What British Soldiers Thought About American Soldiers in World War II?
Vložit
- čas přidán 26. 05. 2023
- What did British soldiers in World War 2 think about their American counterparts who landed on their shores in early 1942? What followed was a radical change in society in the United Kingdom and for the American soldiers who passed through. This video covers what British soldiers thought about American soldiers during the last world war. It is a very interesting video and you're almost certainly going to find out information that is not well known -- perhaps many new and interesting historical facts! Watch and find out!
At 6:14 I stated that the British had been in the fight for over a year and a half. Correction: It was over two years.
If you enjoyed this video, then you may also like:
Battle of Gavutu and Tanambogo
• The Battles of Gavutu ...
Deep Battle Part II: German Surprise At Nancy
• Deep Battle Part 2: Ge...
Lt. General Patton in Operation HUSKY -- Sicily -- Patton Series -- Part 2
• Patton in Operation HU...
What Did British Soldiers In World War 2 Think About American soldiers?
#WW2 #History #WWII
![Eminem - Houdini [Official Music Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/22tVWwmTie8/mqdefault.jpg)
If you enjoyed this video, then you may also like:
Indian 4th Infantry Division in World War II
czcams.com/video/dcF0FaN-ZDE/video.html
What if Sun Tzu Directed Operation Barbarossa?
czcams.com/video/v9IBMA9trM0/video.html
World War II: Sandstorms in North Africa
czcams.com/video/fdA2Vz9LE-I/video.html
British Boxes in the North African Desert -- World War II
czcams.com/video/3PCPq7uDRms/video.html
the British used to say of the Americans, "over paid, over sexed, and over here"....
Always last to come into a war when they knew the could be on the winning Side!!
This is a very good, well-balanced presentation. Thank you.
United Kingdom 383,600
United States 416,800
Military deaths in WW2 Case closed. You are welcome Britain !!!!!
@@peteredwards3946 The European powers started both World Wars . America aided the Allies in both wars with convoys of ships carrying food , medical supplies , ammunition , and other war material . US Navy and Merchant Marine sailors died from attacks from German U Boats while escorting supply convoys to Britain in both wars .
My grandad was on the Atlantic convoys in WW2 , he loved the Yanks . He’d never tasted steak or ice cream before , and on his first visit to NYC he got talking to a few Yank sailors and they took him to a bar and bought him a steak and some ice cream after it . They all shared a love of boxing and he said that was how they all got talking . He’d never hear a bad word said about the yanks (and rightly so ). I served in the British army in Bosnia and Kosovo and also spent some time at Fort Bragg , the yank squaddies used to treat us really well and we enjoyed a good few beers with them . Thanks Uncle Sam , from your cousins across the pond 🇬🇧🤝 🇺🇸
Love back to the UK 🇬🇧 🤝🇺🇸 my fiancé is British and two are our twin
Daughters. Loved the Uk for 5 years great people.
Bless you! 🙂
I'm American and my granddad said that the British used to always ask the American soldiers for cigarettes because they knew they had them every day with their. Meals along with the pack of gum..ha! The gum chewing for americans was a way to keep them busy because americans are pretty anxious and feisty. They got a pack a lucky stripes every day & Every time the british would run into americans they would always ask "Hey yank! May I have a smoke?" British fisherman in england said Even when the americans were training and they would ask american soldiers for a cigarette the americans would give them two Or three cigarettes and they were always very generous..
Some of the british referred to americans as Is being there spoiled cousins because Our troops got the best of everything but that's because america's a couple of country and we weren't Socialiat! We were not back then but the president we had during world war two established so many administrative agencies that are not constitutional & now we've got 438 we pay $$$ taxes to & They don't do anything. President trump is running 4 President AGAIN & Joe biden's democrat socialist neo nazi anti semite and the cultural marxist are doing everything they can To break him and he won't give up. Trump was able to take whatever documents belong to him as president as he wanted because it was lawful according to the 2014 presidential records ACT. That was put in place by president obama and congress and they're trying to charge trump on something from 1978. I can't get over them charging him with espionage because that's ridiculous. ..America is going through our own Civil War now because Joe Biden and a lot of the political elite have been a little too chummy with Chinese communists. They like that Communist power & control but love Capitalist money!
Our 2020 ELECTION WAS Cheated! You know it's a complete cheat WHEN Joe biden's administration comes in until it was the most Joe Biden's administration comes in and says it was the most LEGAL ELECTION EVER! NOOOO!! I'm a registered republican and the truth is , Not all but many republican VOTERS REGISTERED were cleared & removed from the voter roll. I checked and I was registered in September of 2020 and when I went to bed on election day in November. They told me I wasn't registered. I was pissed! It was not just a presidential election to me It was not just a presidential election to me but a mayors & Senator out!
What we've done as republicans as keep our voter registration cards with us & vote early. Republicans are pretty traditional and they were screwing up with the voter machines on election day because most republicans go vote on election day. Republicans are pretty traditional and they were screwing up with the voter machines on election day because most republicans go to vote on election day. They are going to be into a big. Those socialist crooks are going to be in for a big surprise in 2024. Even though harvesting of ballots is legal in some states republicans have always thought it to be like heresy. It's unethical! However, in the 2022 midterms California Republicans won Central south california seats because they were harvesting ballot because it's legal in california. We don't give a darn anymore and all? Of us? Are gonna go out in harvest ballots and states where it's legal but in my state of virginia it's not legal.
So was my grandad, he always loved the sea and would say a sailor is a sailor no matter what nationality
My dad was a submariner on the Atlantic convoys but rarely commented on the Americans, he was too busy telling us his stories of being deph charged by the Germans. My dad was awarded a medal from the Russians for helping them during the war
My uncle was a Desert Rat. He and two friends were separated from their company; they were picked up by Americans who threw kit off their vehicle in order to get them in. He never got over it.
He had been at Dunkirk and his rescue boat was blown up. He got picked up by another boat and got back home, but he was put on a charge for losing his boots, weapon and kit. I am not kidding!
So, when the Americans were dumping supplies into the desert, without giving it a second thought, he was forever grateful.
An excellent story. I, too, would be forever grateful for someone pulling me out of the desert. But, to be fair, in virtually every army in the world losing your weapon is a chargeable offense. I would hope, however, that it being Dunkirk the charges were a mere formality. On the other hand, I wouldn't be shocked to find out the British Army dunned him for the cost (I've heard tales /smh).
@@dscott6629 It often happened. You can lose the kit, but it would be considered a disgrace to lose your rifle.
I'd love to read your uncle's biography.
My grandad was in the Royal Navy at Dunkirk. His mine sweeper was dive bombed and he ended up in the water. He was pulled out by a reserve Royal Navy CPO who was in charge of a pleasure boat sent to lend a hand. They arrived back in Gosport and the CPO told my grandfather to stick with him. He was taken back to the small Hotel the retired CPO owned, where he stayed for a week living a life of luxury. He even eventually married one of the CPOs daughters.
My great grandfather took my grandfather to the Naval Barracks in Gosport after a week and claimed to have found him washed up on the beach. My grandfather claimed to have no memory at all of the events of the last week. He got away with it.
@@olivercromwell3575 Funny story. I love the British and I'm an old US Marine that has immigrated here now and live in St Neots. I love the country and the people and I've already apologized four or five times for arrogant Americans. I watched this video and it made me sad. As an American I know too many of them that take EVERYTHING seemingly for granted with no appreciation of the work that went into what they are given. It is a sad state for America and a sad state that the horrendous greed of the rich in the UK in which they lord everything over people they consider 'lower class'. You would have to cut my throat before I would call ANYONE on this earth Lord and it makes me sick that people in the UK used to have to do that. What a sickening bunch the "Lords and Ladies" were.
God bless the UK.
My uncle was in the Royal Navy and could barely hide his admiration for the American forces, especially the island hopping in the Pacific, where the engineers would be building runways on the beaches the moment the marines got off them. He was at Normandy on D Day and to the end of his days was still awestruck at the sheer spectacle of what he had seen. Together with the Aussies, New Zealanders and Canadians, we all have each others backs and we always will. Here's to the 5 Eyes. 🇬🇧🇺🇲🇦🇺🇨🇦🇳🇿
Long may our flags wave together.
Overpaid, oversexed, and over here! Brits about Americans.
Don’t think we all forget about 1812 buddy, ww2 was a common enemy that’s all
Agreed, well said stareatme.@@stareatme9983
@@stareatme9983 Oh be quiet.
I used to fly a lot & went through a phase of reading WWII memoirs to pass the time. One was from a tank soldier stationed in the European Theatre. He told of sitting in a tank in a German city facing his British counterpart when they heard a commotion coming from a side street between the two. All of a sudden they saw an American walking backwards firing a pistol in each hand. The Brits LOVED it. They called the guy Tex and were delighted to learn he was, indeed, from Texas. He told it a lot better and it was a funny story!
Do you remember the name of this memoir?
My grandfather was a WWII veteran who spent time in the UK. He said that the relationship between US and UK troops reminded him of an extended family; they might quarrel a bit among themselves from time to time, but God help any outsider who threatened any of them.
That's partially because we're essentially the same people, just seperated by an ocean, and a common language.
@@thefurrybastard1964 And a hot beverage.
@@thefurrybastard1964 We are? My daughters are of Latvian, Finnish and Filipino descent. No English or British in there. My best friend is full blooded Italian.
@@throwback19841 You mean a hot beer?
@@robertsaiz3339 More likely the whole Tea/Coffee debate....
Some things don't change. I worked in Oman, for the Sultan of Oman's Artillery, when Saddam invaded Kuwait. After a tour along the Omani/Yemini border we got back to a very large airfield, called Thumrait, which was empty when we left for the border. After we got back we found the American forces had arrived in their hundreds, and had set up a tent city, getting ready for Kuwait. While we had to sleep on the ground on camp beds, under cam nets while on the border, we found the Americans on Thumrait had air conditioned tents, (something I had not seen before), freezer trucks with ice cream and cold chocolate sweets etc. The food in their field kitchens was first class with no shortage of steaks, burgers etc. They also had satellite comms so they could phone their families back in the US. I was amazed at the luxury of American so called field conditions. However, one thing we had on Thumrait, which the Americans didn't, was we could get beer and as many as we liked, (which in true Brit fashion was a lot!). The poor Yanks were dry, by order.When we pitched up in Thumrait, covered in desert dust from the long drive back from the Yemen border, we found the Americans to be very friendly and hospitable and very happy to share their rations with us. We repaid their hospitality by smuggling cases of beer into their encampment. All in all, it was a very interesting experience and one I'm glad I had.
