Spiers from band of brothers RIP

[Timber020]

I heard from a mate in the US that Colonel Ron Spiers died a few days ago peacefully, those who have seen Band of Brothers would know him as the guy who shot the german prisoners.

Brave guy, sad to see the World War 2 vetrans ranks thin so quickly these days.

[Pussy]

RIP Colonel Speirs. I have nothing but the utmost respect for those guys. About two and a half years ago I wrote to Dick Winters, and got a reply from him. It made me feel very proud.

[gijoe1313]

Absolutely awesome series that BOB ... I got the DVD set as soon as it came out and even now enjoy watching it now and then. It's currently being played on the History Channel on SKY at the moment (kinda weird!)

I'm playing Brothers in Arms : Road to Hill 30 at the moment, really brings back moments from BOB when I play it...

And I always spare a thought for those brave soldiers that died on all sides for their courage and commitment to fulfil their duties and obligations. There, but for the grace of God, go I...

[Jeaves]

RIP brave soul .

[onearmedbandit]

Okay, so I know of the series and saw a few, and obviously this guy has great admiration, but what's the deal with the shooting prisoners thing?

[Maha]

but what's the deal with the shooting prisoners thing?

Captive audiance perhaps???.....:whistle:

[alexthekidd]

come on ladies, its Colonel Ronald Speirs

one of the few people like miself, I before E except after C and in Speirs

[alexthekidd]

more about him here

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ronald_Speirs

[Chisanga]

, but what's the deal with the shooting prisoners thing?

I'm certain the realities of war are often very different to the glorified, sanitised Hollywood version of war.

[spudchucka]

He was a legend alright. If you liked the series you should get a copy of the Stephen Ambrose book as well, its a very good read.

[Sniper]

JUST A COMMON SOLDIER
(A Soldier Died Today)
by A. Lawrence Vaincourt


He was getting old and paunchy and his hair was falling fast,
And he sat around the Legion, telling stories of the past.
Of a war that he had fought in and the deeds that he had done,
In his exploits with his buddies; they were heroes, every one.


And tho' sometimes, to his neighbors, his tales became a joke,
All his Legion buddies listened, for they knew whereof he spoke.
But we'll hear his tales no longer for old Bill has passed away,
And the world's a little poorer, for a soldier died today.


He will not be mourned by many, just his children and his wife,
For he lived an ordinary and quite uneventful life.
Held a job and raised a family, quietly going his own way,
And the world won't note his passing, though a soldier died today.


When politicians leave this earth, their bodies lie in state,
While thousands note their passing and proclaim that they were great.
Papers tell their whole life stories, from the time that they were young,
But the passing of a soldier goes unnoticed and unsung.


Is the greatest contribution to the welfare of our land
A guy who breaks his promises and cons his fellow man?
Or the ordinary fellow who, in times of war and strife,
Goes off to serve his Country and offers up his life?


A politician's stipend and the style in which he lives
Are sometimes disproportionate to the service that he gives.
While the ordinary soldier, who offered up his all,
Is paid off with a medal and perhaps, a pension small.


It's so easy to forget them for it was so long ago,
That the old Bills of our Country went to battle, but we know
It was not the politicians, with their compromise and ploys,
Who won for us the freedom that our Country now enjoys.


Should you find yourself in danger, with your enemies at hand,
Would you want a politician with his ever-shifting stand?
Or would you prefer a soldier, who has sworn to defend
His home, his kin and Country and would fight until the end?


He was just a common soldier and his ranks are growing thin,
But his presence should remind us we may need his like again.
For when countries are in conflict, then we find the soldier's part
Is to clean up all the troubles that the politicians start.


If we cannot do him honor while he's here to hear the praise,
Then at least let's give him homage at the ending of his days.
Perhaps just a simple headline in a paper that would say,
Our heart are in mourning, for a soldier died today.

[MisterD]

I'm certain the realities of war are often very different to the glorified, sanitised Hollywood version of war.

