Thank you for this great report. My father was chief of the regiment. He arrived in Normandy in Feb. 1943 from Russia. He moved in the bunker 605 called PAK-Garage in March 1944. He was wounded at noon on June 6th and became PW in the afternoon. In March 1946 he returned back home in Hamburg. He visited this place with my mother in 1959 again. I was the first time in Colleville in2012 followed with visits in 2013 and the 75th anneversery in 2014.
Outstanding video as always. As an American, sadly this is the first I heard of the actions at Hillman. Thank you telling the story of this British assault. 🫡 🇺🇸🇬🇧
@@troykauffman3963 thank you Troy! Hope it gave a good perspective on the events there. With numerous strong points set inland from the beach plus the high ground when you stand there you get a good idea why the going was so tough on D-Day!
Earlier this year we celebrated the life of Private Cecil Deller, veteran of the Suffolk Regiment, and well-loved inhabitant of our village - Alconbury - here in Cambridge. Going back a few years he was kind enough to sign my copy of the book that covers this action. His funeral was a huge affair, as befitted a man we all loved. He drove up until a few weeks before he passed away, and was lively member of our village Thursday Club, where his shout of elation on winning the bingo was his trademark. He was also incredibly skilled at growing all manner of fruit and vegetables - a farm boy to the nth degree. Bless you, Cecil!
Thanks for covering this action John, it's often passed by when the story of D-Day is told. You have done a fine job of work there. Private James 'Tich' Hunter DCM, 'A' Company, 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment is my father. We visited the site numerous times in his later life with other veterans, first time 1989 when it was still a ruin. Les Amis did a fine renovation job over 2 decades to what you see today, all history buffs should visit, the bunker internals are open in the summer and are very well preserved to 6th June specification. Have to say I'm certain that the veterans I knew would be outraged to see the German and EU flags flying over the site today (now that the veterans have passed), the French and Union Jack (as it used to be) seem appropriate. Once again, thank you for your work.
James thank you so much for your kind words. I take my hat off to your father and his mates for everything they achieved on D-Day and beyond. I hope this video helped to add to his story and that of the Suffolk Regiment!
Jon, "Thank You" so much for preserving WW-2 history. I love getting up on Sunday morning and watching your stories. The begining of the end for Germany.
Great video. I am surprised you didn't mention the great connection between the British code words for the bunkers in relation to the automotive industry, Morris, Daimler and Hillman Hillman. Also that Hunter was honoured by Hillman and had a model of the Hillman car names after him. The Hillman Hunter manufactured from 1966 to 1970. Its a great story and the men of the Suffolk, A Squadron, Staffordshire Yeomanry and C Squadron of the 13th/18th Royal Hussars, two batteries from 33rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery and 76th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers of the 246th Field Company and a machine-gun platoon from 2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment as well as naval and air support against the 70 german troops in the bunker from the 736 infantry. A gallant defence. Thanks for posting.
Yes Montgomery is always getting overly criticised by many Americans (and others brought up with Hollywood films and American tv series) but never praised when his forces were 400km ahead of schedule and liberating Brussels Belgium at the start of September. Great episode.
Exactly. I appreciate every commander in the field had bad days and got things wrong but the critisicsm levelled at Monty I feel is mostly unfair and done as a result of politic motives at the time between the U.S. and UK.
@WW2Wayfinder Yes and sadly it carries on today, as we see by the dialogue in things such as Saving Private Ryan and even Band of Brothers when there is a collective groan when they are told they will be under Montgomery's command. Odd that, when in real life Richard Winters said Montgomery was "the real deal, an example to follow" and he praised his leadership. In A Bridge Too Far the dialogue between the German generals goes on about Patton being the allies best and that they aren't stupid enough to let Montgomery lead an advance. So annoying and historically inaccurate. Cheers.
@@lyndoncmp5751 agreed. Those lines always make me cringe as they’re just nonsense and added by script writers to over simplify a highly complex situation
@@WW2Wayfinder Yeah and those lines don't even make any sense anyway. You don't have to take Caen before you can take St Lo (as they say in Saving Private Ryan). They were in completely different directions and different objectives by different armies. In A Bridge Too Far they say they will place 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions around Arnhem because they are being rested so they can prepare to face Patton when he attacks. But you don't place divisions 400km to the north of where you are expecting Patton to attack in the Lorraine. You place them closer so they can be ready and deployed to meet that expected threat. Both bits of dialogue are hilariously bad and there only to make Montgomery look stupid. Montgomery had just died a few months before they started filming, so it's doubly disrespectful.
19:36 the bunker with the distance and church towers is fantasic it bring home the humanity involved. Thats is what I get from your videos. The soldiers, the foot slogger, the men who went into Hillman.
Another excellent video, Jon. It's both sad and ironic that the Tobruk was defended by mines from left-over British ordnance at Dunkirk. The volunteers have done, and are having, a tremendous job in preserving these fascinating bunkers, Tobruks, etc, for future generations of visitors and military historians. Thanks and best! Sue.
Fantastic video. You showed some fresh film footage (at least not the very common stuff) and you clarified some points about "Monty taking Caen on D-Day". A neat tour of a well-preserved facility.
Great video, like all your others. I visited Hillman a couple of months ago. Had a guided tour by one of the French volunteers. It was great to be able to see inside the bunker. I'm from Suffolk and feel proud of the 1st Battalions achievement here.
great detail thank you did a whistle stop walk around back in June (we) the British had a great reenactment camp there, spent a bit of time talking to the very knowlegable guys manning it. will visit again with more knowledge courtesy of yourself thanks. I would also like to thank those that take the time to look after these historical monuments such that the rest of us can visit and remember those that fought and died no matter what colour their uniform. keep up the good work.
You’re most welcome. Hillman is a great spot to visit and one of those key events on D-Day that doesn’t get as much press as I think it requires as it goes a long way to explain why the later battles of Normandy developed the way they did.
Superb video, I`ve been to Hillman a few times, it`s one of the places which often gets missed from a Normandy itinerary. The fields surrounding it are interesting as well, in that there are various pillboxes scattered around, most are flooded or have suffered some bomb damage.
Very well done. Nice to learn more of the British/German interaction from this side of the pond. Can understand and appreciate the passion for walking (and absorbing) what had taken place there in the past.
Thank you! It’s certainly a very important site in terms of the D-Day story and one that doesn’t get the attention it deserves so glad I was able to show it, and to showcase the amazing work the team who preserve the site are doing there!
Thank you for watching Doug! Hope it showed a different aspect to the Normandy story and just how well Hillman has been cared for post war. Definitely a recommend spot to visit if you can travel to Normandy!
