The Secret Beach: A Kids World War 2 Adventure - James Papalia

Great WW2 history for kids!  Buy here on Amazon:

https://a.co/d/6klDSeb

James Papalia WW2 author

James writing his WW2 novel

Chapter 4 special preview

The Secret Code

Witnessing the Battle of Midway, June 1942

I was on a ship, not in Stone Harbor, not Iwo Jima, not Dunkirk, not Normandy Beach. I was somewhere totally new, somewhere I had never seen, and I saw sailors moving about. I listened to someone who I figured was very important, as people saluted him and gave him constant information. I heard someone call him “Admiral” and I knew it was important.

I saw some soldiers and sailors getting ready for a battle or some sort of fight. I still didn’t know where I was, or where we were heading. I heard two pilots talking. One pilot told the other pilot, “We are gonna bomb the Japanese before they bomb us, and we are going to defend Midway.” I knew I was living through the battle of Midway, June, 1942….

I heard planes in the air, and guns from the ship firing at the planes. I noticed the enemy planes had a red circle. It was the Japanese Rising Sun. The sailor grabbed me by the hand and said, “Follow me,” and I ran after him. He took me to the flight deck where brave sailors were shooting at the Japanese pilots. As I looked around I saw a hundred planes, bombs dropping, our guns firing bullets everywhere. I saw a couple of sailors scared but determined to fight back. I looked and another soldier was crying, hiding. I understood, it was very very scary.

I saw American planes taking off on the runway, bravely going into the air to fight the Japanese. I saluted an American pilot. He was going up to fight the Japanese. His name was Dick Best, a hero of the Battle of Midway. I saw the Admiral look at me and ran at me and said, “What are you doing out here kid?

I looked at him and said, “I wish I knew.” He told me to go with a few sailors.

We all waited on the flight deck for the pilots to return. It was getting dark. Sailors were concerned the pilots wouldn’t return, that we could lose the battle or the Japanese could return. Then the pilots started to return, one by one, some planes in better shape than others. I heard one pilot tell the admiral, “We got a lot of their planes, not all of them, but we did sink some major ships including the Akagi.” People began to be happy, yell and shout! It was a very exciting time on the ship, and I was smiling just like the other sailors.

All of a sudden, an American dauntless dive bomber came speeding towards the ship. The engine cut out, it was on fire, and it smashed into the flight deck and burst into flames. To avoid it, I jumped overboard out of fear, when I came to the surface I was somewhere new, but where?

GREEN HOWARDS EXHIBITION

For anyone in the Yorkshire area, the Green Howards museum at Richmond currently has a 
FREE exhibition in the museum entrance charting the story of the museum and its collection over the past 50 years, and its place at the heart of the Richmond community.
PLUS GREAT ESCAPES? YOU NEEDN’T MAKE IT UP.
This GH special exhibition, Great Escapes, explores a rich history of daring feats, escape and evasion, the kindness of strangers, personal sacrifice, split-second decision making, fighting retreats and real-life survival by the skin of your teeth. Right through to December – Take advantage while it’s pouring down – oh, that’s any day in Britain then! That’s part of the paid entry fee
https://greenhowards.org.uk/

And there’s more:
Plus Online Sicily Exhibition 
See: https://greenhowards.org.uk/exhibition/first-foot-on-fortress-europe/

Fred Thomas, 505 Parachute Infantry Regiment, first to land on Sicily 9/10th July 1943, WW2, Second World War.

Fred Thomas and comrades 504 PIR WW2. Fred rear centre. Near Pompeii, late September 1943 on the way to Naples.

Dave Thomas explains the WW2 photo above:

Let me clarify what happened to the men in that photo. The man rear right is David  Rosenkrantz. He was killed after the Waal River crossing by a German patrol. Dave was listed as MIA until I contacted his nephew Phil Rosenkrantz in 2013 and told him several living men from H Company witnessed him getting killed by a German machine gun. Several years later the MIA association from the US government found some of his remains and identified him.

Phil wrote a book about his uncle called Letters from Uncle Dave, released a year ago. Dave Rosenkrantz was one of my dad's best friends in his unit. He was respected by everyone and was a natural leader. Dave was Jewish, and my dad said there was no way he would ever get captured. You can spot Dave in the tank photo standing lower right.

The man kneeling lower right side of the photo is Lewis Holt. He was from Texas and always was bragging about how great Texas was. It drove my dad nuts, but he had a soft spot for Holt because he was with him all the way from Boot Camp to when my dad got wounded in Italy. He was killed while crossing the Waal River. They didn’t find his body for over a year.

The man standing with no helmet is Ted Finkbiener. He made it through the entire war and passed in Louisiana sometime in the past ten years. He is featured in Ryans's book “A Bridge Too Far”. Notice his sniper rifle in the photo.

The man kneeling lower left in the photo was killed at Anzio. I can’t find his name, but spoke to one of his nephews years ago.

Tunnel at Agerola Italy WWII

Edward ‘Teddy’ Sheean VC WWII

Edward ‘Teddy’ Sheean VC WW2 STORIES OF CHAOS AND COURAGE 
https://www.facebook.com/groups/754427714964136/permalink/1365913053815596/

Junkers tail fin WWII podcast

Kilroy was here in WW2!

Kilroy WWII photographs 

https://www.facebook.com/groups/wwiiphotographs/permalink/663597541886219/

Champagne Sylvie. La Vie en France

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkRdwn9Ktd1z79n08YYVwhw

Facebook story: WW2 STORIES OF CHAOS AND COURAGE The surly petty officer

https://www.facebook.com/groups/754427714964136/permalink/1456548118085422/

-Pte. Wilfred Mavin. Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. Dieppe Raid, 1942.