Wasp, thanks for sharing a personal story about the first Gulf War! For that, you get a heart!
I spent 22 years in the US Marines, I never saw "field conditions" like that! Lived rough for the vast majority of it.
@@JWWhiteTX Be one of the only enlisted in a unit of mostly O-5 + officers and you'll see that often. That and having to do all of their paperwork so they can play golf.
All troops however professional are "green" until they experience actual conflict. The sheer shock and horror of it takes time to accept and adjust to. Only once the adjustment has been made will their true fighting qualities come to the fore.
@@JWWhiteTX Maybe he was looking at an Army camp. :)
I did see a video about the Americans in one place where they had these little dwelling units that were constructed like trailer homes, but much smaller at something like 10 by 10 feet or so. Each had an AC unit and around it were concrete slabs standing up (a bit like those barriers on the freeways when construction is going on, but taller and thicker) to protect from shells. Oddly, though, they don't lay a slab across the top so a direct hit means death because those little dwelling units are like eggshells and they are pretty tightly packed making that not unlikely if someone lobs a shell or mortar into the camp. Seems like a lack of planning there.
My father was a GI in Italy. He courted my Italian mother with food. My Italian family wasn't quite starving but practically. My mother told me of being invited by my father to an officer's club dinner. My father got drunk, and my mother had to take him out of there. She was angry because they hadn't had dinner yet. Before she left, she swept a whole lot of food into her purse. My mother's father was an important Resistance leader. My grandparents were hiding Jews and Italian army deserters in a secret passage under the house.
Steven, thank you for contributing a family story. For that, you get a heart!
My thanks to them for saving my fellow people.
I read a.very enjoyable book called Boys, Bombs, & Brussel Sprouts, about a Canadian serving in either the R.A.F. or R.C.A.F in Bomber Command in Britain in W.W.2. Because the American Bombers had to fly higher & faster they were given the southern English bases in largely East Anglia, while the British & Commonwealth Bomber squadrons were allotted the more Northern bases in Lincolnshire & Yorkshire. The author said that on surviving a raid over Germany, on the way back they would radio back to their more northernly base any excuse, short of fuel, etc , so they could land at an American base because they received so much hospitality. He said not only did the.Americans have ice cream, they had 12 flavours! They would hand you a brand new bomber jacket, saying " That fits you well, take it with you"
My Father was a member of the Army Air Corps “Carpetbaggers” Special Ops Unit - detached to the newly formed OSS - initially stationed in Harrington, England (prior to being stationed in Italy.)
My Father spoke very little about his Unit’s actions in WW2 - most of which was Classified until the 1990’s; long after he had passed away.
My Mother did say that he told her that the English people were Tough - he was especially impressed with the way that they fought through The Blitz.
I have a couple of pictures of my Dad and his buddies from WW2; one of which is a photo of 12 guys - both US Airmen & RAF Members - sitting at a dinner table. As it turns out, the event was actually a Wedding; and my Dad was a groomsman for one of his RAF buddies ( a rather novel experience for a first-generation Irish Catholic, I would imagine 😀.)
From what my Mom told me, half of the men in that picture did not live through the War. Unequivocally, my Father carried the losses of his fallen Airmen with him, for the rest of his life.
In 2017, my Father’s Unit was, due to their relationship with/the OSS, awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.
While my Dad absolutely Never spoke w/me about the War (I was the youngest child in the Family; and very young, when he died @ only 55 years of age), and, he was visibly uncomfortable when one of my aunts or uncles made any comments about his time in the War, it was also clear to me how very proud he was of his US Army Air Corps Unit.
My farther in law was a RN FAA fighter pilot in the Second World War serving on the Russian Convoys, the Med fleet and attacks on the Turpitz. He was trained by the Americans in Pensacola and flew American planes. He had a massive respect for the Americans often quoting their fighting spirit, can do attitude, organizational capabilities. He often visited the US and was part of the Pensacola Cub Club…an organisation of ex UK pilots trained by the US in WW2. Every 2 years they would organise a trip to Pensacola where the US Navy hosted them in grand style. He loved the US.
My grandfather never made it overseas, but he was stationed guarding the coast of Pensacola FL.
He said it was crazy serious stuff. In the sense the base commander kept them convinced there would be a Nazi frogmen attack. Said every little sound had you on edge. He told me he'd have much rather just have a fight and get it done. The suspense was even worse.
@@cdgee6399 I remember by own Grandfather an infantry soldier telling me about being on reconaisance patrol in Sicily - they knew there were german troops out there somewhere but not sure where so were slowly making their way forward - he said he'd never felt as alert and aware in his life - pitch black darkness absolutely straining eyes and ears to hear or see anything, then someone shouted a challenge at them in german so they threw a couple of grenades, and fired off some rounds in the direction the shout had come from whilst they withdrew.
My dad who turned 100 in September of 2022 was in the USAAF 9th AF 391st Bombardment Group in 1944 and was credited with 78 combat missions and was awarded the " Distinguished Flying Cross" !! He doesn't talk much about the war. He was a Bombardier Navigator on a B-26 .I didn't learn he won the DFC until his eightieth birthday when he gave me his Medal.
He flew out of Matching Green which was Southwest of London . The only thing I remember him talking about was saying the RAF flyers were a little stand offish at first but after a few drinks at the local pub everyone was friends . I visited England in 1989 and visited Matching to see where my dad flew out of . I stopped at a pud and ordered a pint and this old gent asked my why I was in Matching . I told him about my dad and I wanted to see where he flew out of . Needless to say that was the only beer I had to pay for . My siblings and I bought a trip to England for an anniversary gift for my and parents and they visited Matching. My mom said that dad had tears in his eyes when they visited the location of the base .
Thats really sweet.
I was in the USN visiting Perth/Fremantle, Australia in 1982, and I couldn't keep up with the beers the locals were buying, 38 years after WWII!
Great story! Glad your dad was able to see his old air base once last time.
The memories he relived..our minds are mighty that even after all the yrs a smell, sound, sight, etc can bring the memory back like we are RIGHT THERE AGAIN IN THAT MOMENT.
That was the sweetest thing you did for him..
He flew out green not knowing war yet..I can understand why he didn't like to talk about it.
I look at pics of my hub and me, young married with 2 babies on our laps..
It's like looking at strangers with our memories.
Great story. Thank you for sharing
My father 🇬🇧 was in North Africa from 39’ then onto Italy in 43’ , he hadn’t got a lot good to say about the GI’s when he first came across them in Libya in 42’ on reflection it was understandable as he witnessed some weird things (which I don’t want to repeat) I also think their was some jealousy , as the ‘gear’ ( equipment) that the GI’s had was far better, clothing, rations, equipment etc. and you have to remember he had come from a Victorian (old fashioned , reserved society) whereas the Americans were seen as brash and mouthy, but by the time the GI’s had got to Italy, bloodied and wise, his opinion changed, he went on to Korea, and spent most of his time working with an American construction battalion, building roads in combat zones up and around the hills to get men and artillery in place, he had some great stories of his time with the ‘Yanks’ 🇺🇸👍🏻😎 He would have been 105 years old today. RIP all those young men that gave up their lives for us 🙌🏻
MartinAV8, what a wonderful comment! I really would like to know the "weird things he witnessed", but as you wrote -- you don't want to repeat them. Anyway, for that, you get a heart!
My dad was with the British 8th Army too and was left with much the same opinion.
"better US gear"
Except your infantry anti-tank weapons were better, as well as some of your tanks. Your "kangaroo" APC was fully tracked and had better side and front armor than the more ubiquitous half track, but no roof, so no top protection (even against the rain).
Indeed.
R.I.P. to those fallen heroes.
Have you ever heard of periods? Interesting insight.
My mother was in the British army corps when she met my dad. He of course was an American soldier. They had four kids and live their life together in the US. I’m one of those people who would not exist without World War II.
Everyone: "lets go back in time and kill Hitler."
You: " Now hold on a minute.."
That sure is one way to look at it! LoL!!
I emigrated to the US from the UK just before Sept 11, I joined The USAF, and I can tell you the majority of Airforce personnel I ran into, who realized I was British, were extremely kind. A lot of US Air Force service members are stationed in Britain at some time or other. Almost all of them have a great time there and find most Brits to be very hospitable and friendly. When i Deployed to The Middle East, the RAF were not very hospitable to us, we were not allowed into their NAAFI's. I found once I was on the other side that British service personnel were not very friendly towards us, my father was a FLT In the RAF and A Capt in The British Army, he loved the Yanks, he was raised during WW11, so remembered their kindness,. and liked them. That treatment towards Americans annoyed me, and I never understood it. At the end of the day we are not too dissimilar.
My grandad fought in WWII and wouldn’t have a bad word said about the American’s and his sister married a black G.I. who stayed in the U.K. after the war.
So your dad is from the future then. Nice!
Thank you for what you did.
tbh mate that's the RAF. Insecure Posh tarts who don't know which end of a barrel a bullet comes from or how to pitch a tent. Army and Navy is a whole different story; if you had bumped into any of them you'd have been treated as a brother. I think unfortunately bonds are made in blood and the RAF would faint at the sight of it which is why the bond isn't as strong.
Royal Navy were standoffish, probably as they were on land, the Royal Marines i met were alright. My dad was Royal Welsh Fusiliers, my uncles were para's, tough bunch ,Squaddies, Cheers! @@hobosinamansion
I have served with Canadians and the Brits multiple times. We are family. We will always fight side by side. I pity anyone who goes against our might.
Thanks for your comment and for watching!
HOOAH!!! ❤❤❤❤
Damned Straight!!! 🇨🇦🇺🇸🇬🇧🍺🍻🥂🥃
Yeah great bro but we’re looking for stories here
Tiny Pee Pee posted : I pity anyone who goes against our might.
======================================
Good post but you might want to send that message to our governments
There's a great older newsreel of a Russian dentist and former POW who insisted on telling his story to some American TV journalists filming inside the Soviet Union in the 1970's. He told stories of how the Russian prisoners subsisted on a bowl of potato soup every day and that the American POWs made a coordinated effort to smuggle food and other goods received via Red Cross care packages to the Russians in order to help keep them alive, something that could have easily gotten the Americans involved summarily executed. The news reporters managed to contact two of the Americans involved and arranged a reunion between one of them and the Russian dentist. Very emotional and compelling story and it's clear how at least one former Russian soldier felt about Americans.
Mask Hysteria, I can back up this story to some degree. I read about Allied soldiers who slipped food over to Russians in the POW camps. I may have read it in more than one book.
I saw that! But remember, the American soldier cited the Russian dentist for clandestinely performing small medical work on all the pows, including for Americans. There was just so much mutuality.
