The books below can be obtained from the link or for signed copies by emailing books@pleszak.com * * * N E W P U B L I C A T I O N * * * The High Peak Dambuster Now available – Two Years in a Gulag Now available – Townscliffe … More Notifications
My Resources My Twitter@PolishIICorps My Summary PresentationOverview presentation of the history Polish 2nd Corps. My Bloghttps://pleszak.blog/ My Blog on Polish 2 Corps Uniform Identification https://pleszak.blog/2021/03/02/polish-2-corps-uniform-identification/ List of Deportation Trains Click on the link for a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Deportation Trains Updated Useful Groups Kresy-Siberia Group It’s a magnificent group with lots of information and everybody … More Useful Resources for Polish 2 Corps information
98 Year old John Monaghan awarded a prestigious Dutch WW2 medal for humanitarian aid relief John, from Poynton is sprightly, affable, full of charm with an infectious energy that defies his 98 years. He’s a WW2 veteran, an inspiration, and a living testament to the enduring vitality of the human spirit. But, he’s a modest, … More Operation Manna medal award
There were many locations around the UK that had some connection with the story of Operation Chastise – the Dambusters. In this blog I list the sites that have (or had) some relevance to the Dambuster story. I also list the home location of the 133 aircrew that took part that nigh of 16 -17 … More Dambuster Locations
Sergeant John Edward Monaghan (RAFVR 1589458). From December 1943 Sergeant John spent over a year training as an aircrew Wireless Operator. Initially on DeHavilland Dominie and Percival Proctors he progressed through Avro Ansons and Vickers Wellingtons before converting to Avro Lancasters with a mainly Canadian crew at 1656 HCU. In this first clip John explains … More John Monaghan Avro Lancaster Wireless Operator Interview
This blog is to describe what is now mainly the legacy of the major sites of aviation around the Manchester area. It is intended to be an organic document which I will update, modify and correct so would be grateful for any suggestions. The first instalment is a map of the Manchester area showing major … More Manchester’s Aviation Legacy
For those that missed the piece on BBC North West Tonight on the 16th May filmed at the Avro Heritage Museum in Woodford about the anniversary of the Dambusters and were gutted that it was only available on iPlayer for a couple of days, well the BBC have sent me the clip but it’s too … More Dambusters 80th anniversary on BBC North West Tonight
When 617 Squadron (initially known as Squadron X) was formed in March 1943, Lancaster squadrons Bomber Command were requested to donate suitable aircrew for a special operation. It seems that crews volunteered or were recommended, either as full crews or as individual crew members. The following list gives the 133 names of the aircrew that … More RAF Squadrons that provided crews to 617 Dambuster Squadron
The complete year of articles for the bi-monthly Inside Marple glossy magazine JANUARY – FEBRUARY 2022 Welcome to my regular feature on the life of the honeybee. Hopefully it will give you an insight into the world of the amazing honeybee as we progress through the year. In each edition I will be giving a … More Honeybee Diary for the Inside Marple Magazine
This blog appeared in an article for the Inside Marple Magazine’s November-December 2022 edition. Mellor Tennis Club is now 100 years old and retains its long standing traditions of being a local community hub. It was originally formed in the 1920s together with Mellor Cricket Club on what is now the recreation ground near the … More Mellor Tennis Club
Hyde Lane CollieryHistorically Manchester was in Lancashire but to the east in nearby Hyde, which in those days was across the county border in Cheshire, was Hyde Lane Colliery. It was located alongside the Lower Peak Forest Canal and what is now known as Manchester Road. It started extracting coal about 1794 following the completion … More A very early Manchester football derby in support of a local mining disaster
Mellor, a small village established during the cotton revolution, sitting in the foothills of the Pennines is arguably the remotest village in Greater Manchester. Historically it was in Derbyshire, incorporated into Cheshire in 1936, and finally gobbled up by Greater Manchester in 1974. Though it is an ancient village, the main road through it, Longhurst … More What’s in the name of a house? – YEGORYEVSK, Longhurst Lane, Mellor
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