The T/V interview has been re-arranged. I will let this site know when it is likely to be broadcast. though why in heavens name anyone should want to look at me, is quite beyond my imagination...
Cheers Brian

But Sapper Brian! We have been enjoying your stories and presence at these forums for quite a while now. I think it is great that you still go out and tell you story to the younger generations.

I would LOVE to see you on TV and see "who you are". Next best thing after meeting you in person or 'talking' to you through the forums or e-mail!

And it is a great opportunity to bring the cause of the war vets under the attention of a greater public!

Please keep us posted!

__________________
"Facts are meaningless. You could use facts to prove anything that's even remotely true!" - Homer Simpson

(banner by Otto)
www.basher82.nl

hey sapper ill side with stefan on this one. im probably considered one of the "youngins" in here being 17 but i appreciated so much everything that u tell and especially i think sharing your story is so important due to the fact that most of my generation is unfortuanetly not researching and learning about one of the most impactful times in history. thanks for everything sapper from my generation.

__________________
Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it- Sun Tzu

No need to find out what I look like...I will tell you...A white haired old man with severe war injuries to spine, legs, knees, and lungs. in fact a bit of a decrepit old badger. who has great difficulty in getting about. Nothing special about me, just a 78/79year tatty old man.

Mind you! a very proud old badger! And one that has tried to tell the story, "first hand" of a very traumatic time in our history. one of the greatest events the World has experienced.

The object? No more, no less, than to dedicate it to the lovely young men that never came home. That is the only reason... just that their names will be remembered.

You may not think it possible? but I can still see their faces...Not all of them, just the ones I was close to. Harry Grey. Wass Thomas. Jock Mathers. Sgt Rees. Corporal Ginger Ford. Digger Trench. so many others I can still clearly recall, Sadly, many of them died on the path from Sword Beach to Bremen.

But I would still love to know if the American that we captured in the German army, (Near Vire) ever got home? But there were so many men we met along the way.....So many.
Brian.

Sapper, I've always wondered...what on earth did you do to all the obstacles on the beach? just carefully move them to the side without the Germans noticing?

__________________
You are about to embark on the great crusade towards which we have striven these many months - Eisenhower

There were special teams of Sappers assigned the job of removing the shells and mines from the beach defences, they went first...those defences were very deep in depth.

Unfortunately the tide came up faster than was calculated, (because it was driven by a stiff wind.) During that operation the Sappers removed them, and dropped them into the water. They could be picked up later. (I have a full technical report of the construction of the Sword Beach defences)

As the water rose amongst the defences, the Sappers continued to remove them by swimming amongst the mines and shells…Sadly, many of them drowned while carrying out their duties of removing the mines. (A great deal depended on the success of this task)

During the invasion the British lost 29 out of 38 Assault craft dropped from the Mother ships, some nearly got back, but sank before they made it. One Sailor arrived back on his craft stark naked, all his clothes blown off by an explosion

Greater love hath no man, than he lay down his life for another……

Sapper Brian.

I have just spent the last 2 hours reading this thread & let me express my sincere thanks for the time you have taken to put this together.

My father was at Sword, Petty Office onboard HMS Frobisher. Im have tried on numerous occasions to get him to put together his view on this tragic period, but alas he is not keen on doing so.

Brian, please keep the updates coming. This is a first hand view of what happened, not tainted by re telling of this event, but a first hand description.

Thank you

HAWK.

How have I managed to miss this??? I can't believe I didn't spot it earlier, I will have to spend even more time on the forums now!

Sapper, please let me offer a heart felt thankyou for what you have written for us. I am 18 years old and a cadet WO2 with an Army Section Combined Cadet Force (a unit affiliated with the Royal Engineers), I take great pride in my cap badge and am currently going through the selection board for a commission in the Sappers. I can not find the words to describe the feeling I get from reading your memoir except to say that it reminds me why I take so much pride in the uniform I wear.

Thanks again,
Stefan

__________________
There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.

Hi Hawks Thank you for your kind words, does an old fellow a power of good. I have been filming with BBC today, will try to tell you all about it later.

Stefan. Again thanks. RE officers have a long and very proud tradition behind them. There is a saying that is absolutely true..."Once a Sapper....Always a Sapper" I know it is stupid and slightly cranky looking back now..but we were always encouraged with "Esprit de Corps" and that we were "Gentlemen of the Royal Engineers" Daft? Of course it is! But there were a few old badgesr like myself that retained a sneaky feeling that it really was true.