I'm not crying. You're crying.
I read in Wikipedia that in Stalag Luft III the Americans smuggled some of their Red Cross parcel foodstuffs and food sent in the mail from their families to the British POW’s in a different neighboring camp. The German rationing was actually 500 calories short of health recommendations so trading and scrounging were priorities.
czcams.com/video/oGwZ0pakhHE/video.html
and he fixed their teeth in gratitude.
My RAF fitter father fondly remembered un-boxing Packard Merlin engines because, unlike the RollsRoyce Merlins, each had a complete tool kit with each engine
Ken Summers, thank you for confirming my research! You're not the first and you probably won't be the last!
@@EmersusTech You're welcome! (BTW the full anti-American saying used by the British troops was "Over paid, over sexed and Over Here!" My mother remembered a returning (at war's end) British troop truck convoy, one with a sign saying "Don't wave at us girls, we're British!" 🤣
The socket set with each Merlin engine was because Rolls-Royce allowed Packard to use American threads not Whitworth. So each engine destined for the British needed a socket set to work on.
My grandfather was with Merrill's Marauders during WWII, and he had no problem with the Indian soldiers, British soldiers, or Australian soldiers who volunteered for the unit. Everybody was in awe of the Marauders, due to their amazing willpower and toughness, as well as the fact they didn't leave one single member behind. When my grandfather was laid up in a field hospital with jungle rot, and unable to walk, he used the support beams of the pavilion hospital to swing from his bed to others, delivering water, magazines, and cards to other soldiers recovering there. He recovered, and was deployed back into the field where he marched 750 miles to Myitkyina where he had a bout of dormant malaria, and still hefted a rifle and defended the airfield and town from a Japanese push until reinforcements arrived.
Do not forget this amazing military unit, a collaboration between four countries that managed to push Japanese invaders out of Burma and China during WWII. All of them were brothers in arms.
John, there's a new video out that you may want to see:
Monash's Masterpiece: The Battle of Hamel
czcams.com/video/93mVu2vgErs/video.html
My grandfather who was an American GI had fought under General Paton during WWII. He stated that he had witnessed the British soldiers fighting during battles and said that he developed a great respect for them and claimed they were brave.
Doc Von Villainy, thanks for sharing about Patton!
Everyone in that war was brave, my friend.
@@thefurrybastard1964 You must be American. Can't have another nation getting praised, amirite?
@Bukka what?
@@EmersusTechI grew up in the Desert where Patton’s Troops Trained! The Army sent me to Ft. Irwin for Desert Training before it was called NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER (NTC) Irwin is High Desert I come from Blythe CA which is Low Desert!
I SAID: THANKS FOR THE VACATION!
This is a very fair assessment and accurate I feel. There are significant cultural differences between the British and Americans- especially in terms of attitude towards military discipline. The British have higher standards of discipline, whilst the American's tend to be more relaxed. There is no refuting that the Americans are fast learners- one of their great strengths. Whilst they got off to a shaky start during Cobra and Kasserine Pass was a humiliating disaster, the Americans learnt hard won lessons and quickly improved. The Americans have a 'can do' attitude, which is to their credit. They are also enthusiastic as a general rule. The British saw the Americans holding up their end of the log, and that was enough to earn our respect. In addition, speaking a common language facilitated good relations between British and US soldiers at grass root level.
A few years ago, I was privileged to speak with an RAF Lancaster Navigator at length about his service. He told me about being shot down on a daylight raid in Oct 1944. He became a POW and was initially held in Poland. As the Red Army began to advance into Poland, the Germans forced march the POW's 250 miles over ten days back into Germany to another camp. Eventually, the Russian army closed in and the German guards abandoned the camp. The Russians took over, and within two days, the navigator realised that the Russians had no intention of releasing the POW's. He told me that the Russians were poorly disciplined compared to the Germans, so it was far easier to escape over the wire and get way. He and another RAF bloke spent 5-7 days on the run, working their way through the German lines, moving at night and sleeping during the day. They lived off the occasional raw potato and water from streams. They eventually had to swim one of the major German rivers in order to reach allied lines. On doing so, they found themselves in the American sector. He told me, "The Americans were superb, they treated us like royalty." The first thing the Americans did was have both men examined by a doctor, who gave them vitamin injections. After a medical, they were immediately taken to a shower block- where they had hot showers. On exiting the shower, two US GI's were waiting with fresh uniforms for them. They were then escorted by a SNCO to the cookhouse, where the SNCO instructed the catering staff, "These British guys have escaped a POW camp, they've had a hell of a time of it. Give them as much hot food as they want, and whatever they want!" The American catering lads served up steak and potatoes with other veg, and they even made an urn of tea for them. The old boy finished up by saying, "I will not have a bad word spoken about the Americans, they were superb, extremely generous, nothing was too much trouble. We were treated like royalty, I will never forgot them for it."
In 1998/99 I was involved in a military exchange in the US at Camp Ripley. We worked alongside the Americans and Canadians. I was quietly impressed with many aspects of the Americans- no doubting their enthusiasm or motivation, and much of their kit was excellent. We got on well with the American lads. The greatest mistake anybody can make is to under estimate the Americans- as the Japanese found out to their cost. The Americans are formidable-no doubt about it.
*RESPECT* to our American friends and allies! :)
LIVERPOOL SCOTTISH, thanks for the wonderful comment! For that, you get a heart!
The Soviets/Russians were not, have never been our allies in reality, fact! Great story thanks!! 🇬🇧🇺🇲👍
@@Gertieness Allies only in name. But we must be honest, without them the war would have been lost. Officially, roughly 8.6 million Soviet soldiers died in the course of the war, including millions of POWs.
As an American veteran of the USMC 75 - 79, I was taught that US Marines were direct decedent's of British Royal Marines back in 1775 and that the hard-core training and discipline of the USMC most certainly was born from the Royal Marines and can be attributed too that Era till this day. I've always felt a sort of kinship with the Brits because of that.
On that note, war's are won for quite a few reasons, planning, tactics and discipline along with beans, blankets and bullets to mention a few.
My Grandfather was a veteran of WWII in Europe, and unfortunately he never spoke about his time there. But I do remember he had a fur lined GI overcoat from the war, so when I slept over my grandparents house I would use it as a blanket.
The stories I've read here, were very humbling, War is no good and for some ungodly reason mankind keeps on repeating it for atleast the past 6,000 years. Is that not the definition of insanity?
Finally, I believe the UK and the US are very closely aligned as a result of the war and if not for eachother there might not have been the either, at the end of WWII. I thank God for the men and women of that Great generation, even if there's still a bit of friendly nit picking going on.
Cheers!
You mentioned Camp Ripley... would that be in Minnesota? BTW...my father was a WW2 Marine who was involved in nasty combat action that he rarely spoke of. Thanks for the mention of their bravery.
Some years ago an English gentleman visited The National Infantry Museum and Soldiers Center in Georgia. We (volunteer docents) enjoyed talking to him very much. One thing he said was that he was always glad to see the "yanks" coming because they had better food, better weapons and better everything.
scottishhellcat, that's a nice comment! Thanks!
A friendof mine, Bob Halliday, was a Brtish paratrooper in WW2. He was dropped into Normandy at 1 minute past midnight on D-Day. He was soon wounded, but after recovering fought in the Battle of the Rhine. He many times bemoaned the poor state of British clothing , firearms and other equipment compared with that of the Germans and Americans.
Of course they did, they had not been depleted by fight alone for 3 years !
@@marycarver1542 Hadn't the Germans been fighting the same amount of time; and without aid from the US?
@@marycarver1542 No, that isn't the reason. The U.S. was and still is, the land of plenty. Remember the U.S. supplied EVERYONE with something. Food, Ammo, Equipment, parts, engines, etc.....etc.....etc..... The U.S. would have still had better food and weapons even if we had been fighting for those 3 years.
My father was a WW2 British sailor and has nothing but the utmost respect for American servicemen. There was an overwhelming opinion that once the yanks showed up the battle was won.
crosisofborg5524, that was a nice thing to say! It shows he had a lot of faith in the U.S. By the way, have you seen my latest video? You may really like it:
Monash's Masterpiece: The Battle of Hamel
czcams.com/video/93mVu2vgErs/video.html
Thank you for your comment and for watching!
Of course, we bested England in the American Revolutionary War...And the War of 1812.
Having worked with US Forces during Op Granby, and then living in America for two years, they are to me not only cousins but Brothers in Arms. Working together with them was one of the best experiences on Ops I've had, and then to be invited to live in California when I was recovering was indeed a hand across the ocean.
Much love ands respect.
Love back to UK 🇬🇧 🤝🇺🇸 my fiancé is British as well as our twin daughters lived in the UK for 5 years.
Shane...whereabouts in California?
Yes, that’s what most other non English speaking countries don’t understand. U.S. U.K. Canada, Australia, New Zealand, its not just “Allies and friends …….It’s Family. And NEVER Fuck with Family….fuck with one you fuck with all….
@@samuelegbert2199 many o f us literally came from thier ancestors. yes they are cousins of ours. their old history is our old history before we came here. We are the eldest child who took early independence from our parent, as soon as we grew up.
My Mum's boyfriend in WW2 was Bernie from Cleveland, a navigator on a Flying Fortress - I asked her, "Mum why did you choose the Navigator? She said, "Well, he knew his way around".
😂😂😂
😂😂😂
I get it, but the Navigator also had the brains.
My dad and uncle enlisted into the U.S. Army shortly after Pearl Harbor. My dad served in North Africa, Italy and then went to England to prepare for D-Day. He didn't talk about the fighting, but said he loved English and its people.
I'm not sure of the path my uncle followed, but towards the end of the war, he and his platoon liberated a concentration camp. That's pretty cool!
I had uncles in the American, British and Canadian Armies that either liberated camps or arrived just after liberation. These were damned hard men, and it scarred them for the rest of their lives.
8:10 Fun fact, the reason Americans even had ice-cream during WW2 was because they had an entire ship dedicated to making ice cream. It was simply called the Ice Cream Barge, and it could produce 10 gallons or 38 liters of ice cream every seven minutes.
Multi Colored Psychopath, I didn't know that! You see, we can learn something new every day! That would be a real morale booster! For that contribution, you get a heart!
@@EmersusTech Thanks! I actually really appreciate that. Funnily enough, the only reason I know that is because I did a whole college essay in English on ice-cream. She said we could write about anything, and I like ice-cream. Mint chocolate chip. Hope you go far.
@@EmersusTechthe funniest thing is the ice-cream barges were built because of prohibition and its the same reason why America had literal cheese vaults
America is surely the first country on Earth to take refrigerators to war with them. 👍😝
That's freaking crazy! Clearly the Americans know a lot about morale.