This story was documented by Battles and Beers. Every soldier has a story, and every story deserves to be told. Nicholas Laidlaw - What War did to us

https://www.facebook.com/groups/754427714964136/permalink/1156444198095817/

In Victory outro tune

https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/in-victory

ITALY

Welcome back to the FTP WWII.

I’m Paul Cheall and this is part two of the 82^nd Airborne Family Story of American Fred Thomas.

In this episode we’ve got the story of Fred’s Italy escapades, plus an impromptu telephone chat with British WWII veteran Ken Cooke and a host of listeners’ WW2 family stories.

I’d recommend you start off with Part One/Episode 92 if you haven’t already heard it. Now here we are with Fred just having completed his mission in Sicily, totally unscathed. Now they have to push on to Italy and do their bit expose Hitler’s so-called soft underbelly of Europe.

The Devils in Italy:

And here is the background to the Italian mission from http://www.facesbeyondthegraves.com/pagina43.html

Troopers from H Company (Fred’s unit), with a group of Rangers, made the initial landing on 9 September 1943 on the Italian coast at Maiori. On 11 September, the 3rd Battalion Headquarters and G and I Companies, along with the remainder of the 325th Combat Team, swerved south and landed on bloody Salerno beach. On 1 October 1943, the 504th became the first infantry unit to enter Naples. Finally, the Regiment was pulled back to Naples on 4 January 1944. The 504th took part to the operation "Shingle," and it involved an airborne assault into a sector behind the coastal town of Anzio, 28 miles south of Rome. For its outstanding performance from 8 to 12 February 1944, the battalion was presented one of the first Presidential Unit Citations awarded in the European Theater of Operations. It was during this battle that the 504th acquired the nickname "The Devils in Baggy Pants," taken from the following entry found in the diary of a German officer killed at Anzio:

American parachutists -- devils in baggy pants -- are less than 100 meters from my outpost line. I can’t sleep at night; they pop up from nowhere and we never know when or how they will strike next. Seems like the black-hearted devils are everywhere...

On 23 March 1944, the 504th was pulled out of the beachhead and returned to Naples. Shortly thereafter, the 504th boarded the "Capetown Castle" and steamed to England.

Dave Thomas is the son of 504^th  soldier Fred Thomas and his commentary on this goes as follows:

Dad's company landed near the Salerno beachhead on Sept. 9, 1943. They were supposed to be dropped near Rome, but the Italian generals betrayed their plans to the Germans even after we already paid them off. At the last moment, they boarded LCIs with the Rangers and landed at Māori before Operation Avalanche.  Operation Avalanche was a mission to prevent the Germans from reaching the bridgehead near the port of Salerno in Italy.

At this tunnel his Company received the Presidential Unit Citation for keeping the Hermann Goring Division reaching the Salerno beachhead for ten days. What I learned from the townspeople of Agerola was that the Germans had rigged the tunnel with explosives to keep the Americans from reaching the Naples Plain.

The townspeople told me they sent several girls down to the tunnel to distract the Germans, and to diffuse the explosive without the Germans knowing. I was told the town used the explosives for the next 20 years for homemade fireworks. WOW. I was shocked by that one.

It was also here that I believe my dad suffered his first case of combat fatigue. Holding their position at the tunnel was done by dispersing squads on the hills along the road leading to the tunnel entrance. Dad told me he was positioned near a bend in the road leading to the door.

The Germans (The Herman Goerring Division) had a mechanized unit that spearheaded their advance to the tunnel. As the lead unit, a half-track, approached, a German officer stood up through the top turret, looking up the road to the tunnel entrance. Dad told me he hit the officer dead center with his rifle, causing the Germans to halt. They couldn't turn around, so they called in artillery, 88s from the valley below. The shells landed on their own positions and killed some of their soldiers. A young German was lying in the road screaming from his wounds. That is when Dad dropped down the road and pulled him into a nearby ditch. He tried to stop his bleeding. This young soldier screamed for his mother while dad tried to stop his bleeding. He died in minutes. That is when Dad told me he realized this war was a waste of life. He said, “They were young guys just like us. They had families just like us”. 

Hill 1017 Italy

Devils in Baggy Pants extract

I’m now going to read a passage from a book, DIBP, which is the combat record of the 504^th PIR.

The passage describes the Hill 1017 action which was about taking a particular mountain position not far from Naples, where Fred and his comrades had hitherto been having a bit of rest.

Letters

Wounded - Jan 12, 1944 From Africa

I suppose the army has already notified you that I was wounded in action December 11. This is the first letter I have tried to write since then.

I think they will let me try to walk soon. Shrapnel went through both my thighs. I am back in Africa now. I spent Christmas on a hospital ship on my way back.

I was in a hospital in Italy before I came here. This is the first time I have ever been away from my company. I have been through every battle they have had without missing any until this last one. Don’t worry about me because I’ll be okay. FRED

And this is the story of how Fred got wounded:

It took me years to find out how Dad got wounded. Eventually I found out he was wounded on December 11^th 1943, near Venafro Italy south of Colli al Volturno. The allies called it the Winter Line Offensive. The Germans were on top of the mountains blocking Allied movement north to Monte Cassino.

This is what he said in a letter to his brother Emmert:

Dear Emmert 

We started up a road to attack the Germans. It was a hard fight and they were throwing all the artillery and mortar which they had at us. We pushed them back through a pass. When we got in the pass, a bunch of Jerry planes came over and divebombed and strafed us. A bomb landed near me and blew me about 3 feet off the ground.

I got up and tried to help another man who was near me. But my legs just folded up under me. I knew I was hit but didn’t know it was so bad until I looked down and found I was just blood from the waist down.

