BOUT TIME BRITISH

[HERMAN BIX]

https://www.warhistoryonline.com/press- ... ing.html/2

I bet on this one being an epic

[jarndice]

I wonder how accurate it will be?
We only lost but two of our number in the firefight after the initial assault and I cannot help wondering if the incident where a gun happy member of the regiment who got his hands on a captured anti-tank gun and started firing into a nearby mansion which turned out to be a Maternity Hospital will be in this epic.
This form of birth control is not one recommended by the Marie Stokes Clinic.
The one part of this film which is the same for most of them is the impossibility of explaining the waiting around then the instant burst of activity and then more waiting.
In real life "Action" is mostly incredibly boring but at the same time very frightening,
It is the tension of expectation backed up by the experience that what ever happens it wont be what you planned for.
And always in the back of my mind was WHO will I lose.
And you cannot explain how tired you are when its over.
Shaun.

[43rdRecceReg]

The late, and very watchable British actor, Richard Todd (d.2009) was a captain in the Paras. In a fairly recent documentary he described the events at Pegasus Bridge, and his role in the assault, in some detail. Sadly, like many of his generation,
he's no longer with us. There's more on the upcoming movie here:
http://pegasusbridgethemovie.com
Let's hope the historical action has not been affected by political correctness revisionism..., and that inappropriate characters have not been 'parachuted' in

[jarndice]

The film makers can always refer to the regimental history, The Ox & Bucks who were an intrinsic part of the operation were wholly intergrated within the Regiment so that their adventures are also in the regiments history as are the exploits of the Glider Pilot regiment (Forerunners of the AAC))and to make it easier just ask any serving or ex member of the Regiment,
The history of the Regiment is taught to everyone and each Battalion emphasises the particular role and honours awarded to it when telling the History,
A young Regiment but very proud of its achievements.
Shaun,

[wibblywobbly]

I'm lucky enough to have been there a couple of times, the dignified lady who ran the cafe next to it during WW2 still runs it now. There are markers in the ground to show where the gliders landed, they brought them down literally a few yards from the bridge, an incredible feat of flying (though sadly, not quite such an incredible feat of landing).

I just hope that the movie is made the British way, telling it how it was, unpleasant though that was.

[jackalope]

Huh? Well I'll be damned! Hollywood would have us believe that all the British just rollewd over and without us Yanks the whole of Europe would now be speaking German and goose stepping every where. Stupid Hollywood!

I agree Herman, about damn time!

[43rdRecceReg]

Huh? Well I'll be damned! Hollywood would have us believe that all the British just rollewd over and without us Yanks the whole of Europe would now be speaking German and goose stepping every where. Stupid Hollywood!

I agree Herman, about damn time!

Yes, and the irony is, Jack, that most of Europe does speak a Germanic language, as a second language: English As for Hollywood, the film that really got my goat was "U571" with the dashing Matthew McConaughey. Where the Yanks are depicted capturing a priceless enigma machine from the U-571 (no near reference the Gary's 'handle' intended.. )- in fact it was HMS Bulldog, and its modest Captain that did the deed.
I expect that counts as artistic licence..
As an incidental, it was reported lately in our local Highland journal that Ernie (full name omitted), a genial old gent known locally for smoking roll-ups, despite admitting to being 'around' 90, and taking his old dog for long walks all over Wester Ross, had died. Nothing unusual in that, you might think. But then it emerged that he had only recently been awarded the Legion d'Honneur for his bravery in WW2. A modest man, he never mentioned it. As an RAF medic, he'd been helping the American wounded off Omaha beach, whilst still under fire. His only child had died young in the 1950s , and so his medal went to a neice in Australia.
I'd often blethered with him, and once asked what he did in the War, and he said he was a medic and "...didn't see much action, lad.." Typical Brit understatement...
Wish we still had people of his calibre

[jackalope]

British understatement, reminds me of the guy in Monte Pythons Holy Grail. "Tis but a scratch" Dude has no arms or legs left! LOL!

[jarndice]

Mick it was the OX & Bucks and the sixth Airborne and later they were supported by seventh Airborne,
There was an element of REs to actually blow the thing if it became necessary. A job the Regiment does in house these days
There were of course the men of the Glider Pilot Regiment in the fight, But no 1st Airborne on this one,
I think they were being held back through the Normandy operation in case.
Shaun.

