Stanley Vincent lived quite the life. Scout pilot in WWI, interwar policing duties, Battle of Britain at Northolt and then off to Singapore and Java then Burma. Interesting insights and great for the flavour of the RAF
It seems that it is not just the British who are prone to eccentricity. I'm currently reading "At War on the Gothic Line" (Christian Jennings) which states that the German Generalleutenant Ernst-Gunther Baade had a reputation for going into battle dressed in a Scottish kilt and wielding a claymore! He loved Scotland and all things Scottish, and during the battle of Monte Cassino he would announce the names of Allied POWs over English/American radio frequencies, so that the Allies would know that these men were still alive. He seems to have been respected by officers and men on both sides of the conflict. Jennings also reminds us that the war in Italy was not just about the Yanks and the Brits. The Allied dead included: Brazilians, Canadians, French, Greeks, Gurkhas from Nepal, Indians, Jewish volunteers from Palestine, Maoris from New Zealand, The Nisei (2nd generation Japanese from the US), Poles, African troops from Senegal, and Italian Partisans.
One has to wonder if he ever met Jack Churchill! To that list, I think you could also add Moroccan "Goumiers" fighting in the French army. And Algerians? and maybe some Czechs? I think the Brazilians were the participants I found most surprising when I learned about them.
Yes my 'included' list doesn't do justice to the many nationalities that joined the fight. I was surprised to find that South African Basuto soldiers arrived in Italy in November 1943 to join my dad's regiment. Just had to look up [Mad] Jack Churchill...aye, now I get it!
I think I'd like to read more about "Mad" Jack Churchill. Here are just 2 snippets from Wikipedia; By the time Churchill reached India, Hiroshima and Nagasaki had been bombed and the war ended. Churchill was said to be unhappy with the sudden end of the war, saying: "If it wasn't for those damn Yanks, we could have kept the war going another 10 years!" He retired from the army in 1959, with two awards of the Distinguished Service Order. In retirement, his eccentricity continued. He startled train conductors and passengers by throwing his briefcase out of the train window each day on the ride home. He later explained that he was tossing his case into his own back garden so he would not have to carry it from the station.
Currently on "The Munich Art Hoard" by Catherine Hickley, which is OK but feels bit superficial Next up is "Blitzkrieg" by Lloyd Clark, which I'm looking forward to. Blurb says it's bit revisionist but Clark seems to have the credentials (Sandhurst, University of Buckingham, etc) Anyone read it ? Have an opinion ?
Haven't read it yet, but it's going on the must read list. I hate it when people claim "revisionism" when recent study shows new angles and ideas supported by study, newly uncovered facts, etc.
Paid a visit to Tewkesbury market today( Glous) and had a look round some of the charity shops. Managed to get my hands on this book. It's in near brand new condition. Theres some wonderful colour plates of comics from years gone by. I would think anyone still holding such issues might find them quite valuable. Graham.
Careful, you'll have me posting collection of my Biggles books (I think Johns published stories in The Modern Boy). In all seriousness, if you have a run of the first dozen or so Biggles stories in decent dust-jackets, you could trade them in for a small house.
Hi Charley, Some of plates show comics going back to the 1870's The Boys Own Paper, 1d,( The Union Jack, Tales For Boys 1d 1880) and many more, Would love to upload them here but "copy-right" Graham,
For some reason I've never managed to read a copy of Brian Lane's 'Spitfire' book. Luckily I've managed to come across a version of the 90s reprint 'Spitfire Squadron' which contains the original, plus a look at 19 squadron as a whole during the early war years, compiled by Dilip Sarkar. Just about to start on that, so very happy.
