Imagine the anxiety, fear and bravery of the men who jumped or rode gliders behind enemy lines into France in the early morning hours of D-Day on June 6, 1944. Overcast skies made it so dark that the ground would appear just before they landed. The Germans could hear them coming but couldn't see them unless a landing occurred in their midst. Once on the ground, the invaders had no means of communication except an ingenious little square steel box that emitted a clicking noise when squeezed. A far cry from today's electronic means of communication.
The assault to begin the liberation of Western Europe from Nazi occupation had been put off for several hours because of weather conditions. The idea was for paratroopers from the Eighty-Second Airborne and One Hundred First Airborne, and the troops in gliders to disrupt German communications supply lines to assist the mass landing that would occur on the Normandy coast at dawn. The air assault had limited success, but no doubt helped weaken the formidable German defense.
Thousands of paratroopers and hundreds of those on gliders were involved in the behind-the-lines effort. Tens of thousands were involved in the amphibious assaults at Omaha, Utah, Sword, Juno and Gold Beaches. Many perished at the shore, and as they unloaded the assault boats and at the first line of German defense on the adjacent cliffs. But they pushed forward, chasing the enemy all the way to Germany, where they surrendered less than a year later.
It took several days for those who landed on the shore to reach those who had arrived behind the lines. Many had been captured or killed, but countless others had been saved by those little steel clickers. Once they landed, the men clicked the devices once. If they received two clicks in return, they knew a comrade was nearby. Units were formed in that manner and set about wreaking havoc on the enemy's rear lines.
Seven thousand steel clickers were made for Allied use as part of the behind-the-enemy-lines use by the British firm, Allied Whistles, which remains in business and is trying to retrieve as many of them as possible. Brass clickers were later manufactured and given out as souvenirs to those who visited the Normandy American Cemetery overlooking Utah Beach. Nearby is the Point Du Hoc monument honoring the American Rangers who scaled the heights as part of the Normandy invasion. The cemetery and monument are part of the American Battle Monuments network of cemeteries and monuments honoring American dead in England, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Panama, Tunisia, the Philippines, and Hawaii.
The original clickers were made of spring steel that has a thumb rest on one side. The idea was to hold it in one hand with the steel spring upwards against the thumb. The clicking sound could be heard for a short distance. The replicas used the same "technology" but were made of brass or other metal.
The Franconia Museum has a set of the replica clickers that are part of a World War display provided by Martha Sell, who was Chief of the American Battle Monuments Operations before she retired. Her husband, Carl Sell, is the President of the Franconia Museum. Also included in the display is soil from both Omaha Beach and Point Du Hoc, a flag that was flown over the Normandy American Cemetery in honor of the Franconia Museum, barbed wire from the German defensive lines in France during World War I, wood from a tree from Belleau Woods in France, the site of some of WWI's most furious fighting, and a picture of the mushroom cloud over Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945, that was taken from a B-29 aircraft just 10 miles away.
Other items of local historical value are also on display at the Museum. A helmet and arm band used by volunteers at an Aircraft Warning Service Station on Collard Street in Groveton was preserved by the Bassler family and presented to the Museum. Local volunteers manned the site on two-hour shifts near the end of the war, looking for German bombers or rockets that reportedly could reach the United States. The uniform of Army Air Corps Staff Sergeant Jack Kirby is also on display. He was a radar operator on B-29 aircraft that bombed Japan. He married Nelle Elizabeth Peverill, who grew up on a farm in Franconia located where Rose Hill Shopping Center is located today.
Thousands of paratroopers and hundreds of those on gliders were involved in the behind-the-lines effort. Tens of thousands were involved in the amphibious assaults at Omaha, Utah, Sword, Juno and Gold Beaches. Many perished at the shore, and as they unloaded the assault boats and at the first line of German defense on the adjacent cliffs. But they pushed forward, chasing the enemy all the way to Germany, where they surrendered less than a year later.
It took several days for those who landed on the shore to reach those who had arrived behind the lines. Many had been captured or killed, but countless others had been saved by those little steel clickers. Once they landed, the men clicked the devices once. If they received two clicks in return, they knew a comrade was nearby. Units were formed in that manner and set about wreaking havoc on the enemy's rear lines.
Seven thousand steel clickers were made for Allied use as part of the behind-the-enemy-lines use by the British firm, Allied Whistles, which remains in business and is trying to retrieve as many of them as possible. Brass clickers were later manufactured and given out as souvenirs to those who visited the Normandy American Cemetery overlooking Utah Beach. Nearby is the Point Du Hoc monument honoring the American Rangers who scaled the heights as part of the Normandy invasion. The cemetery and monument are part of the American Battle Monuments network of cemeteries and monuments honoring American dead in England, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Italy, Panama, Tunisia, the Philippines, and Hawaii.
The original clickers were made of spring steel that has a thumb rest on one side. The idea was to hold it in one hand with the steel spring upwards against the thumb. The clicking sound could be heard for a short distance. The replicas used the same "technology" but were made of brass or other metal.
