg


https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/DSCF0030.jpg

and this is a replica of one of the boats William and his men used to cross the channel (to complete the one and only battle France has won against us! bastards!) Anyway they deserved to win if they were using boats like that, they even carried horses in them - mad bastards!

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/DSCF0031.jpg






[Anyway this is the end of part 1 sadly i will not be able to compile parts 2 onwards until monday, as I have way too much to do. So on monday we will be travelling from Bayeux to Utah and Omaha beaches - stay tuned!]


Okay I have a wee half hour, allow me to show you some of the memorials and features at "Utah" beach, most of the pictures are self explanatory, so I won't ramble on about them.

The hall of honour, built within a captured German bunker, (this was closed off by a locked gate, probably to prevent vandalism from mindless English teenagers.)

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Utah/DSCF0045.jpg

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The main Cenotaph (obelisk)

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Utah/DSCF0049.jpg

The memorial dedicated to the men of the US Navy.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Utah/DSCF0036.jpg

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The long (thankfully) silent guns of the enemy...

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and the memorial in the background....

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Utah/DSCF0044.jpg

.......Being reclaimed by the beach....

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Utah/DSCF0033.jpg

once a scene of utter chaos catastrophe and murder.. now ..... just a beach.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Utah/DSCF0034.jpg

Other relics, dotted about outside the visitor centre...

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After spending an hour or so wandering around Utah beach we moved on to Omaha, this is the beach that they represented in the opening scene of "Saving Private Ryan".

It is quite difficult to imagine the wall of resistance that met the troops, but a lot of the coastline has been changed over the years, in fact some of the new roads are the ones laid by the engineers to further aid the subsequent landings of machinery and equipment.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Omaha/DSCF0054.jpg

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The newer steel memorial, is meant to reprsent the ships that hte liberators crossed in it also represents those ships and lives torn to pieces as part of the invasion.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Omaha/DSCF0057.jpg

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This is how the sea front looks today....

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Omaha/DSCF0058.jpg

This wee gap between the hotel and the construction atop the hill was the scene of the worst of the casualties, it was literally a site of massacre.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Omaha/DSCF0070.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Omaha/DSCF0068.jpg

An upward looking view of the memorial to the lives lost at this spot.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Omaha/DSCF0067.jpg

[Sir Black Pig]

Pointe du Hoc...

Located 7 miles west of Vierville sur Mer, Pointe du Hoc is best known for the assault made on it by the US 2nd Ranger Battalion under the command of Col. James Earl Rudder. There it was feared the Germans had fortified six 155-mm artillery emplacements on the cliffs which overlooked the landing beaches. These guns would enable artillery fire to be directed over both Omaha and Utah approaches, undoubtedly causing massive casualties in the landing forces. Although there were several aerial bombardments intelligence reports assumed that the fortifications were too strong, and would also require attack by ground forces. The US 2nd Ranger Battalion was therefore given the task of destroying the strongpoint.

The plan called for the three companies of Rangers to be landed by sea at the foot of the cliffs, scale them using ropes, ladders, and grapples under enemy fire, and engage the enemy at the top of the cliff. This was to be carried out before the main landings. The Rangers trained for the cliff assault on the Isle of Wight and Spean Bridge in Scotland, under the direction of British Commandos and used London Fire Brigade ladders and rocket propelled grappling hooks with rope ladders attached during the assault.

Despite initial setbacks due to weather and navigational problems, resulting in a 40-minute delay and loss of surprise, the cliffs were scaled and the strongpoint was assaulted successfully, with relatively light casualties. Fire support was provided during the attack by several nearby Allied destroyers. However it was discovered that the main objective of the assault, the artillery battery, had been moved out of position, possibly as a result of air attacks during the buildup to the invasion. It is said that German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel himself gave the order to move the battery as he had recently been placed in charge of the coastal defenses of Normandy. Removal of the guns had actually been completed on June 4, 1944, and poor weather conditions prior to the invasion limited a final reconnaissance effort which would have revealed the guns removal. The Rangers regrouped at the top of the cliffs, and a few went off in search of the guns, tracking them down far inland and destroying them. This new battery location inland was sighted solely for Utah beach.

