RE: any fighters or bombers?
How authentic is BoB?
I asked my father, he said it was the most authentic portrayal, of men at war, since the original “All quiet on the Western Front”
How does Dad know?
My father came ashore on D-Day+30 , with Irish Guards Armoured, he fought during Operation Goodwood,and the Arnhem Bridge attempt, then into Belgium. The winter of 1944, was terrible, and yes, the Germans were using “airburst” rounds, to try to penetrate the forest foliage.
The episode, which involved fighting in the village, or Fibua (Fighting in built up areas) from my own experience, are tremendously accurate, you don’t kick a door down and wait, you hurl yourself at it, your oppo will do the shooting. Likewise, the Tank sequences, with the British officer, who has to “Look at the Tiger” to believe it. Dad said the sound of Tigers in BoB, took him right back, when Tigers, and Michael Wittman were the “Bogeymen” in France, and you were always sure you could hear a Maybach in the middle of the night!
The attack to capture the guns, is an almost textbook demonstration, of how to do it…. Establish covering Firebase, then Fire and manouvere onto the target.. except, that’s how the British do it!But still, a very very effective piece of film.
My father says, it brings memories flooding back, and for once, he’s not sitting there, thinking,”They got that wrong” The air armadas , for D-Day, and the Arnhem drop, had to be seen to be believed.
Someone commented on the “Thunderbirds” effects I think? When the Guards were waiting to go, the airroutes via Nijmegen and onto the Rhine, were an absolute curtain of Flak. DC3 crews, braved an absolute storm of fire, to try and deliver their cargos to the drop zone. This particular sequence, did affect my father very deeply.
He still can’t bring himself, to talk about Episode 8. Some of you, may have seen the famous Black and White newsreel film, of British Soldiers liberating one camp. Dad says the only touch of authenticity missing, was the German civilians getting roughhoused by irate upset and angry soldiers, it did happen. In fact, one British actor of note, now dead, as an officer, had to be physically restrained, from his threat to shoot the local Burgermeister, after witnessing the terrible scenes.
The only things he does criticise, (with a tongue in cheek grumble)is the lack of British Soldiers, it doesn’t rain nearly enough, and they get trucks to ride around in…..
But as he says, it was a very long time ago….. but sometimes, it’s good to remember the good parts
Tony
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