| It always amazes me how the crap is thrown about 60 years after the event. AS one that took part in the "Market Garden" operation, Was it right to take the high risk at that time...Too damned right it was! If it had succeeded then the war may well have been over months earlier. many thousands of Allied troops lives would have been saved...
No matter the risk, this was a "Diamond" prize, had it worked GREAT! but the rewards were such that any risk was worth the try. Besides that, Why not? What are fighting men for? Obviously to fight...
If anyone thinks that wars are won without any setbacks, then they live in cloud cuckoo land, Wars are often "two steps forward, one step back"
Monty, often accused as being "Unadventurous" despite beating the daylights out of the Africa Corps over a thousand miles or more, and achieving Victory in Normandy ten days ahead of schedule. Yet, when he took a high risk operation with the chance to finish the war quickly, every one gathers around tut tutting!
Heaping blame and worse on this man. He at least, took the chance, not matter how small of it coming off..to finish it. It failed... If I recall? that was his only defeat.
But looking back after 60 years with all the rubbish written in that time, it is now easy to lay blame, If it was left to you that cast about for blame.. Then there would have been no great military endeavours. in war men fight, sometime win, sometimes lose. Monty never threw mens lives away easily, and had the mens respect for that
Sapper |