The costliest part of the battle for the Rangers came after the cliff assault. Determined to hold the high ground, yet isolated from other assault forces, they fended off several German counterattacks over the next two days, until reinforced from Omaha Beach. The original plans called for an additional, larger Ranger force of eight companies to follow the first attack, if successful. Flares from the clifftops were to signal this second wave to join the attack, but because of the delayed landing, the signal came too late, and the other Rangers, mostly of the US 5th Ranger Battalion, landed on Omaha instead of Pointe du Hoc.

At the end of the 3-day action, the landing force of 225+ was reduced to about 90 men who could still fight.

Bomb craters, left as a reminder.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Pont%20du%20Hoc/DSCF0063.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Pont%20du%20Hoc/DSCF0064.jpg

In the background, you can see the memorial unveiled and deicated by Pres. Reagan.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Pont%20du%20Hoc/DSCF0065.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Pont%20du%20Hoc/DSCF0066.jpg

The next day we set off to visit Sword, Gold and Juno beaches, however, we were a little pressed for time so this became a wee bit of a whistlestop tour.

When we passed through the outskirts of Bayeux, we (literally) rode through this, the main road runs through it..

Bayeux Commonwealth Cemetary.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Bayuex/DSCF0073.jpg

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A very touching addition....

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Bayuex/DSCF0080.jpg



another touching addition....

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Bayuex/DSCF0083.jpg

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The next stop was the gun battery at Longues sur Mer, which was captured by the Devonshire regiment. This battery was captured intact and contrary to orders, two of the captors decided to try and fire one of the guns. The result was catastrophic and as you can see one of the battery elements is totally destroyed.. sadly the two tommies were killed in the blast also.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Longues%20sur%20mer%20gun%20battery/DSCF0085.jpg

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Jeff and Paul..... posing

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Longues%20sur%20mer%20gun%20battery/DSCF0095.jpg


Paul.... Hmmm 'nuff said.


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Next stop was Arromanches, this is the Westernmost end of Gold beach, this is where the Mulberry harbours were erected to facilitate the landings/disembarkation of the remainder of the materiel support for the war effort. This simple concept (by Sir Winston Churchill himself), is reckoned to be the foundation for the subsequent successes after D-Day and possibly the cornerstone for the war.

Not bad for a bunch of rafts eh?

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Arromanches/DSCF0106.jpg

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[Sir Black Pig]

Okay, after Arromanches we went down the coast to Juno beach, at this point time was running against us so it was literally just a whistle-stop visit as we still had 180 miles to cover on this day and it was already 3pm, anyway..... Juno.


https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Juno/DSCF0126.jpg

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The tank at Juno is a british built Churchill Mortar thrower, this landed at ther beach and began it's journey inland, 100 metres from the beach it ran into a bomb crater and became stranded. Six members of the crew were killed whilst trying to escape from the stricken vehicle. Subsequently a bridge was run over the top of the tank to give the following forces a reasonably firm route through the craterfield.

The tank remained buried at that spot until the late 1970's when it was excavated and partial restoration put it into the condition you see today, where it remains as a memorial to those engineers who lost thier lives. Two of the original crew members were present at the dedication ceremony.


https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Juno/DSCF0124.jpg

Now we resume the journey to Abbeville, next to Amiens, time has beaten us to Sword beach and the Pegasus bridge, we will get to them next time. So on the route to Amiens, we crossed a couple of astounding bridges, quite a surprise!

This one first.....

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Juno/PontduNormandie2b.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Juno/PontduNormandie2c.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Juno/2940586147_da2fc429ab.jpg

Which was a pretty impressive climb, then just as I reached the top of the bridge I spotted this one in the distance... Yehaaa!

