Switzerland tour 2019

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

When the passes are closed you travel by train through the inside of the mountain.

 

I will post up a film later but for now here are some pictures.

 

The side of the rear carriage drops and you just drive on at one end and off the other.

 

They did make us put our roofs on to go through at one tunnel and we then had to sit in a rear passenger car.

 

It does work out a bit expensive though if you need to go through a few tunnels.

 

 

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Whilst travelling in the valleys and also up in the mountains, these guys where always above everything.

 

You would not believe how far they go.

 

We did discuss about going up in one of the tandem ones but unfortunately we couldn't find one.

 

A couple of our group have done this and say it's brilliant.

 

At one point I think it was 15 that where counted over one peak.

[Alan France]

My youngest daughter enjoyed a tandem paraglide during a ski holiday at 15 years old in the French Alps. (Parents a little concerned when they skied off the cliff) She still talks about it years later.

 

Really enjoyed the posts, looking forward to more Geoffrey.

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

At one point we where stopped in the road.

 

Men where on ropes and they where lobbing down rocks and bits of tree branches into the road.

 

Some of the rocks looked really sizeable and I would hate to be hit with one in a soft top car.

 

[Gary Taylor]

Day 14 of our great adventure and we had 4 Westies and Dave on his bike and our last day abroad 
Saw us head up to La Coupole bunker where the Germans prepared the v2 rockets
It was a remarkable and moving place and really warranted a full days visit not just a couple of hourthen it was on to the Eurotunnel and up to Chatham where we would stay for the night
Unfortunately this was the biggest let down hotel wise of the whole trip and I was embarrassed to have chosen it for everyone 
So today saw 275 miles and a train ride

[Gary Taylor]

Day 14 saw a 300 mile push to Harrogate with a detour to get a pair of new tyres fitted in torrential rain as everyone headed homewards 
Easy see that after the lovely weather abroad we were back in the Uk

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

There is quite a lot of pictures with this one and I hope I can tell a bit of the story.

 

We visited La Coupole which is  located 5 km from Saint-Omer. Itis one of the most impressive remnants of the Second World War in Europe. It is a symbolic place of the Nazi oppression, due to its overwhelming mass, the nature of its underground facilities and the suffering of the slave labourers who built it.

 

This huge bunker, built by the Todt Organisation in 1943-1944 had to be the base for launching the V2 rockets against London. Developed in the ultra-secret Peenemünde centre by Von Braun's team, these missiles, along with the American atomic bomb, were the most innovative devices developed during World War II. The V2s were mass-produced by deportees from the Dora concentration camp in the underground factory "Mittelwerk", located at the heart of Germany.

Heavily bombed by the Allies, La Coupole was abandoned during the summer of 1944, after the Normandy landings. The V2s, which struck London and Antwerp in September 1944, were launched by mobile units established in Holland.

 

We only manage a one hour visit which was not as originally planned so it was a quick walk through. There is so much to see here and digest that I would love to visit again one day.

 

 

 

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

The bunker is built under a large protective concrete dome.

 

The V2 rockets where to be protected by the dome and would then be taken to the launching pad by various tunnels and train tracks.

 

It was built within 10 months.

 

 

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Propoganda films at the time showed a well run factory.

 

No guards, well fed prisoners in good conditions and all wearing fitted uniforms.

 

The reality was totally different and one prisoner drew a series of drawing showing what life was really like. I have only shown two of the least upsetting ones.

 

The area you view them in has two sides. The propaganda pictures on one side and the drawings on the other. Really makes you think.

 

 

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

The bunker was built to launch the V2 rockets and these rockets also began future rocket design.

 

In these pictures you can see the proposed layout for the bunker and how rocket design grew.

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

The allied bombings were massive and struck the site from January to July 1944. They frequently disrupted access to the site and thereby significantly slowed down the work. However, the dome itself, protected by its 5.5 metre thick reinforced concrete, was not damaged. When the Anglo-American troops invaded Normandy at the end of July 1944, the Germans were forced to abandon the construction site of La Coupole, just a few weeks before its scheduled completion. And thereby no V2 rocket has been able to take off from this site, which had been designed to be the first strategic missile base in history.

 

 

[Trevor Little (Trevturtle) - Treasurer]

Thanks to all of you  for sharing the preparation and taking the time to post  narrative and photos of the trip.

It's been a great read.

THANKYOU 

[Dave Eastwood (Gadgetman) - Club Chairman]

Thank you Geoffrey.

 

Lest we forget.

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

Here is a little film showing how effortless it is to get onto the Channel Tunnel train.

 

We just drove straight in and on.

 

 

[Geoffrey Carter (Buttercup)]

We had a drive through a village and decided to see where the road went.

 

Unfortunately it didn't go far as it was blocked by snow.

 

It was fun turning the cars around but even with all the snow it was still warm.