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Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 7h

I love this photo. It captures the spirit of the unique breed of WW2 combattants. Vraciu is not part of the North Africa war, but other US pilots play a critical role. On 6 November 1942, Eisenhower awoke in Gibraltar: a pilot like this flew him over from England on a Fortress the previous day.

Ray E. Boomhower @rboomhower.bsky.social · 3d

"I'd rather be in combat. That's really what it did to me. That's the honest truth. That was our job. That is what we were trained to do. . . . Nobody told you it was going to be an easy job."
Alex Vraciu

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Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 7h

November 1942: Albert Kesselring Commander-in-Chief South (Oberbefehlshaber Süd) requests support to strengthen the defences against a possible Allied attack on the Mediterranean. He waits a reply. In his memoir he describes a 'war of nerves'. Read on archive.org (one version IS available)

Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 9h

OTD 1942. Philip Jordan's Tunis Diary entry (on archive.org) The men on board know their destinations: Casablanca, Oran and Algiers. Jordan's comment about the shame attached to the name 'Mosely' is a reminder: this is a war against fascism. THIS is Antifa.

Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 9h

OTD 1942 :#Operation Torch. The Allied convoy is approaching its destination. Ernie Pyle has stayed awake all night, and catches one of 'the most thrilling sunrises' he's ever known. The North African sky is special: to Pyle's words, I added a view of Salambo beach towards Cap Bon taken last week.

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Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 1d

5 November 1942: Churchill's Engagement Diary. Lunch Lord Beaverbrook.The Minister of Aircraft Production who 'delivered' aircraft and pilots for Battle of Britain. Churchill later wrote of Beaverbrook's 'personal force and genius'. Edwina d'Erlanger disliked Beaverbrook. That story another day!

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Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 1d

5 November 1942. Hurne Airdrome near Bournemouth. Diary of Harry Butcher, ADC to Eisenhower. Recently, they had been to a private showing of 'The Road to Morocco'. Now they were literally en route for the same destination. Read Butcher 'My Three Years with Eisenhower' archive.org.
#TORCH #Tunisia

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Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 1d

5 November 1942 #Torch convoy off Gibraltar. Ernie Pyle reporting. The success of the variety show led to demands for a repeat performance - a cleaned up version for officers and the nurses on board. Pyle writes:
'It was a perfect night for romance or for death.'

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Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 1d

5 November, #Torch convoy near Gibraltar. US reporter Philip Jordan starts his diary entry: 'Horizon narrowed today by rain.' 'Everything is unreal,' he continues 'on a secret pleasure cruise that nobody asked for'. The calm before the storm. Read Jordan's Tunis Diary on Archive.org

Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 1d

November 1942, Ernie Pyle on #Torch convoy writes: 'You can take any thousand soldiers in our army and out of them create a good orchestra.’ Talent to play accordion, sax, trumpet, violin, banjo (2), piano plus , a dancer, a tenor, a cowboy singer. All professionals. Rehearsals begin.

Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 2d

4 November 1942: 3 a.m. Check-in Lisbon airport. Neutral territory. Edwina d’Erlanger found herself surrounded by Germans in uniforms. ‘It was the strangest atmosphere ... marvellous looking men'. The KLM pilot flew out to sea and landed safely in England. More problems ahead for Edwina.

Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 2d

4 November 1942. US war reporter Philip Jordan is on the convoy heading towards North Africa. His 'Jordan's Tunis Diary' published 1943 (on archive.org) provides a supply of 'OTD: On This Day' comments. Unlike fellow reporter Ernie Pyle, Jordan is openly intellectual and political in his comments.

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Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 2d

November 1942: Ernie Pyle on the convoy approaching Gibraltar. One of nine US war correspondents on board, Ernie knew their destination. Bur for the first five days, the men had no idea where they were heading. Rumours were rife.

Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 2d

OTD 3 November 1942: Lisbon, the Aviz Hotel. In her suite, Edwina d’Erlanger found a huge basket of pineapples – another gift from Calouste Gulbenkian. On the desk, a message from her husband Leo: She was booked on the four-a.m. KLM flight to London. Just time to make her way to Portela airport.

Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 2d

3 November 1942. After days at sea on the Serpa Pinto, Edwina d’Erlanger was glad to arrive in Lisbon. She was booked into one of the thirty luxurious suites at the legendary Aviz Hotel, A long soak in the sunken bath and she was ready for dinner. Her adventure continued:

Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 2d

OTD 3 November 1942, Edwina d’Erlanger checked into Aviz Hotel in Lisbon: an enormous suite with a sunken bath and the ‘most beautiful Portuguese tiles’. In no hurry to depart, she looked forward to ‘the most wonderful rest’. First, after ten days at sea, a bath. photo estosdecoleccao.blogspot.com

Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 3d

OTD, 3 November 1942: In London, Baron Leo d’Erlanger maybe saw this article: his wife Edwina was on board the Serpa Pinto with their 8-year-old daughter Tessa. He made some phone calls to check they were OK, and to arrange their onward journey. Credit: British Library: an amazing resource.

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Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 3d

OTD: 2 November 1942: Edwina d’Erlanger was off Madeira on board the S.S. Serpa Pinto which answered a Mayday call. From the evidence, I think it was from #ConvoySL125. It’s indirectly linked to #OperationTorch

Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 3d

I’m currently posting about 1942 / 1943 Operation Torch / Tunisian Campaign in North Africa. But in March 1944 US pilots who landed in Siberia while fighting against the Japanese over the Aleutians will arrive at Ennejma Ezzahra in Tunisia! So I’m interested in this Hoosier story too.

Ray E. Boomhower @rboomhower.bsky.social · 3d

Grumman F6F Hellcat appreciation post in honor of Hoosier ace Alex Vraciu. Designed to take on and defeat the Zero, the Hellcat turned the tide for the Americans in the war against the Japanese in the Pacific.

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Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 3d

When I‘m away in Tunisia I rely on @evansthecrime.bsky.social to post regular reminders why I have to go home to Swansea regularly. I saw the weather forecast was great today. This photo proves it. Hopefully sunny when I am back there soon. Gower looking tidy.

Evans The Crime @evansthecrime.bsky.social · 3d

Can’t beat a bit of Gower / Gŵyr on a Sunday afternoon. Port Eynon / Porth Einon looking tidy today.

A long curved sandy beach under a blue sky studded with white clouds. In the foreground are low sand dunes with long beach grass

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Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 4d

Great to see an old friend @gordon2.bsky.social. So many people's lives were touched by Operation Torch & war in Tunisia.(not least Spike Milligan). Join me on the journey for the next year please. I will post about Stainforth senior. Photos etc most welcome.

Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 4d

I’m in #Tunisia writing about #OperationTorch 1942, when thousands of British soldiers tasted oranges and olive oil for thé first time. Next week I’m back in #Swansea, #Wales for a fortnight. Hopefully, under new check-in regulations, with some new season olive oil in my hand luggage. Want some?

Evans The Crime @evansthecrime.bsky.social · 4d

🫒 Delighted with this year’s crop. Supplies of Kitchen Table of Crime Welsh Olive Oil are likely to be limited, so please understand if I have to set a limit on how many bottles each person can have.

A small olive tree in a terracotta pot. There is one green olive on the tree.

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Reposted by Winkie Williamson

Acyn @acyn.bsky.social · 4d

Obama: When I think back to a year ago, I remember talking to some people, who would say, this election doesn't matter all that much. That however the next president ended up being, it wasn't going to matter to them. If nothing else, the last nine months should have cured us of that idea.

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Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 4d

November 2, 1942: #OperationTorch troops are moving towards North Africa, bringing war to the region and occupation of Ennejma Ezzahra, the d'Erlangers' palace in Sidi Bou Said, #Tunisia. Edwina d'Erlanger is on her way from New York to rejoin husband Leo in London. An 'incident at sea' occurs.

Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 4d

November 2, 1942: #OperationTorch is about to kick off. Convoys are sailing towards North Africa, over 100,000 troops on board. Not all will arrive at their destination. I'm following legendary story teller Ernie Pyle, by Nov 2 probably off Gibraltar. Read his account on archive.org

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Winkie Williamson @palacestories.bsky.social · 5d

we went on holiday in the 1950s from Worsley near Manchester to stay in my grandparents‘ hotel, Silver Howe, in Colwyn Bay. We were six and did not have a car so must have gone by train. No recollection of that journey.

Colwyn Bay Heritage @colwynbayheritage.bsky.social · 5d

The Chester to Bangor railway opened for passengers in 1848 and the original station for the town was in Old Colwyn. The opening of the railway made possible the development of the coastal resorts of Rhyl, Colwyn Bay and Llandudno. #colwynbay #rhyl #llandudno #northwales #railways #localhistory

Railway Station - Colwyn Bay Heritage Group

The Chester to Bangor railway opened for passengers in 1848 and the original station for the town was in Old Colwyn. By making the area easily accessible to

colwynbayheritage.org.uk

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