The Chalk Collection

A rapidly growing collection of historically important documents, photographs, uniforms, equipment, and ephemera primarily relating to the Glider Pilot Regiment

[Trev Clark's Obscure Aviation History 🚁 @clark_aviation]

One family found a novel (and very cool) solution to the UK's post-war housing shortage. Two Airspeed Horsa assault glider fuselages were married together with a railway carriage roof. Several of these dwellings existed, but this is probably the only one with two conservatories!

[The Chalk Collection @ChalkCollection]

Contender to the Horsa, the Miles M.32 powered glider. Read the article on our Patreon.https://t.co/DzylQc40iQ

[The Chalk Collection @ChalkCollection]

@dontforgetchaos Fully agree with that! This was one of my first reads on the Vietnam war, over 40 years ago. I still talk about to this day.

[The Chalk Collection @ChalkCollection]

Some crackin' items coming up in @asummerof44's December Militaria sale!

[Adrian Stevenson @asummerof44]

Suez Crisis British Airborne Red Beret to Brigadier Peter Crook, DSO. Commander of 3 PARA. Coming up in my December Militaria sale. Just found this cardboard label tucked behind the cap badge lining protector. Very pleased! Vendor had no idea it was there! Check Paradata on him

[The Chalk Collection @ChalkCollection]

@MikeHistorian @casematepub One to add to my reading list!

[The Battlefield Explorer @battlefieldexpl]

Anyone who has read about Arnhem has seen this photograph. Almost nobody knows the name of the man in it.

He is Serjeant John Turl of E Squadron, Glider Pilot Regiment. Sergeant Dennis Smith of the Army Film and Photographic Unit took the picture on 21 September 1944. It shows Turl (right) and Sergeant Whawell (left) searching for snipers at the school on Kneppelhoutweg in Oosterbeek.

Turl did not have to be there. As a fireman in the National Fire Service he held a reserved occupation. He gave up that exemption to join the Gloucestershire Regiment, then volunteered again for gliders. His squadron landed at Wolfheze on 17 and 18 September. Once on the ground, glider pilots fought as infantry under whichever officer found them, and Turl ended up far from his own squadron, in a mixed party on the southern edge of the perimeter.

He was killed four days after the photograph was taken, on 25 September, the day the withdrawal across the Rhine was ordered. He was 25, and he lies in Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery.

Today we followed John Turl with his relatives from the landing zone at Wolfheze to his grave.

[Vickers MG Collection & Research Association @vickersmg]

The time has come! Our new podcast launches tomorrow morning (Thursday 29 October) and episodes will release weekly!

Check out the Vickers MG Supporter Corps on Patreon and it will soon be on other outlets too. If you like what we do, please support us.

#militaryhistory

[The Chalk Collection @ChalkCollection]

@MikeHistorian @opsnormal1957 @ArmyAirCorps Honoured to have worked on the design of this memorial with @1944Gpr and his Dutch team.

[The Chalk Collection @ChalkCollection]

@MikeHistorian Not all of them featured the single steering mechanism, the majority of the mass produced models featured dual steering - however not all used two ‘qualified’ pilots, some operations saw a regular trooper in the co-pilot seat! I need to get out more… 🙄

[The Chalk Collection @ChalkCollection]

@MikeHistorian @bhltours @tripsmiths Ooooooh 😎

[The Chalk Collection @ChalkCollection]

By trade, I'm a graphic designer and even I can see that A.I. has a place IF used correctly... this is an example of it being used so incorrectly that its actually laughable... unless you're fool enough to spend money on something like this - and of course, its available on Ebay!

[The Chalk Collection @ChalkCollection]

One of the best documentary series of our time.

[Mike Peters @MikeHistorian]

If you are a UK resident you can click on the link below to stream the iconic TV series, The World at War. The combination of WW2 survivors testimonies, contemporary film footage, evocative music and unmatched narrative by Laurence Olivier make it unique.
https://t.co/7mvRRk5WRB

[Mike Peters @MikeHistorian]

My X account was hacked recently. I lost access and control for some weeks. Eventually X reinstated me but I lost all of my followers. Most are unknowingly following the old account. I am reassembling my followers here. Could I ask for this to be RT to inform the X community pse.

[Johnny Doyle (johnnydoyle.bsky.social) @JohnnyD87968172]

Setup for the VMGCRA Exhibition at Bisley under way ready for opening on Friday and running until Monday.

If you're in the vicinity this weekend, drop in to :

The Pavilion, Bisley Camp, Brookwood, Woking, GU24 0NY
what3words ///spaces.groups.action

[The Chalk Collection @ChalkCollection]

@Horsa44 In my view, AI isn’t to be blamed here - it’s the human creator that simply hasn’t bothered to fact check. The ‘story’ is about him as a ‘Captain’, the image title is ‘Sergeant’ and in the photo he has ‘Major’ crowns. It’s lazy history, made for clicks.

[Mike Peters @MikeHistorian]

It's that time of year when many of reflect on Operation Market Garden and the men that fought to secure more than 20 bridges that XXX Corps needed to reach the prize of Arnhem road bridge. Personally, I will remember the Glider Pilots that I had the privilege to know as friends.

[The Chalk Collection @ChalkCollection]

I loved doing this podcast with @LydiaJane13, give it a listen 😎

[The Chalk Collection @ChalkCollection]

Our presentation ‘The British Horsa Glider’ is now FREE to watch on our brand new YouTube channel:

https://t.co/IQeU7GhdqM