Hope you are okay. Fred 

Dave adds:

Several men were wounded and killed when they were bombed and strafed that day. Dad told me it was a cold and wet day. He said getting him to the Field Hospital near Venafro took a long time, but because it was cold, his bleeding was slowed. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have made it. He passed out from blood loss and when he woke, a field army nurse named Mary Dehr had saved his life by doing a direct blood transfusion from her to him. They had run out of blood and plasma because of the number of wounded men. The field hospital was hell on earth. Screaming wounded men and the nurses were ankle-deep in mud, blood, and bandages. He never forgot that nurse and stayed connected with her for years later. I have attached a photo of some of those nurses at Venafro. I recently found Mary’s son and daughter, and we have been exchanging emails.

DAVE Commentary - OUT OF THE WAR

Dec 43 Hand Grenade Colli al Volturno, ww2

There are so many more stories that I have uncovered, but the following has to be the most cherished.

Dad was on an advanced patrol with his squad into German lines October or early November 1943. They approached a small mountain village called Colli al Volturno, where the Germans had set up some artillery to cover the American advance along the winter line. His squad had crossed the Volturno River which was rain-swollen. Then they crawled through a minefield on the edges of the village and came across a small farmhouse. They approached from the rear of the house and two Germans bolted out the front door. They were quickly shot. As the squad leader, my dad came from the back of the house and pulled the pin on a grenade to throw into the house. For some reason he paused, and one of his guys said “Throw it Serge”.

He heard a baby cry

and reset the pin in that split second.

He told the occupants in Italian to get out. Out came several mothers and some children. He never could explain why he hesitated. In his later years. He said that he felt a hand grab his wrist and would tear up and be silent. There was no reason for him to pause. They were wet and cold and had fought in some hard combat where they never gave a second thought to killing the enemy.

When I contacted the mayor of Colli, he said they knew the story, but had more information on what had happened. When we visited in 1998 the town had a huge celebration and took us to the farmhouse. It was there that an old lady came out the front door with her daughters, who were in their late fifties. She immediately went to my dad and kissed him. Then she asked where the other American boys were. My dad broke down into tears.

Dave sent me a photo which I’ve posted on the web site – The caption is “Near Pompeii, late September 1943 on the way to Naples”.  My father is standing in the middle. He and one other are the only two who lived through the war. The other guys were killed in Holland when they crossed the Waal River near Nijmegen. That action was featured in the film A Bridge Too Far based on the book written by Cornelius Ryan. So those are the guys the lady was asking about….

The part of the story we didn’t know was the two Germans who had earlier exited the front door - and got killed - had been inside interrogating the women and children, shoving guns in their mouths, and threatening to shoot the children.  Evidently, the people of Colli had many relatives who lived in Pittsburg USA. The Germans suspected that they had been giving information on their artillery locations to American forces.

We realised that this old woman at the farmhouse in 1998 was the young mother who was with her children in 1943.

She was probably in her 20’s when the incident happened.

The other ladies were her daughters, who, in 1998, were in their 50’s….

----

The mayor told us that the Germans had put one of their men in American uniform, asking questions days prior to find out if the townspeople were divulging the German position information to the Allies.

Later, November 11^th, H & I Companies of the 504th PIR took Hill 1017 above Colli after crawling through minefields and wiping out the German unit defending the valley below.

Listener, if you want to know any more

Dave, thank you so much for putting your Dad’s story and letters to me. Some great first hand insights without a doubt. And to Dave’s late Dad, Fred, thank you for your service, Sir. The FTP salutes you.

TR

FEEDBACK

Feedback 1 Russell Gunning

Hi Paul, well what can I say, I am so glad I came across your podcast and I can't praise you enough for the content and presentation.  History so often records events in broad brushstrokes but it’s the stories of the people that lived it which brings it to life and in these podcasts you have done that.  I must admit to finding some of the stories quite emotional, when people are killed, friends and fellow soldiers, you can almost feel the pain and loss, the tragedy of war.

My mum and dad were both born in 1926 and so were just 13 when war broke out. Dad joined the Home Guard when he was 16, the Hampstead Aak Aak Battery, I have a fantastic group picture , about 70 men and my dad looks the youngest by far. When he turned 18 in July 1944 he joined the Royal Artillery. He was lucky as he wasn't deployed abroad until after the war had finished but did stints in Germany, Palestine and Egypt, nearly 9 years in total.  My mum was also a sergeant in the signals, although I'm not sure when she joined up she also did service in Egypt after the war.

I’ve attached the home guard picture, colourised.

My dad is in the middle row, last man on the right or should I say boy as he was 16/17 at the time. One other thing he told me was when he was in they never fired the aak aak in anger, incredible. Dad’s name Henry Gunning and Mum’s maiden name Doris Hales.

Also included pictures of my grandad 15/16 years of age !  my great grandad and my dad.

<These young lads. Wow!>

My grandad and great grandad both fought in ww1. Great grandad (James Gunning) joined at 39 and served in transport on the Somme. Grandad (Henry Gunning)  lied about his age and joined at 16 ( might have been 15) and subsequently fought on the Somme where he was blown up and nearly lost a leg. I only heard this in the last year of my dad’s life but the story was they were going to take his leg but he begged them not to and fortunately his leg was saved, however as a result of the injury he did suffer with it for the rest of his life.  Great grandad lived to 83, Grandad to 81 and my dad to 89........... so I am hopeful

My Dad's birthday today, he would have been 97 so a good day to listen to a couple more episodes of 'Fighting Through'. The presentation is pitch perfect so well done that man.

by Russell Gunning · United States of America ·

Feedback 2 Leo

Thanks for the awesome stories. Can’t wait for new stories

Leo from the United States

Feedback 3 Sylvie

This was posted on my YouTube channel against the Kisses episode.