@@TI4438 thanks mate! Hope I could show it in a good light. Hillman is a wonderful place to spend a couple of hours and now with the newly Churchill restored there it’s a personal must for me when I’m in that part of Normandy
@@WW2Wayfinder Great and I look forward to them, I have a family connection with the US and I am and will be forever grateful for what they did in both wars but sometimes it’s like Easy company won WW2 on their own lol, anyway that’s JMO so keep up the great work you have done and are doing…👍🏻👍🏻
Same here! And I know what you mean, there is definitely a pervading feeling that Easy Co were responsible for everything thanks to the tv series and while I love BoB it’s great to get out and find new areas!
@ I go to France a lot and I have to admit that I’ve never seen or been to the Suffolk Memorial, and now it is on my list of things to do the next time I go
Thank you! Hillman really is a great location to visit if you’re able to. It’s quite but accessible and retains a very authentic feel plus the surrounding area being relatively undeveloped allows for a great comparison to June 1944!
You’re most welcome! Glad you enjoyed it thanks for watching. Hillman and the area behind Sword Beach is fascinating so hope to film more content there when I get back to Normandy next year.
Glad you enjoyed it! Hillman is a fascinating spot and great to visit now as it never seems over crowded so you can really explore the site at your leisure and get an understanding of the position from the German perspective there.
Glad you enjoyed it! Hillman is a cracking site to visit and nice that the surrounding area is relatively untouched by modern developments so you can get a great feel for the location
Good to have you back, Jon. I visited Hillman some years ago when it was less well-preserved, and I have learned a lot from your work. Thanks and all the best, mate.
One story that has been haunting me from the Battle of the Bulge is on the Wereth 11. Next time you visit the Ardennes you should visit and maybe pay hommage with an episode. Lest we forget
Thanks Steve! Got some stuff from Normandy coming up in the next couple Of weeks from Normandy that hasn’t been seen before so which I think will be quite interesting!
Glad you liked it! Hillman is a must if you can get there given how well preserved the site is and how undeveloped the land is in front of the position still. Really gives you a good idea of what it would have been like in June 1944!
My son and I are going to Normandy in March to visit my uncle's grave and follow his path. He was in the 8th Rifle Brigade and was killed near Bras (Operation Goodwood). We shall add Hillman to our tour. Great video and information. Many thanks
Thanks for your Videos from an American! Yours are some of the Best Videos around! The thing with Monty is I think about Ego more than anything... Him and Patton didn't get along because they were too much alike in some important ways! And love of the Press was the greatest! And making Caen the Objective on D-Day wasn't a mistake as some believe, they almost made it! For it has to be remembered that No Plan Survives the first minute of action intact!!!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it. Regarding Monty and Patton, they were the same side of 2 nationalist coins and how they wage war. Both influenced by their prior experiences from the Great War and as you say, no plan ever survives first contact. I think over the years the fact that the enemy gets a vote is often forgotten when looking at Caen, Monty and D-Day!
Patton and Montgomery got on just fine whenever they met. Never a cross word between them. Pictures show them smiling and laughing. In fact, Montgomery didn't have any issues with Patton. He never said or wrote a bad word about him. He appears to have liked and respected him. It was Patton who called out Montgomery, but likely due to being mostly sidelined or in secondary flanks of the allied advance and envious of Montgomery being in the thick of it. Patton in his diary once wrote that Montgomery was "wonderfully conceited and the best soldier I have met in this war". When the Ardennes kicked off and Eisenhower brought Montgomery in to take over the command of US 1st Army from Bradley, Montgomery actually said Patton should be sent for in the south to bash north to Bastogne, not knowing that Eisenhower had already thought of that. So Montgomery had no aversion towards Patton.
Glad you enjoyed it! It’s a cracking site and I highly recommend it as it really brings into sharp focus the German side of D-Day away from the usual spots like Dog Green on Omaha etc (not that those spots aren’t worth visiting) but Hillman is excellent!
Thank you! I personally believe it’s such an important point to get right given the vast amount of negative and largely inaccurate press directed at Monty for the Caen objective on D-Day. Not to mention the wider fighting in Normandy that was supposed to take 90 days and was done in 77! Something often overlooked sadly.
@@WW2Wayfinder well said. Monty needed a team of planners to plan the campaign. He couldn't have done that properly by himself. That's why Market Garden failed I heard only 7 days to plan. Actually could you confirm that? Glad you're back.
@@maryholder3795 Yes Market Garden was green lit on the 10th September and it began on the 17th. Montgomery had little to do with the actual planning beyond the overall broad outline. Market was taken over and planned by the First Allied Airborne Army, the USAAF and RAF. Montgomery had no jurisdiction over these organisations. They came under SHAEF. Montgomery early on tried to argue for double missions flow on day one but the American commander of First Allied Airborne Army, General Brereton, and General Williams, Troop Carrier Command of the USAAF, rejected this and there was nothing Montgomery could do. Brereton, with Williams, made the decision to drop over 3 days. The RAF also wouldn't fly closer to the Arnhem bridge. The Germans concluded that the biggest mistake the allies made in Market Garden was dispersed drops over 3 days. This had nothing to do with Montgomery.
@maryholder3795 You're welcome. Well at least Market Garden was well worth attempting with major strategic benefits if successful. And it did liberate major Dutch towns. It certainly made more sense than the Hurtgen Forest campaign, which was a bigger failure with far more casualties. The First Allied Airborne Army was sitting in England being unused and desperate to get into battle. At least Market Garden utilised them for what they were trained to do, parachute into enemy territory instead of using them as regular ground infantry and not utilising their specific skills. The two American airborne divisions involved in Market Garden never dropped again in the war and were just used as standard ground infantry afterwards (Battle of the Bulge for example).
Interesting about Dempsey planning to go 10 miles inland to Caen on D-Day. However as Moltke 1800-91. Prussian military commander. Said No plan of operations reaches with any certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy's main force. Or I have heard it said more recently “no plan survives first contact” or “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the nose”. The Germans had prepared several positions between the sea and Caen that punched hard.
@@maryholder3795 haha I like that last variation on the theme! The Germans definitely got a vote on D-Day which I feel is something that while blatantly obvious gets somewhat overlooked as it’s easy to say Monty screwed up without actually looking at what really took place etc
@@WW2Wayfinder the blunt comment punch on the nose, while I can't find who said it was probably a soldier in the front line. If there is one thing I have learnt in my own life ( not a member of the armed forces) is that every plan I have ever created will undoubtedly change the moment I begin to put it into action. Ex nursery nurse looking after under 5.😂
Another great video. I really never heard much on the Hillman area. It's nice to hear the birds singing in the background on battlefield videos. Ground that once roared with the sounds of battle & destruction is now peaceful and quiet.
