Seven Months to DDay - The 1st Infantry Division in England

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Күн бұрын

Пікірлер: 26

@garyaugust1953 6 ай бұрын

Kept relatively quiet during this presentation as it's not a subject I know a lot about. Steven delivered the perfect presentation for individuals such as me. I felt I learnt so much. Thank you both

@WW2TV 6 ай бұрын

Yep, he's VERY good

@PaulScott_ 6 ай бұрын

Good material and good presentation - looking forward to the D-Day discussion in the future!

@jimwalsh1958space 6 ай бұрын

this was one of the most exhilarating presentations i've seen for ages. i was completely swept along by the story line from arriving in england from sicilly and the subsequent training for d day landings. oh boy, that was a good one. thank you steven clay and WW2TV.

@frederickwiddowson 6 ай бұрын

This is a great show. Am really enjoying this. So much to learn. Great speaker. He chooses his words wisely.

@davidlavigne207 6 ай бұрын

Steven definitely brought his expertise to the presentation. Having been a serving Infantry Officer with the 1st Infantry Division is a plus. So glad to have him share with us tonight. I can't wait for what else he will bring to the table in June.

@alanlawson4180 5 ай бұрын

Growing up very near to Lyme Regis I can confirm that there are plenty of reminders there of the 16th's stay - there's a Plaque at the main entrance to the beach (bottom of Gun Cliff) and another on a building at the top of the town that was used as a Mess. There's also a good display in the Town museum, including a section on GI Brides. The building shown as the NAAFI in Lyme Regis is now the Marine Theatre - well worth a visit! As for Puddletown - officially only changed from Piddletown to Puddletown in the '50s! The nearby Piddle Brewery (at Piddlehinton) produces some excellent beers, including Piddle ale - recommended!

@ThePrader 6 ай бұрын

My father joined the US army in the summer of 1942. He was 18 and had just graduated from high school. He was assigned to the 1st Division, 16th Infantry Regiment, 1st Battalion as an Army medic. General Terry Allen was the CO of the 1st Division. He wanted to attend college and then go to medical school after the war. That was not to be. He kept getting promotions. By the time the war ended he held the highest enlisted rank in the Army. After D-day he was working on wounded soldiers, and told me later- after I was commissioned myself- that he "got mad" and tore off his red cross armband and picked up an M-1 Garand and became an infantryman. He served for the next 33 years and retired as a full Colonel. He went on to command as a Lt. Col. in Vietnam in 1965-1966 the same unit he was in England, France and Germany, The "1st of the 16th", as a young enlisted man. When he took command of his old unit from WWII we had that unit patch sewn onto all his children's Sunday dress jackets for church etc events. It was only after I had served as an officer for 6 years, then was wounded myself , left the service, became a lawyer, and was administering his estate after his passing, did I come across the old papers recording his marriage to a young English lady and later, after she had moved to the "States", his divorce. They never had children and were divorced soon after the war ended. That was a shook. We never knew he had a "war bride". Anyway during his time in the Army he was awarded 3 Silver stars, the Bronze star with "V" device, a Purple Heart, Legion of Merit, and about a dozen campaign ribbons. He was given a battlefield commission to 2nd Lt. early in the spring of 1945. He later not only commanded his old unit but he also commanded a separate Brigade as a full Colonel. It was only after I was promoted from an O-1 to O-2 did he talk to me about his time in the 1st Division during WWII. He was one tough man. He had a large "shadow".

@qsjimford 6 ай бұрын

Very interesting presentation - my mother was a telephonist in Bridport during the war and knew John Spalding. Her father was the landlord of The Star Hotel in the main street of Bridport at the time. I still have a genuine 1st Infantry Div patch that presumably she was given before they left for D-Day operations.

@FlytheW11216 6 ай бұрын

Really enjoyed this one. Thanks Steven and Paul!

@jaycrew1409 6 ай бұрын

Really good show ,build up to 80th has been 👌🏻👌🏻 looking forward to more

@johnlucas8479 6 ай бұрын

very fascinating presentation

@PalleRasmussen 6 ай бұрын

You are a busy man Paul.

@billyshakespeare17 6 ай бұрын

I hope he talks about the destroyers off Omaha beach. How they came inshore and saved the army's bacon. This was another superb presentation in an unbroken chain of tremendous podcasts.

@WW2TV 6 ай бұрын

Maybe, but I rather think he'll focus on the infantry squads

@billyshakespeare17 6 ай бұрын

@@WW2TV Agreed. One can always hope. The USN gets short shrift when it comes to Normandy. I do not believe any USN memorial/monument existed until 2008. 64 years is a long time. I might be wrong about this.

@Thumpalumpacus 6 ай бұрын

Outstanding stuff.

@Splodge542 6 ай бұрын

This was really good. Most interesting that Monty visited them. I'd love to know what they thought of him. Monty wanted to establish, a personal connection between the commanding general and each and every soldier, in his own words. Rather like Huebner, I think. Both truly professional and competent officers in my view. Interested in every aspect of fitness for fighting. Just as well for us.

@davidlavigne207 6 ай бұрын

Both were products of their excellent military academies and took a similar approach to introducing themselves to their commands. I do believe that Monty truly loved his soldiers, be they British or Allied, despite what his critics may have thought. Good insight with your comment as it gave me pause to think objectively, me being a Yank and all that.

@Splodge542 6 ай бұрын

@@davidlavigne207 I believe Monty had Canadian, British and American officers amongst his liaison team. He needed them.

@davidlavigne207 6 ай бұрын

@@Splodge542 I really need to read a good Monty book. Can you recommend one?

@Splodge542 6 ай бұрын

@@davidlavigne207 David, I can't recommend the best Monty book. My favourite is not highly regarded and should be read with caution but it's "The Full Monty" by Nigel Hamilton. At least he knew Monty personally.