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Juno/PontduNormandie2.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Juno/PontduNormandie2d.jpg

Well, after a very wet trip to Abbeville, we actually got drenched and we left wet gloves on the hotel room heater, then went out to eat. We came back about 2 hours later and the room was like a sauna, I am not exaggerating, the room was completely full of steam..... and it stunk!

Nyway next morning was to Amiens, a wee bit of a disappointment because the museum we wanted to visit was closed for lunch.. and being as we were against the clock for everything we had to skip it, however, the lady at reception allowed us to wander around the well presented reception area.

We must bear in mind that we are now in a predominantly WW1 region and as such, there is very little evidence left to see with the exception of the museums. Some of the more notable attractions were a little out of reach for us, this was mainly due to the fact that we only had one day per region. So a lot of what I have for you now on is museum exhibits.

On we go..... The village of Albert, just outside Amiens, which was a real tough action zone during the Great war


https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/amiens/DSCF0133.jpg

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This is the entrance to the museum, it is an entrance to an underground tunnel system which was used as a bunker in WW1 and an air raid shelter in WW2.


https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/amiens/DSCF0140.jpg

This is a picture of the church in the centre of the village this was decimated during WW1 and was completely restored between the wars, in WW2 it suffered no further damage as the occupying forces had no battles here.


https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/amiens/DSCF0144.jpg

[Sir Black Pig]

We then followed part of the "Circuit of remebrance" which took us through some of the sites of the fiercest of the Somme battlefields.

I kid you not everytime you turned your head, and sometimes when you didn't you were confronted with sights like this.....

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Poziers%20and%20thiepval/DSCF0146.jpg

Closer....

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Poziers%20and%20thiepval/DSCF0145.jpg

The entire countryside is peppered with commonwealth war graves.....

On to Poziers, the scene of a particularly bloody battle...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Poziers%20and%20thiepval/DSCF0149.jpg

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Particularly poignant... Brothers in arms....

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Poziers%20and%20thiepval/DSCF0153.jpg

Further down the "Poppy trail" to Thiepval, once again the scene of atrocious fighting, after the war to mark this spot it was decided to erect a monument to recognise those whose bodies were never discovered or identified, carved all around the monument are the names of these poor souls.

Incredibly breathtaking....

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Poziers%20and%20thiepval/DSCF0154.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Poziers%20and%20thiepval/DSCF0155.jpg

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https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Poziers%20and%20thiepval/DSCF0166.jpg

....and we think one of Buster's ancestors... J. Halliday, West Yorks. Regt. whoa.. moving.


https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Poziers%20and%20thiepval/DSCF0161.jpg

More at Thiepval...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Poziers%20and%20thiepval/DSCF0162.jpg

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https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Poziers%20and%20thiepval/DSCF0168.jpg


Unknown Frenchmen...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Poziers%20and%20thiepval/DSCF0169.jpg


Unknown Brits...


https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Poziers%20and%20thiepval/DSCF0170.jpg

As I walking away from the main monument at Thiepval, I looked over to my left and spotted a smaller memorial stone and look in the background.....

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Poziers%20and%20thiepval/DSCF0171.jpg

The last destination for today was the village of Rancour, it is the only village in the region that has a cemetary from each of the combative nations, Britain, France and Germany.

On the way there we passed this fellow at one of the crossroads, representing the Scottish Highland regiments, who were the prevalent British forces in that area.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Rancour/DSCF0175.jpg



Then on to the French cemetary at Rancour.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Rancour/DSCF0177.jpg

Directly across the road was the British cemetary, this also has 3 Airmen from WW2

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Rancour/DSCF0180.jpg

Then we visited the German cemetary..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Rancour/DSCF0185.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Rancour/DSCF0186.jpg

Each of the German stones represents four souls..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Rancour/DSCF0198.jpg

The German Remembrance plaques...


https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Rancour/DSCF0192.jpg

Closer....

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Rancour/DSCF0193.jpg

This shot was taken to show the german cemetary in the foreground and the British and French sites in the background. (The French graves are in the churchyard).

