You are so right Jerry; whilst we all need to understand the higher-level picture, and often do thanks to some very notable historians, it’s exactly those dry phrases that we need to understand. I have just finished reading a remarkable book which does just that in a very telling fashion - forgive the Off Topic nature, but it does tie-in with all this; recently published in paperback was “3 Days in June” about 3rd Battalion The Parachute Regiment in the Falklands. What is so different is that this is a collection of anecdotal recall from the soldiers on the ground, from the Commanding Officer down to the lowliest Private. The book is structured as per the Battalion, ie 3 x Rifle Companies, Support Weapons Company, HQ Company; this means that when one incident say, occurs in one Company, it is recorded but the individual’s memories, but then the same incident will rear its head again when news gets around to another sub-unit. One reviewer (I forget where from) complained that the book was repetitive. Well, so it would be as say, an action (and casualties) will have an impact beyond that of the soldiers immediately concerned. Anyway, I found it gripping. For instance, and how fickle is warfare – the CO (whose PA I was much, much later on) and his OC of Sp Coy (who I also served with at another time) were discussing the attack, when an Argentinian 106mm RCL round flashed between them and killed a 3-man MILAN team just behind them. Another incident is quite humorous - well, at least to me - but I suppose you’ve got to have a military sense of humour. I might be a bit adrift here as I’ve lent the book to my Mate and can’t quite check all this but it went something like this: a young soldier was blown up and reported dead. He actually wasn’t and dusted himself off and in due course reported to his Platoon Sergeant, and the exchange went something like this” Effin’ hell Harley, where have you effin’ been been?” Private Harley, “I got blown up Colour”. “Effin’ hell Harley, I though you were dead – I’ll have to change the effin’ list now”.
As the battle unfolds the account is interspersed with transcripts of the radio traffic at the time, which in my opinion, all adds to the veracity of it all ( as long as one can understand all the abbreviations etc) But the descriptions, by those who were there on the ground make this account priceless. It’s not often that we get to hear it from those who actually did it.
Apologies for the thread hijack Jerry, and to all who have waded through this, but this is how history should be written, and equally, perhaps, modelled – which is where you come in!
Well now I will have to read that book for sure. I love history laced with personal anecdotes above all else. And what a brilliant description of First Sergeants everywhere. “Now I gotta change my effin list”. Priceless.
I am oddly reminded of Federal Army General Sickles at the Battle of Spotsylvania . Whilst leaning against a stout oaktree watching the one brigade assault the rebel breastworks a steel file embedded itself into the tree trunk next to him. ( The confederates were using any scrap metal available ) He glanced down and said something like “hot work today”.
J
I’m sure you’ll enjoy the book; it is relentlessly grim in places, but then it was a hell of a battle. I was almost moved to tears upon reading the description of a Company Sergeant Major going through his dead soldiers’ remains and clothing, and finding that one had secreted his teddy bear within his smock pockets. Some were very young indeed, including 17 year-olds. The Paras aren’t everyone’s cup of tea (and in peacetime can be a bit of a liability), but wars aren’t won by old ladies. Their officers (with whom I’ve had more contact than the soldiers) are without peer in my book. Anyway, highly recommended.
I will have to read it now.
For a year back in the 90s we had a Brit Para Major attached to the Bn as the XO during an exchange program. Impressive guy. I had to go before him once to get one of my better guys off the hook for getting caught clicking pics on his way out the door during a mass tac ! He was just about to finish his enlistedment I didn’t wanna see him get busted on his way out. One hand washes the other.
J
One last thing; the average wait before those wounded on Mount Longdon got back for treatment after being wounded was around 12-14 hours. When my lad was wounded in Afghanistan in 2012 he was back in the operating theatre around 35 mins from the detonation of the IED.
yes optempo for medical is way faster now but I imagine a larger scale op would slow things down in regards to asset management, etc.
Also things have changed a lot in regular training. When I was in my long spell of the peacetime army we paid lip service to medical treatment and evac. Today a lot of training time is focused on it. Even in the “Best Ranger” competition every year a few of the harder obstacles involve cas-evac.
Of course, going back to Gen Sickles era, it was not uncommon for a poor sod to lay entreated on the field for 3 days before they were noticed. It happened to a direct relative of mine at the battle of the Wilderness. 128th Penna Vol Inf Regt
And they were the lucky ones: I understand many of the wounded at the Wilderness perished in the numerous fires which sprang up in the dense vegetation…
Well, What an explosive and dynamic scene of death and glory …
So much wonderful sculpting which in turn is giving movement to all the pieces in play. The positioning of the personal kit (webbing) as it hangs in various angles of troops dying or falling back and running forward, the guys helmet flying off his head as he takes a few rounds in the chest throwing him backwards, and the look of abject fear on the guys face as he realises he is about to have the entrenching tool planted into his face.