There's not much glorified and sanitised about the depiction of war in BOB...

[bull]

how apt that BoB last night showed the heroic Speirs running through the middle German occupied town with tanks galore to meet up with Allied support, then he decides hell run back to his troops after that. Thats bloody legendary, could just imagine the germans seeing him running amongst them and wondering whether to shoot or stare in amazement.

RIP Speirs

[Swoop]

An excellent series indeed.
Truly amazing that the actors were able to sit down with the people they were portraying to get their stories, actions and traits.

Impressive.

[Paul in NZ]

Christ yeah.... Nice to see a natural born killer get into a proper job. Still - I guess it's more interesting than the life of Ghandi..

[El Dopa]

what's the deal with the shooting prisoners thing?

From reading between the lines in the book, it sounds like he flipped out for a moment, and when sanity returned, there were a bunch of dead german PoW's in front of him. One minute he was talking to them and handing out cigarettes. The next....bambambambambam.

As someone else has said, reality isn't sanitised like Hollywood is.



how apt that BoB last night showed the heroic Speirs running through the middle German occupied town with tanks galore to meet up with Allied support, then he decides hell run back to his troops after that. Thats bloody legendary, could just imagine the germans seeing him running amongst them and wondering whether to shoot or stare in amazement.

RIP Speirs


If you liked the series you should get a copy of the Stephen Ambrose book as well, its a very good read.

Having read the book, it's amazing how closely the series sticks to reality, barring a few changes for the sake of narrative continuity. Those guys really were heros, and went through hell on earth.

If you enjoyed the book, I recommend the 'Pegasus Bridge' one he did about the Brit paras who glider dropped onto the bridges at the far east of the D-day landing zone to stop the Germans outflanking the beaches.

The one about the bomber pilots isn't bad, either.

[Timber020]

Nothing wrong with shooting prisoners, as long as they are bad guys. A great old guy I know was in the dutch free forces and they didnt take a german prisoner for 3 years.

[Dave Lobster]

I've read most of Stephen Ambrose's books. They're all pretty good. He's interview fecking thousands of blokes to write them.
He was quite involved in the filming of BoB, hence the closeness to the book. Most of it was filmed in Hertford in the UK. A couple of people I used to know were extras in it.

In a similar vein, Charles Whiting's books are good too. He was there..

[Dooly]

My mother's step father was a junior officer in the Waffen SS in Russia then Normandy before capture.
The conversations I had with him and his reflections of the Eastern front before he died 15 yrs ago were amazing.

[Timber020]

I have relatives on both sides to, all dead. 2 of them on the russian front with the wermacht, the rest on the allies. Would make for an interesting family reunion.

[Chisanga]

I recall one of my officers during infantry training telling us that the time for the enemy to surrender is BEFORE the attack is begun. If they fight back and THEN try to surrender they basically lose all their rights.

Having never served in a combat zone I have no idea if the above is indeed reflected in reality.

[El Dopa]

Nothing wrong with shooting prisoners, as long as they are bad guys. A great old guy I know was in the dutch free forces and they didnt take a german prisoner for 3 years.

When the 82nd airborne landed on D-Day, their job, along with the 101st, was to secure the western flank of the beach landings. A group of Germans holding an important bridge in the canal system which criss-crossed that part of the country attempted to surrender to units of the 82nd, who shot several of them dead as they tried to cross from the german position to the para's position.

None of the accounts of this incident that I have read indicate that this was anything but a deliberate action on the part of the US paras: they knew the germans were attempting to surrender, they encouraged them to come out of their positions, and then they shot them.

I make no comment on that. However, the remaining Germans, realising that they now had nothing to lose, then fought to the death, causing the 82nd considerably more casualties, and holding up the allied regrouping for considerably longer, than would otherwise have been the case.

Sometimes accepting a surrender from an enemy who knows it will be accepted and that they will at least remain alive is tactically and strategically sound.