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Rancour/DSCF0190.jpg

The following day, we went to Passchendaele - now renamed Passendale. The village was wiped from the face of the map during hostilities, after the war and the inhabitants returned to a blood soaked mud bath, which was once their home, they decided to rebuild and rename.

To our Canadian cousins...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Ypres%20tyne%20cot/DSCF0200.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Ypres%20tyne%20cot/DSCF0206.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Ypres%20tyne%20cot/DSCF0204.jpg


And just over to the the east of the Canadian memorial stone.....
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Ypres%20tyne%20cot/DSCF0205.jpg

Next, Tyne cot cemetary, well the intro plaque tells it better than me..


https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Ypres%20tyne%20cot/DSCF0211.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Ypres%20tyne%20cot/DSCF0212.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Ypres%20tyne%20cot/DSCF0220.jpg

One of the German bunkers, there are five of these within the walls of the cemetary, they decided to make the burial place, where most of the troops fell.
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Ypres%20tyne%20cot/DSCF0214.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Ypres%20tyne%20cot/DSCF0221.jpg

Part of the visitor centre recreation...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Ypres%20tyne%20cot/DSCF0208.jpg

The three Victoria Cross winners, within the cemetary.
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Ypres%20tyne%20cot/DSCF0215.jpg
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Ypres%20tyne%20cot/DSCF0216.jpg
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Ypres%20tyne%20cot/DSCF0218.jpg
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Ypres%20tyne%20cot/DSCF0207.jpg

The final part of the trip took us to the Passchendaele museum in Zonnebeke

Outside the museum there are two pillboxes, excavated from the fields and dropped outside the museum, obviously the two turkeys haven't always been there!

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Museum/DSCF0225.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Museum/DSCF0227.jpg

During WW1 the Germans were still employing armour to protect their men, something I didn't know until this trip...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Museum/DSCF0228.jpg

and the armoured troops would be manning one of these..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Museum/DSCF0229.jpg

Models of bunkers which have been excavated but deemed to hazardous to maintain.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Museum/DSCF0230.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Museum/DSCF0232.jpg

Stormtroopers, a concept developed by the German army during WW1, highly trained, lightly equipped and very manouverable troops, with a specific target for each mission, rather than the previous, 'Blanket' point & shoot.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Museum/DSCF0235.jpg

a sense of what the trench would have been like

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Museum/DSCF0239.jpg

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Museum/DSCF0240.jpg

.....and into the british bunker.....

The armourer..
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Museum/DSCF0246.jpg

The surgery.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Museum/DSCF0247.jpg


The bunkspace.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Museum/DSCF0249.jpg

The French and (Left) the Belgian soldiers.
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Museum/DSCF0237.jpg

Artefacts..
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Museum/DSCF0250.jpg
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/Museum/DSCF0251.jpg

Well that's about it from me on this trip. Please feel free to use any of my pictures as you see fit, I only ask that if you do, they are accorded the appropriate respect.

I do have quite a few more pictures, but really, how many pictures of Graveyards do you want to see?

I will make a couple of more postings including random - fun- pictures.

If anyone has any questions or would like some more pics, feel free to PM/e-mail me, I will be happy to help in whatever way I can.

Thanks for taking the time to look at, what was a very interesting trip.

[Sir Black Pig]

One McFlurry and ten McBeers please....

YAHOO!!


https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/IMG00020.jpg

Says it all really...
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/IMG00023.jpg

Mont St Michel.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/IMG_0024.jpg

Paul the beer inspector...

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/P04-04-09_1952.jpg

Securing for sea..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/P05-04-09_0917.jpg

Jeff and Fatso..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/P04-04-09_163201.jpg

Fatso's fatarse..

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/P05-04-09_094301.jpg

Just a good picture...
https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/P08-04-09_0924.jpg

Shortcut out of the hotel, Jeff went around the front to pay ..... HONEST!

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/P10-04-09_0840.jpg

Monkey spots a 'Vette.

https://i226.photobucket.com/albums/dd6/Busterspictures/Eurotrip/IMG_0134.jpg

[dodger]

Enjoyed looking through your pictures. I went to Normandy last year and it is a remarkably touching experience.