And although this a depiction of events or a scene and how it may of happened, it makes you think about this little group of 6 Argylls who had probably been together for months & months during the build up and then through the invasion, becoming a close knit little group, then for all of them to die in a small shell scrape in under 5 minutes … The reality of war …
I’m sorry to hear that your son was amongst those hurt in the service of our country. While I understand no-one returns from war entirely unscathed for some (and their families) there is a battle which will be fought for the rest of their lives. I hope your lad received all the help he needed from those who sent him to war in the first place; the state can be niggardly towards those most deserving of it’s care.
Thanks for the sentiment Tom; I won’t start dripping too much but you’ve hit the nail on the head; he had to endure the almost callous indifference from his unit, and 8 years later when he decided to go for an elective amputation, the debilitating quibbling of a Civil Servant who demanded he prove that his condition was due to service on operations. Anyway, I don’t want to moan too much within this particular thread, but thanks.
However, my lad is getting on with his non-military life and is cheerful enough:
Thanks so much Johnny,
You really hit the nail on the head all 'round with your comments. Thank you for taking the time to write such nice thoughts. I appreciate it buddy.
J
No apology needed and no worries mate. A thread about toy soldiers pales in comparison to ones’ son loosing a limb in service to his country.
Hat’s off to him. No need I am sure to let him know how proud we all are of him and of course, as a Dad I am sure you feel that warm glow constantly. His sacrifice is not in vain and not un-noticed.
J
Roger that Jerry -I didn’t mean to make the thing quite so sombre - I just thought his pic was bloody funny - though you probably have to possess that somewaht acerbic military humour(!)
I tried to explain trench humor to a bunch of snobby college professors once after a viewing of Jacksons’ film on WWI soldiers. They didn’t have a clue. Even worse were their wives.
J
Yeah - it can be pretty unforgiving stuff though; for instance, my son’s sister (obviously my daughter folks!) - herself a soldier, told him he should have looked where he was going!
To the uninitiated it sounds horrendously cruel, but it’s just that humour that gets soldiers through it all. Not many prisoners taken in my household, clearly(!)
and that was the over arching point I was trying to make with those folks. The gallows humor is how you get through. Specially the WWI sods living for years in the muddy, sometimes swamped trenches with rats,etc and putrification always hanging in the air, not to mention the daily dosage of death and harm to was all encompassing. You have to find something to laugh about, IE “I wish it would hotter so it would suck more” and things along those lines,
J
Jerry, this is well up to your usual excellent standard. I take on board the comments of “those who know” when we military historians glibly talk of combat being “hand to hand”. The best Hollywood interpretations are probably in the original “All Quiet on the Western Front” and “Cross of Iron”, but a film can never really depict the extreme emotions experienced by those who’ve actually done it. But I reckon you’ve got as close as you can in plastic. BTW and please don’t take this as criticism, It’s a very small point in the scheme of things, if the tank is from “Frundsberg”, the 7th Kompanie had Stugs, not Panzer IVs; however it could be from “Kampgruppe Weidinger” from “Das Reich” (but I think this was just infantry and I think 2SSPR also had Stugs in 7Kp) or 12SS as I believe they were also in the area. “Frundsberg’s” running mate in IISSPzKps, 9SS “Hohenstaufen” likewise had Stugs in Kp 7 & 8. They had originally been part of SS Sturmgeschutz Batallion 9 & 10, but when the two divisions became Panzer Divisions, rather than Panzergrenadier, the Stugs were absorbed into the Panzerregiment due to shortage of Panzer IV.
Thanks buddy.
Yeah I knew I was using the wrong turret codes when I posed the shot. I had the tank done for an earlier shoot covering the II/12$$ PzRegt attack eastwards towards Cheux and wanted to do a test shot here just for s–ts and giggles. I liked how it turned out and figured “how many will catch it”. So I kept it in the line up. You are either the first to know the mistake or the first to write about it. Prolly very few actually know.
The offending tank is in the far left corner here as I couldn’t get the focus right to include all 4 tanks in one frame. Three company attack with the 5th, 7th and 8th companies involved.
The AFV Magazine Epsom in scale saga has come to and end. Happy for the opportunity given by David Parker and the help by Mark Neville. Here are the 6 issues involves in all their sartorial splendor. I missed the deadline for issue 120 and so there is a gap ! Thanks for any and all support guys!
