Here is a photo of our own Old Hickory (arrow) and some men from the 30th Recon Co. (Mech)/30th Infantry Division, taking a rest in a wine cellar in Normandy in 1944. The other men are from the left: unknown (upper corner) unknown (thinks he was from another outfit, only head is visible) Goodrich Sims (with carbine) Old Hickory Guy Cook (on stomach) unknown (seated by the beer barrel) RB Malone (lying back, hands behind head) Wilkerson (along wall, yawning) Sutton (along wall, chin on hand) Unknown (looking at camera) Guy Cook was the driver for Col Johnson of the 117th Infantry Regiment. Old Hickory does not remember why Mr Cook was there with them that day. He had been part of the Mech Cav Squadron and had been transferred.
Whilst it wasn't a war situation I can remember when I was with the Ocean Youth Club sailing the Falmouth Packet across to France and back. We were on the night watch and all very tired. The 2nd Mate Bert let each of us have an hours kip. I lay down on the coiled rope, praying that I would get some sleep. The next thing I remember is steering the ship! They had obviously had problems getting me to wake up and had made me do something, to wake me up lol.
Few from the Bundesarchiv: Bundesarchiv - Picture database: Simple search References down the side of the pictures. Dieppe: Well... I hope they're all asleep. And some Germans at rest.
Forgive me if, for a change, I re-tell something that I've already posted but the thread title "Knackered" just begged for a response. During my time in the army, there were lots of times when I was tired, dead tired, shattered or, worst of all, knackered. I see that on the occasion below I was just "shattered" On the BBC Archives I posted this small item about life in Sicily in August 1943 We'd been driving North and pulled off the road at nightfall. Our resting place was in a small park and as I drove the truck in I felt it go over a heavy bump. Because I'd been seeing bodies all day I knew instinctively that we'd parked on top of a corpse but I was too shattered to alter the truck's position and we so we stayed where we were. I was on duty on the set all night and the smell got progressively worse. When morning came I finally investigated under the truck and found to my relief that all we'd done was to park on top of a pile of horse manure. I can still remember the pong! Ron
The word "knackered" set me thinking again and i was reminded, once again, of the time when, in Sicily, my unit was moving up towards Messina prior to the landings in Italy. It was such a weird, unbelievable situation that I am almost willing to forgive those who might think I was telling porkies but, hand on my heart, it happened to me, just as I tell it, and I remember the details as if it had happened yesterday. Ron
I'm sure we've had that on the forum somewhere before. Looks like Monte Camino to me, wonder if it's in the ATB book on Cassino ?
How did I miss this one VP? Yes, Chindit 1. He had just seen 17 of his comrades airlifted out of Burma in a Dakota, he and the rest were dropped new boots and told to march the rest of the way! Hence his expression.
That's brilliant, to get context on a picture that's not only 'knackered', but also the very essence of 'pissed off'. Cheers.
Sadly thanks to the mess up of attachments we haven't got the correct picture in the first post on the thread. as Camino has been mentioned I'll post this. Monte Camino November - December 1943: Exhausted troops of the Coldstream Guards after being withdrawn from Monte Camino after the unsuccessful first assault. THE CAMPAIGN IN ITALY, SEPTEMBER-DECEMBER 1943: THE ALLIED ADVANCE TO THE GUSTAV LINE. © IWM (NA 8722)IWM Non Commercial Licence
That's proper taking the piss. I suspect if that was today I'd bring the aircraft down. 'If I have to walk, we all have to walk'
I thought it was on the Camino thread, but a lot of the pics are gone on that thread too http://ww2talk.com/forums/topic/9411-monte-camino/?p=129620 Anyway, more or less the same view...? http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/205194459
My father Leslie Rossiter told me that during winter in Italy he was on sentry duty and an officer found him falling asleep(or asleep can't quite remember). This was a court martial offence. Due to the severity of the conditions the officer didn't report him. My father was impressed by the Officer's decision