My father was in the guards armoured division in normandy and he wouldn't have a bad word spoken about the yanks. He told me they were so generous. His company was walking down a road in normandy and US tanks passed them . The yanks threw out cartons of cigarette's for them and other stuff. My mother was a teenager in exeter at the time and with rationing they were always hungry. The local refuse tip was used by the yanks too and mum and friends used to go rummage in the tip. One day the yanks turned up with lots of meat in grease proof paper. It was steaks, perfectly eatable but being dumped. Imagine my mum and her mates surprise to be eating steak. She always said that the yanks dumped stuff knowing it was good to help them out.
The Guards Armoured Division and US 82nd Airborne Division cooperated abdyfought very well together around Nijmegen in Market Garden with praise on both sides.
This sounds exactly like something that some Americans would do, deliberately, once they learned about British "stiff upper lip" and pride.
I read an account by a young boy who lived in an English village, with a large temporary American camp nearby. The Americans suddenly disappeared one night, to embark for D-Day, and the locals woke up to find piles of tinned food on their doorsteps, that the Americans were ordered to destroy but gave to people they knew to be suffering food rationing.
I am overwhelmed by these tales of comradeship between cross-ocean "cousins" during the war. Can't resist mentioning a further, inadvertent, collaboration, in which some young British lads took a liking to some American music, their versions of which became hugely popular.
@@nyetzdyec3391 Yep, you don't want to hurt someone's pride by making them feel like a charity case, even when they might need the help.
My dads impression of the Americans was "The Yanks were nice enough blokes but too laid back, sloppy, undisciplined and liked to brag too much" however I think he only ran into any Americans once as he only told me one story concerning our American cousins which I'll repeat here. Shortly after Germany's surrender he asked his CO permission to return to the UK to marry my mum, while the CO gave his permission he had to be back with the commando 72 hours later. Dads whirlwind journey began by hitching a ride to an RAF station to try and get a flight back home, but no flights were going to England, so he then got a lift to another RAF station only to be told again there were no flights out to England. So getting yet a third lift he then arrived at a USAAF base. At the gate he told the sentry he was looking for a flight back to blighty, the sentry picked up a phone spoke to someone on the other end for a minuet then directed my dad calling him 'MAC' to some building on the air field and just let him through the checkpoint without even checking his identity, when he got to the building he'd been directed to he spoke to a corporal asking to see someone about getting a flight back home. The corporal turned then knocked twice on the door of an office and entered the room and said "S'cuse me Capt'n, some limey's 'ere lookin' for a flight back to England," dad was shown into the office, the corporal turned and left without even saluting the captain, dad who was a sergeant and use to strict discipline just couldn't get over how laid back these Americans were, anyway the USAAF captain picked up some papers and after looking through them for about a minuet told dad he was in luck as a flight was leaving for England later that day. Dad gratefully thanked him and was flown back to the UK on a C-47 Dakota who's crew shared coffee and sandwiches with him, and he managed to get back home the next day in time to marry my mum. Dad returned to Germany once again on a C-47 Dakota, this time courtesy of the RAF and true to the Royal Marine spirit he returned to 48 commando within the 72 hours his CO had given him, however dad told me it was easier to get back in to Germany that it was to get out.
Ian Sands, yes, many Americans called others "Mac" - like, "Hey, mac" in America. Even when I was young, it was still pretty common. I totally believe your story. Anyway, I knew what you meant. Thanks for the great story! For that, you get a heart!
@EmersusTech "Mack" is the older precursor to "dude."
@@EmersusTech "USAAF" stood for "United States Army Air Forces". As you said, it became an independent branch after the war, the USAF.
Something to note about the American Armed forces is we don't salute indoors unless it's a ceremony. So yeah The CPL wouldn't salute a CPT in that situation.
@@EmersusTech USAAF was actually disbanded in Sep 1947. It was previously called the Army Air Corp until 1941 which is when to was changed to USAAF. So his terminology is correct.
My dad was in ROYAL NAVY in ww2 , he was on LST [landing ship for tanks] and took USA troops on invasions of Salerno etc , the US TROOPS were in the hundreds on each trip and ships crew was only about 50 ,so the Americans took charge of the galley so the crew got the same as Americans ,they were glad to get the superior food ,eggs ,flapjacks ,steak ,fruit juice coffee available day and night they loved it , sometimes they would have troops singing over the P.A. my dad said some of them were very good, the night before they hit the beach a big American quarter master gave him a case of tinned boneless chicken saying to my Scottish father "there you go Scottie and may god go with you" he never forgot that , by the way all US TROOPS he shipped were BLACK , there was still segregation in US military during ww2.
As long as he enjoyed them.
The African American troops were often preferred over their white comrades, they were polite and didn't expect to have everything their own way. Such as when white US troops would demand local pubs or shops refuse to serve black US troops, often leading to businesses putting up signs saying Blacks welcome, no whites or words to that effect. The Battle of Bamber Bridge says it all in fairness and explains why the coloured servicemen were preferred by the locals.
I just learned my great uncle's body was finally found. He was one of the Battling Bastards of Bataan and fought the japanese before becoming a POW and later dying from disease in the camp. He was considered a huge hero to everyone in the town back then.
SICProwl, it's too bad that your family had to wait so long to find out! Thanks for your comment!
R.I.P.
I saw wreak of a tank from that battle on a school trip to the Netherlands and Germany and it had a sign which said a batterterd bastard of Bataan.
My grandmother was 7 years old when WW2 ended in the Pacific, and had lost a brother and 2 sisters in the war. From pictures I've seen of her at that age, she was scary thin and could had passed for a German concentration camp inmate. She often told us how she would not be alive were it not for the American soldiers who handed out food by the thousands of tons and how because of that it was the first time in her life that she tasted chocolate and ice cream. And to starving families like hers, they thought SPAM was a luxury food and could not believe how the Americans were just giving it away.
That's a touching story. But...Spam isn't a luxury food?
@Chip Cook You are very observant and reminded me of something I had almost forgotten. Grandmother was less than 5' and I doubt she ever weigh more than 115 lbs. When I was a freshman in middle school, I weighed more than her.
Where is your family from in the pacific?
Where was your family from in the pacific?
@@bentighe4811 They were starving, so they didn't take the Spam for granted. To them, AT THAT TIME, it WAS a luxury food.
Something I find amusing is that I read about a German officer commenting on the quality of the different soldiers he had fought . He said he couldn't comment on the Americans because there were always so many explosions . They had so much stuff !
My best friend in high school (the upper 1970's) mom was a British war bride. Though Americanized she kept her accent all her life, she died sometime in the 2000's. I found her fascinating.
I was a tank commander with the 1st Armored Division US Army in Germany during the Cold War.
I had many encounters with other soldiers from other nations especially in the tank gunnery training area in Grafenwhor Germany. We got along great. We were a little jealous of the Canadian and German soldiers. The Canadians received twice as much pay as us and the Germans got beer rations in the field.
On one occasion, I accompanied some German tank crewman to the army PX in Grafenwhor to get some drinks. To my surprise all the German soldiers went to fill their cups with root beer. When we got to our table the german soldiers said "Your American beer tasts like bubblegum!"
The german soldiers didn't know what root beer was!
No one knows what root beer is, outside of the US.
Beer made from roots?
That’s what it is lol. It uses lots of the same techniques. It’s why lots of places that make their own beer also usually have their own root beer as well.
@@kevinshort3943 It's soda, basically the same techniques used to make beer like jeremy said.
My dad was stationed in Britain during the preparation for the Normandy Invasion. When I was covering the war in the former Yugoslavia, where the Brits formed a major part of the UN forces, my dad said "Be careful around English soldiers." But I never had any problems. The Brits were awesome.
He probably should have said "don't get into a drinking competition with one and don't get into a fight with one."
I was in Kodiak, Alaska for minesweeping in 1983.They told us the same stories about the fishermen. Totally not true.
@@keighlancoe5933 What we found with the Aussies is don't get in a beer drinking contest with them, instead we bring out the whiskey. You be surprised how they didn't hold their whiskey very well. Never had a chance to serve with any brits though while I was in the Navy as I was forwards deployed in Japan. Well other than the ones stationed in Hong Kong (yes it was that long ago).
My Grandfather met my Grandmother when he was stationed in the UK with the Eight Air Force and they were one of many thousands of couples who married and settled in the U.S. post war.
She was quite a looker so I can see why this would annoy the locals when repeated thousands of times over.
Evilroco, thanks for sharing your family history!
My mums cousin is very Mediterranean looking. She was born in late 1944 to her mother married to a british soldier who was taken prisoner during normandy. When her mother got dementia years later she revealed the truth in a confused state that her father was actually an eight air force soldier who had moved to the US from Italy when he was young.
war brides are usually filthy party girls , they haven't just been bonking you they been bonking all ya mates too
Bwahaha!, yep definitely.😂
@@Ukraineaissance2014 What?
When I was in the US army in Germany in the 1980’s til 1991. We GI’s had nothing but admiration for the British troops, training with them was fun. Both our cultures mix well because of our sense of humor. There were some British accents that were impossible to understand.
But to this day I regard the British as first rate soldiers!
My father was in WW2 he was stationed in England prior to "D-Day" I have a half brother who was born in Egland in 1945. He told me many stories of his time in England during the war. I was able to meet my brother twice, once in 1977 as he and his wife came to the U.S. to see our father, and once when i was in the Army (stationed in West Germany) and took 2 weeks leave to visit him in England. At the time he was a Major in the Royal Air Force.
There are no "Majors" in the RAF.
@@jameshenry3530 maybe there was something like that back then. Or it was translated to what we would call his rank.
Damn, like father like son(s), eh?
Joining the military must be in your genes
@@theCosmicQueen No. There wasn't "something like that back then".
I once read a British evaluation of the American army in general during World War II that stated that Americans relied heavily on Firepower and maneuver, but, when circumstances prevented this, such as during the Italian campaigns terrible weather, the Americans were quick to adapt. 😉
I mean, who wouldn't use firepower and maneuver if they had the choice? Better than being ground up.
I found it ironic that the Germans complained about the same. Wasn't Blitzkrieg and all their successful tank offensives about maneuver and fire power?
The Americans are naturally very quick learners.
Naturally adaptive too, in so many ways.
My Dad was with a unit comprised of 50%American and 50% Canadian. He found them to be great guys. They came from 2 countries with officers from both. He thought the Americans were great guys.of course there was good natured kidding from both sides. He once said their was no one he would want with him in a fight more than the US part of the brigade ( The Devil’s Brigade)
As soon as you said 50/50 American/Canadian I thought, "Devil's Brigade?!"
