ed
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Registered: 10th Sep 03
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It's the trending topics that are the ones to watch. When something big happens it almost always pops up on there, the Indonesia tsunami was trending before BBC had reported it for example.
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Jambo
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Registered: 8th Sep 01
Location: Maidenhead, Drives: VXR Arctic
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Wow, vintage Twitter there Ed.
I'll give them a looksie
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
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Firstly some background information.
We live in Aldbourne, Wiltshire, where “Easy Company” were stationed for six months prior to D Day and then for another three months before “Market Garden”. Our workshop is a WWII Nissen Hut, which is one of only two surviving buildings from a large Army camp built back in the 1940’s. The hut was moved to its current location in the 1950’s by a local builder.
We watched The Band of Brothers TV series when it was first aired on BBC 2 in September 2001 and following its broadcast we went on a long overdue holiday to the USA.
Now in one of those strange coincidences that happen in life I have a brother who lives in Philadelphia and an uncle who lives in Atlanta. Now a lot of the surviving veterans of Easy Company live in Pennsylvania and Toccoa where the Paratroopers training camp was based is very close to Atlanta.
Whilst staying with my uncle we took a day trip up to Toccoa and found the town hall and made ourselves known. As soon as we said we were from Aldbourne the red carpet was rolled out, the press was called and we were treated as honoured guests.
We asked if it was possible to contact any of the veterans once we were back in Pennsylvania and were given the phone number of Bill Guarnere. Once back in Philadelphia we contacted him and asked if we could see him. Aldbourne really was like an “Open sesame” As soon as we mentioned where we were from it opened up so many doors.
We visited “Wild Bill” and spent a good three hours with him as he relived his wartime memories. At the end of our visit my Dad asked if it was possible to see Major Winters. With that Bill picks up his phone and calls him…
“Dick? It’s Bill. I have some folks here from Aldbourne who would like to see you”
With that he hands the phone over to my dad. Dad introduces himself and as soon as Aldbourne is mentioned we were invited to visit Major Winters and his wife at their home in Hersey.
The day of the visit was one of those days that will always stay fresh in my mind. My brother drove us the hundred odd miles from his home on the outskirts of Philadelphia to Hersey.
We arrived at Major Winters home and rang the doorbell. Major Winters answered the door and dad introduced us all. At this point I should point out that my brother is my half brother. My dad did his national service in Germany and met his first wife out there. So my brother who has spent the last twenty years or so in the States still has a pronounced accent… he sounds a bit like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
So picture the scene…Both of my parents and myself with West Country accents and my brother with a German accent. To say Major Winters did a double take is an understatement. Dad explained the situation and the first thing Major Winters said to my brother after this was “You ready to hear the truth boy!”
He took us up to his office/private museum, on the wall was the map he used whist he and his men were pined down by German artillery shells raining down on them during the battle of Bastonge, on the floor next to a filing cabinet were his jump boots he wore through the whole campaign, from Normandy to Berchtesgaden. With a little bit of red twine threaded through a hole of one of the tongues of one where he got injured by a ricochet.
We spent an afternoon with this remarkable man and listened to his recollections of those dark days of WWII. He showed us his wartime diary upon which Stephen E Ambrose based his book. Reading the Entry written on June 6th 1944 was as you can imagine extremely interesting. It really was as chaotic as portrayed in the series.
I could go on…. But will end it for now by going back to those jump boots. The soles were as new. It turns out that at the end of the European hostilities whilst Major Winters was waiting at Zell am See he decided to get transferred so that he could join the fighting in the Far East. He rushed back to Aldbourne to get them re soled… They had seen through the whole European Campaign and he now looked upon them as his lucky boots.
Well by the time he had got back and boots repaired the Atomic Bombs had been dropped and hostilities with Japan ceased so Major Winters war was truly over.
At this point my mum pipes up… “Well if you had gone out to the Far East you never know but you might have liberated me from my interment in Stanley Camp”
You see my mum was born in Hong Kong in 1936 and from the 25th December 1941 till the end of the Hostilities she was a guest of Emperor Hirohito in his wonderful civilian internment camp, Stanley Camp.
The look on Major Winters face was something to see.
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Aaron
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Registered: 9th Aug 04
Location: Cottingham, East Riding
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RIP
When i watch the final epidose, what he says right at the end brings a tear to my eye every time. When he mentions that his grandson asks if he was a hero in the war etc...and DW responds by saying "no, but i served in a company of them".
Sad times.
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Aaron
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Registered: 9th Aug 04
Location: Cottingham, East Riding
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Thats quite an amazing story, seriously.
