banner
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich
@galen.reich.me.uk
9.4K followers 360 following 43 posts
Bellingcat | Ex-BBC R&D & Panorama | PhD in Electrical Engineering | He/Him 🌐 https://galen.reich.me.uk
galen.reich.me.uk
Posts Media Videos Starter Packs
Reposted by Galen Reich
kosmi.bsky.social
kosmi.bsky.social @kosmi.bsky.social · 9d
Three days of penguin walk 🐧🐧🐧

-77.26, -33.53
1 14 52
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Sep 2
It's go time! Every month, @merelzoet.bsky.social and I bring together five open source research challenges!

👉 challenge.bellingcat.com 👈

After several specialist themed challenges, we're back to our roots with traditional geolocations.

Can you track down our holiday snaps? 📸🏝️
Cartoon aerial image of a blue swimming pool and an orange inflatable in the shape of the Bellingcat logo. Text reads: bellingcat Open Source Challenge
5 10
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Aug 29
Great question! At the moment the tool supports councils that use a particular multimedia partner for streaming their meetings.

I hope to add more providers and councils in the future!

But, at a glance, Galway Council sadly doesn't seem to stream their meetings at all.
4
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Aug 29
Plus, if you're tech-minded, the project is open-sourced on GitHub and welcoming contributions! 🛠️

github.com/bellingcat/C...
GitHub - bellingcat/CouncilSearcher: Find verbatim quotes from council meetings in the UK and Ireland using this free open source research tool by Bellingcat.
Find verbatim quotes from council meetings in the UK and Ireland using this free open source research tool by Bellingcat. - bellingcat/CouncilSearcher
github.com
1 4
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Aug 29
My latest Bellingcat tool is out!

It lets you search what was said in council meetings across the UK and Ireland, and takes you directly to the right part of the video session to verify.

Check it out and let me know what you think! 👇

council-search.bellingcat.com
Bellingcat Council Meeting Transcript Search
Find verbatim quotes from council meetings in the UK and Ireland using this free open source research tool by Bellingcat.
council-search.bellingcat.com
9 50 180
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Aug 29
Absolutely, at the moment this is using the transcripts from the streaming platform, which leads to some truly awful transcription for Edinburgh.

But in the future, I hope that we can support independent transcription with better support for regional accents!
2
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Aug 28
Thanks very much for sharing it!

I've opened an issue on the repository, so hopefully we can add exact matching in a future iteration 🙌

github.com/bellingcat/C...
Support searching for an exact match · Issue #18 · bellingcat/CouncilSearcher
At the moment a search with FTS5 for "worthing" will include matches for "worth". This is helpful a lot of the time, but there should be a way for users to insist on an exact match (even double quo...
github.com
1 1
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Aug 28
At the moment it relies on transcription by the councils' multimedia provider.

In the future I'd love to add our own transcription so we can cover more meetings and councils!
1
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Aug 28
At the moment, the transcripts behind the search are generated by the councils' multimedia provider. It's not perfect, but it's an alternative to looking solely at minutes or watching the full meeting - particularly if you are interested in key terms.
1
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Aug 28
Also, double quotes are the way to go for phrases, other characters are removed before searching to strike a balance between FTS5's functionality and a vaguely familiar search experience
1 1
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Aug 28
You got it! If you have ideas of how to improve the search or make it more intuitive, please let me know! And if you want to get involved, PRs are always welcomed 🙌
1 1
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Jul 10
After coming home from the war, he returned to the newspaper trade and married my gran soon after.

He developed a love for classic cars and would buy a damaged car to renovate and drive, before selling it and starting again.

He died in April 2021 at the age of 98.
2 84
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Jul 10
The camp was liberated in May 1945 and, while waiting for formal evacuation, a memorial edition of the camp newspaper was printed.

"With the redemption of a continent, our exile is ended"

"Wine, not blood, flowed through the streets. We got drunk."
Final edition of the Barth Hard Times newspaper dated Saturday May 5th 1945. With the headline "Russky Come!" Features include: - Relieved! - Braithwaite finds Uncle Joe Back page of the Barth Hard Times: "Life and death of a German Town" Features include: - Tense moments while allies take control - Conference with the Kommandant - Where are the Russians? - Toasts are drunk - Quaking Barth burghers bow before reds - Let 'em eat cake - A house of cards
1 47
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Jul 10
He told stories of his time in Stalag Luft 1, the prisoner of war camp to which he was transferred.

And the map he drew in case he ever escaped and needed to navigate through the countryside.
Photo of Doug Reich with a torn uniform taken by German forces after his crash. His RAF service number overlays the photo "133108". Stalag Luft 1 identification tag with prisoner number "4619"
1 34
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Jul 10
He had hit the water at speed, and the lights had gone out.

Apparantly saved by his Mae West life jacket, he had been fished out of the water and taken as a prisoner of war by German forces.
1 35
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Jul 10
Then a postcard arrived, littered with stamps.

DEAREST FOLKS, PLEASE DONT WORRY I'M OK AND UNHARMED.