The precursor to Special Forces.
I've heard of the devils brigade..
My great grandfather was part of the unit. Served in the 6-3 as a Tech Sgt.
this was the birth of the American Special forces ( the Green Beret) you should be so very proud of your Pop.
My father was a paratrooper and fought in many campaigns including behind enemy lines in France. I am not sure when he met us soldiers but the group he met all signed a dollar bill which he kept in his wallet until he died. Not all made it home.
Nothing but love & respect for the Americans.
Love back to the UK 🇬🇧 🤝🇺🇸
It makes me really happy to see this. The internet is full of anti-americanisms from our friends across the pond but I always remind myself that it's the internet, the internet is filled with ignorance and I know that when it comes down to it, I can count on our friends to be there.
@@trevor3013True, it goes both ways…. The internet is a cesspool of hatred. Be yourself and be positive is all you can do if you look online for support….😢
“barley housebroken”
LOL, that got me cracking up.
CJ Clark, yep, that's what at least on British person stated. Thanks for your comment!
What liar said we were?
Back in the 70s when we bought our first house the next door neighbors were a man who had served in WW2 and his English war bride, both were the finest of people, ironically our second home, we live next to a couple from Germany, he had been a Nazi boy scout( Hitler youth) during the war. They were nice people as well.
When I was a boy we had a German lodger who used to be in the Hitler Youth. He was a really nice fellow. It's funny that: my dad spent part of the war in charge of German POWs. If I remember they were in a camp in Wales. In my innocence I asked if he saw any Nazis. He told me that he just saw ordinary hungry dispirited men who couldn't get their hands on any soap. My Uncle was captured by the Germans in North Afrika. They were treated well and both sides got on well with each other. Then, unfortunately the Italians took over the camp......... A neighbour of mine who died about 10 years ago was a signalman in the Heer. He spent most of his time mending wireless sets and shoeing horses (lots of them). Nice Man he was too.
@@kayb9979 my German neighbor was very clear on one thing,he loved the USA and was thankful to live here.
Here in Australia when I was a kid we had an old German couple live next door, he was a nazi in the war and had a big scar from a bayonet on his shoulder and must have left a big chip on his shoulder because they weren't nice people.. if us neighbourhood kids were out playing in the street they'd wait until we hit a ball near their property they'd run out and steal the ball so we couldn't play anymore, us kids got sick of that happening pretty quickly so all us kids would go around at night with golf clubs and hit cane toads on their roof, it didn't take long before their house started to really stink and we kept doing it for years
@@kayb9979 yes i have heard that the germans were pretty good at following conventions on how to treat prisoners of war in ww2.
@theCosmicQueen my grandfather's brother traded his rifle for a redcross and a litter. He said the average german troops respected the redcross, to the point of making eye contact with the Germans in their fox hole and would receive the nod. That didn't apply to the SS.
I was US Army infantry for 9 years. We had done several joint training exercises with British infantry units, before deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. Absolutely hardcore, well trained, fantastic experience. I have a very huge respect for those guys. I also felt confident that if we ran into British military overseas or had to work with them, that we would among the best in the world.
My late grandfather fought in the North African and Italian campaigns. As you've mentioned, he appreciated American equipment, food and company but bemoaned their integration in joint operations. As far as he was concerned, the most likely thing to kill him would be an American artillery barrage or bombing attack - several of which he survived. Several of his companions were not as lucky. He felt that these were due to incompetence, but I suspect the incidents he mentioned were more due to lack of communications and adversity between higher level officers competing rather than working together. As to the respect of Americans towards officers, my grandfather was unconcerned. He seemed to feel that British officers were almost bred for incompetence - particularly those whose positions were due to wealth rather than skill.
Yah my grandpa (American GI) never had anything bad to say about the British troupes he fought with in Africa and Italy, but he said the British officers where worse than the American boot LT. A lot of them where rich pumpuse arse while we had idiot young college kids trying to lead that had no clue what they where doing. He joked he spent just as much time in the Brig as he did out fighting, had a bad case of knocking out officers that would prob got him killed other wise. He was a Golden Glove boxer and didn't have any issues with using his fist. It was like he was an Sargent than get busted down to E-1 and before the next battle was over he be back to being a Sargent...lol
i don't think artillery or aerial bombs were very precise back then....
@@theCosmicQueen Would be harder for the Brits to inform the guns where they were as well, while the American units at least had a chance to call in on Radio or telephone to their support.
It’s the often said American artillery won World War II or at least American artillery units will tell you that with staggering statistics to back it up.
The American developed coordinated artillery strikes so every enemy position was bombarded at the same time and no position could take cover after hearing their neighbors being hit.
Enemy description of the artillery attacks are horrendous to read. Just a surveillance plane flying over head had people ducking for cover because they could be reporting locations.
If an allied position was not reported correctly, it would have been bombed. They hit every position they could.
The Brits may remember their officers as good planners and Americans as rash.. The GI's felt they stalled so Americans would go in first.
I seen this in my feed and decided to watch it. The British were once the greatest power on earth. They just past the torch to their cousin across the pond. We picked it up and continued onward. Yes we're more laid back, generous, friendly, hard-working and have the go for it mindset. The American soldiers now are very organized, well trained, disciplined and 1st military of the world. I am so proud of my soldiers and my country. ❤❤
I'm an Air Force brat, also a Navy vet, and at one time I would've agreed with you. But the navy just had a sailor who's also a drag queen get all dolled up in order to entice new recruits because, like most branches, they're not meeting their quotas. Also, they're understaffed, overworked, and repairs aren't getting done in a timely manner. What kind of military are we going to end up with?
I had a friend from the UK who immigrated to US and had served with the 1st parachute division in the British Army. He had followed in the footsteps of his dad who had jumped into Arnhem in Market Garden debacle. He grew up around the survivors of that battle, his dad was among those captured at the bridge. He told me that none of those 1st para veterans had any love lost for Bernard Montgomery.
My father was originally in the Pacific theater, had an altercation with an officer was thrown in the brig for 2 weeks then sent to the European theater. He said he and his fellow GI's had no love for Montgomery or McArthur.
Montgomery was liked by his men. If you know the full story of Market Garden it was a set of failures that lead to the missions overall loss not the strategy. The biggest failure was the intel, it was way off the mark. Added to that everyone signed off to the operation including the Americans it was not just his plan rather his idea.
@@watkinsrory Thank you for that important clarification. It's not the Hollywood version.
I don't think anyone who met Monty felt any affinity to him. A cold fish. But he was cautious with lives and was generally liked for that.
My late father-in-law loved Montgomery . He fought from Dunkirk ,in Africa, Italy and Normandy. When he died he had arranged to have "La Mer" played at his memorial service. He didn't like the Yanks until he retired to Majorca and a lot of his neighbors were warm, generous Americans as well as his daughter-in-law.@@watkinsrory
Mom was a British war bride. I was born on a US AFB. :)
At 4:47 most of the things used to describe Americans by the Brit’s almost makes me feel proud. The part about “barely housebroken” makes me especially proud hahaha
StuG Life, yes, as an American I appreciate that our forefathers were so "rough". Thanks for your comment!
You have to bear in mind the US military expanded rapidly in WW2 with the draft and meant many US service personnel had minimal training and experience before battle. Next the UK and it’s Empire and Dominions had been fighting since 1939 ie: three full years before Operation Torch. The UK had fought the Germans in France, Norway and Greece , the Italians and Germans to a standstill in North and East Africa, had survived the Battle of Britain and the subs in the North Atlantic. Plus the UK were the lead ally until Operation Cobra when the US broke out of the Normandy beachheads.
Exactly! More than anything else, it amazes me how our military grew from something like 300,000 to about 12,000,000 in a few years time. You can't just throw uniforms on people and send them out, expecting them to know what to do. Imagine starting a company, where you need 120 people that are very well trained, including high level positions to run everything, yet you only start out with 3 that are fully trained!
@@RogCBrand - true, but it's amazing how some of these men, civilians just a couple of years before, became excellent soldiers. We all remember Major Richard Winters, and Eugene Sledge.
@@RogCBrand Well, Putin would say that you can throw uniforms on people and send them out. It's exactly what he does for a long time now in Ukraine.
@@adiagy9283 Putin is insane and doesn't give af. Everyone is fair game and the right size for the uniform.
Very true America was a Isolationist country and its army was Relatively very small for the size of the US. We turned on that war machine and haven't been able to turn if off.
I befriended a Black WWII vet who worked in our historic society museum outside of Philly years ago. He had served in the Navy in England most of the time. He told me the British soldiers complained they were having problems with their officers and observed the American officers treated the enlisted men much better including the minority American soldiers and sailors. He did resent the fact that he would never get a commission but his nephew was able to become a fighter pilot
My Uncle Harry was G.I my Dad was British 8th Army. Harry had jumped ship in New York in rhe 1930's and got citizenship becoming a Marine.
Harry was home in Liverpool 19 43 and took my Dad ,on leave from N Africa, on a tram to the U.S ..P.X, basically supply warehouse, at the Kings Pipe next to the BIg tobacco warehouse. Harry got two sailors kit bags and told the Seargent his family were hungry. They came home with two bags stuffed with cigarettes, coffee,orange juice, corned beef, tea sugar, boot polish, socks, some brandy and weirdly a valve radio some kind soldier gifted them. To add context Britain was living with rationing. The only thing my Dad and a lot of Tommies didnt get was segregation, they saw Yanks , and my Dad received loads of kit fuel and kindness from Black GIs in North Africa and Italy
I worked with the British Army in Afghanistan occasionally. They had the best trauma hospital in the AO bar none and were eager to help us in caring for patients that weren't able to be treated at our facility. Extremely professional and courteous, to the point that they'd offer us tea and Cadbury flake chocolate bars when we dropped patients off at Camp Bastion. They were just superb to work with.
Camp Bastion hospital I believe ended up being one of the best equiped in the world..including the MERT chinooks that were flying hospitals as well.
30 years of 'The Troubles' in Northern Ireland made the UK world leaders in bullet & bomb trauma care.
@@Ditchy69 were you British military?
Tea ? I hope you reminded them of the reason for the Revolution. Joking !
@@jcoker423 I reminded them that the two best James Bond actors were an Irishman (Brosnan) and a Scotsman (Connery)
There is always bound to be differences when cultures clash. But those differences can be pleasant and even fun.
I understand that a large riot broke out in Australia during the early stages of the war when local men got tired of US Marines stealing their girlfriends along with other grievances. At least that never occurred in Britain, at least not to my knowledge.