The son of DKiG winner Oberleutnant Rüdiger Zimburg has just published the memoirs of his father (in German). His father joined the FJ shortly after Crete and survived the war, serving primarily with FJR1 in Russia and Italy. Not only did he publish his father's memoirs, but he also added many of his father's unpublished photographs and documents, as well as lots of his own research (maps, biographies etc). Kriegserlebnisse eines Fallschirmjägers · Österreichischer Milizverlag Kriegserlebnisse eines Fallschirmjägers Dr. jur. Rüdiger Zimburg (1923-1993), Oberst d.Res., trat während des II. Weltkriegs als Freiwilliger 1941 in die deutsche Fallschirmtruppe ein und absolvierte 1942-43 Einsätze in Russland (Mittelabschnitt und Orel), Italien (1943-45) und Österreich (1945). Zuletzt führte er als Oberleutnant (Kriegsoffizier) ein Bataillon. 1961 als Oberleutnant d. Res. ins österreichische Bundesheer übernommen, trat er als Oberst d. Res. 1988 in den Ruhestand. Im Zivilberuf war er Direktor bei Semperit AG bis 1983, daneben vor allem Sportler, Bergsteiger, Paragleiter und Schifahrer. Anlässlich einer Bergtour verunglückte er 1993 tödlich bei Bad Gastein.
Amazon.com: George, Nicholas and Wilhelm: Three Royal Cousins and the Road to World War I (9781400079124): Miranda Carter: Books Light reading but I like stuff like this.
https://www.amazon.com/Pour-France-p...1&keywords=lvf Pour la France, pour l'Europe: Le parcours d'un officier français de la LVF à la Charlemagne (1941 - 1945) The French volunteers wearing the German uniform, all units combined, does not exceed 15,000 men. The history of Captain Martin is particularly interesting to study, as this officer enlisted in the Legion of Volunteers against Bolshevism in 1941 and end the war in 1945 in the division "Charlemagne.” The book presents in a first part what was the military collaboration with a history of LVF, Frankreich brigade and Charlemagne division with also answers about French volunteers motivations. The second part focuses on Captain Martin's personal documents and photos. This part is completely unpublished with in particular a set of 120 photographs taken on the Eastern Front between 1941 and 1943 and never published. The last part is made of appendix to allow the reader to refer to the presentation of official documents as well as a study rarely so thorough on the composition and the organigrams of the units and their successive evolution (LVF, Brigade Frankreich, Charlemagne Division) . This atypical work is both a biography, a history book and a tool for researchers and collectors. TABLE OF CONTENTS The book is in French. May be one day, I will try to translate the book in English. INTRODUCTION LA COLLABORATION MILITAIRE AVEC L’ALLEMAGNE. 1. La Légion des Volontaires Français (L.V.F). a) Création. b) Premiers combats et lutte contre les partisans. c) Baroud d’honneur et fin de la L.V.F. 2. La SS-Frw. Ssturmbrigade « Frankreich ». a) Création. b) Formation. c) Combats en Galicie. 3. La brigade puis division « Charlemagne ». a) Création. b) Combats en Poméranie et dislocation de la division. c) Derniers combats. 4. Recrutement et motivations des volontaires a) La L.V.F. b) La SS-Frw. Sturmbrigade « Frankreich » c) La brigade puis division « Charlemagne » 5. Épilogue a) Les prisonniers de guerre b) La prison c) Le Bataillon d’Infanterie Légère d’Outre-Mer (BILOM) DOCUMENTS DU CAPITAINE JACQUES MARTIN 1. Témoignage et photographies du capitaine MARTIN. 2. Témoignage de Gérard MARTIN, l’un des deux fils du capitaine MARTIN. 3. Les combats pour Dantzig 4. Cartes 5. Les décorations du capitaine MARTIN ANNEXES 1. les mouvements politiques collaborationnistes français. 2. Statuts de la Légion des volontaires français contre le bolchevisme. 3. loi n° 95 du 11 février 1943 relative à la L.V.F. 4. Les mécanismes de la propagande. 