Returning from a fascinating - if occasionally harrowing - pilgrimage to the Normandy beaches this past week, the preceding raid on St Nazaire came up in conversation. That sparked a memory of Douglas Lewis Briault - pre-war ERA owner/driver (R6B I believe) who commanded ML341 in that extraordinary assault. I have never known what became of him. Does anybody here know?
DCN
Douglas Lewis Briault
Started by
Doug Nye
, Oct 09 2005 21:10
11 replies to this topic
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#2
KJJ
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Posted 09 October 2005 - 21:28
Commander Douglas Lewis Briault R.N.V.R. (retd.), late of Bursers Paradise, Australia, died on 13th July, 1976. (Times Death Notice, 15th July 1976)
#3
Adam F
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Posted 09 October 2005 - 22:18
Briault was 75 years old when he died (born 20th May 1901) in Hampstead (London, England!).
Ken, I think that "Bursers Paradise" is almost certainly a typo that crept into the Times notice.
I can't find any such place (via Multimap etc.) in Australia. It surely must be Surfers Paradise?
Ken, I think that "Bursers Paradise" is almost certainly a typo that crept into the Times notice.
I can't find any such place (via Multimap etc.) in Australia. It surely must be Surfers Paradise?
#4
Vitesse2
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Posted 09 October 2005 - 22:38
I'd reached the same conclusion, Adam. Typos of that sort weren't unusual in The Times in the days of hot metal and militant unions (NOTSOBA and SODIT as Private Eye used to lampoon them). That's almost worthy of The Grauniad though!
#5
KJJ
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Posted 09 October 2005 - 23:30
Originally posted by Adam F
Ken, I think that "Bursers Paradise" is almost certainly a typo that crept into the Times notice.
I can't find any such place (via Multimap etc.) in Australia. It surely must be Surfers Paradise?
Yes, I'm sure you must be right. The death notice gives a house number and street name "The Corso" an address that does seem to crop up in estate agents web-sites in Surfers Paradise.
Incidently from googling around it seems that ML341 developed engine trouble and had to return to England.
#6
Andrew Fellowes
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Posted 10 October 2005 - 04:52
Originally posted by KJJ
. The death notice gives a house number and street name "The Corso" an address that does seem to crop up in estate agents web-sites in Surfers Paradise.
What number? This at the western end of The Corso and it is on The Isle of Capri just in behind Surfers Paradise, an Estate agents dream 'cause it faces N to NE onto wide water of the Nerang River. In 1976 the house would have been quite new, but nearly all the street has been redevloped since then. Expensive area.
OK so I am bored this afternoon & my office is 5 minutes up the road. Ask on TNF & it will be provided.
As it happens The Southport GP Circuit was very close to here & the old Surfers Track was 15 minutes away on the other side of the river.
#7
KJJ
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Posted 10 October 2005 - 05:42
Originally posted by Andrew Fellowes
What number?
Number 29
#8
simonlewisbooks
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Posted 10 October 2005 - 09:56
What, if anything is left of that track today Andrew?Originally posted by Andrew Fellowes
The old Surfers Track was 15 minutes away on the other side of the river.
(Sorry if this has been answered on another thread, and sorry it's OT as well!)
I once saw it on a video of mid 80s touring car racing brought back from Oz. I seem to recall it had an awesome first corner....
Simon lewis
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#9
Doug Nye
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Posted 10 October 2005 - 12:01
Great response - thank you. Wonder what business he went into after the war...at least he survived it.... You know, visiting the war graves around Normandy - which triggered my question - is an extraordinarily humbling experience. Each nation's has a distinctly different atmosphere.
The German is dark, deep-tan granite, still, the atmosphere is of deep sorrow and grief, and almost of apology. The flat, square, dark markers provide a name, rank and dates only.
The American cemtery as at St Laurent above Omaha Beach is fantastically manicured and geometrically utter perfection. Where the German statuary stands heads sunk, eyes down in grieving, the American is uplifting, face, eyes and arms upraised towards the heavens...celebrating ongoing life and I suppose resurrection.
Yet the American headstones list only names, ranks, units and State - no clue to age, no personal epitaphs. I could form no impression of who lay there.