I used to hear some of my family and family friends share their stories of their time in Britain during the war, and I never heard any bad things said about the Brits. About the worst thing I heard was American soldiers often had a hard time pronouncing the names of railroad stations and towns in Britain, particularly in Wales. That got them into some trouble for missing trains and getting lost, etc. I heard one story of an American soldier from Georgia getting into a scrap with a British soldier because the Brit called him a Yank. Being a man of the South and a proud descendant of Johnny Reb, he didn't like that. I wager this was something many Brits at the time wouldn't have understood. But God bless the Brits, with the exception of some idiots these days, most of us are always glad to have them on our side.
"I understand that a large riot broke out in Australia during the early stages of the war when local men got tired of US Marines stealing their girlfriends along with other grievances". That kind of makes it seem like the Aussies were mainly at fault for this, when in reality this was mainly due to American military police and MacArthur trying to force the Jim Crow laws on the Aussie aboriginal soldiers and their own Black soldiers. The Americans also took credit for some Aussie victories, which pissed off the Australian's.
"At least that never occurred in Britain, at least not to my knowledge." Not with the Brits versus the Americans, but with White US military police and Black US soldiers of the 1511th Quartermaster regiment (an all black unit) Look up The Battle of Bamber Bridge if you want to know more. This was unfortunately common in English speaking countries i.e. Britain, Australia and New Zealand to name three.
Yes.. it took me aback the first time I watched a reaction video and saw the brits call all usa , yanks.
We are American by birth. Southern by the grace of God ❤😂.
WE call others, yanks😅
@barackollama1131 Really? It was all about trying to enforce Jim Crow laws in Australia? I could believe that might be the case on the basis due to the fact that the American military always treats bases abroad as if it were American soil, and as a result, American laws would apply. However, the Jim Crow laws were state laws, not federal laws, ergo said laws would not apply on "federal lands/property" . No US laws or military regulations would have any validity off-base. When off base, American military personnel would be expected to follow orders and beyond that oblige the laws and respect the customs of their host nation.
I was not implying that the Aussies were to blame. That was your inference. I do understand, however, that Aussies were upset that American GIs had rather easy access to certain provisions that were very hard, if not impossible, for Australians to come by due to provisioning restrictions placed upon them during the war. This is also one of the reasons the Australian ladies preferred the company of American servicemen to my understanding.
@@BarackOLlama4 you might have a hard time proving that. sounds more like history revision.
@@BarackOLlama4 Between the White Australia Policy and the similar history of Aboriginal Australians to American Indians, I don't think the Australians got too pissy about racial, ethnic or tribal garbage that every nation since the dawn of time participated in.
As a Brit, I got to agree about American uniforms looking better than the British uniforms during the war.
White Ikiryo, thank you for confirming my research!
On the other hand battledress was cut to give better mobility and storage space. Eisenhower was so impressed with it that he had a custom jacket made for himself based on the battledress tunic, which was later made general issue - because the US jacket was a bit shit for actual combat.
The Germans had the best looking uniforms in that war, especially the SS. But not all that glitters is gold and vice versa.
I once talked to a Canadian who had been in the Korean War and he said that they loved it when the Yanks turned up. I asked why and he said "you wouldn't believe the firepower those guys turn up with...made you feel safe"
ingerlander, when the South Koreans fought in Vietnam (alongside the U.S. troops), they had this (M55) special quad .50 caliber that would just rip the forest up!
Example here:
www.pinterest.com/pin/243757398555020724/
Thanks for your comment!
@@EmersusTech - I love that picture. Looks like a fantastic weapon.
Our British Allies understandably as individual soldiers were embarrassed about going to the pubs for 1 bucket of p!$$. Yet, American G.I.s offering to buy British soldiers more rounds of beer were never looking down at the individual British soldier. No, most were happy to share some joy with an Ally of the British Army. British people you fought off the Nazi regime with fearsome honor, well respected in the USA 🇺🇸.
As i am British person would prefer virtually all the equipment the U S soldiers were issued with and their less formal relationship that U S soldiers had with their officers, with out our U S allies we would have been defeated. thank you America for ever.
No need for thanks it was America's war also🇺🇲🇬🇧❤️
@@captainamerica5826 No one EVER thanks us. Let him thank us!
I don’t think the UK would’ve fallen without us. It would’ve been tough in the aftermath though. The iron curtain would’ve extended to the English Channel. While I’m here, I’m a U.S. Navy veteran and spent most of my time in Europe. I dated a girl from Plymouth for a long time and every interaction I ever had with The Royal Navy was superb.
A minor anecdote: In his war memoirs Spike Milligan recalls seeing General Mark Clark - whose name he renders as "Merk Clerk". According to Milligan, Clark was riding in a Jeep driven by a black soldier in a white bowler hat and Milligan shouted: "Hey General, why aren't we getting ice-cream like your men?" There was no reply.
However, elsewhere Milligan records that when his battery was encamped next to an American unit, one of the British soldiers would eat a meal at the British cookhouse, wipe his mess tins, and run over to scrounge a second one from the Americans.
One more: Milligan also records that on one occasion his unit's AA shot down "an American Kittyhawk" - a Curtiss P40. As a party approached the plane, the pilot - wearing a leather jacket with "Hank the Kid from Idaho" painted on the back - climbed out and complained to the British CO about his "fucking lousy ack ack". Major Jenkins replied: "Well, consider it a return for all the times you've bombed us." Milligan, who did not like Jenkins, thought this a good response.
Mark Clark was one of the worst generals in US history.
@@thomast8539 Plenty to choose from!
It was probably MIlligan. He had a surefire airplane curse.
Worked with a Brit, a friend of mine, he was a WWII buff, said Monty was the worst general of the war, got a lot of Tommys needlessly killed. It was common belief among the history enthusiasts at the job. My friend flew in a glider club with a pilot from the Battle of Britain, shame I never got to meet him. Also, my landlords' wife was a British war bride. Shared a room in hospital with an ex-german soldier, wounded twice on the Eastern Front at 16, was taken by the Russians as POW. A friend from high school work with a bunch of cabinetmakers, most were ex- U-boat submariners. Meet two Concentration survivors, a half Jewish escapee from Germany, got to London just in time for the bombing. All my uncles that could serve did. A lot of family personal history tied up in WWII, all gone. Makes present times look purposeless- lost.
Paul, wow, that's a lot more than most people. The only contacts I've personally had with WWII soldiers was my great-uncle in the US army, two former Finnish soldiers who fought the Russians and an ex-German soldier who still had grenade shrapnel in him, although that was what I was told and unfortunately we didn't talk about the war. In fact, because of the circumstances, except for some from my great-uncle, I didn't get really any information. Hey, I was young and didn't realize that this would be the only time to ask -- until the time had passed. Thanks for your comment!
I'm American. Four of my uncles served in WWII...the youngest of the four just passed away a few years ago at the age of 94. He was like a grandfather to me as my actual grandfather (& grandmother) was born in the 1890s. My dad was their youngest & was a surprise child born to them in their 50s during WWII. My dad served in the army during the Vietnam War, but was stationed in Korea.
Thank you for this video. It is great. I wonder if the British soldiers realized the severe rationing that the Americans back home experienced willing so that the American soldiers lacked for nothing. Of course what the Americans at home experienced is nothing compared to the deprivation that the brave nation of Great Britain endured.
SeldimSeen1, thanks for your compliment! My mother told me that in WWII her relatives had ration coupons, but not enough money to buy the items!
My mother worked in the local enlistment office in S,C, during the war. Her boss was very vindictive. He would get mad at a resident and then tell his staff to take out info on that person's sons to send them off to die. The ladies would try to hide the paperwork hoping he would forget. My mother said he got his due when his son was killed in the war.
Nowadays as an American I look at Canadians and the English more like siblings so it makes sense we annoyed each other.
Sam Murphy, thank you for your comment and for watching!
@@Oobido England is a country and the British are the people that lives there?
@@Oobido True....we need to learn the difference between "England" and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
@@Oobido We know the difference between England, Britain and the UK. We also know many people who were born in England,, came to America and called themselves English. My best friend in childhood came to America in 1958 from England and never referred to herself as British; she always said she was English and I did the same.
@@Oobidonot to be insensitive, but if we're talking about the country, and not the people, then yes, Welsh, scot, Ireland, are barely even real countries, at most subsidiarys of the English.
My parents met when they were both in the army they said the GIs were always very brave but inexperienced,it dIdnt take them long to learn
how to be good soldiers , when my old man went to North Africa finishing up in Palestine MY FAMILY TOLD US IF IT HAD NOT BEEN FOR THE AMERICAN WE WOULD HAVE STARVED FIRST THEN WITH ALL THE BOYS FIGHTING OVERSEAS THE GERMAN FORCES WOULD HAVE NO PROBLEM FIGHTING WOMEN CHILDREN AND THE ELDERLY
RIP TO ALL THE YOUNG AMERICANS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES FOR US ,THANKS FROM THE UK🇬🇧🇺🇸
Love back to the UK 🇬🇧 🤝🇺🇸
My grandpa was in the UK, he said the people were very kind, and I may have a cousin or two over there.
"Ah, so that's why grandpa never answered the phone! He never knew who'd be on the other line!" :) Thanks for your comment and for watching!
There's a new video out that you may want to see:
Monash's Masterpiece: The Battle of Hamel
czcams.com/video/93mVu2vgErs/video.html
The British were very glad to see the US troops arive having been fighting for a long time on their own. The US troops did and still do have far better logistics, food and supplies once it got going - the most impressive thing for me is that with 1940s technology the US managed to maintain good logistics at a distance of several thousand miles.
We kind of brute-forced that one by just churning out freighters and escorts at an obscene rate.
@@crowe6961 Was an Industrial Power at the time that was dead from the depression we needed something to push us and getting those supplies to those that needed it and later joining was one of the ways it got us out of it. Now if we can just get back to doing that again, but not cause of a war, making stuff at home instead of other places we have the manpower and resources.
Well, they joined in after the war had been raging for 3 years already, with GB practically standing alone
against the Nazis. They only came in because the US was attacked at Pearl Harbour!
Lets not forget the Americans were fighting two wars on two sides of the globe,, while supplying six other allied countries with weapons and food. I'd say the Americans were true masters of logistics.
@@mr.naughtypants7069 The British were fighting in Europe, Africa and the Pacific as well don't forget. The same for Australia and New Zealand among others, India as well come to that. I've known people who fought in all three areas so it wasn't just the US fighting on two sides of the world. Far from it in fact.
The Brits thought the Yanks were "Overpaid, oversexed, and over here." My uncle lived up to the stereotype, meeting his wife on a blind date while stationed in the UK.