[jarndice]

Mick the trouble with First Airborne is whilst it was as its title suggests the First Airborne regiment formed in the British Army at RAF Ringwood later Manchester Airport it is often confused with the First Airborne of the United States Army which was formed a little later.
Two of its first jobs included an operation over and on Norway,
If you want to know more you could try the Airborne museum which was in Aldershot but when Airborne was moved it might now be in Colchester,
They will certainly have all the details of just about everyman who served in the Regiment,
Do you have his Army Number and his dates of Service ?
The more information you can give them the more information they will be able to find out for you.
If you have need of a place to start why not phone or visit your local British Legion,
But be careful you could be stuck there for hours getting your ear bent by some old soldier
Shaun.

[43rdRecceReg]

If you have need of a place to start why not phone or visit your local British Legion,
But be careful you could be stuck there for hours getting your ear bent by some old soldier
Shaun.

...and then they'll likely bend a few elbows too! At this point, as heroic as it undoubtedly was being suspended from silk (weren't nylons too? ), or skimming in on fragile wing, I'd like to mention the bravery of our Reconnaisance/Scouting
units. They were often the first to find the enemy, and the first to encounter a stream of lead, or an 88mm shell . They were airborne too, ( 6th Airborne Armd. Recce-switched their wee Tetrarch tanks for Cromwells, eventually). I've been reading Richard Doherty's 'The British Reconnaissance Corps in WW2 (Pub: Osprey), and it points out the 43rd Recce (my late Father and Uncle's unit..) were the first British troops to reach the Seine (by hobnail boot, tyres, and tracks .. but not silk ), and along with
51st Recce (51st Highland Division) pretty much the first British troops to enter Germany, near the Reichswald (Goch).. They, and other Recce units, also took heavy losses racing to support the Yanks in the 'Bulge', and went to the rescue of the beleaguered Paras during 'Market Garden' (Arnhem),. That was 43rd Wessex, 15th scottish, and 52nd Lowland recce units. At other times, they took often heavy losses supporting trapped infantry units. Their 2-pounders, Brens, 3in mortars were no real match for 75mms and 88s; but they relied on speed and guts.
Maybe someday, they'll merit a movie..

[jarndice]

I have nothing but the highest praise for anyone in a Recce unit, Primarily because a lot of my work involved just that,
I cannot talk about all the jobs we did but one of them was flying around the "Wall & Fence" surrounding Berlin in British Army Helicopters in the Daytime and United States Army Huey's in the night,
They were chock full of state of the art sensors as well as cameras and Binos.
The East German Army did not like us very much as we flew past their towers and they got really pi**ed off at night with us,
Shining there searchlights at us and as we passed they rotated the light to alert the next tower,
What they did not know was that while they were giving one of us grief we were being shadowed by another Helicopter filming the live firing ranges of the Soviet Armed Forces a couple of Ks away
Shaun.

[B_Man]

A great subject for a film, I hope they do it justice.

In the meantime, I'm getting a bit excited about this one: http://www.dunkirkmovie.com/. The writer/director has some serious form as does the cast so it should be a cracker. I might even make a rare visit to a theater for it.

[43rdRecceReg]

A great subject for a film, I hope they do it justice.

In the meantime, I'm getting a bit excited about this one: http://www.dunkirkmovie.com/. The writer/director has some serious form as does the cast so it should be a cracker. I might even make a rare visit to a theater for it.

It looks very promising, and Christopher Nolan has an impressive body of work behind him as a director. The was an excellent B & W film, as also called 'Dunkirk', made in 1958, and starring the ever watchable John Mills as Corporal 'Tubby' Binns, with Bernard Lee ("M" in early Bond flicks), and a nervy Richard Attenborough as 'little ships' owners. The scenes on the beach depicted there, were probably not surpassed in scale, authenticity, and detail until 'The Longest Day" came along, and then 'Private Ryan'. Even now, I find that old classic has something to offer. Unusually too (for that time), most of it was shot out of doors. Apparently, the bunker used by 'Vice Admiral Ramsay' was the actual one used during the evacuation.
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0051565/?ref_=tttr_tr_tt