5. Les supports de la propagande pour l’engagement des français dans l’armée allemande a) Affiches de recrutement b) Encarts publicitaires dans les journaux c) Reportages dans les journaux de propagande d) Conférences et tracts e) Fascicules de recrutement et de propagande f) Association et sympathisants g) Émission philatélique et cartes postales 6. Composition, dotation et effectifs de guerre théoriques du frz.Inf.-Rgt. 638 en 1941 a) Le régiment de la L.V.F. de septembre 1941 à mars 1942 b) Le régiment de la L.V.F. d’avril 1942 à septembre 1943 c) Le régiment de la L.V.F. de septembre 1943 à juillet 1944 7. Ordre du jour du Generalleutnant Von GABLENZ du 12 décembre 1941. 8. Lettre du commandant de la 7e DI au colonel LABONNE du 16 décembre 1941. 9. Félicitations adressées à la 221e division de sécurité le 16 février 1943. 10. La guerre de partisans. 11. Communiqué du haut commandement de la Wehrmacht, du 27 février 1944. 12. Loi n° 428 du 22 juillet 1943 relative aux engagements volontaires dans les formations antibolchevistes. 13. Tableau d’équivalence des grades 14. Composition, dotation et effectifs de guerre théoriques du Ier bataillon de la 8. Französische-SS-Freiwilligen-Sturmbrigade (Août 1944). 15. Provenance des membres de la Charlemagne. 16. Composition, dotation et effectifs de guerre théoriques de la « Charlemagne ». a) Division « Charlemagne » à Wildflecken (février 1945) b) Division « Charlemagne » au moment de la disslocation en Pomméranie (1er mars 1945) c) Division « Charlemagne » à Carpin (25.03.1945 – 23.04.1945) d) Division « Charlemagne » (24.04.1945 - 02.05.1945) 17. Rapport Ourdan sur la L.V.F. durant l’hiver 1941. 18. Rapport Simoni sur la situation de la L.V.F. dans l’Est (1943). 19. Lettre du sous-lieutenant MARTIN à l’EMLA du 8 août 1942. 20. Compte-rendu du capitaine Jacques MARTIN du 22 janvier 1944. 241 21. Ordre du jour du Dr KRUKENBERG à la division Charlemagne du 27 mars 1945. 22. Témoignage du Dr KRUKENBERG sur la division « Charlemagne ». 23. Uniformes et insignes de la L.V.F. à la « Charlemagne ». a) La L.V.F. b) La Brigade puis Division « Charlemagne » c) Les plaques d’identité (Erkennungsmarken) d) Les identifiants postaux (Feldpostnummer) 24. Images de la L.V.F. à la « Charlemagne » (collection Vincent DOMERGUE). a) La L.V.F. à Versailles b) La Waffen SS française 25. Sur les traces du Sturmbataillon à Berlin en 2015 (Franck CHEVALLET). BIBLIOGRAPHIE
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/1594...g_2?ie=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=CCQQ6JSWP9T4HB9YZABC Patriots from the Barrio: The Story of Company E, 141st Infantry: The Only All Mexican American Army Unit in World War II Embroiled in savage combat, soldiers whose service has gone unrecognized until now As a child, Dave Gutierrez hung on every word his father recalled about his cousin Ramon, “El Sancudo” (the mosquito), and his service in World War II, where he earned a Silver Star, three Purple Hearts, and escaped from the Germans twice. Later, Dave decided to find out more about his father’s cousin, and in the course of his research he discovered that Ramon Gutierrez was a member of Company E, 141st Infantry, a part of the 36th “Texas” Division that was comprised entirely of Mexican Americans—the only such unit in the entire U.S. Army. The division landed at Salerno, Italy, in 1943, among first American soldiers to set foot in Europe. In the ensuing months, Company E and the rest of the 36th would battle their way up the mountainous Italian peninsula against some of Nazi Germany’s best troops. In addition to the merciless rain, mud, and jagged peaks, swift cold rivers crisscrossed the region, including the Rapido, where Company E would face its greatest challenge. In an infamous episode, the 36th Division was ordered to cross the Rapido despite reports that the opposite bank was heavily defended. In the ensuing debacle, the division was ripped apart, and Company E sustained appalling casualties. The company rebounded and made the storied landings at Anzio and