Just brilliant, only our gallant soldiers on the day know what hell they had to endure and-deal with. got to give credit the germans for their planning and building of the bunkers, even though with slave labour. We the British had a slice if luck on the day, but still great loss of life, but very interesting to know something about how the events of the day proceeded. great 👋👋👋👋🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧👍👋❤️
You’re most welcome, glad you liked it and if you can get to Hillman and spend some time there you won’t regret it, it’s such a great place to explore!
No worries Robbo! It’s a cracking site and well worth a visit if you’re able to get to Normandy, especially with the recently restored Churchill there!
@@WW2Wayfinder a now private owner of a vehicle i used to crew tracked me down from one of my photos on FB, great to be reunited over 40 years later. Had the privilege of driving it around Kent, sorry not WW11 related but it would be awesome to know who crewed that very Churchill, Robbo.
It’s quite pivotal in the wider D-Day story and the fact it’s so undeveloped in terms of modern buildings and so well preserved it makes it a wonderful site to visit!
Absolutely Brilliant Wayfinder, We visited Caen in the 90's , nothing to see except new 1960 buildings. Question, why did the British forces not just skirt those strongpoints and move to Caen, let them be encapsulated , surrounded and die to be taken later ?
Thank you! Hope you were able to see the changes from the 90’s to now! As for skirting those positions it would have been difficult as the numerous emplacements covered each area so it would have been difficult to encircle them all. A case of you can avoid one but the rest will get you which ever way the British forces coming off Sword would have gone. I know the commandos got to Pegasus relatively unmolested but they didn’t have armour and artillery support etc that moved with them if that makes sense
@@WW2Wayfinder Logical Wayfinder, Patton had the land to encircle and isolate. I really appreciate your posts. Post Mark Felton in the past I wondered if there were any new WWII stories to tell, well you are telling them and we enjoying ! WW2WAYFINDER !! great stuff.
@@Bullet-Tooth-Tony- I believe it was 6 panzer divisions involved, plus 'independent' battalions such as Tiger but yes little is appreciated about how much armour the Germans deployed to the British and Canadian sector. The Caen area saw the densest concentration of German armour ever deployed anywhere in WW2.
@@lyndoncmp5751 Yeah that's true it was the 21st Panzer, 12th SS, 1st SS, 9th SS, 2nd SS and the Panzer Lehr, although on a map called "WW2 MAP THE SITUATION on 30th JUNE FIRST U.S. & SECOND BRITISH ARMY FRANCE CAEN" you can see 10th SS is also on it's way to the Caen front.
@@lyndoncmp5751 You should check out WW2TV's "Tanks in Bagration" where Paul Woody and Steven Zaloga also talk about the German concentrations at Caen.
@@Bullet-Tooth-Tony- Does it have the 116th Panzer Division also on the map? That division was in reserve for six weeks south of Abbeville (northeast of Rouen) before being released for the Normandy campaign. It already had 78 Panthers and 66 Panzer IVs on June 4th but wasn't deployed towards Normandy until July 18th. Could have been very useful if it was thrown in earlier.
Another fascinating video. Thank you so much for what you are doing. But this one was particularly interesting. See my surname! Best wishes from Wirral.
Haha fantastic! It’s definitely a site I recommend if you’re able to get over to Normandy especially as it’s free and usually quiet there so you can really explore the place without having to get in line like at Pointe du Hoc
Glad you liked it! It’s a great site isn’t it! Glad you found it and have had a chance to look around. The Churchill they have there now is great to see too.
@ yeah it was a great find. The viewing points from their are insane. Yeah the Churchill is a great piece. I cannot wait to get back over there. Through the years, school ,and talking to grandparents etc it’s hard to imagine but when you are over there it’s all strategically placed you can piece it all together and begin to understand the whole operation. It had a meaning. It’s hard to try explain what I am saying, think I was just absolutely taken back by the scale of it. Really need to get back there 😊keep up the good work
He(Montgomery), may not have originated the plan(s), for the assault on Caen, and its surrounding fortifications, but he did approve them. He knew because of Caens location, and its control of the road, and communications network of the area, its seizure, was absolutely critical to the successful extension of the D-Day, landings beachheads. The failure to seize control of Caen, on schedule, eventually led to the bogging down of the expansion of the landings, and the bloody slog through the hedgerows, and the seizure of a channel port!
Exactly that! Monty ended the battle 2 weeks early in Normandy. Despite its brutality it did work well in the Allies favour and attritted the German forces in the west sufficiently to enable the great advance in August. Caen has sadly become a red herring in the ETO sadly thanks to crap reporting in the U.S. press at the time and subsequent nonsense like the poor script dialogue in SPR between Hank and Danson’s respective characters.
Thank you! It’s a point with Monty and the long running narrative that does need challenging as it has been wrong for so many years. It’s also been seen (as I see it) through the lens of not fully understanding that the enemy gets a vote too!
@@BrianEBoyd Yes in America Montgomery is seen as responsible for not taking Caen on time but conversely NOT responsible when the overall Normandy campaign ultimately came in ahead of schedule, despite him being the C-in-C of all allied ground forces until September 1st.
Great video, was on my list a few years ago and they appear to have done further restoration. I wanted to visit as it was a COD map. Wasn’t the story that they fired a tank round at the main door at very close range as a show of force to encourage the Germans to surrender?
I think you’re right about the tank round. I know they weren’t going to give up on the 6th but eventually surrendered on the morning of the 7th when they realised the game was up! Glad you’ve been able to visit the site yourself. The addition of the restored Churchill is great to see there!
Hi Jon, I thoroughly enjoyed this one as I visited Hillman in August. Your excellent commentary filled-in loads of info that I wasn't aware of. As you mention, it's well worth a visit as it's so well preserved, just a pity you can't access all areas though, do you know the reason(s) why, as the structures didn't look particularly dangerous? Best regards, Tony
Thanks Tony. I’m not sure why some elements aren’t accessible but can only assume they’re not well lit and maybe partially flooded as is fairly common with old bunkers
Always excellent. God Bless your effort. I have read Holland, his account of the Malta battles, it was okay. Many authors I have read, Beevor in particular, do not agree with your perspective. The opportunity to charge straight at Caen on D Day, should have been taken. The delay to consolidate turned the battle into a particularly vicious and deadly effort for the Soldiers. The German SS Panzer Divisions were still on there way to Caen. The delay allowed the ass wipes to set up lethally for the eventual battle for Caen itself.
