Hello,

I am doing archaeological survey work in the area used by the 101st airborne for forming up and training in England prior to D-Day and Market Garden.

SOLE COMMON CAMP USAAF station number 424.

I have been told it was an engineers base by the only local old enough to remember, but searches have turned up nothing. The unit built a glider runway at Wickham, gliders (ground still posioned with dope), and the camp itself. The camp is halfway between RAF/USAAF Welford and Craven House (101st HQ), near Newbury, Berkshire. Nearest US neighbours at the time were Gen 'Nuts' Mcauliffe & staff billeted at Wormstall House, a Glider Field Artillery unit at Wickham House (next to Wormstall) and a parachute packing depot (503rd?) at Welford Farm.

I've looked at websites for engineers attached to the 101st, but they all say they were based at Basildon Park or Camp Ranikhet. The first is too small to accomadate all the troops (so HQ i think) and the later apears to have disapeared all together. It is possible that Ranikhet and Sole are the same because:

1) Basildon Park and Ranikhet are listed as being near Reading, but Basildon Park is near Newbury, so perhaps Ranikhet is as well.

2) Ranikhet is the name of an Himalayan base camp, and Sole Common is hilly, where as Reading is mainly flat.

Any help would be hugely appreciated,

Tanks very much,

Jim Harriss, Ridgeway Military and Aviation Research Group. (search RMARG if you want to check us out).

Hi,

Story in A Tampa Newspaper

WILL we still be the Country of choice and still be America IF we continue

to make the changes forced on us by the people from other countries

that came to live in America because it is the Country of Choice??????

Think about it .

All I have to say is, when will they do something about MY RIGHTS?

I celebrate Christmas , but because it isn't celebrated by everyone,

we can no longer say Merry Christmas . Now it has to be Season's Greetings........

It's not Christmas vacation, it's Winter Break.

Isn't it amazing how this winter break ALWAYS occurs over the Christmas holiday ?

We've gone so far the other way, bent over backwards to not offend anyone,

that I AM now being Offended .

But it seems that no one has a problem with that.

This says it all!

This is an editorial written by an American Citizen,

published in a Tampa newspaper.

He did quite a job--didn't he? Read on, please!

IMMIGRANTS,

NOT AMERICANS,

MUST ADAPT.

-

I am tired of this nation worrying about whether

we are offending some individual or their culture.

Since the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11,

we have experienced a surge in

patriotism by the majority of Americans.

However, the dust from the attacks had barely

settled when the "politically correct" crowd

began complaining about the possibility

that Our Patriotism was offending others.

I am not against immigration, nor do I hold

a grudge against anyone who is seeking

a better life by coming to America .

Our Population is almost entirely made

up of descendants of immigrants.

However, there are a few things that those

who have recently come to Our Country,

and apparently some born here,

need to understand.

This idea of America being a multi cultural

community has served only to dilute Our

Sovereignty and Our National Identity.

As Americans, we have Our Own Culture,

Our Own Society, Our Own Language and

Our Own Lifestyle. This culture has been

developed over centuries of struggles,

trials, and victories by millions of men

and women who have sought FREEDOM.

We speak ENGLISH , not Spanish,

Portuguese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese,

Russian, or any other language.

Therefore, if you wish to become part

of Our Society, learn the language!

"In God We Trust" is Our National Motto.

This is not some Christian , right wing,

political slogan.

We adopted this motto because Christian men

and women, on Christian principles, founded

this nation, and this is clearly documented.

It is certainly appropriate to display it

on the walls of Our Schools. If God

offends you, then I suggest you

consider another part of the world as

your new home, because God is part

of Our Culture.

If "Stars and Stripes" offend you, or

you don't like Uncle Sam , then you

should seriously consider a move

to another part of this planet. We

are happy with Our Culture and have

no desire to change, and we really

don't care how you did things where

you came from. This is Our Country,

Our Land, and Our Lifestyle.

Our First Amendment gives every citizen

the right to express his opinion and we

will allow you every opportunity to do so.

But once you are done complaining,

whining, and griping about Our Flag,

Our Pledge, Our National Motto, or Our

Way of Life, I highly encourage you

take advantage of one other great

American Freedom ,

THE RIGHT TO LEAVE.

It is Time for America to Speak up

If you agree -- pass this along;

if you don't agree -- delete it!

I N GOD WE TRUST

AMEN

I figure if we all keep passing this to Our Friends

(and enemies) it will also, sooner or later

get back to the complainers, lets all try, please.

GOD BLESS THE USA .

Merry Christmas

chucktoo

Christmas 1914 and World War One are surrounded by myths and legends - especially over a football match played on Christmas Day and who won. The British public and the soldiers fighting in the mud of Flanders were given the impression by those in charge that the Germans, fighting possibly less than100 metres away, were blood-lusting psychopaths bent on destroying all in their way. Any form of friendship between the two sides fighting the war, would have been seen as detrimental to this impression. While the Germans remained the "evil Hun", the government and the military could justify their respective tactics.