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Matt.H
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Registered: 12th Mar 03
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quote:
Originally posted by Aaron
RIP
When i watch the final epidose, what he says right at the end brings a tear to my eye every time. When he mentions that his grandson asks if he was a hero in the war etc...and DW responds by saying "no, but i served in a company of them".
Sad times.
I agree with you mate. Same happens to me. Here's something some of you might find of interest aswell. http://www.pararesearchteam.com/Dick-Winters.html
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deano87
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Registered: 21st Oct 06
Location: Bedfordshire Drives: Ford Fiesta
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quote:
Originally posted by Ojc
Firstly some background information.
. . .
The look on Major Winters face was something to see.
Is that you writing that Ojc? If not where was it taken from?
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CorsAsh
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Registered: 19th Apr 02
Location: Munich
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Saw this at work today, the man led a life to be proud of. It's good that he's been immortalised in film, better than any headstone.
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Shell
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Registered: 14th Oct 08
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Dick is a good name. I intend to call live lee dick from now on. He just doesn't know it yet. Dick Rushton, international fanny magnet extrordinaire.
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SetH
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Registered: 15th Jul 01
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Anal?
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
User status: Offline
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quote:
Originally posted by deano87
quote:
Originally posted by Ojc
Firstly some background information.
. . .
The look on Major Winters face was something to see.
Is that you writing that Ojc? If not where was it taken from?
Someone on Pistonheads
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Rob E
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Registered: 1st Jan 06
Location: Madeley, Stafford....I want to live back in Wales!
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It popped up in my facebook feed a few days ago from the band of brothers group. Really sad news  I visited Bastogne last year and have some pictures of the memorial and the fox holes easy company used before launching an attack of Foy. Such an eeirie place when you think of what happened there during the winter of 1944
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Graham88
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Registered: 16th Apr 07
Location: South East Kent Drives: E46 M3
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Epic film. Best boxset I've seen, watched the whole lot over 3 days I think it was as I literally couldn't stop watching it.
RIP. Same to the last comment at the end, that's what made it for me
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deano87
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Registered: 21st Oct 06
Location: Bedfordshire Drives: Ford Fiesta
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I have the DVD in the metal case. There is an extra DVD about the making but also a feature on the Company and when it was first screened in France. All the DVD Extras are worth watching if you haven't 
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Matt.H
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Registered: 12th Mar 03
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Rob E....I would like to see those photos you took if you don't mind posting a few?
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
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Yeah same as
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Rob E
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Registered: 1st Jan 06
Location: Madeley, Stafford....I want to live back in Wales!
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No probs, Im just uploading them now
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Steve
Premium Member
Registered: 30th Mar 02
Location: Worcestershire Drives: Defender
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quote:
Originally posted by Rob E
No probs, Im just uploading them now
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MJFF88
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Registered: 30th Apr 08
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Its only £9.99 on play, I remember getting it years ago for near enough £60!
Edit: All the money DW got for the book & film he donated to cancer research & donald mcdonalds house charirty. Would've loved to of met him
[Edited on 13-01-2011 by MJFF88]
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
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quote:
Originally posted by Steve
quote:
Originally posted by Rob E
No probs, Im just uploading them now
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Rob E
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Registered: 1st Jan 06
Location: Madeley, Stafford....I want to live back in Wales!
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Its on 15% at the moment, hear is a couple that have already uploaded
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Ojc
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Registered: 14th Nov 00
Location: Reading: Drives : Clio 197
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I want to see fox holes
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Rob E
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Registered: 1st Jan 06
Location: Madeley, Stafford....I want to live back in Wales!
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Foxholes located on the edge of Bois Jacques Woods overlooking the town of Foy
View of Foy from the tree line
Huge American Forces memorial just oustide the museum
I was pretty impressed at how effective military camo was with this shot
Bois Jacques Woods from the top of the memorial
There are a couple of other bits in my album if its of any interest to anyone
http://s6.photobucket.com/albums/y241/p3boy/Bastogne
[Edited on 13-01-2011 by Rob E]
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Matt.H
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Registered: 12th Mar 03
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Some good pics there mate. Can't believe those foxholes are still there after all this time. I've always fancied a trip over there. Go to Normandy etc.
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deano87
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Registered: 21st Oct 06
Location: Bedfordshire Drives: Ford Fiesta
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quote:
Originally posted by Matt.H
Some good pics there mate. Can't believe those foxholes are still there after all this time. I've always fancied a trip over there. Go to Normandy etc.
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