Beevor likes to play up to his biggest market, the USA, and is always overly critical of the British and too reticent to overly criticise the Americans. Normandy came in ahead of schedule, with fewer Allied and greater German casualties than expected. Not only that, but British 2nd Army was 400km ahead of schedule by the start of September and liberating Brussels Belgium. Only Paris was supposed to be reached by then. Beevor says nothing about this 400km better than expected situation from what I can remember reading. He also says little about Eisenhower making a pigs ear of the allied situation from September onwards with his broad front disaster when he took over from Montgomery as C-in-C of all ground forces on September 1st. Beevor does not want to upset his American readers.
Just a thought, Jon, but would you consider doing a video of corresponding Brtish defences? We know how good the German defences were and it might be interesting to do a comparison? I know most of the British positions have not been cared for as the French ones have, but . . . Keep up the good work - really informative and enjoyable stuff.
Don’t worry it’s on the list😉 Just trying to plan how I can make it into a watchable format but I’ve been scouting out plenty of anti-invasion defences
Thank you for clearing that up about General Montgomery. I was taught in school that Montgomery was the real problem. I never knew anything about Dempsey. Now I'll have to learn more about him. Also that was the first time of seeing that particular black and white footage from the Germans perspective. Is there a book you could recommend that really Dives deeper into LTG Dempsey. I think my son has a great subject for a up coming term paper. Great job. Thank you.
Thanks Mike. For Dempsey and the wider Sicily campaign I’d recommend James Holland’s new book about Sicily as it’ll cover Dempsey. Monty did have his issues, but Patton, Hodges et al also had their blunders. Patton at Metz being a prominent one but I put it all down to the reporting by the press at the time and popular but incorrect narratives since then.
@@WW2Wayfinder I totally agree about Patton. My wife grandfather served with patton. Not a very nice man in his eyes. Thank you for the information about the book. I will check it out.
I have my moments where I like Patton but then I recall the moments where he struck his own troops and demanded his men where neck ties and I just can’t reconcile that sort of behaviour and pettiness. He was a good commander, great at times and like Monty, crap at times. His debacle at Metz was forgotten about because of his pushing of 4th Armored into Bastogne during the Bulge. It’s definitely such a nuanced topic and one that sadly I think nationalist pride etc gets in the way of a proper in-depth debate
7 suffolks killed in the attack on Hillman and 10 in total for D-Day I believe. Men from the supporting units also suffered casualties. As for the Germans I’m not sure but I believe a fair amount of prisoners were taken.
❤❤❤ thank u. Edward. Vets day. Uncles. Capt Tom Walsh Patton tanks usaf lt 2nd LT George wheeler. Bombardier. Ed d barrow. 1st class army intell Kay us naval spec intell 5. Ohio
Thank you for this great report. My father was chief of the regiment. He arrived in Normandy in Feb. 1943 from Russia. He moved in the bunker 605 called PAK-Garage in March 1944. He was wounded at noon on June 6th and became PW in the afternoon. In March 1946 he returned back home in Hamburg.
He visited this place with my mother in 1959 again. I was the first time in Colleville in2012 followed with visits in 2013 and the 75th anneversery in 2014.
Wow thank you for sharing that! I’m glad he was able to go back home and then visit his former battlefield and yourself as well!
Outstanding video as always. As an American, sadly this is the first I heard of the actions at Hillman. Thank you telling the story of this British assault. 🫡 🇺🇸🇬🇧
@@troykauffman3963 thank you Troy! Hope it gave a good perspective on the events there. With numerous strong points set inland from the beach plus the high ground when you stand there you get a good idea why the going was so tough on D-Day!
Earlier this year we celebrated the life of Private Cecil Deller, veteran of the Suffolk Regiment, and well-loved inhabitant of our village - Alconbury - here in Cambridge. Going back a few years he was kind enough to sign my copy of the book that covers this action. His funeral was a huge affair, as befitted a man we all loved. He drove up until a few weeks before he passed away, and was lively member of our village Thursday Club, where his shout of elation on winning the bingo was his trademark. He was also incredibly skilled at growing all manner of fruit and vegetables - a farm boy to the nth degree. Bless you, Cecil!
Thank you for sharing that. What a privilege to have been able to know him!
Thanks for covering this action John, it's often passed by when the story of D-Day is told. You have done a fine job of work there. Private James 'Tich' Hunter DCM, 'A' Company, 1st Battalion, Suffolk Regiment is my father. We visited the site numerous times in his later life with other veterans, first time 1989 when it was still a ruin. Les Amis did a fine renovation job over 2 decades to what you see today, all history buffs should visit, the bunker internals are open in the summer and are very well preserved to 6th June specification. Have to say I'm certain that the veterans I knew would be outraged to see the German and EU flags flying over the site today (now that the veterans have passed), the French and Union Jack (as it used to be) seem appropriate. Once again, thank you for your work.
James thank you so much for your kind words. I take my hat off to your father and his mates for everything they achieved on D-Day and beyond. I hope this video helped to add to his story and that of the Suffolk Regiment!
Jon, "Thank You" so much for preserving WW-2 history. I love getting up on Sunday morning and watching your stories. The begining of the end for Germany.
Great video.
I am surprised you didn't mention the great connection between the British code words for the bunkers in relation to the automotive industry, Morris, Daimler and Hillman Hillman.
Also that Hunter was honoured by Hillman and had a model of the Hillman car names after him.
The Hillman Hunter manufactured from 1966 to 1970.
Its a great story and the men of the Suffolk, A Squadron, Staffordshire Yeomanry and C Squadron of the 13th/18th Royal Hussars, two batteries from 33rd Field Regiment, Royal Artillery and 76th Field Regiment, Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers of the 246th Field Company and a machine-gun platoon from 2nd Battalion, Middlesex Regiment as well as naval and air support against the 70 german troops in the bunker from the 736 infantry.
A gallant defence.
Thanks for posting.
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it but red the car manufacturers go back and rewatch it as the detail is in there 😉
Following the history of Rootes, the Hillman Hunter took the name from the 1950s Singer Hunter as the Rootes Group had acquired Singer Motors in 1956.
a lot of work obviously goes into making these wonderful videos and im sure are loved and appreciated by all who view them - thanks
Yes Montgomery is always getting overly criticised by many Americans (and others brought up with Hollywood films and American tv series) but never praised when his forces were 400km ahead of schedule and liberating Brussels Belgium at the start of September.
Great episode.
Exactly. I appreciate every commander in the field had bad days and got things wrong but the critisicsm levelled at Monty I feel is mostly unfair and done as a result of politic motives at the time between the U.S. and UK.
@WW2Wayfinder Yes and sadly it carries on today, as we see by the dialogue in things such as Saving Private Ryan and even Band of Brothers when there is a collective groan when they are told they will be under Montgomery's command. Odd that, when in real life Richard Winters said Montgomery was "the real deal, an example to follow" and he praised his leadership.
