Eccentricity

Discussion in 'General' started by Gerry Chester, Sep 8, 2006.

  1. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

  2. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Genuine?
    Alfred Wintle - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

    If so, I'm impressed.

    "Stop dying at once and when you get up, get your bloody hair cut" - Wintle to Trooper Cedric Mays (Royal Dragoons), who recovered and lived to the age of 95.

    "Great War peace signed at last." - Wintle's diary, 19 June 1919
    "I declare private war on Germany." - Wintle's diary, 20 June 1919
     
    Quarterfinal likes this.
  3. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    I enjoyed reading that :D
    Column 5 in the attachment reports on his C-M
    "...he became a bit of a nuisance because he wanted to go and fight"
     

    Attached Files:

    Charley Fortnum likes this.
  4. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    Distrust any officer with a perfect or near perfect record of efficiency reports. He is conforming to the existing value system and will have no interest in changing it.

    Look carefully at a man who gets low marks on "tact" and who "deviates from accepted doctrine." He may be creative.

    An officer who gets low marks on loyalty is especially valuable, for he is unwilling to acquiesce to his superior's policies without debate. He is likely to have an independent mind.
     
  5. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Last edited: Feb 15, 2018
  6. Steve Mac

    Steve Mac Very Senior Member

    Generalleutnant Ernst Gunter Baade

    I was going to start a new thread on this man because he was such a character, but noticed that he has already been referred to in this thread at Messages # 9 and 10.

    In Chapter 11, 'The Battle for Sicily - Steeping Stone to Victory' (Ian Blackwell) it states:

    He was the recipient of Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross with Oak Leaves and Swords.

    He also died on the last day of WWII. He was wounded in the neck and lower leg by a phosphorus projectile on 24 April 1945 when his Kübelwagen was strafed by a British fighter aircraft near Neverstaven, Holstein. He was taken to a hospital at Bad Segeberg, where he succumbed to gangrene on 8 May 1945.

    Best,

    Steve.
     
    dbf likes this.
  7. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    Most Canadian soldiers couldn't match the peculiarities of the PM:

    "Eccentric William Lyon Mackenzie King served a total of 22 years as Prime Minister of Canada. After he died in 1950 the public learned that he was a spiritualist and would hold séances in his home, seeking guidance from his dead mother, his dogs and colourful deceased personalities from Leonardo da Vinci to Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The fact that he owned and used both a Ouija board and a crystal ball was published in Time Magazine in 1953."


    Ironically, Major General Tom Churchill, Mad Jack' s older brother, served in the Adriatic and teamed up with Tommy Fuller from time to time. Fuller was possibly the most eccentric Canadian naval officer.
     
  8. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    I can't read the word "eccentric" without thinking of my late boss "Loopy Kennard" of whom I have written much in the past.

    No apologies for giving this story another airing.

    Another tale jumps to mind.......

    In "Loopy" Kennard's biography (as ex CO 4th QOH) he tells a story of a post war visit from a Brigadier.

    Loopy was sitting on his private "Thunderbox" when the Brigadier visited the camp and demanded to see him immediately.

    The Adjutant, knowing that Loopy was otherwise engaged said "He won't be a minute" to which the Brigadier, fed up with waiting, replied "Get him now !.... I havn't got all day !"

    Loopy's reply, heard by all, was "Tell the Brigadier I can only deal with one sxxt at a time !"

    http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/16073-ww2-slit-trench-latrine/

    Ron
     
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  9. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    A double Wintle treat:

    The Great Man Himself on Desert Island Discs


    A Dramatisation of his Life: The Last Englishman:


    This part from DBF's article above is to the point:

    Screen Shot 2017-07-29 at 03.49.55.png
     
    Last edited: Jul 28, 2017
  10. Charley Fortnum

    Charley Fortnum Dreaming of Red Eagles

    More on Wintle from The Times, August 28th 1940:

    It sounds from the report that practically everybody sympathised with him!

    (Fifth column: COURT-MARTIAL ON MAJOR)

    Edit: I'm a fool--I thought the article was one of the many I downloaded myself, but I now see it was from DBF's post above!
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Feb 15, 2018
  11. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    What a great quote in that Desert Island Discs episode "I'm never bored when I'm present".
     
  12. minden1759

    minden1759 Senior Member

    Admiral Sir Walter Cowan was quite a chap. He received a bar to his DSO whilst supporting 2 Commando Brigade’s assault on Monte Faito on 9 Feb 44. Monte Faito is a very high feature in the mountain range south of Cassino. The weather at the time, in the dead of winter, was appalling.

    Sir Walter was a retired Admiral and 71 at the time.

    What a wonderful fellow.

    Regards

    Frank
     
    Last edited: Jun 14, 2022
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  13. ceolredmonger

    ceolredmonger Member

    Eccentricity can be a cover for efficiency. Notorious eccentric Sir Adrian Carton De Wiart VC (one eye, one hand - he tore his own injured fingers off as they were "in the way" - his London hospital kept his pyjamas as his 1WW stays were so frequent) served throughout the war. He was possibly one of the first British soldiers to experience the war as he was Attache/Military Advisor in Poland. Despite being in some 'wrong' places his acknowledged efficiency avoided the criticism aimed at his peers. His bio borders on ridiculous - including Poland, Norway, Jugoslavia, Italian PoW (multiple escapes), Burma, China (insulted Mao). His auto-biography is Happy Odyssey.
     
    SDP likes this.
  14. Quarterfinal

    Quarterfinal Well-Known Member

    I came across this piece associated with Alfred Wintle's time in Egypt during WW2:

    "I reported to Colonel Wintle of GHQ Technical Intelligence staff, to whom I handed the rifle, equipment, boots, water-bottle and the 20-litre water-can; all taken from the German soldier we had captured. His assistant, Major Fuller made a written record of my verbal statement."

    extracted from the post-escape recollections of Royal Engineer John Constant:
    BBC - WW2 People's War - A Disaster of WW2? Chapter 5
    who in the fullness of time became Chief Engineer to the Arab Legion:
    Brigadier John Constant | The Times

    Given the "tired as I was," I might have expected the Tech Int debrief to have been delayed till the following day and after some rest, rather like Constant's session with Brigadier EJ Shearer. I can sense why Shearer - busy as he must have been - personally spoke with Constant, but I might have expected the Tech Int business to have been carried out by a good NCO.
     

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