Hello from a french friend 🥐☕ I love to ear ze real bbc English accent.

What a great podcast my friend! Very well done! Ze war was hard.

I think she’s referring to Dominic Frisby’s accent rather than mine!

Shout out now for Sylvie’s own French magazine youtube channel which is called Champagne Sylvie.

It’s all about French life - la France, les français, tourisme, visiter. La mode française, la gastronomie. L' agriculture, la viticulture – and who says French and English are two different languages. Take away Brexit, politicians and the Norman Conquest, and we’re the same people who do love each other really!

So thanks to Sylvie’s French miscellaneous magazine channel I now know the French for bread, grape and hello. I also now know the French for Calvados too, which is of course, Calvados! Zut alors!

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkRdwn9Ktd1z79n08YYVwhw

Champagne Sylvie. La Vie en France

Talking about Calvados ….

Just a bit of background with the help of Wiki - Calvados is a type of brandy made from apples and is named after the region of Normandy in France where it is produced. During World War I, Calvados was requisitioned by the French government as it was closer to the front lines than other beverages of similar alcoholic content. However, the alcohol was not used to produce explosives, petrol, or for medicinal purposes with the exception of sedating soldiers during operations. So there was a fair bit around during WW2 …. And guess what …?

Ta Ra

I recently received a family story from listener …

Leigh Owen recently bought me a few Calvados through the Buy me a coffee banner on the web site and said this:

Great show, Paul. Both my grandfathers fought, but due to the effects of what they experienced. My grandfather Thomas Alfred Owen, joined the navy in 1939 aged 15 (having lied about his age and his father, a WW1 veteran, signed to say he was older). And he did tell me a story about … Calvados!

He was ashore somewhere in Normandy and had a few too many Calvados, waking up in the brig the following day with no idea what he did to get himself locked up there! He was a right character and I would love to know the full story.

Anyway, enjoy your Calvados and stay out of trouble and keep up the good work, bud. 😃”

Leigh Owen UK through Buy me a Coffee at FTP.co

Feedback 4 Jack Fritz, South Dakota loves the show

love the show and everything you do

Feedback 5 Virginia Miller Phoenix, Arizona says

I have been listening starting with episode 1 as I do my daily walking. Makes the walking easier.

Virginia thank you. I walk/cycle a lot and I was listening to aussie veteran Les Cook’s interview again the other day and what a legend that man is. I say is because as far as I know he’s still trespassing to use Wilf Shaw’s words. And his stories are just great – if you listener haven’t heard them yet, catch up from episodes 81 onwards.

by Virginia Miller, USA · United States of America · Mar 16, 2023

Feedback 6 Will Killigan USA

Great podcastsKeep up the great work.

Columbus, Georgia USA. “Just outside of Fort Benning. Home of the US Army Infantry and recently the Armor school as well. Lots of history and a great Museum.

Feedback 6 Charles Parker

You’re Reminding me of stories my uncle told about flying over the Hump in Burma.

Charles Parker, Virginia  USA

Feedback 7 Nathan

Gday mate

I’m loving every single episode!!

But I’m writing to you to ask for your help, im chasing information about my great grandfather who was in the British airforce.

I want to record both sides of my family’s brave history and my boys already know about my mothers side - being the brave anzacs that took on the Japanese at Kokoda but as far as my English fathers grandads it’s just lost to me.

Thanks for your time

And much love from Australia 🇦🇺

Family stories 2 Don Booth

Hi.

    Its a long shot but the younger brother of an Uncle on my Mothers side served with the 7th btl Green howards and was killed in action on the 18th June 1944 around the location of Valderie farm near Longray,there is a good chance Mr Cooke took part in the same action and maybe even knew him, his name was Tommy Rowe from Manchester and was only 17 years old which i find unbelievable,i am going to Normandy in june and will visit his grave at the cemetery at Bayeux.

                                          regards Don Booth

Well, I gave Don some ideas for research, even though Ken Cooke couldn’t help. And blimey, Don just wrote to me in the aftermath of his June visit to Normandy.

Hope all is ok with you, i just wanted to thank you and your team for providing me with information about a family member who was KIA in Normandy, i managed to complete my trip and visit Bayeux where he is buried and the Normandy monument at Ver Sur Mer Gold Beach where his Battalion the 7th Green Howards landed on D-Day, the monument is quite something, i also found Tommy's name on the memorial, i was in Normandy for ten days and every day was full of things to see, including veterans, i met some on the ferry going over from Portsmouth and later in Normandy, it was going to be my final visit but as 2024 is the 80th anniversary i am going to make the effort to be there again.

                                                          See images.

                                                       Thanks again Don.

Don I’m so pleased you found that Ver Sur Mer memorial – it is quite stunning. And the Gold Beach museum in that area is super too – I have covered that and more in a previous episode. Epsiode 45 in fact when I went on a battleground visit with the Green Howards.

FAMILY STORIES

Family stories and ww2 memoirs - Nathan Checketts

Australia

Hi, my name's Nathan checketts from Adelaide, South Australia. First time I've ever written to a podcast but I am absolutely loving your podcast started listening 2 weeks ago and already up to episode 90 I am amazed,

I have a question for you in regards to my pop he was in the Dutch army

his name was guert van-denbrink  -

I have done a bit of research and found he had a son I never knew about and he was able to tell me.. he served in the Dutch marines in the civil war in Indonesia 1940 then was enslaved by the Germans and sent to work on a farm then after the war he walked from Germany back to Holland as a free man... Unfortunately that's all he knows  - said that he saw things a young man should never see..

but I will still be doing more digging to find what I can..

if you’re able to shed some light on it for me... Thankyou

Nathan is now armed with the best advice I can give anyone doing research on a relative. Find out which army and regiment they were in because that can open up so many more avenues for research. If you go to the research tab on my website FTP I’ve posted loads of links to forums that can help with your research, but first and foremost, get hold of their service records from the national archives of the country concerned. Usually full name and regiment helps enormously, though if their name is Wilmot Zacharia Higginsbottom that might be all you need. And these forums like ww2talk.com are staffed by veterans and enthusiasts of all kinds and they are usually extremely knowledgeable about the various theatres of war and weaponry uniforms and badges etc.