In A Bridge Too Far the dialogue between the German generals goes on about Patton being the allies best and that they aren't stupid enough to let Montgomery lead an advance. So annoying and historically inaccurate.
Cheers.
@@lyndoncmp5751 agreed. Those lines always make me cringe as they’re just nonsense and added by script writers to over simplify a highly complex situation
@@WW2Wayfinder Yeah and those lines don't even make any sense anyway. You don't have to take Caen before you can take St Lo (as they say in Saving Private Ryan). They were in completely different directions and different objectives by different armies.
In A Bridge Too Far they say they will place 9th and 10th SS Panzer Divisions around Arnhem because they are being rested so they can prepare to face Patton when he attacks. But you don't place divisions 400km to the north of where you are expecting Patton to attack in the Lorraine. You place them closer so they can be ready and deployed to meet that expected threat.
Both bits of dialogue are hilariously bad and there only to make Montgomery look stupid. Montgomery had just died a few months before they started filming, so it's doubly disrespectful.
19:36 the bunker with the distance and church towers is fantasic it bring home the humanity involved. Thats is what I get from your videos. The soldiers, the foot slogger, the men who went into Hillman.
Another excellent video, Jon. It's both sad and ironic that the Tobruk was defended by mines from left-over British ordnance at Dunkirk. The volunteers have done, and are having, a tremendous job in preserving these fascinating bunkers, Tobruks, etc, for future generations of visitors and military historians. Thanks and best! Sue.
Thank you Sue, and I agree it’s sad to think those weapons were turned against our own troops 4 years later.
Fantastic video. You showed some fresh film footage (at least not the very common stuff) and you clarified some points about "Monty taking Caen on D-Day". A neat tour of a well-preserved facility.
Glad you enjoyed it! The site is fantastic and I thought it a good place to try and address in a small way the Monty/Caen issue
Love ur videos there to the point and explained very well . Keep it up 👌💯🇺🇸
Thank you! Next 2 will be a look at locations photographed during the German retreat from Normandy!
Very informative, great visuals.
Thank you!
Great video, like all your others. I visited Hillman a couple of months ago. Had a guided tour by one of the French volunteers. It was great to be able to see inside the bunker. I'm from Suffolk and feel proud of the 1st Battalions achievement here.
Thank you! And great you were able to get a tour there. The Suffolks did a great job on D-Day and definitely a very proud county regiment!
Well done. Thanks!
You’re most welcome, thank you for taking the time to watch!
great detail thank you did a whistle stop walk around back in June (we) the British had a great reenactment camp there, spent a bit of time talking to the very knowlegable guys manning it. will visit again with more knowledge courtesy of yourself thanks. I would also like to thank those that take the time to look after these historical monuments such that the rest of us can visit and remember those that fought and died no matter what colour their uniform. keep up the good work.
Superb production. Thanks for your dedication to preserving these memories.
You’re most welcome. Hillman is a great spot to visit and one of those key events on D-Day that doesn’t get as much press as I think it requires as it goes a long way to explain why the later battles of Normandy developed the way they did.
Superb video, I`ve been to Hillman a few times, it`s one of the places which often gets missed from a Normandy itinerary. The fields surrounding it are interesting as well, in that there are various pillboxes scattered around, most are flooded or have suffered some bomb damage.
toujours passionnant, merci pour cette super vidéo!
Merci!
Very well done. Nice to learn more of the British/German interaction from this side of the pond. Can understand and appreciate the passion for walking (and absorbing) what had taken place there in the past.
Thank you!
It’s certainly a very important site in terms of the D-Day story and one that doesn’t get the attention it deserves so glad I was able to show it, and to showcase the amazing work the team who preserve the site are doing there!
The effort made to preserve the site is indeed impressive.
Another splendid video of what happened and where. I absolutely love and look forward to your vids. Very professional and instructive. Thanks much.
Thank you!
Next lot of videos will be a 3 part special about the withdrawal of German forces from Normandy!
Thank you again for keeping history alive so it is not forgotten.
Thank you for watching Doug! Hope it showed a different aspect to the Normandy story and just how well Hillman has been cared for post war. Definitely a recommend spot to visit if you can travel to Normandy!
Thanks!
Thank you mate!
This was awesome. Yet another place I've never seen before. Outstanding!
@@TI4438 thanks mate! Hope I could show it in a good light. Hillman is a wonderful place to spend a couple of hours and now with the newly Churchill restored there it’s a personal must for me when I’m in that part of Normandy
An excellent video about what the British did on D-Day, more like this please..👍👍
Thank you!
Got plenty of ideas for future episodes looking at the British and Canadian actions around Caen 😉
@@WW2Wayfinder Great and I look forward to them, I have a family connection with the US and I am and will be forever grateful for what they did in both wars but sometimes it’s like Easy company won WW2 on their own lol, anyway that’s JMO so keep up the great work you have done and are doing…👍🏻👍🏻
Same here!
And I know what you mean, there is definitely a pervading feeling that Easy Co were responsible for everything thanks to the tv series and while I love BoB it’s great to get out and find new areas!
@ 100%…
@ I go to France a lot and I have to admit that I’ve never seen or been to the Suffolk Memorial, and now it is on my list of things to do the next time I go
Excellent as always
Thank you!
Another great video, looks like another place I'll have to visit when I eventually go to Normandy
Thank you!
Hillman really is a great location to visit if you’re able to. It’s quite but accessible and retains a very authentic feel plus the surrounding area being relatively undeveloped allows for a great comparison to June 1944!
Thanks for your superb report. Such an important part of the d-day landing but rarely talked about.👍
You’re most welcome! Glad you enjoyed it thanks for watching.
Hillman and the area behind Sword Beach is fascinating so hope to film more content there when I get back to Normandy next year.
Another amazing WW2 history lesson. Thanks😅
Glad you enjoyed it! Hillman is a fascinating spot and great to visit now as it never seems over crowded so you can really explore the site at your leisure and get an understanding of the position from the German perspective there.
Thank you.
My pleasure! Thank you for watching!
Fantastic video. You really give a feeling of how it must have been for the men of both sides.
Thank you!
Great episode Jon,very informative
Glad you enjoyed it! Hillman is a cracking site to visit and nice that the surrounding area is relatively untouched by modern developments so you can get a great feel for the location
Great video, thanks for making it
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it!
Good to have you back, Jon. I visited Hillman some years ago when it was less well-preserved, and I have learned a lot from your work. Thanks and all the best, mate.
Thanks Colin. Hillman now is a great spot to visit. I first went back in 2010 I think and it’s a night and day difference now!
