N.O.S. Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Just received from Great War Truck the book PRECIOUS CARGO by Richard T Bass, a very detailed account of what the 146th Quartermaster Truck Company got up to before and after D Day. It really is a great read - where else for example could you discover that, in the early days of the Red Ball operation, the problem of knee-deep mud (both inside and outside a large warehouse) was solved by building a 1/2 mile haul road using flashlight batteries as hardcore :shocked: Well worth trying to get hold of a copy - I believe GWT has a couple left. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Thats interesting,is it true nearly all the drivers were African Americans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted December 8, 2008 Share Posted December 8, 2008 Thats interesting,is it true nearly all the drivers were African Americans. Yes, because it was American thinking at the time that black troops were not 'suited' for combat. This was later proved to be completely erroneous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Yes, because it was American thinking at the time that black troops were not 'suited' for combat. This was later proved to be completely erroneous. Someone should tell the lads at Beltring then not historically correct:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Degsy Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Someone should tell the lads at Beltring then not historically correct:-D There were some white units but they can't really do an Al Jolson...Non PC:-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest catweazle (Banned Member) Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 There were some white units but they can't really do an Al Jolson...Non PC:-D Not even for re enactors:nono: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runflat Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Also worth getting hold of is "The Road to Victory - The untold story of race and World War II's Red Ball Express" by David P Colley. And, of course, Pat Ware has recently released a book on the subject. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runflat Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Has anyone read "Liberation Road" by David L Robbins? Any good? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted December 9, 2008 Author Share Posted December 9, 2008 (edited) Yes, posted a very brief review last year. Of course it is fiction. Won't give the plot away, but - an interesting tale which unravels around the daily workings of the Red Ball Express. It is essentally three interwoven stories, commencing on 11th June 1944 on Omaha Beach and running to the end of that year. It involves negro drivers on the Red Ball, a U.S. army chaplain following his men from the beaches and through the bocage, and sinister goings on in the Parisian Black market. Educational as well as entertaining. I should warn you that several jimmies are harmed and even killed in this tale, so not for the preservation squeamish..... Can't help thinking it would make a damned good movie. There could be a role for Jack in it, if only he'd get his hair cut short Just a shame the cover shows M35 whatevers, and not wartime jimmies :confused: Edited December 9, 2008 by N.O.S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runflat Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 Thanks for that. Funnily enough I was thinking during the day that if it was any good it'll make a good subject for a film. I think I'll ask for a copy for Christmas! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
N.O.S. Posted December 9, 2008 Author Share Posted December 9, 2008 Fiction is a very individual taste, but if you have the slightest interest in MVs and Normandy invasion I don't think you can go wrong! Let me know how you get on with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runflat Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 A taster from 7:03 mins? http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mS6ECidyets&feature=related ...and I'm sure GWT won't mind us borrowing his Chaplain jeep. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Great War truck Posted December 9, 2008 Share Posted December 9, 2008 A taster from 7:03 mins? http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=mS6ECidyets&feature=related ...and I'm sure GWT won't mind us borrowing his Chaplain jeep. Promise you wont hurt it ok? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Runflat Posted September 13, 2009 Share Posted September 13, 2009 (edited) Finally finished Liberation Road. A good yarn touching on faith (in God and those around you), hope (and asperations, especially those of minorities), charity (the sacrifices of life and war), leadership and humanity. With those sort of themes it is well worthy of turning into a film. Any one know a producer? It is, of course, set around the Normandy campaign: principally the freight operation and the Red Ball Express; and the operations of the Tough Ombres (the US 90th Division - a unit I previously knew nothing about). The "action" parts are convincing and tragic at the same time; as are those of the lead characters Joe Amos Biggs, a black driver, and the chaplain, Rabbi Khan - their lives being ripped apart in their repsepective ways. Well worth a read if you have time to sit down with a novel. Edited September 13, 2009 by Runflat Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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