Returning to you Nathan, with a grandfather in the Dutch marines captured in Indonesia, that’s a tricky one, for me anyway, but just get yourself all over Google and Wikipedia and gradually tease out all the history you can – I’m sure it exists. I do actually feel excited for you because of what might be there waiting for you to discover.

There’s a pic of Nathan’s GGF and his hat and badge on FTP …

Nathan Learmont Manchester also feedback thanks

Phone Interview with Ken Cooke

I had a random telephone call with Veteran Ken Cooke the other week. Ken comes from Yorkshire and landed on Gold beach at the age of 18 with the seventh Green Howards. You may remember that he featured in two full length Interviews in episode 74 and 75 so this telephone call was partly a catch up to see how the old boy was but also to ask about Don Booth’s relative Tommy Rowe. Unfortunately Ken had no recollection of the incident. But boy, was I rewarded with a few more memories! I reckon he is 97 if my maths is correct. Wow!

>> Insert Ken’s WW2 memories about the bocage, gold beach and Normandy, France.

SURVEY STUFF Anonymous

Just listened to the episode about Christmas, now how is it possible to induce a grown man to inexplicably fill up with emotion just by hearing a recording of Silent Night?

If you haven’t listened to the Christmas episodes yet, certainly do so by Christmas. There’s a Christmas category off the menu on the web site. I’m actually working on the Christmas 2023 episode all the time, so if anyone has any ideas or anecdotes, please do send them in via the contact page on the website.

WAR STUFF

War Stuff – Krakow – Derek Whittle

Have you been to krakow mate ?

We went last week

Good plane museum,  mainly Cold War stuff, Auschwitz of course, and I went to a gun range and fired some guns from ww2

Bren gun, Lee Enfield, colt, Thomson and an ak47

Amazing fun, very sobering, the sounds and smells

War stuff James Papalia

Anyone who has paid attention to the occasional ‘spooky or what’ segment in this show can’t help but have noticed young James Papalias WW2 story of falling down the proverbial rabbit hole and popping up in all sorts of strange World War II locations! Well, James has recently written more chapters, polished the story off and only gone and published the book on Amazon!

It's called

The Secret Beach: A Kids World War 2 Adventure

https://a.co/d/6klDSeb

I’ve just finished reading James book and what a great little story, nay history lesson on all the key theatres of war. There are some great photos in it too.

Here’s the blurb from the book:

When seven-year-old James walks down a dune in modern times to find a ball, his sister threw, he finds something totally different… He finds some of the greatest battles and people of World War II. Follow James, as he visits Normandy beach, Dunkirk, Iwo Jima, and more as he travels the world and is dead smack in the middle of World War II. The secret beach allows kids to learn about this important period of time and some of its heroes in a fun and educational way, following a peer as he sees firsthand the heroics and bravery of the allies as they fight to liberate the world from 1940 to 1945.

James, you did such a great job with all the twists and turns in your mysterious adventure. I am so impressed with your knowledge at such a young age! Keep it up young man!

James says he wants kids to read it so they learn about that generation. Hopefully teachers in their classroom as well.

And unbeknown to me James has revealed his own family story in the book:

Apparently, he got into History after learning about his Great Grandfather Jim Mauro, a Korean War Vet and Grandfather Kenneth Thomas, a Silver Star Decorated Veteran of Vietnam and 25 years in the United States Army.

James loves watching war movies and reading war books and magazines and he loves the Fighting Through Podcast and has become pen pals with its host, the great Paul Cheall.

James also has made a friendship with Susan Eisenhower, the multi-talented granddaughter of President Dwight D Eisenhower, and she has inspired him to continue to learn and write his thoughts!

He is hopeful that kids around the world will read his book and be inspired to learn about World War 2 and to honor its brave Veterans!

So, if it’s coming up to Christmas in your time zone and if you want to get a youngster a nice little stocking filler to help them bump up on their history, and to enjoy a spooky adventure story at the same time, check out James’ book. The Secret Beach: A Kids World War 2 Adventure

Link.

You can check out chapters 1 and 2 in episodes 87 and 88.

And I’m now going to read Chapter 3. If you want to learn more then but the book – there’s 13 chapters! And they’re all Top Secret – so if you tell anyone about them, make sure you tell em not to tell anyone!

TR

James is just recovering from scary exploits on Omaha Beach and Dunkirk, where he’s met Bill Cheall. He’s already been in and out of foxholes, sand dunes and deep soaking water. He’s been fired on, bombed and shelled – what can possibly happen to him next – let’s find out ….after we’ve reminded ourselves where he got to in the last chapter …

As I got onboard the Dunkirk ship the Stuka dive bombers returned and began to fire. I jumped in the water. When I came to the surface, I was somewhere new. But where?

Chapter 3

The Secret Escape

Meeting Marine Joseph Dimichele

at the Battle of Iwo Jima

I woke up and there were no Stukas. I looked for my sisters Ava and Emily, but they weren’t there. I was on a landing craft boat. I heard the Captain say “3…2…1…Lower the Gate.”

I was somewhere new, but where?