One story that has been haunting me from the Battle of the Bulge is on the Wereth 11. Next time you visit the Ardennes you should visit and maybe pay hommage with an episode. Lest we forget
If you can search for A Few Minutes of History here on YT as Jake has done an episode on them
Great vid with so much info thats why we never miss your content thank you
Glad you liked this one! It was a great morning exploring Hillman again after years of not having been there.
Loved this video, it was excellent. Thank you!
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it!!
GREAT DOCUMENTARY
Thank you!
Excellent videography. Nice drone videos too. Thanks for telling this story.
Thank you!
Hillman and the surrounding area is stunning so flying the drone over there was a great experience!
And your use of archived video with present day was excellent.
Love watching your episodes, thank you 🙏
Glad you liked this one! Hillman really is a great site to explore!
Awesome video as always! Thank you! The artwork in the tobruk is awesome! :D
It’s amazing isn’t it, and to see for the most part the views the Germans had from the there in 1944 is still the same today!
Another great Wayfinder video Jon, keep them coming.
Thanks Steve! Got some stuff from
Normandy coming up in the next couple
Of weeks from Normandy that hasn’t been seen before so which I think will be quite interesting!
Excellent detail.
Glad you enjoyed it and hopefully the episode showed what a commanding view the position had along the ridge line there
Great job as usual!
When I make it there someday, you have given me some great spots to visit
Glad you liked it! Hillman is a must if you can get there given how well preserved the site is and how undeveloped the land is in front of the position still. Really gives you a good idea of what it would have been like in June 1944!
Thanks that was very educational great stuff
You’re most welcome!
Excellent video, Jon!
Thank you!
My son and I are going to Normandy in March to visit my uncle's grave and follow his path.
He was in the 8th Rifle Brigade and was killed near Bras (Operation Goodwood). We shall add Hillman to our tour. Great video and information.
Many thanks
I hope you have a wonderful trip! Hillman is definitely worth your time. That whole area behind sword beach is fascinating.
J,habite tout près ;je me rend souvent dans CE Cimetière , un Soffolk repose dans ce cimetière.❤🇬🇧🇫🇷
Superb video!
Thank you very much!
So very impressive!!!!
@@dawnlefevre9172 thank you!!
Thanks for your Videos from an American! Yours are some of the Best Videos around!
The thing with Monty is I think about Ego more than anything... Him and Patton didn't get along because they were too much alike in some important ways! And love of the Press was the greatest!
And making Caen the Objective on D-Day wasn't a mistake as some believe, they almost made it! For it has to be remembered that No Plan Survives the first minute of action intact!!!
Thank you!
Glad you enjoyed it. Regarding Monty and Patton, they were the same side of 2 nationalist coins and how they wage war. Both influenced by their prior experiences from the Great War and as you say, no plan ever survives first contact.
I think over the years the fact that the enemy gets a vote is often forgotten when looking at Caen, Monty and D-Day!
Patton and Montgomery got on just fine whenever they met. Never a cross word between them. Pictures show them smiling and laughing. In fact, Montgomery didn't have any issues with Patton. He never said or wrote a bad word about him. He appears to have liked and respected him. It was Patton who called out Montgomery, but likely due to being mostly sidelined or in secondary flanks of the allied advance and envious of Montgomery being in the thick of it. Patton in his diary once wrote that Montgomery was "wonderfully conceited and the best soldier I have met in this war".
When the Ardennes kicked off and Eisenhower brought Montgomery in to take over the command of US 1st Army from Bradley, Montgomery actually said Patton should be sent for in the south to bash north to Bastogne, not knowing that Eisenhower had already thought of that. So Montgomery had no aversion towards Patton.
Hi Jon. Great to see you back. Fascinating episode on a little told story. Must try and get there one day .
Glad you enjoyed it! It’s a cracking site and I highly recommend it as it really brings into sharp focus the German side of D-Day away from the usual spots like Dog Green on Omaha etc (not that those spots aren’t worth visiting) but Hillman is excellent!
This was great and thank you for clarifying Monty's decisions regarding the fortress, troop movement etc., well done !!
Thank you!
I personally believe it’s such an important point to get right given the vast amount of negative and largely inaccurate press directed at Monty for the Caen objective on D-Day. Not to mention the wider fighting in Normandy that was supposed to take 90 days and was done in 77! Something often overlooked sadly.
@@WW2Wayfinder well said. Monty needed a team of planners to plan the campaign. He couldn't have done that properly by himself. That's why Market Garden failed I heard only 7 days to plan. Actually could you confirm that? Glad you're back.
@@maryholder3795 Yes Market Garden was green lit on the 10th September and it began on the 17th.
Montgomery had little to do with the actual planning beyond the overall broad outline. Market was taken over and planned by the First Allied Airborne Army, the USAAF and RAF. Montgomery had no jurisdiction over these organisations. They came under SHAEF. Montgomery early on tried to argue for double missions flow on day one but the American commander of First Allied Airborne Army, General Brereton, and General Williams, Troop Carrier Command of the USAAF, rejected this and there was nothing Montgomery could do. Brereton, with Williams, made the decision to drop over 3 days. The RAF also wouldn't fly closer to the Arnhem bridge.
The Germans concluded that the biggest mistake the allies made in Market Garden was dispersed drops over 3 days. This had nothing to do with Montgomery.
@@lyndoncmp5751 thank you for clarifying that. The myth of an event, which cost the lives of soldiers we could ill afford to lose.😢
@maryholder3795 You're welcome. Well at least Market Garden was well worth attempting with major strategic benefits if successful. And it did liberate major Dutch towns.
It certainly made more sense than the Hurtgen Forest campaign, which was a bigger failure with far more casualties.
The First Allied Airborne Army was sitting in England being unused and desperate to get into battle. At least Market Garden utilised them for what they were trained to do, parachute into enemy territory instead of using them as regular ground infantry and not utilising their specific skills. The two American airborne divisions involved in Market Garden never dropped again in the war and were just used as standard ground infantry afterwards (Battle of the Bulge for example).
Interesting about Dempsey planning to go 10 miles inland to Caen on D-Day. However as Moltke 1800-91. Prussian military commander. Said No plan of operations reaches with any certainty beyond the first encounter with the enemy's main force. Or I have heard it said more recently “no plan survives first contact” or “everyone has a plan until they get punched in the nose”. The Germans had prepared several positions between the sea and Caen that punched hard.
@@maryholder3795 haha I like that last variation on the theme!
The Germans definitely got a vote on D-Day which I feel is something that while blatantly obvious gets somewhat overlooked as it’s easy to say Monty screwed up without actually looking at what really took place etc
@@WW2Wayfinder the blunt comment punch on the nose, while I can't find who said it was probably a soldier in the front line.