The opinion of "Monty" by the American Generals, was mutual. Patton and Monty were famous rivals. Brady was considered pretty laid back, but after the "Battle of the Bulge," Eisenhower had to intervein, and even Churchill got involved, to keep Bradly from stomping Monty.
Monty always wanted field superiority over the enemy. This is why he defeated Rommel in North Africa. The Germans literally ran over US troops at first but ran out of materials soon.
@@glennschemitsch8341 Monty was a pain in the ass, conceited snob. No one liked him.
Similarly, at the Bulge Monty saved the US army's flank in the direction of Antwerp
@@DeezNuts-cg9gl
Monty took command of two shambolic US armies in the German Bulge attack saving them from annihilation.
Monty was not a rival to Patton. Field Marshall Monty was two levels above Patton, an average US general. Do not get your history from Hollywood.
While serving as a liaison in the US Navy on a NATO base, I interacted with many different service members from various countries. I always looked forward to working with the British. Cultural similarities, a common language, and a common level of professionalism and standards made interactions with them generally positive. I will say that off duty, the Brits know how to party!
One of my grandfathers was in the Desert Campaign. As a Kiwi, we were Allied, fighting since 1939. As a result, in so many town centers of smaller NZ towns, there are monoliths to the memory of the 1914 and 1939 war casualties. Gosh only knows why today. But we worked very hard to defend the UK. So, he listened to Monty more than he wanted to, as he reported it. He got an enormous amount of sand in his lungs as a tank commander in the Desert Campaign, and for more than ten years after the war he had to eat nothing but bland jelly-like food. Well, let’s face it, baby food. But, they defeated Rommel, so, I guess it was worth it.
Another impression that American's left in Britain was their generosity- especially towards children. I had an older mate in a classic car club I am involved with. Ed was a kid during the war. He told me that when US Army lorries drove along Queens Drive in Liverpool, kids would shout, "Got any gum chum?!" The usual response would be a deluge of sweets, gum and candy bars according to Ed. I suspect many American service men were quite shocked by the shortages and rationing in Britain- due to the Atlantic battle with the U-boats.
I am aware of an incident in a famous dance hall in Liverpool- 'The Grafton,' which closed about 15 years ago. On one occasion, black GI's were present and some of the white US soldiers started giving them grief and complaining about their presence. What they didn't reckon with was the attitude of people in Liverpool- a port city, which is well accustomed to foreigners and has a long history of immigration- ie the oldest China town settlement in Britain. The Liverpool girls made a point of dancing with the black soldiers and they ostracised the white US soldiers for the rest of the evening. The attitude towards the black servicemen from their white countrymen is really puzzling- it occurred as recently as Vietnam. If a man wears the same uniform and fights for the same flag, and he's got your back his colour is completely irrelevant- he's your oppo and that is all that counts.
Look up "Battle of Bamber Bridge"
As too often it is to this day.
Enjoying your posts on this video, Liverpool Scottish.
20 years ago, I was at Liverpool University, and was training with Liverpool University Officer Training Corps, with real hopes of becoming a Rifles (then Royal Green Jackets) officer.
Hugely enjoyed my time in the city, with LUOTC, and our Liverpool Scottish NCOs...
The kids must have been desperate for sweets ! Have you tasted American chocolate ? Ahh !
That was a nice backhanded compliment. 🙄
My grandad was in the South African Irish in WW2. Captured at Sidi Rezegh, escaped an Italian prison camp (lovely fellows, insisted on speaking English and hated the Germans. When the Italians gave up the war, the Germans were slightly late showing up to take over the prison camp, so the Italians just left the camp and opened the gates), and wound up with two lost American rangers in his unit when he returned to action in Europe. He kept gently nudging them to maybe think about rejoining the Yanks, but they were quite happy with the South Africans, telling him 'our looie couldn't pour piss out of a boot if the directions were on the heel'. The South Africans were all rural boys, and so were they, so they had a lot in common. They had to keep hiding them when the other Americans came around, though they were eventually reclaimed and returned to their unit, hopefully with a more competent lieutenant. My grandad's CO promised to discipline the young captain, but he'd liked them, too, and had known about it all along, so nothing came of it. Gramps found the Americans generally to be deficient in experience and training, and thus less combat effective than the other Allies, but insanely brave with magnificent equipment and logistics, and generous with said equipment to a fault.
He would always talk about the miracle the Americans pulled off by bringing such a huge body of men and machines into the fight, when their military had been so small before the war (200,000 before the war, reaching a peak size of 16 million, an unbelievable effort).
They always had good rations full of all sorts of goodies the other Allies didn't have, like Zippo lighters and chocolate (it was crap chocolate, but still chocolate). They also had lots of condoms, for some reason, and these were great for keeping rain and condensation out of barrels. They supplied a good number of Thompson submachine guns, and my gramps was very fond of his, though he did accidentally shoot his CO in the arse while trying to clear a jam (just a graze). I think this began his lifelong preference for American firearms. He would visit his lost little American sheep after the war in the US (they were Southerners, and took him on a memorable duck hunt), and fell in love with the culture and American industry. They presented him with a prized set of Texas cowboy boots which he still had in the 90s, along with a coonskin cap he gave to me and my dog destroyed.
unclescipio3136, what a great story! I read it with high interest! For this, you get a heart!
Nothing but respect for our British cousins and all the Commonwealth troops who have fought by our side in global conflicts for over 100 years. God Bless America and God Save the King!
when i was young i talked to a britt who said there was some hard times in england but when he saw the b-17 loses and when on d-day the air bore who boarded the c-47's ..he changed any bad things he thought .. knowing the jump was a one way ride for most ..then the beach landings ..
My Father landed at the Normandy Beaches and he said he and his mates were always hungry and he went right through France to Berlin , he said the Americans had every thing and he and his mates used to jump on U S army supply trucks and raid them for food.
Simply put,: Thanks you to all the allied veterans of WW2, no matter what country you are from. There may have been differences but you all joined together to stop a truly evil man and his disciples. Your success is found in the fact that today Germany, Italy and Japan stand as strong democracies. Unfortunately, we are seeing another evil man try to achieve the same sort of thing. With the help of those same allies of WW2, joined by are now friends (once enemies) we will defeat this tyrant as well. Slava Ukraini! Heroyam Slava!
Your country is always in my prayers.
Love, USA!😊
Yes. Slava Ukraine and may we all win against tyranny!
We are with you all the way. As long as it takes. Slava Ukraine! - Glory to the heroes! Full support, from the USA.🔱💪💙💛
The British said the Americans were "overpaid, oversexed, and over here." Americans said the British were "underpaid, underfed, and under Eisenhower."
Monty was the best WWI general in WWII. He was cautious, deliberate, and a micromanager. The British loved him, but he was slow, unimaginative, and a complete assh*le.
As a baby boomer I and I believe many of my generation had a high regard for Winston Churchill and considered him one of the hero’s of WWII. I still do. I fully agreed with his opinions of Stalin and the threat of the Soviet Union. I doubt any British felt the same affections towards Franklin Roosevelt.
I'm not sure about that. There have been a good number of documentaries on Roosevelt and his war-time policies. Although he made some errors (as did Churchill), he was a good ally of Britain on the whole. I think that most people over 50 understand this.
Truth!
@@28pbtkh23 A lot of Roosevelt's own advisors were disgusted with his attitude towards Britain. He was only interested in his own re-election.
@@karenblackadder1183 He was fighting against US public opinion and if he hadn't won the election, a more isolationist government might have taken over.
@@28pbtkh23 I think the comment is referring to the way Rooservelt sided with Stalin and ignored WC. Nobody is doubting his commitment to the war once they finally joined. He never liked WC he thought he was an idiot. I am sure it was a means to an end of the war but there should have been red flags waving when WC spoke to him about Stalins proposals of carving up Europe with Britain thinking WC would agree with him based on Britain's existing empire. Stalin and Rooservelt used to belittle WC and make jokes at his expense. Even as a non Brit I see that as insulting considering if it were not for WC there would have been nobody but Russia fighting the Germans and Europe would have been lost.
I had the privilege of interviewing a few US WW2 vets, one of which spent some time over in London/France/North Africa- was there on D Day. He didnt mention much about how the British combatants treated US combatants (in terms of service) but he did mention that the British/French women tended to prefer the US soldiers to soldiers from their respective countries. Apparently some UK servicemen got jealous of the Americans stealing the show- he ended up married to a British woman for 60+ years, so i dont doubt his story 😂. He died after being struck by a van on his way to a synogogue to volunteer for an orcehstra he conducted. Survives d day, gets killed by a distracted driver on her phone at 90 something years old. If you ever get a chance to speak to a ww2 vet, please do. They came from a special time.
In Air Force survival school, I learned that pockets are always warmer than gloves.
Dustin, so, that explains the "hands in the pockets!" ;) Thanks for your comment! There's a new video out that you may want to see:
Monash's Masterpiece: The Battle of Hamel
czcams.com/video/93mVu2vgErs/video.html
I think we can all say that American and British troops have been an amazing battle outfit. We thank America for being our friends. World would be a horrible place if we weren't friends🇺🇸🇬🇧
Gary, thank you for you nice comment!
Are you British?
Being born in Britain in early 1950 I was very aware of WW2. My father (in the British RAF) seemed to respect the Americans. However he had one concern, when U.S. planes were around, they were not very good at separating friend from foe. The Americans frequently bombed and strafed allied positions. My uncle a British army captain liked Americans and visited their UK bases for years after the war. When visiting my uncle I occasionally got a tootsie roll, which at the time was the best sweet I had ever tasted.
Very true. My mother 🇬🇧 grew up with a lad who was killed by an American bomber who was suppose to bomb the Germans.
As my uncle a WW2 veteran said, when the RAF bomb the axis duck, when the Luftwaffe bomb the Allies duck, when the yanks bomb everyone ducks. American planes bombed neutral Switzerland several times, was it a mistake?
My grandfather was a navigator on a spy plane (a Lancaster) during the war. His plane got attacked a couple of times by overeager american fighters. 50 years later he was still fuming at the american base officer asking them (his crew) to go lightly on the pilots as they were "green".
My ex's grandfather was in I believe the US 3rd Infantry Division at Colmar, he recalled being shelled by US artillery.
My Dad was stationed on Borneo. New Guinnea, Tazmania, ( they lived 24/7 mud& bugs) but occasional ice cream (4th of July) did show. And the Brits sorta played Baseball but didn't like the gloves or rules, he said! Also always praised them on how funny and sarcastic they were on the conditions! The Greatest Generation for sure!
