Alan Hames

Retired IT Manager and Army Cadet Officer & organiser of annual Oxon ACF D-Day Tour to Normandy, Friend of Oxf & Bucks LI, former Royal Observer Corps Officer.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@WW2TV I did not know Fred personally, but I must have meet him at Overlord Museum on one of my regular visits. So sad for such a young person to terminate his life. Our condolences to his family.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

It is now 2 weeks since my radiology treatment for Prostate Cancer concluded, now I have months of waiting and blood tests to see if it has been successful.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@Alan_Allport @Pjacksdelacour It’s left up all year round. It was taken down for a short period to be cleaned-up before 75th Anniversary.

[Dr Peter Caddick-Adams #StandwithUkraine @militaryhistori]

Re-enactors, take note!

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@SheLovesTelly In France you do not get into any medical facility without wearing a mask.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@ladylynncarter @henryspil @SOFOtrust @C20Society @RuralModernism @ron_eisele @OxonMuseum @OxfordPresTrust @PhilLoder @ckolonko @WeHaveWaysPod @militaryhistori Flag on the car! Might have been the Commandant ROC who was a serving Air Commodore, can’t get more senior than that! He was based at HQROC at Bentley Priory, very much an RAF place until 2008. Now no more, although there is an RAF museum there.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@ladylynncarter @henryspil @SOFOtrust @C20Society @RuralModernism @ron_eisele @OxonMuseum @OxfordPresTrust @PhilLoder @ckolonko @WeHaveWaysPod @militaryhistori Unlikely I am afraid. 5 Posts under my command, visited each once a month on training evenings, each Post once during the 3 exercises. You will have seen/met the Chief Observer (Sgt) of the Post and/or Leading Observer (Cpl) Training. Uniform similar to RAF.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@ladylynncarter @henryspil @SOFOtrust @C20Society @RuralModernism @ron_eisele @OxonMuseum @OxfordPresTrust @PhilLoder @ckolonko @WeHaveWaysPod @militaryhistori It was fully equipped for 3 people for 3 weeks in event of a nuclear strike. Post crews trained one night a week, hence the Thursday activity. There were also 3 major exercises pa, 2 x 12 hours, 1 x 24. Also VIP visits as OX/30 nearest post to Group HQ.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@ladylynncarter @henryspil @SOFOtrust @C20Society @RuralModernism @ron_eisele @OxonMuseum @OxfordPresTrust @PhilLoder @ckolonko @WeHaveWaysPod @militaryhistori The ROC Post at Boarshill was OXF/30, part of No 3 Group Oxford, closed in 1991. I was Group Officer for Post for couple of years prior to 1988 when I changed Sections.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@kittags @HistoryandMoore @bermicourt It is no longer by Pegasus Bridge but has been fully restored and is in the Pegasus Memorial Museum. It was replaced with a 40mm Bofors AA gun.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@WW2TV Thanks for interesting report. Though local, unable to attend due to wife’s current medical situ. Probably would have been spitting tacks wrt dress if had been able to go. No expert, but eg 101 AB has me ranting every 6/6.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@PippaCrerar @margarance How many Brexit voters actually understand imperial measurements, very few I would guess.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@almurray @James1940 @WeHaveWaysPod Happy Birthday Ingram. Miss meeting him at Friends of Oxf & Bucks LI Committee, since I moved to France, comms via email.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@WW2TV Or grossly overweight. Saw one at Arromanches one year, ugh.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@SteveJChambers It was my Gt Uncle, Bille Nevill, who bought the 2 balls, neither of which now exist. I get a bit narked about items being passed off as relevant to the attack.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@PastAndPresennt In 1950s, my childhood, roughly under where the flag on right is, there was the Swiss Cafe, wonderful cakes. On left ‘behind’ where the photo taken from, was the bank where I opened my first bank account, still active.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@nickfshort One of the 1944 2nd Oxf & Bucks was a Cecil, Jeffcoates. Lovely man, invited him to Oxon ACF Camp open day, he had a great time talking to the cadets and handling ‘modern’ weapons.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@curatorian @I_W_M Have reviewed the photos, recognise the ‘back’ gate and car park (now DVLA test centre) & residential housing behind, so yes it is Oxford Control. Just surprised how high trees are, plus opposite view from that I thought.

[Alan Hames @pegasusalan]

@curatorian @I_W_M The address is correct. I was an Observer on Crew 3 from 1980-82, then a Group Officer for five Posts 1983 to Stand down, but the Control was still my HQ. Will look at link later this pm.