Rudolf Hess – Bundesarchiv Bild 146II-849 CC-BY-SA 3.0 He had learned Russian after Korea, and his language skills were seen as a great advantage to the post. Each of the major WWII powers would take a turn. The commandant of the prison was a rotating position. Others, including Albert Speer (former Minister of Munitions, and Hitler’s favorite architect) were also kept there for at least part of their sentences. As a result, Hess was kept in prison on charges of war crimes from the end of the war until he died in 1987. Ostensibly, he had intended to foster peace between England and Germany, but he was disavowed by Hitler and not trusted by England. The German prison of Spandau near Berlin housed a very important prisoner: former Deputy Fuehrer, Rudolf Hess, who had flown to England on a strange mission in 1940.
One “claim to fame” that is almost unknown came after he served as liaison officer to the Red Army in the mid-1950s. He served in various capacities during the conflict, including as company commander and staff officer. Speirs and his men killed 50 enemies during the operation. In 1951, he dropped behind retreating North Korean troops as a rifle company commander in Operation Tomahawk. Speirs remained in the army after the war and was one of a handful of men to have made combat jumps in both WWII and Korea. However, it is unlikely that he killed the American sergeant and platoon of German POWs as hinted at in the series. He also came back the same way, under fire.
#BLITHE FIELD GENIUS SERIES#
For those who have watched the series but not read the book: he did indeed run through enemy fire and a mess of German soldiers to coordinate the attack. He became the E Company commander during an attack on Foy, Belgium which occurred during the Battle of the Bulge. Before serving in the 506 th PIR, he led B Company before the invasion of Normandy and then D Company during the attack.īecause of the book and the series, most people know that Speirs played a part in the famous attack on Brecourt Manor, which knocked out a unit of German cannon that had been firing on nearby Utah Beach. (Right center).Ĭaptain Ronald Speirs retired from the military after a career spanning parts of three decades. The original “Band of Brothers” Sgt Carwood Lipton. The same holds true for members of the Marines in WWII, and the men and women of elite forces today.īelow are some little-known facts about the men of Easy Company and the series that told their story. However, like any elite force, the members of the 506 th (and others in the Airborne Division) wanted to be the best, and serve with the best.
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