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Ronald Spiers


Snapper

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I don't remember references to him having died earlier. It's clear he was one of the more quiet veterans on the scene. I always felt desperately sorry for him finding his mrs had given him up. Life during wartime! Isn't he the chap who had a son in the British army? One thing is for sure, any insight he had on the killing of POWs went with him. In Wikipedia it says he shot one of his own sergeants. But how accurate is Wikipedia these days...there are often dark mutterings about sections of it.

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Certainly the reverence that the men who served with him display, indicate he was a man of exceptional bravery. But like Snapper said, a quiet man. I can't help but feel sorry for all those guys who probably spent the remainder of their post war lives trying to get over & forget what they went through & what they saw, only to have it trawled up by a film/book/TV series and gone over in minute detail... not all these guys seem at ease with their fame. They all seem grateful that their efforts have been remembered but it does seem to come at quite a high emotional price for them.

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Complete with old motor. Good shot. One of yours Prince of Thieves? Will we see more? The last time I was in Normandy my mate John and I fancied a day or so on the BoB trail, but it never happened. I suppose it was because it was more a case of being in an interesting location rather than there being something obvious to see; and this would not have appealed to the rest of our party at all (wives and kids). But when we were on the Somme last Oct and walked out into Trones Wood beyond Guillemont where Noel Chavasse won his first VC, they were very interested. There's a moral or two in there somewhere and I guess one of them is "get back to Normandy PDQ". But I am on the Somme again in Oct for another week. So it may have to be in 2008. Ah but....next year we are off to Verdun for a proper explore.

In a few weeks I will be in Flanders around Poperinge and Kemmel. Can't wait - only a day trip but it is amazing how much you can squeeze in (no jokes please).

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Ok chaps - I will get some up.....famous last words :whistle:

 

Rick - there are some great books that can be picked up in St Mere Eglise, depending on your level of interest you are spoilt for choice.

 

If you have a spare 60 euros (£40.81) then there is a great company that you need to talk to over there as they do a BoB tour and you will go to visit the site of Meehan’s C-47 crash,(have pictures of that) the farm at Ravenoville where Tab Talbert and Forrest Guth fought (went there this time round) , the German wagon ambush site where you see Wild Bill fire away ( it is actually a T Junction, not under a bridge) Sainte Marie du Mont, (done) Brecourt Manor where Winters and his squad knocked out the 105mm guns,(done) before moving through to Carentan, the Dead Man’s Corner Museum and Bloody Gulch - (which have yet to do as I couldn't find it).

 

I would highly recommend that you read Don Burgetts book Currahee ( see the reviews section).......some would say that Band of Brothers is best upon his work :whistle:

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