Good to see you are good to go, Mr Marlowe.

__________________
Best Regards,
JW

Welcome back, Mr. Marlowe. I'm looking forward to more of your story.

__________________
"Faint heart never won fair maiden", so I say "Go for it!"

Lou

Welcome back sir. I think I speak for all of us in saying that we are absolutely delighted to hear that you are in sound health and is back with us.

glad to see you're back

__________________
You were a rotten pilot when we flew in Russia you're flying a desk now but you're still a rotten pilot!

If I may, Mr. Marlowe, what about the German soldier's skill that most impressed you? What was his least impressive trait?

Ladies and Gentelman:

The German soldiers I observed most were members FG R6. These paratroopers were the pick of the German Armed Forces. Their conduct of the battlefield was exempary and I considered them opponents of the first order,

They certainly understood warfare and soldiely duties as did my men. At this late date and much reflection I have assumed that they and I had a lot in common. They all ways had my respect.

Whatever time they have left they have my best wishes.

As Ever,

Walter L. Marlowe

( AQirborne All the Way)

Ladies and Gentelmen:\

When I arrived back at the regiment I was retuned to my assignment as commander of the 1st platoon of E Company. The S-3 of the regiment told me that I and two officers and six enlisted men were to go to Ilfachrombe to take a course in enhanced chemical warfare defence.

We got the full treatment for 10 days. I understood that they did not epect the Germans to use chemical warefare during the invasion but they wanted to ready in case.

We were taken down to Slapton Sands for joint training with the 4th Divisions 22nd Infantry Regiment land from the sea. We were disbursed from the trucks as it was from planes. After a false start we made our way to beach landing area.

Dawn came and no 22nd we were told to assem,ble on the road and the trucks picked us up. We were returned us to Welford. The officers were sword to secrecy and we were told that German E Boats had gotten among the landing craft and sunk some of them. We were told that medical people had treated the suvivors and the dead were buried in small cemetary near by.

The next time we went Slapton we worked with 8th Infantry Regiment. They wer our D Day Regiment. We then made a nighttime no moon jump with full combat loads.


As Ever,

Walter L. Marlowe

( Airborne all the Way)

This is an interesting contrast to the opinions of some of the vets who served in the Pacific. I specifically mention Jack (Southwestpacific Vet) and others who do not share the same opinion of the Japanese. I'm not casting blame, it's just an interesting difference of perspective.

__________________
"Faint heart never won fair maiden", so I say "Go for it!"

Lou

Good to hear from you again, sir. Keep up the fine work.

__________________
"Faint heart never won fair maiden", so I say "Go for it!"

Lou

Sir,

This is your thread and you are the story teller. Would it be appropriate if I ask you questions in this thread, or should we open another one for questions? I would love hear about your ecounter with the FJR 6, as well as how the paratrooper's organization and equipment in action.

My cousin sent me a web site from the Denver Newspaper celebrating the 65th Anniversary of D-Day. This was one of the pictures posted.

ladies and gentelmen:

I would guess that this photo was taken during a practice jump made May 1944. On D Day our faces were blackend and our jump boots were not polished as they had been chemically treated to withstand gas attack.

Most officers had been able to obtain Thompsons by D Day. We had been issued pistols in May 1944 and I carried mine for the rest of the war.

GREAT PHOTO.

As Ever,

Walter L. Marlowe

( Airborne all the Way)

Hello Walter Marlowe,
The picture of the paratroopers came with this caption from the Denver Post.
"American paratroopers, heavily armed, sit inside a military plane as they soar over the English Channel en route to the Normandy French coast for the Allied D-Day invasion of the German stronghold during World War II, June 6, 1944. (AP Photo)"