ultimately invaded southern France for a final push into Germany. The men of Company E distinguished themselves as rugged fighters capable of warring amid the rubble of destroyed villages and in the devastated countryside. Based on extensive archival research and veteran and family accounts, Patriots from the Barrio: The Story of Company E, 141st Infantry: The Only All Mexican American Army Unit in World War IIbrings to life the soldiers whose service should never have gone unrecognized for so long. With its memorable personalities, stories of hope and immigration, and riveting battle scenes, this beautifully written book is a testament to the shared beliefs of all who have fought for the ideals of the American flag. For further reading:
https://www.amazon.com/Tanks-Hell-M...tDescription_secondary_view_div_1529384018051 Tanks In Hell In May 1943 a self-described “really young, green, ignorant lieutenant” assumed command of a new Marine Corps company. His even younger enlisted Marines were learning to use an untested weapon, the M4A2 “Sherman” medium tank. His sole combat veteran was the company bugler, who had salvaged his dress cap and battered horn from a sinking aircraft carrier. Just six months later the company would be thrown into one of the ghastliest battles of World War II. On 20 November 1943 the Second Marine Division launched the first amphibious assault of the Pacific War, directly into the teeth of powerful Japanese defenses on Tarawa. In that blood-soaked invasion, a single company of Sherman tanks, of which only two survived, played a pivotal role in turning the tide from looming disaster to legendary victory. In this unique study Oscar Gilbert and Romain Cansiere use official documents, memoirs, interviews with veterans, as well as personal and aerial photographs to follow Charlie Company from its formation, and trace the movement, action—and loss—of individual tanks in this horrific four-day struggle. The authors have used official documents and interviews with veterans to follow the company from training through the brutal 76-hour struggle for Tarawa. Survivor accounts and air photo analysis document the movements –and destruction – of the company’s individual tanks. It is a story of escapes from drowning tanks, and even more harrowing escapes from tanks knocked out behind Japanese lines. It is a story of men doing whatever needed to be done, from burying the dead to hand-carrying heavy cannon ammunition forward under fire. It is the story of how the two surviving tanks and their crews expanded a perilously thin beachhead, and cleared the way for critical reinforcements to come ashore. But most of all it is a story of how a few unsung Marines helped turn near disaster into epic victory. Table of Contents ACKNOWLEDGMENTS PREFACE Romain Cansiere PREFACE Ed Gilbert FOREWORD Edward L. Bale, Jr., Colonel, USMC (Ret) 1 A NEW DOCTRINE FOR A NEW WAR 2 SALAD DAYS—FORMATION AND TRAINING 3 THE TANKS OF CHARLIE COMPANY 4 THE CLOTHES ON THEIR BACKS—CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT 5 OBJECTIVE: CODE NAME HELEN 6 DAY ONE—THE REEF 7 DAY ONE—INLAND 8 DAY TWO—SECURING THE BEACHHEAD 9 DAY THREE—SWEEPING THE ISLAND 10 DAY FOUR—THE FINAL CARNAGE 11 AFTERMATH EPILOGUE: The Legacy of Tarawa LATER LIFE APPENDIX A: Charlie Company Chronology APPENDIX B: Tank Company Organization and Equipment APPENDIX C: Inside the M4A2 Tank APPENDIX D: Charlie Company Personnel at Tarawa APPENDIX E: Historical Research and Photographic Analysis
Hi 509th Do you also subscribe to our North American sister site on the other side of the pond - http://ww2f.com/ ?? TD
Sounds to me like the author had a conclusion in mind before he started writing the book, plus the blurb is deceiving. He's writing about a National Guard company but the intro makes it sound like the whole division. It was common for National Guard units to be made up of men from similar backgrounds because they came from same town.