Comments by "doveton sturdee" (@dovetonsturdee7033) on "History Buffs: A Bridge Too Far" video.

  1. Richard Todd was at Pegasus Bridge at D-Day, and played Major John Howard in 'The Longest Day.' He was not involved in 'Market Garden.'
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  2. Shameful! A commander who actually built up a superiority in men and material before commencing an offensive. Had he never even seen a John Wayne or Errol Flynn movie?
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  3. Nonsense. The scene was fictional. The first XXX Corps tanks across the second Nijmegen bridge (the one captured by XXX Corps, not mentioned in the movie) were led by a Sergeant Robinson. Lord Carrington, then a junior officer, did not arrive until much later, despite a fantasy encounter, remembered years after the event, described by a US airborne officer.
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  4. The 'Tea Drinking' scene was entirely fictional, but was included because it was likely to appeal to a largely American audience. The fact that there were two bridges at Nijmegen, one of which was captured by XXX Corps was also disregarded, as was the account by Sergeant Robinson, commander of the British tank troop which was first across the bridge.
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  5.  @zulubeatz1  There was an interesting post on quora a few months ago, from the nephew of Brian Urquhart, the Intelligence Officer shown in the movie giving photos. of German armour to Browning, and being told 'not to worry about them.' In fact, Urquhart didn't ever speak to Browning, and the supposed photos. never existed. Urquhart's real concern was that there were a number of senior experienced German commanders in the area, and he feared that they were capable of reacting more quickly to the operation than the Allies expected, which was actually what happened. Urquhart was the only member of the Intelligence team who was Ultra cleared, and spoke about his concerns to his immediate superior, but could not reveal his source. Apparently, Urquhart raised the issue of the photos. with Attenborough, but was told that the bulk of the scene would play well in the US, which was the target audience. Likewise, Julian Cook, the officer portrayed by Redford, complained to Cornelius Ryan's widow about the way Redford had played him. Nothing was done, and the tea drinking scene stayed in. Now, of course, because it was in the movie, many assume it to be true. Incidentally, Urquhart's nephew actually had a photo. of what his uncle told him was the first German tank destroyed by 1st Airborne. It was a Char B1, being used as a training vehicle.
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  6. If you want to analyse anything by Alistair MacLean for flaws and/or inaccuracies, it would take days!
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  7. The Longest Day was a bit rough on the Canadians, though? What Canadians? Exactly!
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  8. Actually, they knew that an SS unit had been sent there to re-equip, but that it was short of equipment, only having old training vehicles. The first tank destroyed by 1st Para. was bizarrely an elderly French Char B1. The famous scene where the intelligence officer, Brian Urquhart, shows Browning photos. of German Tiger IIs and is told not to worry about them is entirely fictional. Urquhart, a major, never spoke to anyone more senior than a Brigadier, no such photos. existed, and there were no Tigers in the area. Urquharts information came from his Ultra clearance, and because of this he could not reveal his true source. In fact, the intel. was correct, in that there was no heavy German armour in the area. However, it was also correct in that there were experienced German commanders there, who were able to react extremely quickly. Far from being sent home, as the movie suggests, Urquhart was later promoted, and had a long and distinguished post-war career. Unfortunately, the film contains a whole host of inaccuracies, evidently intended to show the British, other than the paratroopers, in a bad light, in order to appeal to transatlantic audiences, the worst of all being the Robert Redford 'stopping for tea' scene, to which even the American officer he was pretending to portray actually objected.
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  9.  @johnburns4017  The problem is that the movie was aimed at an American audience, and that blaming the gutless tea swilling Limeys always plays well there. Oddly, I don't think a movie has been made about the Hurtgen Forest.,
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  10.  @johnburns4017  I didn't know that. I have never really been able to watch Hollywood movies since I accidentally witnessed the unspeakable horror that was U571.
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  11.  @davemac1197  Odd that the storming of the railway bridge by Sergeant Robinson's tanks didn't seem to feature. I wonder why a movie made to pander to the prejudices of an American audience chose to omit the action ?!
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  12. Compared to the Hurtgen Forest, Market Garden was a comparatively minor military setback. Odd that Bradley & Hodges never receive criticism for their own ineptitude. Possibly due to the false impression given by the seriously flawed movie.
