Did you know that registration to Fighter Control is completely free and brings you lots of added features? Find out more....

Colditz, Dambusters and the Great Escape coach tour.

A forum for the discussion of Military aviation and RAF Station heritage
Post Reply
Firefighter
Posts: 203
Joined: Fri Apr 27, 2012 3:13 pm
Location: Melksham, Wilts.

Colditz, Dambusters and the Great Escape coach tour.

Post by Firefighter » Tue Jul 15, 2014 10:39 am

Recently my Wife and I returned from a specialist WWII coach tour that visited the Mohne and Eder Dams, Colditz castle which we had always wanted to visit, Dresden, Zagan (Stalagluft III) of the Great Escape and Wooden Horse fame, and Berlin (where I last went 30 years ago when it was still divided). We also paid our respects at several Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemeteries en route, especially that of Wing Commander Guy Gibson V.C. and his Navigator Jim Warwick at Steenburgen.
It was a long tiring tour by coach at times due to the distances involved, but to be able to visit the old East Germany was something we could not do when we were stationed at Laarbruch 81-84. It was also very emotive seeing the graves of RAF AIrcrew who did not return from Ops' and to read their ages upon their headstones.

User avatar
NAM Updater
Posts: 2691
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 3:42 pm
Location: Notts / Lincs Border
Contact:

Re: Colditz, Dambusters and the Great Escape coach tour.

Post by NAM Updater » Tue Jul 15, 2014 2:40 pm

It sounds like a great trip. The Steenbergen visit strikes a note with me, due to the RAF Winthorpe connections.

Jim Warwick was an instructor at 1661 HCU / RAF Winthorpe when Gibson asked him to fly with him - the Dutch Resistance commissioned a commemorative plaque for the loss and it is now displayed in Hangar 1 at the museum and is mentioned in this Memorials booklet http://www.newarkairmuseum.org/newsItem.php?id=828 when the plaque was unveiled at Newark the 'deed' was undertaken by my oldest son! :)
Howard Heeley - Newark Air Museum Trustee
Every museum visit counts!
http://newarkairmuseum.org

User avatar
tim_raper
Posts: 1063
Joined: Sun Oct 04, 2009 6:26 pm
Location: Fareham

Re: Colditz, Dambusters and the Great Escape coach tour.

Post by tim_raper » Thu Aug 06, 2015 9:24 pm

Thanks for posting this.
I did the Stalag Luft III, Dresden, Colditz trip as a road trip a few years ago. We flew to Poland, hired a car and made our way west and then back again. Stalag Luft III was one of the camps my father was a POW at before the escape. He was among the aircrew of a Whitley of 51sqn shot down in 1940.
For anyone interested the link should take you to an album of photos from the Zagan portion of that trip.
https://flic.kr/s/aHsjB5PV6h

User avatar
Crazylegs
Posts: 37
Joined: Sun Apr 07, 2013 11:56 am
Location: Out there!

Re: Colditz, Dambusters and the Great Escape coach tour.

Post by Crazylegs » Tue Sep 15, 2015 4:33 pm

tim_raper wrote:Thanks for posting this.
I did the Stalag Luft III, Dresden, Colditz trip as a road trip a few years ago. We flew to Poland, hired a car and made our way west and then back again. Stalag Luft III was one of the camps my father was a POW at before the escape. He was among the aircrew of a Whitley of 51sqn shot down in 1940.
For anyone interested the link should take you to an album of photos from the Zagan portion of that trip.
https://flic.kr/s/aHsjB5PV6h
Thankyou for posting the link to the Stalag luft 3 pictures, much appreciated and enjoyed looking through a piece of history
Just as your hand has the power to hide the sun, mediocrity has the power to hide your inner light!

Uniden UBC3500XLT
Uniden UBC125XLT
Realistic Pro-50

Canon XTC
Sony Cybershot WX80HD

Post Reply

Return to “Heritage Area”

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Rivet Chegg and 8 guests