If there is one thing I have learnt in my own life ( not a member of the armed forces) is that every plan I have ever created will undoubtedly change the moment I begin to put it into action. Ex nursery nurse looking after under 5.😂
Excellent commentary and video. Keep up the good work👍🏻
Thank you!!
Thanks for climbing into all those holes, with all that gear! No wonder you were huffing!😅
Haha thank you! Definitely not as spritely as I used to be!
Well done!
Thank you! Glad you enjoyed it!
Brilliant. Thanks.
You’re most welcome! Thank you for watching!
Thanks for another informative look inside of a WN in Normandy.
You’re most welcome!
Really good to zee your back with videos and what a great subject very interesting place to visit .
Thank you Terry! Glad you enjoyed this one. Hillman is a great spot to visit given how well preserved it is!
Very interesting
Thank you! Hillman is a must if you can get to Normandy!
Fantastic piece of work Jon
Thank you so much for sharing your story 😊❤
@@michaeldean1289 thanks mate!
Another great video. I really never heard much on the Hillman area. It's nice to hear the birds singing in the background on battlefield videos. Ground that once roared with the sounds of battle & destruction is now peaceful and quiet.
Thank you!
It’s a truly lovely spot today. Definitely a world apart from how it would have been on the 6th and 7th June 1944!
@@WW2Wayfinder. Very informative. I’m puzzled why , when the strength of the position was known, the Royal Navy were not called in to help ?
Love your videos, so informative and clearly explained. Keep up the great work
Just brilliant, only our gallant soldiers on the day know what hell they had to endure and-deal with. got to give credit the germans for their planning and building of the bunkers, even though with slave labour. We the British had a slice if luck on the day, but still great loss of life, but very interesting to know something about how the events of the day proceeded. great 👋👋👋👋🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧🇬🇧👍👋❤️
Thank you i did not know of this, keep them coming.
You’re most welcome, glad you liked it and if you can get to Hillman and spend some time there you won’t regret it, it’s such a great place to explore!
Ace that mate thank you, didn’t know it existed but i do now, thanks for sharing, Robbo 👍
No worries Robbo! It’s a cracking site and well worth a visit if you’re able to get to Normandy, especially with the recently restored Churchill there!
@@WW2Wayfinder a now private owner of a vehicle i used to crew tracked me down from one of my photos on FB, great to be reunited over 40 years later. Had the privilege of driving it around Kent, sorry not WW11 related but it would be awesome to know who crewed that very Churchill, Robbo.
EXCELLENT AS ALWAYS!
Thank you!
Another fantastic video, amazing content, and incredible editing. Thank you
You’re most welcome!
Great Presentation. Well done Sir.
Thank you!
This is the best of seen . Your programmes are so interesting and informative . Keep up the good work
Thank you Nigel! Glad you enjoyed it! Hillman is a cracking spot to visit!
This place doesn’t really get featured alot and its a v important site, thanks for this🙏🏻
It’s quite pivotal in the wider D-Day story and the fact it’s so undeveloped in terms of modern buildings and so well preserved it makes it a wonderful site to visit!
Great video
Thank you!
@@WW2Wayfinder your videos are one of best I seen and I have been to most of those places and your spot on nice work again.
Absolutely Brilliant Wayfinder, We visited Caen in the 90's , nothing to see except new 1960 buildings.
Question, why did the British forces not just skirt those strongpoints and move to Caen, let them be encapsulated , surrounded and die to be taken later ?
Thank you!
Hope you were able to see the changes from the 90’s to now!
As for skirting those positions it would have been difficult as the numerous emplacements covered each area so it would have been difficult to encircle them all. A case of you can avoid one but the rest will get you which ever way the British forces coming off Sword would have gone. I know the commandos got to Pegasus relatively unmolested but they didn’t have armour and artillery support etc that moved with them if that makes sense
@@WW2Wayfinder Logical Wayfinder, Patton had the land to encircle and isolate.
I really appreciate your posts. Post Mark Felton in the past I wondered if there were any new WWII stories to tell, well you are telling them and we enjoying ! WW2WAYFINDER !! great stuff.
Excellent 😌
Thank you!
Great Vid, Thanks.
My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed it!
Your presentations and videos are top notch 🎉
Thank you!
You should go to the battleground where Operation Epsom took place around the Odon. 60,000 British troops took on 8 German Panzer divisions.
I passed through the area and stopped at Rauray to film but definitely need to spend more time in the Odon Valley!
@@Bullet-Tooth-Tony- I believe it was 6 panzer divisions involved, plus 'independent' battalions such as Tiger but yes little is appreciated about how much armour the Germans deployed to the British and Canadian sector. The Caen area saw the densest concentration of German armour ever deployed anywhere in WW2.
@@lyndoncmp5751 Yeah that's true it was the 21st Panzer, 12th SS, 1st SS, 9th SS, 2nd SS and the Panzer Lehr,
although on a map called "WW2 MAP THE SITUATION on 30th JUNE FIRST U.S. & SECOND BRITISH ARMY FRANCE CAEN"
you can see 10th SS is also on it's way to the Caen front.
@@lyndoncmp5751 You should check out WW2TV's "Tanks in Bagration" where Paul Woody and Steven Zaloga also talk about the German concentrations at Caen.
@@Bullet-Tooth-Tony- Does it have the 116th Panzer Division also on the map? That division was in reserve for six weeks south of Abbeville (northeast of Rouen) before being released for the Normandy campaign. It already had 78 Panthers and 66 Panzer IVs on June 4th but wasn't deployed towards Normandy until July 18th.
Could have been very useful if it was thrown in earlier.
Another fascinating video. Thank you so much for what you are doing.
But this one was particularly interesting. See my surname!
Best wishes from Wirral.
Haha fantastic! It’s definitely a site I recommend if you’re able to get over to Normandy especially as it’s free and usually quiet there so you can really explore the place without having to get in line like at Pointe du Hoc
Another Great video it would be amazing for an Pegasus bridge video it truly interests me
@@IsaacEad there’s one in the works!😉
Great video, we stumbled across this one on our recent trip 👍
Glad you liked it! It’s a great site isn’t it! Glad you found it and have had a chance to look around. The Churchill they have there now is great to see too.
@ yeah it was a great find. The viewing points from their are insane. Yeah the Churchill is a great piece. I cannot wait to get back over there.
