A photo of my Great Uncle Christmas (no, really, he was born 25/12/1900) taken some time in 1945, (44 years old and just a buck private), shortly after plastic surgery to reconstruct his chin. He had been wounded not too long after D-Day, but I don't know any more than that about it.
The only time my mum ever met him was shortly before D-Day (she was 4 1/2) when he was billeted in Cardiff and he turned up at their house in Pontypridd in the wee small hours. He stayed for an hour or two, told my Gran (his sister) they were shipping out very shortly and left to go back to camp. They hadn't seen each other for 20 or so years before that, and I'm not sure if they ever saw each other again.
By strange coincidence the only "David Christmas Roberts" (That was my great uncle's full name, but apparently he never used David) I can find on the web was captain of the Liberty ship SS Samarovsk which was, it seems, involved in the invasion ferrying Welsh Regiment/ Royal Artillery units to Normandy. Obviously not my relative, but what are the odds of there being two people called David Christmas Roberts involved in the Normandy Invasion?
... but what are the odds of there being two people called David Christmas Roberts involved in the Normandy Invasion?
90,000:1 on day 1 
Er... he's an American?
Yes Richard, that can happen.
Yeah... I was just wondering about the history of it all... It's an interesting story!
Ranj will arrive and tell us all surely, though I am assuming this is the basis of his relatives in America.
I think he emigrated to the US when he was about 16, his parents sent him to live with some relatives.
this is the basis of his relatives in America
Not really, all the relatives I actually know in the US are on my dad's side of the family so of indian decent (via S.Wales) and are in California. There is, it seems, a Welsh dynasty of Roberts's (My maternal gran's maiden name) in Buffalo, NY who I am only just finding out about.
90,000:1 on day 1
Oh, if only it was that easy...
This all sounds very interesting and exciting for you, so much so that I am interested and excited by proxy 
- which is rather sad really. 
Yeah all sorts of interesting family history, nice! 
Skeleton stock for my AGM Sten from Bear.
Very nice. Perfect fit, and much more comfortable than the T-stock.
I popped over to Springfields today to stock up on camping gas and spotted a pair of new Feurhand Baby 276 storm lanterns for £8.99 each. What a bargain - snapped 'em up! I shall be removing a pair of poor quality Chinese made lanterns from the crate to make room for them.
Delivery from Panther Store.
Plane Tree Zeltbahn. Superb quality!
M42 Oakleaf helmet cover. Excellent, one of the best - if not the best - repro's i've seen so far.
M42 Plane Tree helmet cover. Er, I ordered a sodding M40 type 
4 x Tunic belt hook. Er, where the fuck are they?
Not. Frigging. Happy.
When we were a Kingdom it was run by a King
When we were an Empire it was run by an Empress
Now we're a country we're run by a..........
about 8-10 tins of british army ww2 issue dubbin.
A 3 bed semi-detached house!
Show me a man who will jump out of an airplane, and I'll show you a man who will fight!
General James M. Gavin
CRY HAVOC AND LET LOOSE THE DOGS OF WAR
Problem sorted with Panther Store, and faith restored. Correct items winging their way to me (Without the huge arguments/constant chasing up ive had to do with certain UK suppliers when things have gone tits up...)
When we were a Kingdom it was run by a King
When we were an Empire it was run by an Empress
Now we're a country we're run by a..........
2 x 88mm Flak fuse boxes, thanks Kermit 
Will your airsoft 88mm be ready for Anzio? 
You've got nothing to ein, zwei, drei, vier
Tanaka K98k Magazine. Thanks Pat
Fine cork and humbrol 155
Corking weekend ahead
[ Post made via Mobile Device ] 
Impressions:
U.S. 35th Inf Tech Sargeant
British Royal Artillery Gunner
Generic SS Mann
Weapons:
Cyma M1A1
ASG Sten MK2
ASG MP40
TM M1911A1
WE Browning High Power
HFC Mauser C96
British Mountain bell tent, the cute camo one.
Always wanted one.
And 6 more plastic cap badges, some are duplicates of ones I have but seem to be colour variations or are better examples.
aka Stigroadie
AFRA
better by design
"Truth is a shining goddess, always veiled, always distant, never wholly approachable, but worthy of all the devotion of which the human spirit is capable. "
