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

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

Everyone's opinion of Browning outside his direct command staff was pretty low.

Many Vietnam vets are rallying to attack the merits, voracity and accuracy of several parts of the book. I am aware of a few of the points first hand. May not be pretty. Many of these vets who were Marines have contacted me on this, having read or in some cases assisted with my book Noble Warrior. Some of the parts related to my previous research were just incredibly inaccurate, and a few slanderous statements that he relied upon, without fact checking and offering rebuttal statements may come back to haunt Hastings. All he had to do was read my book, and a couple of others, and this would have been averted. The vets words, not mine. Shame.

Manray9 wrote: "happy wrote: "I finished Hell Hawks!: The Untold Story of the American Fliers Who Savaged Hitler's Wehrmacht

Really good look at a P-47 group in the 9th AF. Because of its assignmen..."

The author Robert Dorr was a good friend, RIP my friend.

Sweetwilliam wrote: "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_ZG6...
I just listened and watched the video. A lot of great photos. All I can say is I'm glad I didn't live in Europe during that era. I am thankful everyday f..."

Guderian's contemporary who also told Hitler the unvarnished truth was Gotthard Heinrici, perhaps the greatest defensive tactician in the Wehrmacht, with Guderian being one of the best offensive tacticians. Adolf Galland had the same problem as General of the Fighters, and found himself out of a job as a result of being forthright. Reminds me of the film "Downfall" as the generals are sweating like hell as they inform Hitler of the reality of the situation, rather than promote fantasies and false hopes.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "OK, I've made a slight change for the 2019 themes. I have made June a combined D-Day and Battles of 1944 theme. So you can read a book covering one of the 75th anniversaries of a battle that took p..."

Ben Shepherd is a solid researcher, I was with him briefly as he completed his PhD at Birmingham. Good guy, nice fellow.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "One of my local second-hand book shops was having a sale with 25% off all stock. I managed to grab a nice copy of this 1981 publication:

[bookcover:Eisenhower's Lieutenants: The Campaign Of France..."

Weigley was my thesis advisor in graduate school, becoming my mentor. Great man. He died in 2004.

Laqueur was required reading in my post graduate studies on insurgency warfare, and my students became well aware of his work.

Dick was a special guy. The night that we had the black tie dinner, he did not have a tuxedo; no one told him to bring one. He did not want to go. I left him at the bar and went upstairs and told some of his fellow recipients about it. I was in a tux with mini medals from my service. i suggested and we all decided to take off our black ties and tuxedo jackets, just white shirts, and brought him up. The whole room took of their tux coats and ties with few exceptions. he was more than welcome.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "Another very gutsy Marine on Okinawa who's brave actions saved the lives of many Marines and led to his award of the Medal of Honor:

https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/..."

I knew Dick Bush, spent some time with him and other MOH recipients from the Pacific Theater in 2001.

I interviewed both Luftwaffe radar guided night fighters and Hajo Herrmann commander of the Wild Boars about this, great stories from them about "Window" and this particular raid.

I had the privilege of speaking with several veterans of most of those campaigns, James Gavin and John Frost (Market Garden), Leon Degrelle (Cherkassy), David McCampball and Alex Vraciu (Marianas Turkey Shoot), Gregor Koronov (Operation Begration), Johannes-Rudolf Muhlenkamp (Warsaw).

I think Anthony Hopkins' portrayal of Col. John Frost in A Bridge Too Far was also good, as was Ryan O'Neal playing Gen. Jim Gavin. I met both officers in fact. Karl Mauldin playing Omar Bradley in Patton was also good, I met Bradley in 1976 and again in 1978 as a school boy.

Allied airmen being attacked by angry locals was not uncommon. Johannes Steinhoff once threatened to shoot any villager who continued to desecrate the bodies of a bomber crew he had shot down. Wolf Falck was with him at the time.

Lt. Col. Heinz Baer pulled his pistol and fired into the air and threatened death to anyone who tried to harm the crew of the B-17 "Henn's Revenge" that he had shot down. The bomber crash landed and he ensured that the crew was properly cared for despite the angry mob.

Ironically, Edward R. "Buddy" Haydon was shot down by flak, and after baling out of his P-51D was beset by an angry mob after he was captured. It was a teenage Waffen SS soldier who aimed his MP-40 at the crowd keeoing them away and ensured his safety as he was placed on the train to Oberuesel.

Luck of the draw I guess.

'Aussie Rick' wrote: "This May 2019 (UK) release sounds quite interesting and I am sure a few group members may appreciate checking out a copy:

[bookcover:The Ghost Ships of Archangel: The Arctic Voyage That Defied the..."

I knew Hajo Herrmann who scored many of his 77,000 tons of shipping sunk as a bomber pilot against PQ-17. It was one of the most famous convoys of the war.

I interiewed a few of the Bomber Command guys in conjunction with Luftwaffe night fighter pilots. Brave men indeed, and the subject of my master's thesis (later book) Night Fighters. Wolf Flack admired the British, as he knew what they were facing, calling them "the bravest of the brave." Whenever he had captured crews, he treated them as special guests with a fine dinner and ensured they were given proper medical treatment. After the war he became best friends with one of the pilots who was shot down by his pilots.

She finished her degree and research in 2008, but I am certain that she followed up, as she was in contact with several people in Europe regarding this issue.

Liz V. wrote: "Colin wrote: "My wife did her masters thesis on this subject of stolen art."
Interesting. Has your wife read Loot or any of Elkins' Norgren series on stolen art?"

Not certain about that, she received her degree years ago, but she keeps up to date. She is a big supporter of restitution of stolen art to families.

My wife did her masters thesis on this subject of stolen art.

Some of the men I interviewed from that battle had the best stories.

I met and spoke with Pres Bush when I was stationed in Wash. D.C. once, then again met when in the Pentagon when I was working there. Very polite man, but very reserved, totally opposite of Reagan who I also met twice, who was gregarious.