In stark and poignant contrast the British and Commonwealth graves are beautifully maintained but less formal, less antiseptic than the American...perhaps more free-spirited? Their headstones provide name, rank, units (with the regimental, Navy or Air Force badge), and - critically - not only age at death but also personal family epitaphs of up to 60 characters each, for which the relatives were charged a penny per character. And those epitaphs really hit you right deep in the guts. We visited five cemeteries - and in three of them I blubbed. My God - those generations of us who have never experienced war have been so lucky...
DCN (sorry all - off topic but for all students of history these are things one feels a need to share...)
The German is dark, deep-tan granite, still, the atmosphere is of deep sorrow and grief, and almost of apology. The flat, square, dark markers provide a name, rank and dates only.
The American cemtery as at St Laurent above Omaha Beach is fantastically manicured and geometrically utter perfection. Where the German statuary stands heads sunk, eyes down in grieving, the American is uplifting, face, eyes and arms upraised towards the heavens...celebrating ongoing life and I suppose resurrection.
Yet the American headstones list only names, ranks, units and State - no clue to age, no personal epitaphs. I could form no impression of who lay there.
In stark and poignant contrast the British and Commonwealth graves are beautifully maintained but less formal, less antiseptic than the American...perhaps more free-spirited? Their headstones provide name, rank, units (with the regimental, Navy or Air Force badge), and - critically - not only age at death but also personal family epitaphs of up to 60 characters each, for which the relatives were charged a penny per character. And those epitaphs really hit you right deep in the guts. We visited five cemeteries - and in three of them I blubbed. My God - those generations of us who have never experienced war have been so lucky...
DCN (sorry all - off topic but for all students of history these are things one feels a need to share...)
#10
Steve L
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Posted 10 October 2005 - 12:42
Did you go on a guided tour, Doug? I've always meant to try one of those.
I'm watching the latest Richard Holmes "Churchill" series on BBC2 at the moment.
Good stuff, as all his series (War Walks etc) are.
I'm watching the latest Richard Holmes "Churchill" series on BBC2 at the moment.
Good stuff, as all his series (War Walks etc) are.
#11
Doug Nye
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Posted 10 October 2005 - 13:16
Yes - our guide was Major-General Graham Hollands RA (retired) - who was simply masterly, is a friend of Richard Holmes, and who tailors tours to individual preferences. A Google search will find him. His ability to demonstrate Jimmy Monteith's exploits in his Medal of Honour-winning final hours and Stan Hollis's in his Victoria Cross-winning exploits across the actual terrain involved is - I use the word again - humbling... As for Pegasus Bridge at Benouville, assault gliders being landed within 47 feet of their objective, at night, despite a crosswind, all objectives secured within 19 minutes of casting off from the glider tugs (not landing, casting-off!) - Alonso-style 130R judgement, or what???? And we're expected to be impressed by blokes in fireproof romper suits driving super-safe racing cars... 
DCN
DCN
#12
Andrew Fellowes
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Posted 11 October 2005 - 00:51
Well it sure has gone,
& Simon nothing now remains of Surfers Paradise Raceway. it died a slow death. For a long time the local police used it for Operation Drag. Once a month they challanged the local youth. Its now zoned for residential development. Keith Williams and Don Mclaren who helped start it all are still here, Don I see quite often, just when I think I've heard them all he has yet another story. He used to put on a Fish Barbeque on Sunday evening after the Tasman races at his restaurant, Grumpy's (his nickname) & there lies more stories!
This was the main entrance, the pit straight ran at right angles, & thats where they held the drags too.
& Simon nothing now remains of Surfers Paradise Raceway. it died a slow death. For a long time the local police used it for Operation Drag. Once a month they challanged the local youth. Its now zoned for residential development. Keith Williams and Don Mclaren who helped start it all are still here, Don I see quite often, just when I think I've heard them all he has yet another story. He used to put on a Fish Barbeque on Sunday evening after the Tasman races at his restaurant, Grumpy's (his nickname) & there lies more stories!
This was the main entrance, the pit straight ran at right angles, & thats where they held the drags too.
