Germans wonder why their captives so cheerful; "Are the British so stupid they think so huge a dock could be put out of action by a flimsy destroyer?" https://t.co/y7lJRbUJ3V
Destroyer HMS Campbeltown is lodged in the gates of St. Nazaire's dock- Germans don't know that there are 4.5 tons of explosives, on a timed detonator, hidden under a steel & concrete barrier in her hull: https://t.co/BpsigM9M1G
British raid on St. Nazaire has ended in apparent failure: 215 commandos captured, 169 dead, with little damage to vital German-occupied port. https://t.co/k1DJdKTYsT
As British demolition teams wreak havoc among the harbour installations, trying to disable port, commandos are desperately trying to hold back St. Nazaire's German garrison- they're outnumbered 8-1. https://t.co/iDmulRlD3X
British seaman Thomas O'Leary: "One commando was remarking how pretty the tracer fire, red & green, was. A moment later one blew the back of his head out. I was down below with my tin hat." https://t.co/riZZ4Hh8Wx
In St. Nazaire, most of the commandos' fragile evacuation boats have been wrecked by German fire- British raiders now stranded in enemy-occupied France. https://t.co/uVLpFMylta
Under a storm of coastal artillery fire, destroyer HMS Campbeltown dashes into port, crunching on the target dock- British commandos are pouring ashore. https://t.co/Jt4paiW3nu
British force raiding St. Nazaire are disguised as German warships, broadcasting captured Kriegsmarine radio codes- but RAF bombing, intended to aid raiders, has put German defenders on guard. They're opening fire: https://t.co/3hb28mHfth https://t.co/Qm4kGoGPTF
At least five Australians have volunteered to serve as "human explosives", piloting planes or boats loaded with bombs to crash into Japanese warships. The Australian government has declined these offers. https://t.co/wpDrowpMBs
384 British commandos, in 16 small ships, plan to disembark during the naval raid on St. Nazaire & blow up German military targets. https://t.co/luGBCzneaY
British commandos are launching "Operation Chariot": a raid to destroy the huge Normandie dry dock at St. Nazaire. Obsolete US destroyer HMS Campbeltown has been packed with 4.5 tons of TNT, ready to ram dock gates, then explode. https://t.co/vjy3wS2lCE
Slovakian police arresting Jews are aided by the Hlinka Guard, a volunteer Fascist militia, who have fun with humiliating their prisoners: https://t.co/nmBu7524le
Americans are being urged to buy "Victory Bonds", to fund US government in time of national emergency. US citizens help support huge spending on war effort by lending money to Treasury. https://t.co/JXXdG36LEI
The Preservation Group
The preservation group was formed around April 2008 from like minded people who had a genuine interest in saving the former Fighter Command Headquarters, a building that is now Grade II listed.
The name of the group was a very important aspect and various names were discussed. The name had to reflect the type of project we were involved in. Bunker Thirteen seemed to stand out and was quite significant in respect that 13 Group Fighter Command was based here in Newcastle and of course it is an underground bunker.
For the past few years, Bunker Thirteen have been searching intensively for veterans that served in or around the HQ. We got lucky – we found five, two of whom have been our inspiration. We are still actively searching for more veterans who served in the Bunker HQ during the years 1939 -1946.
In those past fewyears also, we have gathered a large following of supporters, ranging from ordinary people to large historical establishments such as Yorkshire Air Museum, Beamish Open Air Museum, Historical Branch of the RAF, Battle of Britain Sector Operations Room at RAF Uxbridge as well as various Aircrew Associations and Royal Air Force Associations from as far as the tip of Scotland down to North Devon.
Bunker Thirteen is going from strength to strength and has now become a company limited by guarantee.
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- Dropped in to the bunker today for a routine dehumidifier check. All working well and bunker pretty dry now. Had a… https://t.co/QmRmX6v1Ra
- Not posted for a while - been busy elsewhere - found some interesting booklets though. Will, hopefully end up on di… https://t.co/GkOFdiHyOO
- Found another section of the Ejector room door skin and scraped the wimpey dark green off to reveal more original l… https://t.co/Ft7AoQXEWc
- Popped in this Sunday to check the dehumidifiers and decided to have a quick look at the pile of rubbish in the to… https://t.co/NCT130O8jr
- Another Sunday another clean up session and a bit of door sliding. Once again the Vacmaster donated by… https://t.co/giF5OZfChn
hi, great to see the bunker on news tonight, i am a sign maker based in gateshead and would like to offer my sign and prop making service to the benefit of the bunkers restoration,
i make everything from vinyl graphics right through to 3d built, cnc machined lettering & engravings.
hope i can help.
Hi Ben,
although we are still at a very early stage with regards to restoration what you offer could be very useful. We have a meeting on Wednesday night and we’ll be in touch properly soon after that.
Cheers
Colin Anerson
Bnker 13
Saw the bunker on the TV and wondered if the Battlefields Trust could be of any use to you. Too little mention is made of the RAF,s defence of the NE. I am sure that members of the Trust will show great interest in this very worthwhile project. Please get in touch at the above email address.
Thanks for your support, we’ll be in touch shortly.