I did not have much time to think, as I got knocked overboard and into the waters, but there was no gunfire, no yelling and everyone was moving together towards a dark sandy beach.

I saw someone walking on the beach. He was an American Marine. I had seen him before from pictures. I could not figure out who he was, so I went to talk to him. It was oddly quiet, no gunfire, so I took the chance. “Sir, where are we? What are we doing here?”

The American Marine looked at me and said, “We are invading Iwo Jima, but why are you here kid?”

I said, “I wish I knew. What are we about to do?”

The Marine said to me, “See Mount Suribachi? We are gonna take it, and plant our flag on it.”

The quiet went away, and the guns started firing like crazy. The American Marine grabbed me and put me in a foxhole. The Marine looked at me and said, “You are in a fire fight, you gotta stay down.”

I looked at him and said, “This isn’t my first foxhole unfortunately.” He looked confused, but returned fire at the angry Japanese soldiers.

The marine said, “Stay here or follow, but we gotta move!”

So I followed him closely behind and we ran into a jungle and we came into another foxhole in the jungle.

The Marine said to me, “Here, I made this food I have been saving, have half in case we get separated.”

I thanked him, “Thank you so much. By the way, what's your name and where are you from?”

The Marine said to me, “Joe Dimichele from New Jersey.” At that point I recognized him from pictures in our family scrapbook. I could not believe my eyes.

The Japanese started to attack and bomb us, so we scattered into the Jungle. I lost Joe and was by myself for hours hiding by a few trees. I got hungry and opened the food he gave me. It was a salami sandwich. I could not believe my eyes or belly. I ate so much I fell asleep….. Just then, something loud woke me up. I looked around and was not in a jungle, I was on a ship, but where was I?

Chapter 4

The Secret Code

Witnessing the Battle of Midway, June 1942

I was on a ship, not in Stone Harbor, not Iwo Jima, not Dunkirk, not Normandy Beach. I was somewhere totally new, somewhere I had never seen, and I saw sailors moving about. I listened to someone who I figured was very important, as people saluted him and gave him constant information. I heard someone call him “Admiral” and I knew it was important.

I saw some soldiers and sailors getting ready for a battle or some sort of fight. I still didn’t know where I was, or where we were heading. I heard two pilots talking. One pilot told the other pilot, “We are gonna bomb the Japanese before they bomb us, and we are going to defend Midway.” I knew I was living through the battle of Midway, June, 1942….

I heard planes in the air, and guns from the ship firing at the planes. I noticed the enemy planes had a red circle. It was the Japanese Rising Sun. The sailor grabbed me by the hand and said, “Follow me,” and I ran after him. He took me to the flight deck where brave sailors were shooting at the Japanese pilots. As I looked around I saw a hundred planes, bombs dropping, our guns firing bullets everywhere. I saw a couple of sailors scared but determined to fight back. I looked and another soldier was crying, hiding. I understood, it was very very scary.

I saw American planes taking off on the runway, bravely going into the air to fight the Japanese. I saluted an American pilot. He was going up to fight the Japanese. His name was Dick Best, a hero of the Battle of Midway. I saw the Admiral look at me and ran at me and said, “What are you doing out here kid?

I looked at him and said, “I wish I knew.” He told me to go with a few sailors.

We all waited on the flight deck for the pilots to return. It was getting dark. Sailors were concerned the pilots wouldn’t return, that we could lose the battle or the Japanese could return. Then the pilots started to return, one by one, some planes in better shape than others. I heard one pilot tell the admiral, “We got a lot of their planes, not all of them, but we did sink some major ships including the Akagi.” People began to be happy, yell and shout! It was a very exciting time on the ship, and I was smiling just like the other sailors.

All of a sudden, an American dauntless dive bomber came speeding towards the ship. The engine cut out, it was on fire, and it smashed into the flight deck and burst into flames. To avoid it, I jumped overboard out of fear, when I came to the surface I was somewhere new, but where?

The book has chapters on Omaha Beach Normandy, Dunkirk, Iwo Jima, Midway, Pearl Harbor, Sicily, Germany, the Philippines and more.

Buy it now through Amazon from the links in the show notes and website.

The Secret Beach: A Kids World War 2 Adventure. By James Papalia

TR

War stuff 3 Green Howards exhibition

For anyone in the Yorkshire area, the Green Howards museum at Richmond currently has a

FREE exhibition in the museum entrance charting the story of the museum and its collection over the past 50 years, and its place at the heart of the Richmond community.

It’s on right through to November 2023, and will be moved online later in the year.

PLUS GREAT ESCAPES? YOU NEEDN’T MAKE IT UP.

This GH special exhibition, Great Escapes, explores a rich history of daring feats, escape and evasion, the kindness of strangers, personal sacrifice, split-second decision making, fighting retreats and real-life survival by the skin of your teeth. Right through to December – Take advantage while it’s pouring down – oh, that’s any day in Britain then! That’s part of the paid entry fee

https://greenhowards.org.uk/

And there’s more:

Steve Erskine from the museum says “we have just launched our online Sicily Exhibition which does include some quotes from the Fighting through….text.  And listener I can add that there are also some quotes from Alf Blackburn’s WW2 memoir that we recently covered! And I can vouch for just how cracking that Sicily exhibition is. In fact I’m going to include some of it in the PS’s at the end of the show. So keep yer ears peeled!

See: https://greenhowards.org.uk/exhibition/first-foot-on-fortress-europe/

And there’s a ‘donate’ button in it so if you enjoy the Sicily exhibition please consider making a donation to help the museum to keep offering content like that in future, that would be great.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/754427714964136/permalink/1456548118085422/

Green Howards stories from Sicily

PLANNING FOR BOOTS ON THE BEACH

The additional information on this map of the Sicilian coastline around Avola has been gleaned from covert operations in enemy territory. Scroll around the image to get a closer view of this vital data.

