Op "Dragoon" 60th Anniversary celebrations, South of France August 2004.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Here is a sort of "then & now" photo. You might know of the well known photo of British & US Paras taken in front of a door? The original door is now changed and the wall rendered, and so it no longer looks like the one in the wartime photo. So this photo was taken by next house down the street, as this still features the original style door and stone wall.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Original chicken wire fence; just think of how many helmets this would cover The fence was held up by German barbed wire stakes.

[Adrian Stevenson]

It won't fit in your hand luggage! The farmer who is a friend of ours, showed us this Horsa glider loading ramp.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Baseball Caps specially made for the British Vets.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Many of the Vets were honoured by the French Govt with the awarding of the Legion of Honour http://abcnews.go.com/wire/World/ap2....html#photocap

[Adrian Stevenson]

Here is my good freind Mike Compton proudly wearing his. You will recall that Mike's uniform is in the Museum. Mike is quoted in the link in the above post.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Here are all the other Brit Vets who were decorated.

[Ben]

Nice to see "Prof" in the pictures.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Hi Ben, I did not know you knew "Prof"? (I should explain to the other forum members that "Prof" is the tall lad in the photo taken next to the door in the light blue/dark blue shirt. His name is Ade too, but as he is a sceintst, hence the nick-name . Ade and I have been friends for many, many years.)


Here are all the British Vets that attended the celebrations. As you can see there was a good turnout and quite a few impressive medal bars on display.

Cheers, Ade.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Here is another shot of some of the Vets. The lady in the photo was sadly representing her late father, who was due to attend, but passed away just a fortnight before the anniversary...


The Vet is the maroon PRA blazer is a friend of mine, Jim Chittenden. Jim was a Pathfinder and was wounded during the fighting. Jim later joined the Commandos. He is quite a character

[Adrian Stevenson]

Here is another Pathfinder friend of mine, Walter Freeguard.

Walter is pictered as a young man demonstrating the Eureka beacons in the book on the South of France drops written by M. De Trez. "First Airborne Task Force: Pictorial History of the Allied Paratroopers in the Invasion of Southern France"

Walter became a school head master after the war and later earned the OBE. He is 89 years young.

Cheers, Ade.

[Adrian Stevenson]

Here is another Pathfinder friend of mine, Peter Block.

Here Peter gets his hands on a .45 Auto.

[Ben]

Hi Ade,

from the old LHA days. Prof is one of the brightest and nicest people one can could ever hope to meet! A very nice and decent guy.

Hi Ben, I did not know you knew "Prof"? (I should explain to the other forum members that "Prof" is the tall lad in the photo taken next to the door in the light blue/dark blue shirt. His name is Ade too, but as he is a sceintst, hence the nick-name . Ade and I have been friends for many, many years.)

[Adrian Stevenson]

A Vet of 6th (Welsh) Parachute Battalion. Sadly I do not recall his name, as the wine had taken it's toll on me

[Adrian Stevenson]

Here is "Taffy", complete with the traditional neck decoration worn by the battalion. These are not often seen today. His comrade recalled his disappeared (courtsey of his wife) in the washing machine!