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OPERATION
MARKET GARDEN SHOW
SPANHOE
AIRFIELD, NORTHANTS
SEPTEMBER 2008
This event was one of our main events in 2008 and would see
the group undertaking two displays, one an in combat display
and the other the first deployment as a stand alone display
by the groups “Army Nurses* section.
For this group the Op Market Garden event was a priority
event, one of the best we have done this year although we
have done so many fine events all different so we will
refrain from saying it was the best, but well worth the
months of planning that went into getting the assets
together to represent the 504th Parachute Regimental Combat
Team in Holland and the 818th Medical Air
Evacuation Squadron in England.
Again,
we were joined by members of the Living History
Associations” D Company 505th” Living History group
representing the Parachute Infantry Regiment that left
Spanhoe for the Market Garden operation, it was down to the
“First Triple A” to represent the Combat Teams Artillery
Assets, the 376th Parachute Field Artillery Battalion and in
particular Headquarters Battery and the Air Liaison Party
attached to the Battalion.
The scenario chosen revolved around elements of the Combat
team several days after the initial fighting and after the
Bridge at Arnhem had been lost to the enemy.
A
time to refit and patch up the L4 aircraft that had been
flying continuously during the first few days of the battle.
For this show the FAAA were in fact providing two displays,
the second one was organised and run by the associations
integral group “ARMY NURSES” and their display was to depict
the 818TH Medical Air Evacuation Squadron, the unit that in
early 1944 and pre Normandy operated from this very
Airfield. This display was set up on the very same piece of
ground where the Squadron undertook many of its training
missions and consisted of the headquarter elements holding
area where C47 Aircraft transporting the Flight Nurses from
the 818th and flown by the crews from the 315th would later
have taxied to unload its wounded into the care of the 818th
for forwarding on to base hospitals.
Both FAAA displays were separate in their locations and
themes but shared the units cooking facilities where again
the field kitchen was up and running and feeding in excess
of 35 plus troopers. Superb cooking gave both displays top
quality food and a constant supply of Coffee and tea, well
done to Bob and Frank for the work you both put in ably
assisted by Poppy your Dutch refugee.
With so much going on and being involved in many different
aspects of the event,
it
is
easier to break this report down into a couple of sections
to allow us to cover most of what we got up to over the
weekend.
This
section
covers the pre-event arrival and initial display setup in
preparation for the arrival of the main display air asset.
For
this event,
the advance party arrived Thursday evening to set up the
Command Post and Mess Hall shelter and to drop of vital
stores before returning to base locations to await the time
to form up the road party midday Friday.
Main road party of two jeeps and trailers set of on time and
after not too long was met by torrential rain which slowed
the road move down and even halting it a couple of times.
Nearer to the Airfield the rain died down, but still
remained quite drizzly for the remainder of the day. Late
afternoon several more members arrived and carried on
establishing the display locations. With one L4 Piper Cub
already on the ground the display was established around
this Aircraft, but room was left for a second L4 which was
due to arrive mid morning on the Saturday.
Apart from this aircraft which by then was on route to us
the remainder of the display was complete with LHA support
in place by 0930hrs. The girls of the 818th were well
established sometime before this and were in action with a
brew on as the second L4 circled over head.
The following pictures are a record of the setting up stage
and the first few wet hours of the show:
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