Formed in December 1942, the Combined Operations Pilotage Parties (COPP) is made up of men from the Royal Engineers, The Royal Marines and the sister unit of the SAS, the Special Boat Service (SBS). COPP operate in pairs. They are dropped offshore by submarine, then paddle ashore in canoes or kayaks to survey potential landing sites. They map hidden sandbanks on which landing craft may get stuck; calculate the gradients of beaches to ensure men and vehicles could get across them; take samples of sand or shingle to test for any waterlogging; bore down through the beach to the bedrock to see if the ground would support tanks, map exits from beaches and mark minefields and other beach defences. They return to the submarine at a pre-arranged point, assuming the submarine can get back through tides and enemy patrols, and return to base with the precious information.

There’s a map at the Excellent GH Sicily online exhibition

TRAINING BEGINS: landing from the sea against a defended shore

Training in assault landings – the loading of vehicles and driving on and off ships into various landing craft, or through water onto beaches, climbing over the side of ships, down into landing craft in a rough sea, the strict order for the loading and sailing of landing craft and combined operations become part of the daily routine.

In early June 1943 a full-scale dress rehearsal for the landing takes place in the Gulf of Aqaba. The troops still do not know where they will go ashore or when. All maps and ground models have the names of villages and mountains, as well as grid references, removed. Their destination is revealed only once they set sail on 5 July 1943.

The Green Howards’ 1st Battalion, veterans of a withdrawal from land TO sea in Norway in 1940, are selected for the assault force striking FROM the sea to the shore at Avola in the early hours of 10 July. The 6th and 7th battalions, forced to retreat from Dunkirk in 1940, and familiar with the Italian army due to more recent action in the western desert, will be part of the follow-up wave later the same day.

We boarded a landing craft and were taken about 2 miles down the Gulf. Turning around, we made a dash for the coast at a good speed and when we were about one hundred yards from the beach the ramp came down and, simulating the real thing, we jumped into waist deep water and went as fast as we could, encouraged by our NCOs. As we were laden with kit and weapons, it was a little difficult to keep our feet.  We charged up the beach shouting wildly and firing blank ammunition at an imaginary enemy. 

Private Bill Cheall, B Company, 6th Battalion

Anecdote

On the morning of 10th July we were called about 0530. I looked out and saw that the bay off Avola was just filled with ships of all sorts and sizes. My first thought was, well if the Germans send their bombers over now, God help us!

We washed, shaved and dressed. Enjoyed a full cooked breakfast followed by the inevitable cigarette, then just sat and waited until we were called to the Landing Craft.

We climbed aboard and were lowered into the beautiful, calm blue sea. On reaching shore, a big Marine picked me up and carried me ashore, so I did not even have wet feet.

Recollections of J R Mumford, 7th Battalion Green Howards

And if you're a fan of Stan Hollis:

SIGN OF THINGS TO COME. Stanley Hollis served in the Merchant Navy before the war. As a Company Sergeant Major for C Company of the 6th Battalion, The Green Howards, he was one of the force landing on the Sicilian beaches. On 18 July 1943, while holding a position on the railway line going north from Primosole Bridge… “C Company was taken by surprise and attacked by a strong enemy fighting patrol, some fifty men in strength, and a hand-to-hand struggle ensued. Two of the enemy were killed, and one wounded and captured, while the remainder scattered and fled.  The main body withdrew straight back up the railway line…CSM Hollis threw a grenade at one German which hit him full on the chest. It did not explode but was sufficient to send him dashing down the railway line like a ‘scalded cat’.” Regimental History, Synge. A year later Hollis would be part of the fighting force landing on the Normandy beaches.

Alf 2

Fighting in North Africa had largely been across vast flat, empty desert. In Sicily, the soldiers must assault and capture villages, many atop ridges approached by steep climbs. Civilians are now involved. Seeing their villages devastated and their loved ones killed or wounded, the locals are initially resentful of these new invaders. Slowly their distrust retreats.

As we approached one village we saw one villager’s chair outside his cottage. On looking closer we could see that he had placed his chair directly over one of the German mines. Then we saw the rest of the street; all the villagers had marked the position of every mine so that we could safely pass.

Alf Blackburn, 6th Battalion

Left behind in Sicily

146 Green Howards soldiers lost their lives during the 29 days they were on the island of Sicily. Some casualties were evacuated off the island and died later in hospitals in North Africa. You can read the names of those who died here.

All the above and more at the Green Howards Online Sicily exhibition

Cody Dunbar Canada

Very big fan of the show. My grandfather didn’t talk about the war much, so the stories you tell help me understand what he must have gone through.

He was Robert (Bob) Dunbar- Calgary Highlanders, Alberta, Canada

Anyways, I really like the instrumental music that’s played at the end of your shows. Can you please let me know the artist?

It's called In Victory and I got it from a web site called Premium Beat. I don't technically own it, just have a licence to use it on the pod, so you cant typically find it on the likes of Amazon or Spotify etc

It is a fabulous track though, I agree. Took me weeks to listen to and choose my tracks - all from http://www.PremiumBeat.com

The actual track is here -

https://www.premiumbeat.com/royalty-free-tracks/in-victory

I’m Paul Cheall

War stuff 4 Tinned goods

Len Gale, Southam, Warwickshire advises

In the Sunday Times James May says that sell-by dates on tinned foods should be treated with a pinch of salt (Magazine, May 14). My dad was a tank sergeant in the Eighth Army in North Africa during the Second World War. Their rations were mostly tinned bully beef and hard tack. The lack of fresh vegetables caused scurvy, but the beef itself was edible and proof of May’s theory: because it was left over from the First World War.