Hey, you mean Tanzania , we've got mud and bugs in Tasmania but no US service men during WWII. I wonder if he met Aussies especially in PNG or Borneo? The landing in Balikalimantan (NorEast Borneo), was an Aussie affair, and we like taking the piss constructively.
My grandfathers were both in North Africa. One was in the Royal Scots Grey's that were initially a horse mounted cavalry regiment. The first Armour they received were American Sherman's delivered to North Africa direct from the US. From what I understood in the first days of using these they continued to work as a horse mounted unit would (tactically). They destroyed Italy's only armored division which to be fair was probably outdated just as British Armour was at the time. So I am sure from their point of view they were grateful to not be so thinly spread resource wise and to receive quality support. I think a lot of Europeans forget that the USA could quite easily have decided to focus on Japan via the pacific. As for Canadians, they also could have easily looked the other way. Both didn't and we should never forget that.
Well we were happy to help.
Germany declared war on the USA. It would be difficult for the Americans to ignore them.
Canada was still British back then they couldn't look the other way.
But most importantly our partnership has lasted from the war to this day and we became valuable, trustworthy allies to each other for almost 80 years and counting.
Reasonable people don't need to be offended by the early, onset reality of war. Teething problems are to be expected in war for newcomers. Just look at some of the early operations launched by the British. They were absolute failures or extremely costly endeavors with little success. So the problems the United States ran into in North Africa early on, specifically at Kasserine Pass, are, as I said, to be expected. We threw teenagers into battle more than 3,000 miles from home against a battle-hardened, seasoned, and dug-in enemy. The results were to be expected. But, as things go, US forces very quickly adapted to their environment, learned how their enemy fought, and countered it. By war's end, US forces were some of the best trained, best equipped, and best led on the battlefield, and their successful track record proves it. Anyone who takes these early-war opinions as the gospel without context or understanding is extremely naive.
Restricted Access, what a good comment! You get a heart!
Yes the Brits had disasters but they were fighting the Germans and Italians alone from July 1940 to November 1942.
I have seen that same learning curve paradigm in all genre of human activity.
And it is satisfying to witness a green one become seasoned.
Oh, and some have it, and some don't. We just accept that fact.
@billballbuster7186 No, they weren't. Canada declared war on Germany in 1939, as did Australia. Furthermore, more than a million Indians, and several hundred thousand Australians, New Zealanders, South Africans etc also fought the Germans and Japanese, along with many millions of Chinese who, realistically, bore the brunt of the Japanese in Asia before the United States entered the war. There were more than a dozen nations fighting the Axis in some form since 1939. But all of that is besides the point, as Britian fighting alone or with help doesn't add to or subtract from its many early-war blunders.
@@DirtyMikeandTheBoys69 I think only North Africa was the learning curve for the British army where they could really have time to study the German tactics. Early disasters in France, Norway, Crete, Greece etc were all surprise attacks that caught the brits off guard. Seems to be a British habit since WW1, perform terrible early on but then adjust in later years.
I remember an American G.I. telling mom that she had a nice "fanny," which means something completely different in the British Commonwealth than it does in the U.S. The soldier's C.O. had to collect him from the local police station, both apologised profusely! My dad was a P.O.W. of the Japanese after the fall of Singapore, he told me of two G.I.s in his P.O.W. camp, all they had were their four dent campaign hats, and a pyjama leg each they wore as a lap lap. They were constantly insulting their captors. At the wars end, dad and his fellow British prisoners were rescued by U.S. Marine raiders, dad was forever grateful to the "Yanks" for his rescue and to the crew of U.S.S. Santee for their trip home and generosity shown.
What is the different meaning of "fanny"?
@@gaoxiaen1 In American English "fanny" is slang for the buttocks, however in the UK, it's slang for a woman's genitals.
Fanny, _US,_ the bum, backside, ass.
Fanny, UK,_ the vagina.
Mix-ups go both ways, like when Brits ask Americans if they can bum a fag.
Not only is "fanny" an American word for the buttocks, but I still recall being taught by a gym teacher around 1st grade that it was a more polite alternative as she considered "butt" rather crude and didn't want us to say that word. This would have been about 1976 in Virginia.
@@gaoxiaen1 It refers to a vagina.
As much as I was glad to work with our British Spec Ops brothers, it took time for them to truly trust us Yanks. I have the sneaking suspicion that came as a result of bad feelings held over from WWII. I never asked about this directly however.
The Brits I worked with were the finest of men. Professional, yet fun loving when the time was right. My missions with these men were harrowing, but successful.
This was an informative video, many thanks!
KRM, I'm glad you liked it!
@EmersusTech I look forward to watching the rest of your selections, as I've subscribed to your channel. My gratitude for the time and effort you put into the finished work. The research is clearly quite good and the photo selections first rate.
Just to give you a wee bit of data about my skillset in the military/paramilitary. I had trained in military freefall and then went to sniper school and SERE.
Additionally, I'm Cherokee/white. My Cherokee grandfather began teaching me to track, stalk, hunt, and shoot when I was 8 years old. He moved me to long distance shooting with a 30-06 when I was 10. I was shooting bullseyes at 600 yards before that summer was over. All of that translated to my military career and helped keep me alive in combat. Of course, the advanced training I received in the military was instrumental there too.
I worked in those worlds from age 17 until I in my 30s. I'd gotten married, and then we began to have babies. Plus, my injuries began to mount up, knee surgeries, concussions, etc. I was tortured at one point and the stress position I was in tore both of my rotator cuffs. When I was hospitalized to assess the damage, I met a Veterans Administration nurse and we fell in love. That's who I married.
All of that led me to retire from active service. I would occasionally accept an important assignment, but as I mentioned, it took certain lures to get me to do those things.
Keep up the great work. Cheers!
My dad was in infantry combat in N Africa Sicily and Anzio. I asked him what rank he was. He said one day he would be a sergeant squad leader and a second Lt. out of OTS would tell him to do something stupid that would get everyone killed. He would refuse and get busted to private. Everyone would get killed or wounded (his unit had a 120% casualty rate) and he would be a sgt. again.
My Grandfather was a very senior British Doctor in the Royal Airforce, but got seconded to the Royal Navy, predominantly at a major UK sea Port, dealing with casualties.
He died when I was young, so I didn't talk to him about WW2 at all, but he did tell my father that the Americans were well equipped and after they'd see some action and lost the over-eagerness, they were really good guys and good soldiers.
He kept in contact with at least one American friend, a Doctor, until he passed away.
Why did this hit me so hard in the feels?
I do find it funny that they were critical of US troops in Africa when they struggled for so long. They failed to rout Rommel, whose tactics are vastly overrated and actually just wasteful. When they figured their shit out, they didn’t take long to defeat the Germans. The Americans had the same experience.
SilentButDudley, yeah, like the Germans said -- You can fool the Americans once, but not twice! Thanks for your comment and for watching! There's a new video out that you may want to see:
Monash's Masterpiece: The Battle of Hamel
czcams.com/video/93mVu2vgErs/video.html
"They failed to rout Rommel"
Except they did rout Rommel before. Google *Operation Crusader 1941*
Americans always sent tons of spare parts with them into the field because the factory was on the other side of a giant, U boat filled ocean.
When a German tank broke its transmission you could (and did) simply put it on a train and ship it back the factory where it was built. This was impossible in the Us, so their things were designed to be either easily repaired in the field, or basically disposable.
A lot of design decisions in American weapons and vehicles make a lot more sense when you keep this in mind. Like not switching to the 76MM Sherman earlier. You wanted all your tanks to have the same gun, so they are all sources of spare parts for each other.
My granddad was in the US Navy. He never talked much about it but told me stories about funny things that happened. There was a thing called "shortstopping". At meals, they sat at long tables and the food was in big bowls so if you wanted more you asked for the bowl to be passed down. Sometimes the bowl was almost empty and everybody knew better but sometimes some jerk would take the last scoop or whatever so that the bowl was empty when it arrived. That guaranteed a fist fight.
steelcross839, that's an interesting story and I appreciate you writing it! Another story that is slightly similar -- dealing with "strategies", but also not, is this: There was a Jewish man in the concentration camps who survived. His strategy: Whenever the SS called for a line/queue, he also got as far back as he could. Eventually they stopped needing "volunteers" (who were worked to death/gassed) and it worked! This happened over and over until the war ended and he was freed. For this, you get a heart!
😊In General "Beedle" Smith's biography he recounts a rather loud debate between Monty and Ike he recalled Monty shouting at Ike regarding the plans for D Day an exasperated Monty yelled " Britain and her Generals have been winning wars when America was inhabited by naked savages " to which Ike responded " well now we have our pants on perhaps you'll permit us to take part"...priceless!
Hahaha...kinda funny that they lost, twice, here..js
I feel that I was privileged to serve in Germany with the British Territorials . I was a member of Co. G Airborne Rangers . Although this was a National Guard unit , I consider it a definite high light of my military service . I have not the words to convey what an honor this was to me . I felt as though I had been given the honor of not only serving my country U.S.A. but at the same time serving the Queen .
You served in the British units?
danite620, thank you for sharing your story!
Sam from Cheers said it best in Saving Private Ryan "That guy's overrated." on Montgomery.
My father grew up in a tiny village in the South of England that was suddenly surrounded by American GI's encamped in the surrounding woodland. One of the biggest things that struck him was the level of racism dished out by white American troops to the Black American soldiers he as a kid only saw them all as GI's. The US Army tried to segregate the pubs as whites only so the Parish council banned all US troops until that order was receded (not a perfect country but we don't do segregation). He remembered the kindness and generosity of the GI's showed to the village Kids. Black GI's were initially restricted to support roles and many around the village where from the south and grown up on farms just like the villagers. The Black GI's would bring the food that had not been served from GI mess tents and give it to the families in the Village who were suffering greatly with rationing. This act of kindness was illegal but the GI's could not see good food wasted going to the pigs. The GI's were greatly missed when they left for Europe.
I truly enjoyed viewing this interesting and well researched video. I feel that the approach of viewing history through the lens of how groups were perceived is insightful, and the material was well edited, easy to follow and the length of the video was just right. Great job, and thank you!
Gil Lahlum, yes, I really tried to be balanced and give the right amount of information in an efficient manner. I try that with most of my videos. Thanks for the nice comment!
There are small towns in the UK that are very friendly to Americans to this day due to a lot of US soldiers being stationed in the area and they had respect and kindness
Yes, like in Salisbury in Wiltshire is one at Salisbury hospital my fiancé and twin daughters were born there. They even have a poster mentioning this.
My grandfather born in 1922 fought in ww2 korea and Vietnam. Navy and airforce 😊
silver watcher, thank you for your grandfather's service!