Colin’s Comments (group member since Dec 16, 2012)

Colin’s comments from the THE WORLD WAR TWO GROUP group.

Sounds like Panama

I met Deblanc, along with many other recipients at the Pacific Wing of the National WW II Museum dedication. He was a really good natured guy.

I also liked The Odd Angry Shot, but not sure how accurate it is in detail. I served with a senior NCO in the 1980's who worked alongside Aussies in the Delta, and I knew a few more contemporary soldiers and SAS guys also in the 1980's. My admiration for the Aussie fighting spirit, like the British (I still know some of those guys), has never diminished.

I interviewed a couple of the guys on the Eben Emael mission. One was a distant relative.

I knew Hal Moore, and my dad served with a few of the men who were in that battle. The film was actually good, keeping to the true story of the battle unlike many films. Mel Gibson did a great job of portraying Moore, and Sam Elliot was also top notch.

Well, my old partner in historical research and writing Bryan Rigg will be opening a few eyes with this book. I reviewed several drafts of the manuscript over the last few years.

My late grandfather's cousin (my father's side) is still MIA from Korea. My dad's cousin (uncle's son, grand dad's nephew) is still MIA in Vietnam. Family have given DNA for future matching if possible.

I knew Matt Ridgeway and Jim Gavin of the 82nd. Outstanding men indeed.

I agree. I have heard about the post war research identifying war meterial in a secret manifest. I also agree that the ship should have been stopped and searched. There is no doubt that the Germans released the public warnings as a CYA "just in case". I wonder how it would have turned out if the search process had been followed through.

The Lusitania was a legitimate target. The Germans even posted a warning to U.S. citizens not to sail on British ships, as they were declared legitimate targets. It was known that the ships carried munitions and other war materiel. Still, it was a tragedy.

Manray9 wrote: "'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Today I received in the mail a nice second hand HB copy of this book:

The Unknown Battle, Metz, 1944 by [auth..."

My grandfather whom I never knew died at Metz Oct 6, 1944

Manray9 wrote: "happy wrote: "I just love British names, From Holland's book, teh commander of the 7th Paras in Normandy was LTC Pine-Coffin.

I don't know how much confidence that would inspire in his troops:)"

..."

Speaking of not being reassuring, I interviewed some of the Germans involved with recruiting disaffected former Soviet soldiers into the Freiwilligentruppen. That must have been interesting, since "trupp" means corpse in Russian.

Wonder if he mentions the opposition to King Zog and the raising of two Waffen SS Freiwilligen Divisions from the local population, which were anti-communist.

Ironically, I would have to disagree with the stretegic boming as being a great factor in the defeat of the Luftwaffe. From over 100 interviews with major personalities from both sides of the air war, it is clear that tactical fighter bombers did more to thwart the Luftwaffe on the ground.

Albert Speer reconfigured the aircraft industry, and as a result 1944 produced more fighters than in any year of the war. This includes the Me-262. See my book "The Me-262 Stormbird" which is full of interviews.

What killed the Luftwaffe was 1-Pilot attrition, 2-tactical attacks upon rail and road networks that limited transportation of materiel, 3-Hitting the petroleum facilities and ball bearing plants, 4-targeting of ammunition supply points and manufacturing centers.

I also saw them, Kyrenia, Larnaca and Famagusta have good ones. Limasol had one if I remember correctly.

Kyrenia Castle is a great place to see. Unfortunately, Famagusta was placed within the Turkish demarcation zone by the UN. I used to swim there. The Troodos Mountains was where the family went with our Greek friends.

I lived in Nicosia, Cyprus as a boy and went to school there. Was there during the Grivas-Makarios Civil War, and then there (evacuated) after the Turks invaded in 1974. Interesting place to be for sure.

Just telling you what Pamela told me.

When Degaulle fled France he took his mistress, SOE sent a Lysander to pick up his wife, according to Pamela Harriman Churchill. That was the main reason Churchill never liked him.

Bruce writes good books