War stuff 5  Robyn Jordan - WW2 Stories of Chaos and Courage Facebook page

My mum kept her dads World War I record secret until I found them online.

https://facebook.com/groups/754427714964136/permalink/1456548118085422/

District Comms Office – 12^th Naval district

Denis Ronald Taft.

DGO Division Skaggs 1 Feb 46

This man a second class Petty Officer, failed to have his Locker ready for inspection on Friday 1st of February 1946 although he had approximately one week advanced notice that his Locker was to be inspected. 

His clothing was adrift in the locker, several articles of clothing were dirty and stowage was so poor that inspection was an impossibility.

When the inspecting officer approached this man he did not make an attempt to come to attention. When the inspecting officer questioned him regarding failure to have a presentable Locker his answer was “what's wrong with it?”

In a manner that can be considered surly

https://www.facebook.com/groups/754427714964136/permalink/1456548118085422/

John Neale

added in the forum that “my mum kept her dads world War one record secret until I found them online”.

Wow to that then!

He was a stretcher bearer at Gallipoli … and was docked a couple of weeks pay for insolence. I wondered about the horrors he was going through and what prompted the insolence. I met a cousin who had researched the family history. He said grandpa had also signed up under a false name, so was drawing two wages. There was nothing in the war record about that, so I wonder if the pay being docked for insolence was actually for drawing two pays. Grandpa also had my uncle sign up underage for the Navy in World War II under a false name and he was in the Navy sometime before he was caught but rejoined when old enough.

At that time my cousin was trying to find out if the same false names were used.

Clearly there were no ID checks to sign up for World War I, so I wonder how many others were drawing two wages. 

Thanks

Thank you so very much for your support and for making the time to listen to me.

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write, like, rate, review or share the show - howsoever it pleases you. Above all – enjoy. Please do hear me next time. WW2 podcast.

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PS’s

PS Edward ‘Teddy’ Sheean VC WW2 STORIES OF CHAOS AND COURAGE

Courtesy Australian War Memorial

This painting by Dale Marsh hangs in the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. It depicts Ordinary Seaman Edward ‘Teddy’ Sheean VC RAN.

He was an 18 year old Oerlikom gunner on the Corvette HMAS Armidale.

She was attacked by no less than 14 Japanese torpedo bombers  on 1 December  1942, off Timor.

Struck by 2 torpedos she was sinking  fast and the crew were ordered to abandon ship. Instead, Ordinary Seaman Sheean strapped himself to his gun and continued firing as she sank.

He shot down two aircraft and some of his crew mates reported that continuing tracer fire could be seen from below the surface.

He was awarded his VC following repeated petitions over time in 2020.

Prior to that time, he had only been mentioned in despatches.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/754427714964136/permalink/1365913053815596/

48 comments at the link

PPS Kilroy

This was posted in WWII photographs by Doug Daniels. 

In World War II American soldiers created a gag by graffitiing

Kilroy was here everywhere across Europe.

Even Hitler and Stalin investigated who kilroy was believing him to be a spy.

It  would later appear all over the world.

Ladies, and gentlemen, the worlds first meme!

https://www.facebook.com/groups/wwiiphotographs/permalink/663597541886219/

PPPS  WW2 STORIES OF CHAOS AND COURAGE

Suzy Hansen posted

Dieppe Raid

“We landed at 5:25 AM by my watch which I glanced at as the ramp went down, and as we raced up the beach, I remember thinking; how was it possible to surprise an enemy in broad daylight? Lance Corporal Johnny Crow was ahead of me and a little to the left as we jumped clear of some low barbed wire, and then directly in front of us was a wall with barbed wire entanglements on top. I saw Lance Corporal Crow thrust a Bangalore torpedo under the barb wire on the top of the wall and then drop back to wait for the explosion but the Bangalore failed to explode.

I made my way to the sight of the wall where the sea had swept a convenient incline of shale which I climbed. Glancing to the left I saw Johnny had climbed the wall in an attempt to find out why the Bangalore had not exploded when his head and shoulders were above the wall, he was thrown back as if he had been kicked and he fell on to the beach, shot through the chest.

Something clattered on my helmet and again I dropped back. After a time there was a shout from some of the men, “The Germans are going to attack with bayonets, everybody fix bayonets!” I glanced over the top and shouted back to them, “There is nobody there, you can unfix your bayonets.” Where this panic idea came from I will never know.

(Later on as a POW)

The blindfold was immediately taken off and I was looking into the light of a torch held by a young looking German in uniform who spoke perfect English, and the questions came thick and fast. “What is your name?” “Mavin.” I said. “Your rank and Regiment?” “B37485 Private” “How many men were on this raid?” I shook my head. “When is the next raid taking place?” “I don’t know” I said. “Come now, we know this raid was only a feint and the big invasion is coming this morning. Where?” I shook my head. By his question I knew it was in the early morning hours of the 20th of August. I became bold and said to him, I am only allowed to give you my regiment number, rank and name. He nodded, but he became surly. His parting shot was, “We knew you were coming you know. We knew some weeks ago.”

-Pte. Wilfred Mavin. Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. Dieppe Raid, 1942.

This story was documented by Battles and Beers. Every soldier has a story, and every story deserves to be told.

This story is part of a MUCH longer one, and it can be found in my book, “What War Did To Us” now on Amazon! Check the link in the comments!

Nicholas Laidlaw – What War did to us

https://www.facebook.com/groups/754427714964136/permalink/1156444198095817/

WW2 podcast and memoirs

In a recent vote, the fighting through podcast was voted one of the best military history podcasts