However, the first Christmas of 1914 clearly broke the impression that those in charge wanted to portray. For many years - even after the war - the government wanted to maintain the image of the dastardly Hun and any references to any fraternisation between both sides was clamped down on. There were whispers here and there but no actual evidence. The same happened with the football match between the British and the Germans. The image that the German soldiers were just like the British and the French would not have worked for the Allies. But recent research by Stanley Weintraub has proved that there was fraternisation - improvised at the time in December 1914 but with some ‘rules’ quickly built in.

Weintraub has found that the first smatterings that something was not quite right took place in the trenches where the Berkshire Regiment faced the XIX Corps of the German Army. The XIX’s were from Saxony. The Saxons started to put up small conifers on the parapets of their trenches - akin to our Christmas trees. The Berkshires could see many of them lining the tops of the XIX’s trenches. Groups of the Berkshires and the Saxons met in No-Mans Land and officers from both sides turned a blind eye to this fraternisation which broke military law. In fact, the officers in these trenches agreed to an informal truce between Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

During the next 24 hours, impromptu cease fires occurred throughout the Western Front. The British High Command - stationed 27 miles behind the trenches - was horrified but little could be done. A military directive had been issued which stated:

"It (fraternisation) discourages initiative in commanders, and destroys the offensive spirit in all ranks."

This was ignored. British High Command then informed the front line that an attack by the Germans was expected on Christmas Eve:

"It is though possible the enemy may be contemplating an attack during Christmas or New Year. Special vigilance will be maintained during this period."

This, too, was ignored. Troops on the front line had already got into the festive spirit as German troops had received Christmas trees and gifts and the British troops had received a Christmas gift from Princess Mary, the daughter of George V. The king had also sent a Christmas card to the front with the message "May God protect you and bring you home safe."

On Christmas Eve many sectors along the Western Front did not experience any fire or very little when compared to the previous days in December. Christmas carols were sung between trenches. In the dark of night time, groups of German and Allied soldiers met in No-Man’s Land. No one is sure who started this truce and impromptu meetings but they certainly took place in many areas on the Western Front. Captain R J Armes of the 1st North Staffordshire Regiment arranged, with a German officer, for a cease fire in his sector that was to last until midnight on Christmas Day.

Christmas Day itself started with unarmed German and British soldiers collecting their dead from No-Man’s Land. This has been a pre-condition for a cease-fire. On Christmas Eve night, when the soldiers from both sides had met, they had done so among the bodies of their fallen comrades. In one burial service, German and British dead were buried alongside each other near Lille.

With this task over, both groups of men then exchanged gifts - primarily food. Sauerkraut and sausages came from the Germans while chocolate was given in exchange. In some sectors, it was reported that both Germans and British got together for a communal hunt for hares so that Christmas Day could be celebrated with fresh meat. The regimental records of the 133rd Saxon Regiment also records a football match which they won 3-2. This score was also supported by a letter published in "The Times" from a British major in the Medical Corps.

As midnight on Christmas Day approached, men from both sides drifted back to their trenches. Pre-arranged signals had been decided on to allow the men to get back. The use of a flare was enough to warn men to get back and that the cease fire was over.

On Boxing Day, the shooting started again.

Field Marshall Sir John French's HQ issued a statement that the lack of firing on the Western Front was "a comparative lull on account of the stormy weather."

"Altogether we had a great day with our enemies, and parted with much hand-shaking and mutual goodwill." Percy Jones of the Queen's Westminster Regiment.

"It was a curious scene - a lovely moonlit (Christmas) night, the German trenches with small lights on them, and the men on both sides gathered in groups on the parapets. It is weird to think that tomorrow night we shall be at it again. If one gets through this show it will be a Christmas time to live in one's memory." Captain R Armes of the 1st North Staffordshire regiment.

"It was absolutely astounding, and if I had seen it on a cinematograph film I should have sworn that it was faked." Lieutenant Sir Edward Hulse, 2nd Scots Guards.

"What a sight; little groups of Germans and British extending along the length of our front. Out of the darkness we could hear the laughter and see lighted matches. Where they couldn't talk the language, they made themselves understood by signs, and everyone seemed to be getting on nicely. Here we were laughing and chatting to men whom only a few hours before we were trying to kill " Corporal John Ferguson of the Seaforth Highlanders.

This story catches the impact of Christmas!!! Wether you like x-mas or not , it may be a reason to cease fire for a while .

Lennon

Cant help but wonder how many other WW 2 vets recieved a short note enclosed in a

C ration package or a K ration package from one of the packagers. I still wonder just how they got it enclosed. They were almost like a letter from home. Didnt get many but got a few in ETO in WW 2. Always thanking us. Allways wish I kept one or two as

keepsakes. Even these short notes meant a lot till letters from home came. It was really nice of them to do that.

Some background on the subject http://www.serve.com/shea/germusa/xmastree.htm