Thanks for that...
____________________
My Bikes: Piaggio NRG| Aprilia RS 125| Suzuki GSX-R 600|Yamaha Fazer Ducati 848
Europe 2008

[Big Rab]

That is some write up, some fantastic photos.
You dont realise how many young men died for the little shits now running around our streets destroying everything.
If it hadnt been for them, Hitler would have done the lot of us in.
The young folk of this country should be taken there and shown what happened and told how many died to give them their way of life .
That might just shake them up a bit.

Sorry for the wee rant.

Looks like you had a great time.
Weather looked really brill.

I was going to go and do this with my young cousins on 6th June, but cant go now I`m redundant.

[Sir Black Pig]

[funmonkee]

Good work popeye

Looking to land in Europe again next Easter
____________________
**** Don't ride faster than your angel can fly Get this Free Space
The democratically elected Mod of the Scottish Section - The Peoples Choice[b]

[karidian]

Have to agree with the above. An amazing write up and great selection of pics.
Makes me kind of jealous. Sounds like a fantasticly moving experience.
____________________
G reg Honda CB1 400; 06 Kawasaki ER6F abs, X reg Bandit 600sy. 1998 Cb600f Hornet. 08 zx6r current.

[Sir Black Pig]

[Amanda]

Some great pictures there and sounds like a good trip i can imagine the history of ww11 being surreal until you get to these burial sites and see the exact extent of the deaths it caused.

I'm hoping to vist Ranvilles sometime in Sept. Hopefully i can take my uncle again, he was part of the 9th batallion (para) merville Battery assault, along with his brother (my uncle) Ronny.

Those who know the history of the assault would know what happened to the regiment.

Both my uncles were shot. Ronny died and Terry was rescued by the famous (in france) Vermigene family until he was shot and captured. he was lucky to escape with the help of a nurse and got safely back to England.

I love hearing his story and i'm honered to have a veteran in the family (although sadly not for many more years).

My youngest son is 17 and knows all about WW2, and he can't even believe that none of his friends know much about it.

But this part of history is no longer taught in schools, he learnt about the American Indians and Witches which was the GCSE exams??

Makes me blood boil sometimes

[Sir Black Pig]

Having served myself for 27 years, I become more and more disappointed with the way global matters are dealt with.

WW1 & WW2 now being eroded from the national curriculum, beginning with the Holocaust.

(General Eisenhower said, upon first hearing of these death camps, "Film and photograph everything, because one day people will deny this ever happened" How right he was!).

Current day; the fact that four troopers were killed, plays second fiddle to a soft porn star, with fake tits, who has split with her failed pop career, going nowhere, antipodean loser!

We are all fallimg victim to political correctness! and if it were not for the sacrifices made including 300,000 British soldiers dead, then PC wouldn't exist..

Irony

[HappyBandit]

A very thought provoking commentary and brilliant pics Buster. You all looked as though you were enjoying yourselves, albeit sad at times, I'm sure. A real pleasure to look at this thread... well done!
____________________
Bandit 600S (RIP) Buell XB12Scg lightning......There are two theories to arguing with women......... Neither one works.

[mapex]

great pictures and it looked as if you all had a good time, some of
the pictures really made me think how brave guys were then
____________________
www.soundclick.com/foursticks

[warped one]

Wow, I just lost 1/2 hour of my life reading that...

And all I can say is that was absolutely amazing.

Cheers

Warped
____________________
amnesia - Never in the history of usernames has one been more accurate. Warped indeed. You sir are a fecking oddball.

[weemo2007]

Well done Buster, enjoyed your thread, very interesting and great pic,s.

Hope Anne enjoyed spain as much as your tour
____________________
MEMENTO VIVERE
remember to live life,,,, Theres always a better day than the day before...

[priestessuk20...]

Thank you for the above
that is one of the to do things, once I have a bigger bike
brilliant pictures too!
____________________
priestessuk
yes passed cbt 27/10/08
currant - honda CB125 T