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  13. Not quite correct. The medical officer suggested he take leave. It was Urquhart himself who requested the transfer away from Airborne, in disgust at the way his warnings had been ignored.
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  14. Clearly, you haven't heard of the Hurtgen Forest disaster? An entirely all-American affair, down to Bradley & Hodges. Allied casualties at Market Garden :- 17200 killed, wounded , & captured. Hurtgen Forest casualties :- over 33,000.
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  15.  @mako88sb  Some of the British units used the Cromwell.
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  16.  @hamletksquid2702  But the scene was fictional. Even the officer lampooned by Redford objected to it.
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  17. Might I guess that you are not Canadian? The 'Longest Day' didn't seem to know of any Canadian involvement.
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  18. Which 'peers' might they be?
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  19.  @ceberskie119  Auchinleck was an outstanding general, who defeated Rommel twice, during Crusader and at First Alamein. He never commanded military operations against the Japanese, although William Slim played fulsome tribute to the behind the scenes efforts of Auchinleck in his autobiography. Patton? Which one? The Patton of the movie, or the Patton of history? You would need to explain why Bradley was so critical of his antics on Sicily, or why Patton performed so badly in the Lorraine. In terms of casualties, Patton's actions in the Lorraine led to over 55,000 allied (American) casualties, yet the fact is never mentioned. Market Garden led to 17,000 Allied casualties. The Patton of the movie apparently won a crucial victory over 'Rommel' or at least 'Rommel's plan.' A great deal was made of it, when the reality was that Patton fought an indecisive skirmish again a single German division at El Guettar (the division being 10 Panzer, which was commanded by von Arnim), whilst Rommel's old command, the Afrika Korps, was being defeated at Mareth, and later shattered at Wadi Akarit, by someone else.
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  20. Odd, that. I have read Montgomery's autobiography, and it doesn't seem to say anything of the sort.
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  21.  @bigwoody4704  What you appear to be saying is that, as Montgomery's memoirs were a work of fiction, and as in them he didn't blame the Poles, then you believe that the Poles were at fault?
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  22. Actually, in Britain, most of the MPs think that Greater London IS the UK!
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  23. Furthermore, Burriss gave evidence to Cornelius Ryan, but doesn't seem to have remembered his encounter with Carrington until well after that. Hardly surprising really, as the commander of the British tank troop was a Sergeant Robinson. Carrington didn't arrive until later.
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  24.  @mako88sb  They seem to have done with some of the Shermans, but they couldn't manage a Cromwell.
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  25. Easy. Superb and convincing movie. Awful and unconvincing TV series.
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  26. Based upon what?
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  27.  @Constantine909  Which history?
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  28.  @Constantine909  Actually, mon brave, I have a First in Modern History, specialising in the Second World War. I rather suspected that your answer was based on prejudice rather than knowledge, and your unwillingness to present any arguments has rather confirmed this suspision.
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  29.  @Constantine909  I don't normally waste my time on people who use 'lol' in their posts. However, I know a considerable amount about the careers of both, and in particular about Montgomery. You say that he is 'over-rated' but you don't actually seem able to explain why.
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  30.  @Cl0ckcl0ck  Of course it was. Admiral Ramsay was tasked with lifting 40,000 men, and actually lifted 338,000, including over 100,000 men. Belgium surrendered early on 28 May. Montgomery was forced to move his division overnight in order to block a large gap in the allied line left by the surrender. Hardly a betrayal by the British. Mers el Kebir wasn't murder, but a necessary action. The German navy, after Norway, was tiny & battered, but, with the support of the French fleet, an invasion attempt might just have been attempted. Admiral Gensoul was given a series of options in the ultimatum given to him, he simply chose not to pass these on to his political and military superiors. The British government was willing to do whatever was necessary to ensure survival, and acted accordingly. The pity was that Admiral Gensoul was not bright enough to grasp the seriousness of his situation.
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  31. There was an Airborne officer who many years later apparently remembered threatening Lord Carrington with his pistol. Apart from the fact that the Guards tanks which stormed the Nijmegen bridge (there were two bridges, by the way, something the movie chose to forget) were commanded by a Sergeant Robinson, and the second fact that Carrington did not arrive there until somewhat later, the account certainly convinces those who wish to believe it.
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