He had survived. Concussed. Bruised. But alive.
Front face of postcard from the Kriegsgefangenenpost (prisoner of war post), it has 4 stamps and is marked as "Air Mail". Postcard dated July 14, 1944 reads: DEAREST FOLKS, PLEASE DONT WORRY I'M OK AND UNHARMED. THE RED CROSS IS DOING VERY WELL. BELIEVE ME THINGS ARE ALRIGHT I CAN STILL HAVE A DAMN GOOD LAUGH AND I AM QUITE HAPPY. DO NOT WRITE TO ME HERE AS THIS IS ONLY A TRANSIENT CAMP. I WILL WRITE YOU WHEN I GET A PERMANENT ADDRESS. LOTS OF LOVE Douglas
1 45
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Jul 10
Letters of sympathy and regret arrived in the following weeks from 2 Squadron and the Air Ministry.

I can't imagine how it must have felt to receive such letters.
Letter from 2 Squadron dated 17th June which reads: Dear Mr. Reich, Before you recieve this letter you will have received my telegram informing you that your son has very unfortunately been reported missing from operations over France. I am more sorry than I can say to be the writer of such news, and the whole Squadron together with his many friends in other Squadrons join with me in sending their profoundest sympathy. Details of the actual operation were, that Doug was leading a Section of an offensive mission and after successfully attacking his target his aircraft was seen to hit the water in a river. We all hope that this may not have been as serious as it seems and that he may be safe and come back to us in the near future. Doug has always been a first class pilot thoroughly reliable and extremely keen in all his operations. He will be very much missed also in mess life for his high spirits and cheerfulness. Should we hear any further news I will let you knoe at once. Yours very sincerely, (signed) M.J. Gray, Squadron Leader No.2 Squadron. Letter from the Air Ministry dated 28 June 1944, which reads: Sir, I am commanded by the Air Council to express to you their great regret on learning that your son, Flying Officer Gouglas Gordon Reich, Royal Air Force, is missing as the result of air operations on 15th June, 1944. On that day your son set out in a Mustang, thogether with another aircraft to sink three ferry boats in the River Seine, near Caudebec. As he was attacking the second boat he turned his aircraft sharply to evade the anti-aircraft fire, and it then crashed into the river. No trace of your son was afterwards seen. Enquiries are being made through the International Red Cross COmmittee and any further information received will be at once communicated to you. The Air Council desire me to convey to you their sympathy in your great anxiety. I am, Sir, Your obedient Serbant, J A Smith (signed)
1 35
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Jul 10
On 15 June 1944, William Wallace Reich, received a telegram.

"Regret to inform you that your son F/O Douglas Gordon Reich is missing as a result of air operations"

This time, he hadn't returned.
Telegram envelope consisting of brown paper. It reads: ON HIS MAJESTY'S SERVICE W. W. Reich Esq., "The Lyndon", 1, Cavendish Road, WORSLEY, Lancs. AIR MINISTRY If undelivered, return to the Officer Commanding, Royal Air Force at the place shown in the Postmark of origin. R.A.F. Form 2002.C. For use only on letter packets not exceeding 10" x 5" in size. A stamp in the upper right contains a crown and reads "OFFICIAL PAID" Inside the telegram reads "Regret to inform you that your son F/O Douglas Gordon Reich is missing as a result of air operations" The telegram continues on a second page: "on 15th Jun 44 letter follows pending receipt of written notification from the air ministry no information should be given to the press any further information will be communicated to you immediately adjutant 2 Squadron"
1 33
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Jul 10
Grandpa Doug would speak matter-of-factly when recounting the loss of friends.

How he would sometimes return to base after a sortie to discover one or more of the men he'd shared breakfast with hadn't returned.

That was his daily experience.
1 32
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Jul 10
And would laugh when recalling being slipped a Mickey and waking up two days later, hundreds of miles away from his squadron.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_...
Mickey Finn (drugs) - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
1 28
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Jul 10
He was made an Officer at the end of his training and returned to Europe to fly P-51 Mustangs with 2 Squadron.

He would relish telling us about the time he landed at an unfinished airstrip with a cockpit full of bread.
Photograph of Doug Reich in a P-51 Mustang flying over France. Grey octagonal WW2 RAF dog tag. The tag reads: OFFCR 133108 C.E REICH. D.G. 4D
1 39
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Jul 10
On one memorable training flight, his engine caught fire.

Intent on bailing with his instructor, they retracted the cockpit and prepared to jump.

Only at the last moment did he spot a fault with his parachute and was forced to return to the cockpit to crash land in a nearby farm field!
Photograph of Doug Reich and his instructor standing on the wing of the crash landed plane in a farm field in Canada.
1 41
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Jul 10
Before the war he was 17 years old and a newspaper man following in his father's footsteps.

After he was called-up in 1941, he left his family and travelled half-way around the world to Canada for flight training.
1 30
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Jul 10
This WW2 map was drawn by my grandpa, Doug Reich, while in a Nazi prisoner-of-war camp ✍️

Here's his story 👇
A hand-drawn WW2 map of a german coastal area on creased yellowing paper. The map marks the routes of train tracks and the locations of towns and other points of interest. Photograph of Doug Reich as a young man in uniform, smiling at the camera after completing his training and earning his wings.
12 49 230
galen.reich.me.uk
Galen Reich @galen.reich.me.uk · Jun 2
The latest Bellingcat Challenge has just landed! Get ready to dive into the murky world of money, art, and relics 🪙🎨🗿

➡️ challenge.bellingcat.com ⬅️

A huge thanks to @arca-artcrime.bsky.social for creating these amazing educational challenges! 🙌
White text reads "bellingcat Open Source Challenge. The background is a faint sepia-toned oil painting featuring three figures: a man with a helmet, a woman with a white head covering, and a balding man.
3