The Franconia Museum has a set of the replica clickers that are part of a World War display provided by Martha Sell, who was Chief of the American Battle Monuments Operations before she retired. Her husband, Carl Sell, is the President of the Franconia Museum. Also included in the display is soil from both Omaha Beach and Point Du Hoc, a flag that was flown over the Normandy American Cemetery in honor of the Franconia Museum, barbed wire from the German defensive lines in France during World War I, wood from a tree from Belleau Woods in France, the site of some of WWI's most furious fighting, and a picture of the mushroom cloud over Hiroshima, Japan on August 6, 1945, that was taken from a B-29 aircraft just 10 miles away.
Other items of local historical value are also on display at the Museum. A helmet and arm band used by volunteers at an Aircraft Warning Service Station on Collard Street in Groveton was preserved by the Bassler family and presented to the Museum. Local volunteers manned the site on two-hour shifts near the end of the war, looking for German bombers or rockets that reportedly could reach the United States. The uniform of Army Air Corps Staff Sergeant Jack Kirby is also on display. He was a radar operator on B-29 aircraft that bombed Japan. He married Nelle Elizabeth Peverill, who grew up on a farm in Franconia located where Rose Hill Shopping Center is located today.
FRANCONIA REMEMBERS
This is one of the Franconia Museum’s occasional articles highlighting the area’s history. If you would like a friend to receive these FREE articles, contact us at franconia.museum.newsletter@gmail.com Membership is also encouraged, so that we can continue our work. The Museum is in the Franconia Government Center, currently located at 6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria, Virginia 22310. The hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Saturday. The Museum is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization, as approved by the Internal Revenue Service.
Join or contribute to the Franconia Museum electronically by accessing Franconiamuseum.org and clicking on Become a Member. You can also join the old fashioned way by mailing a check made payable to the Franconia Museum to 6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA, 22310. Levels of memberships and giving are presented below.
The Museum will soon move into new quarters at the relocated Franconia Government Center on Beulah Street, near its intersection with the Franconia-Springfield Parkway. We need your help to make the move, so please consider making a contribution or becoming a member for 2025. Contributions in excess of the membership fee are encouraged. The Museum is a volunteer effort, but there are also costs for insurance of our artifacts, printing and postage. Please help!
2025 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE – PLEASE JOIN OR RENEW
Join us in celebrating our 24th year of preserving and protecting the history of our unique community. Our collections are growing, and we are starting to purchase electronic equipment for displays that will be available in the new Franconia Govt. Center coming in 2025 next to Lane Elementary and Beulah Park. Make the move with us by becoming a member! Additional donations are especially welcome! We are a tax-exempt, volunteer organization. There are no fund-raising costs! Come see us and learn about our past, present and future! Join us as a new member, renew your 2024 membership, or become a Lifetime or Founding member. We need to fill vacancies on our Board of Directors, and need volunteers to help man the Museum on Mon-Tues-Wed-Sat.
Annual dues $25.00
Donation $______________
Total Enclosed $_____________
or Lifetime Member…$350.00 (one time payment)
or Founding Member…$1,000.00 (one time payment)
Name............................................................................................................................................
Address.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
Phone.................................................. E-mail...........................................................................
Please complete application and mail with payment to
Franconia Museum, 6121 Franconia Rd, Franconia, VA 22310
Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Questions: Call Carl Sell at 703-971-4716 or email sellcarl@aol.com
Join or contribute to the Franconia Museum electronically by accessing Franconiamuseum.org and clicking on Become a Member. You can also join the old fashioned way by mailing a check made payable to the Franconia Museum to 6121 Franconia Road, Alexandria, VA, 22310. Levels of memberships and giving are presented below.
The Museum will soon move into new quarters at the relocated Franconia Government Center on Beulah Street, near its intersection with the Franconia-Springfield Parkway. We need your help to make the move, so please consider making a contribution or becoming a member for 2025. Contributions in excess of the membership fee are encouraged. The Museum is a volunteer effort, but there are also costs for insurance of our artifacts, printing and postage. Please help!
2025 MEMBERSHIP DRIVE – PLEASE JOIN OR RENEW
Join us in celebrating our 24th year of preserving and protecting the history of our unique community. Our collections are growing, and we are starting to purchase electronic equipment for displays that will be available in the new Franconia Govt. Center coming in 2025 next to Lane Elementary and Beulah Park. Make the move with us by becoming a member! Additional donations are especially welcome! We are a tax-exempt, volunteer organization. There are no fund-raising costs! Come see us and learn about our past, present and future! Join us as a new member, renew your 2024 membership, or become a Lifetime or Founding member. We need to fill vacancies on our Board of Directors, and need volunteers to help man the Museum on Mon-Tues-Wed-Sat.
Annual dues $25.00
Donation $______________
Total Enclosed $_____________
or Lifetime Member…$350.00 (one time payment)
or Founding Member…$1,000.00 (one time payment)
Name............................................................................................................................................
Address.......................................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................................
Phone.................................................. E-mail...........................................................................
Please complete application and mail with payment to
Franconia Museum, 6121 Franconia Rd, Franconia, VA 22310
Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday 10 a.m. until 2 p.m.
Questions: Call Carl Sell at 703-971-4716 or email sellcarl@aol.com
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