Enjoy it friend.
Brian

Truth be told my interet in joining the RE is 90% because of my experience with the ex-Royal Engineers (though still sappers) NCO's of my cadet unit (including one ex-RSM and an ex-CSM, we were a very 'lucky' unit), they fostered a strong Espirit de corps within our unit giving many of the members a strong inclination to joining the sappers following school. Thanks for your kind comments and I will now be following your posts with baited breath.

__________________
There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.

HI Everyone!
With the coming 60th anniversary of D Day and the battle of Normandy about to be unleashed on us, I can see that there will be a great deal of interest being aroused, mainly because it will give the media and the press something to create headlines about.

The age of these old Veterans must be from 79 onwards. Just how old I will be on D Day. so taking that into consideration the old Veterans can be anything from 79 to what? Well say they were 35 at that time that will make them 95.though I doubt that there were many 35 year olds around...? Even so, they must be at least 89 if the were 29 at that time...Sobering thought..There is going to be an awful lot of elderly men marching up and down. I shall not be one of them.
Brian

Brian do you think that your family will help you get to the sites and will you attend a ceremonies ? I know of course this is upcoming spring but thought I would ask

~Erich

No Erich I will not be going, to badly injured to stand the journey.
For all those going it will mean standing about for hours on end while dignitaries prattle on with their speeches, If I ever did return? it would be to go to pay my respects to those mates of mine that never returned. That would mean I had to go to several places, quite honestly, I think that would be "pushing my luck"
Brian

It is a great shame that you can not visit the various sites in france, do you ever manage to attend the more local ceremonies etc? I remember when my grandfather got nearer to the end of his life he attended the service and ceremony in his village for the first time. It seemed as though he began to remember things far more clearly in those last few weeks, maybe he just became far more susceptable to the memories, reacted to them more if that makes sense?

__________________
There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.

I have been to services, but anything that requires walking or any time in a wheelchair becomes very difficult to deal with. My recipe for dealing with the difficulty of being badly disabled is my natural "pig headed" "obstinate"and determind nature...it does help.
Best wishes to all.
Brian

Brian then I will assume that there will be some sort of cermonie(s) dedicated to your unit while in the UK during the anniversary correct ?

It maybe best to stay behind a tele eh ?

~Erich

Hi Erich...
A lot of water has gone under the bridge and my Company no longer exists. Nor sadly, do any of those that served in this once great company. Time has taken its toll, I have not found mire than the odd one or two and they are old and infirm. I did manage to find the hero from my company that cleared the way through the Hillman defences, he was about 85, and that was a couple of years ago. There will be no service for us.#Brian

this is very sad Brian but we must remember the sacrifices that your fellow comrades made during those trying times........

cheers

~Erich

Lest we forget this Sunday. Sometimes when I watch the parades I tend to think "Is this really the best way to remember our fallen"?

I do not need special days to recall my pals, there is never a day goes by that I do not think of them,,,But what a shame, for those young men never lived to enjoy a life with children of their own. That begs the question? Do we look after our old Veterans? I think not.
Brian

In that respect I find it rather a sad notion that Rememberence Day seems to be the only time most people think of the fallen as well as the survivors. I think about them every day, without exageration or exception, but that is because of the nature of my interests and my life. From my point of view Rememberence Day does have its place, the ceremony in London is a fine tribute (though no tribute could be equal to our debt) and it does affect some those who do not normally give the wars a thought.

__________________
There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.

we now live in a ultra insensitive world.......my opinion. My sons generation doesn't give a crap about anyone over 75 yrs unless the older generation can do something for them. They just don't get it. Sorry guys as I know 3/4rs of the attendees are in their 20's on these forum boards, but it's the bloody truth all over the world.

Erich, I am very sad to say that you are bang on with this.

On the subject of rememberence I have just started a thread in the FFZ that I would be very greatful if people could take a look at, particularly our resident vet, as I am trying to get as many opinions as possible. It can be seen here .

Thanks fellas

__________________
There's no honorable way to kill, no gentle way to destroy. There is nothing good in war. Except its ending.

Erich I'll also agree with you on this one. I'm 17 and I'll tell you, half my friends and more than half my generation laughs at me because I am passionate about World War II and because I respect the veterans that served my country that I can have the freedom I have today. Well, Sapper and all veterans, on behalf of my generation, I salute you and thank you for the freedom that you defended and the ones that are no longer with us, I honor them and thank them also.

__________________
Hence the saying: One may know how to conquer without being able to do it- Sun Tzu