Another shot from the Denver Post 65th Anniversary of D-Day.
U.S. paratroopers fix their static lines before a jump before dawn over Normandy on D-Day June 6, 1944, in France. The decision to launch the airborne attack in darkness instead of waiting for first light was probably one of the few Allied missteps on June 6, and there was much to criticize both in the training and equipment given to paratroopers and glider-borne troops of the 82nd and 101st airborne divisions. Improvements were called for after the invasion; the hard-won knowledge would be used to advantage later. (AP Photo/Army Signal Corps)

Sir.. my grandfather was there.. 1st Engineer Special Bragde 531st Engineer Shore Regiment. He remembers this day and D-day very well.. Tho since it was so hush.. he did not know that it was German E-boats.. He said he was to busy with all that was going on to notice.. He said his unit blew a hole in the beach big enough to put a train in it.. he said it was 2 ton of c-4 and it blew the roof off a beach house over a mile away..

Pa was on Utah an hour or so before 0630.. He said it was a few guys from the 531st that brought the soilder out of the bell tower Of St. Mary Eglise..

I thank you and honor you for your loyalty and service to our country!!

I hope to get Pa on here or atleast give me a few stories to pass on here..

Unfortunately, the modern media tends to have little knowledge about World War II and uses stock photography without realizing the detailed differences between training pictures and the real action.

__________________
Regards, Michelle

Oliver Goldsmith, "I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines."

Thank you, Mr. Marlowe. I appreciate any memories you are willing to share with us.

__________________
Regards, Michelle

Oliver Goldsmith, "I love everything that's old: old friends, old times, old manners, old books, old wines."

Mr. Marlowe, great to hear from you again!!

great to read,thanks mr.marlowe,pics too,ray..

__________________
ray w.

ladies and gentelman:

i had upmost contemt for the Sutzstafflen. Many of their leader were inmy belief of the German Criminal class. We were perfectlt content to send them to the happy hunting ground.

No. 2 on our hate list was the Volksgrenider Units they were slightly less political than the SS.

As Ever,
Walter L. Marlowe

( Airborne all the Way)

Mr. Marlowe:
I went the other direction and learned some Japanese and tried to drop my ordinance on the right spot and not on a panel.
Write on.....

Dear Fighter Pilots:

Your cohorts in the IX fighter did a great job in Holland. They wre johnny on thespot when we needed them. Our FAC Officer with his jeep and radio was one of our keys to staying alive.

Thank for your work in the Pacific. I hope they appreciated your work

As Ever,

Walter L. Marlowe

(Airborne all the Way)

Mr. Marlowe,

Hope you don't mind me asking.

1. Would you mind to tell us when and why did you learn a contempt for the SS? Did you hear or witness indecent treatment of POWs or civilians by its members?

2. Why and when did you do the same for Volksgrenadiers? According to some books, the after the July coup Hitler appointed the Waffen-SS for the training and indoctrination of all new infantry (Volksgrenadier) divisions. Was the extend of Nazification of them more successful then what we (common researchers) have been lead to believe?

3. Was the general impression that Volksgrenadier Divisions were generally of low quality, composed of low category men with very little training or morale, with some exceptions made for old units reconstituted with Kriegsmarine/Luftwaffe personel?

4. You said previously that in ABN units, a platoon has three 15 men squads armed with two M1919s. Every German infantry squad of 9 had one machine gun and their mechanized infantry had two. Did you ever feel outgunned on the small unit level? And did any paratroopers found use with BARs?

ladies and Gentelman:

I on an unofficia basis augmented my firepower by recovering M1919 cal .30 machine guns from disabled British M 4 tanks. When XVII Airborne Corp. became our commanders we ere visited by some of their staff officers. One wanted to what were all the non TE Machine guns that were in the trailer of my jeep? I pointed out to him they were results of battlefied recovery and that my command people were aware of the presence.

They left and to take it up with higher commsnd but I never heard about it. I used the extra gun for situations in wich I need additional firepower.

As Ever,

Walter L. Marlowe

( Airborne all the Way)

Mr. Marlow..
You can NEVER have too much fire power!!!!!