Through the years, school ,and talking to grandparents etc it’s hard to imagine but when you are over there it’s all strategically placed you can piece it all together and begin to understand the whole operation. It had a meaning. It’s hard to try explain what I am saying, think I was just absolutely taken back by the scale of it. Really need to get back there 😊keep up the good work
He(Montgomery), may not have originated the plan(s), for the assault on Caen, and its surrounding fortifications, but he did approve them. He knew because of Caens location, and its control of the road, and communications network of the area, its seizure, was absolutely critical to the successful extension of the D-Day, landings beachheads. The failure to seize control of Caen, on schedule, eventually led to the bogging down of the expansion of the landings, and the bloody slog through the hedgerows, and the seizure of a channel port!
He also said we'll get out of Normandy in 90 days, the Allies were out in 77 days! His prediction was true.
Exactly that! Monty ended the battle 2 weeks early in Normandy. Despite its brutality it did work well in the Allies favour and attritted the German forces in the west sufficiently to enable the great advance in August.
Caen has sadly become a red herring in the ETO sadly thanks to crap reporting in the U.S. press at the time and subsequent nonsense like the poor script dialogue in SPR between Hank and Danson’s respective characters.
Great video. It’s good to learn more about Montgomery. Here in the US we’re lead to believe he was responsible for not taking Caen. 🇬🇧 cheers
Thank you!
It’s a point with Monty and the long running narrative that does need challenging as it has been wrong for so many years.
It’s also been seen (as I see it) through the lens of not fully understanding that the enemy gets a vote too!
@@BrianEBoyd Yes in America Montgomery is seen as responsible for not taking Caen on time but conversely NOT responsible when the overall Normandy campaign ultimately came in ahead of schedule, despite him being the C-in-C of all allied ground forces until September 1st.
Great video, was on my list a few years ago and they appear to have done further restoration. I wanted to visit as it was a COD map.
Wasn’t the story that they fired a tank round at the main door at very close range as a show of force to encourage the Germans to surrender?
I think you’re right about the tank round. I know they weren’t going to give up on the 6th but eventually surrendered on the morning of the 7th when they realised the game was up! Glad you’ve been able to visit the site yourself. The addition of the restored Churchill is great to see there!
Hi Jon, I thoroughly enjoyed this one as I visited Hillman in August. Your excellent commentary filled-in loads of info that I wasn't aware of. As you mention, it's well worth a visit as it's so well preserved, just a pity you can't access all areas though, do you know the reason(s) why, as the structures didn't look particularly dangerous?
Best regards, Tony
Thanks Tony. I’m not sure why some elements aren’t accessible but can only assume they’re not well lit and maybe partially flooded as is fairly common with old bunkers
Always excellent. God Bless your effort. I have read Holland, his account of the Malta battles, it was okay. Many authors I have read, Beevor in particular, do not agree with your perspective. The opportunity to charge straight at Caen on D Day, should have been taken. The delay to consolidate turned the battle into a particularly vicious and deadly effort for the Soldiers. The German SS Panzer Divisions were still on there way to Caen. The delay allowed the ass wipes to set up lethally for the eventual battle for Caen itself.
Beevor likes to play up to his biggest market, the USA, and is always overly critical of the British and too reticent to overly criticise the Americans.
Normandy came in ahead of schedule, with fewer Allied and greater German casualties than expected. Not only that, but British 2nd Army was 400km ahead of schedule by the start of September and liberating Brussels Belgium. Only Paris was supposed to be reached by then.
Beevor says nothing about this 400km better than expected situation from what I can remember reading. He also says little about Eisenhower making a pigs ear of the allied situation from September onwards with his broad front disaster when he took over from Montgomery as C-in-C of all ground forces on September 1st. Beevor does not want to upset his American readers.
Thanks for the tour. Museum is all volunteer?
I believe they are volunteers as there’s no admission charge to access the site (which makes a refreshing change!)
Just a thought, Jon, but would you consider doing a video of corresponding Brtish defences? We know how good the German defences were and it might be interesting to do a comparison?
I know most of the British positions have not been cared for as the French ones have, but . . .
Keep up the good work - really informative and enjoyable stuff.
Don’t worry it’s on the list😉 Just trying to plan how I can make it into a watchable format but I’ve been scouting out plenty of anti-invasion defences
Good video. Will you be showing us Juneau beach?
I’ll be around that area on my next trip to Normandy!
J;ai travaillé 20 ans avec des copains pour réhabilité le site ❤❤❤
You all did a fantastic job! Thank you for helping to preserve this important D-Day site!!!
Thank you for clearing that up about General Montgomery. I was taught in school that Montgomery was the real problem. I never knew anything about Dempsey. Now I'll have to learn more about him. Also that was the first time of seeing that particular black and white footage from the Germans perspective. Is there a book you could recommend that really Dives deeper into LTG Dempsey. I think my son has a great subject for a up coming term paper. Great job. Thank you.
Thanks Mike. For Dempsey and the wider Sicily campaign I’d recommend James Holland’s new book about Sicily as it’ll cover Dempsey.
Monty did have his issues, but Patton, Hodges et al also had their blunders. Patton at Metz being a prominent one but I put it all down to the reporting by the press at the time and popular but incorrect narratives since then.
@@WW2Wayfinder I totally agree about Patton. My wife grandfather served with patton. Not a very nice man in his eyes. Thank you for the information about the book. I will check it out.
I have my moments where I like Patton but then I recall the moments where he struck his own troops and demanded his men where neck ties and I just can’t reconcile that sort of behaviour and pettiness. He was a good commander, great at times and like Monty, crap at times. His debacle at Metz was forgotten about because of his pushing of 4th Armored into Bastogne during the Bulge.
It’s definitely such a nuanced topic and one that sadly I think nationalist pride etc gets in the way of a proper in-depth debate
Another superb insightful video Jon. Keep up the great work! 👏🏻🪖
Thanks Steve! Hillman is a great site to visit and a must if you’re in the area around Pegasus Bridge etc given how close it is.
👍
Thanks!
Do you know how many Suffolks (and Deutsche Grenadiere) died taking Hillman? Apologies if I missed it.
7 suffolks killed in the attack on Hillman and 10 in total for D-Day I believe. Men from the supporting units also suffered casualties. As for the Germans I’m not sure but I believe a fair amount of prisoners were taken.
❤❤❤ thank u. Edward. Vets day. Uncles. Capt Tom Walsh Patton tanks usaf lt 2nd LT George wheeler. Bombardier. Ed d barrow. 1st class army intell Kay us naval spec intell 5. Ohio
Once again had to search. Not recommended 😢
That’s frustrating as I’ve put a small handful of videos or recently.
Hoping it picks up after November!
Montgomery signed off on it so therefore was responsible
And Ike signed off on all of it so if you use that logic the blame sits with Eisenhower
Historical perfection and perspective as always, thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Great video
@@brendanthornton1634 thank you!!
Very interesting
Glad you enjoyed it!