Controlled Opposition (01-29-2020), Eagle_Eye (01-29-2020), Mott the Hoople (01-29-2020), Truth Detector (01-30-2020)
Members banned from this thread: evince, CharacterAssassin and Guno צְבִי |
.
This was posted on FB, heroic scarcely covers this guy's exploits, Rambo in a kilt best describes him.
It
https://www.amazon.com/Behind-Enemy-...9/thedaical-20
What kind of utter lunatic cuts about Nazi-occupied France in a Black French car, with a British flag attached to it, whilst wearing a kilt?
Probably the kind of lunatic that could call for the surrender of 23,000 Nazi soldiers, with no support - aside from that provided by the sheer size of his giant balls.
Meet Ronald Thomas Stewart Tommy Macpherson (Better known as Tommy). Commissioned in the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders in 1939, however in 1940 transferred to No.11 Commando, which is where at the age of 21 this young man’s story truly begins.
As part of a 4-man reconnaissance team on the Libyan Coast, Major Macpherson and his team were tasked with gathering intelligence ahead of the doomed Operation to take out Rommel himself – and unfortunately, his recce didn’t go too well either. Have you ever been stuck in town after a night out, waiting for a taxi that never shows up? Well, these guys spent over 48 hours bobbing up and down off the Libyan coast in canvas Kayaks waiting for a submarine to pick them up and guess what… that stupid submarine never turned up! Of course, the next part of this chapter so many 21-year olds can relate to; the inevitable decision to paddle back to an enemy shore, the reluctant decision to walk hundreds of miles back to Tobruk in shorts, and of course the bitter shame of being captured by Italian fascists - leading to two years in captivity.
.
Over this two-year period, Tommy made 7 attempts at escaping his captors – The 7th finally getting him back to Britain, but the first being the most hilarious. Soon after being captured his Italian interrogators took an interest in his Colt Automatic and wanted to know how it worked. The young Major proceeded to take out a spare magazine, load his weapon, make it ready and at gun-point hold them hostage. Unfortunately, due to the lack of food and water and excessive physical exertion over the past week or so, Tommy became Quadra-spazzed by cramp and collapsed – making him unable to make the most of this opportunity, and landing him in solitary confinement.
.
Anyway, fast forward through two long years in captivity, and Tommy is to learn just days after his safe return to Britain that his war is far from over. He had been selected for Operation Jedburgh, part of Churchills plan to “set Europe ablaze”. As part of a team of 3, Tommy would parachute into France, link up with French resistance and wage a guerrilla-war against Nazi forces.
.
On the night of the jump, Tommy actually wore full Cameroon highland battle dress under his smock – which included a Tartan Kilt. After linking up with the French resistance some of the French fighters actually thought their officer had brought his wife along. The misunderstanding that Tommy was some fair French maiden was short-lived, for the following night he was commanding demolition taskings on railway bridges crucial to the Nazi’s supply lines. The following day the 2nd SS Panzer Division was on the move towards the beaches of Normandy to help drive the Allied invasion back into the sea. This division of Heavy German tanks and armour were battle-hardened from the eastern front and were guilty of heinous war crimes against civilians. Quick to act Tommy and his teams cut down trees and laid mines along their main roads of advance, as well as rigging surrounding trees with explosives and primed grenades. When the columns were halted by the felled trees the resistance fighters would spray the troop-carrying vehicles with machine-gun fire then vanish into the forest. The inevitable infantry follow-up would be met by nothing but falling grenades and exploding trees (Not desirable). As the columns then eventually moved off the lead tanks would hit the mines and the above process would repeat. Similar tactics were used by other French resistance units across France, resulting in this Panzer division taking over two weeks to reach Normandy rather than two days, and of course, by this point, the Allies had a firm foothold in France.
.
The French had never seen anything like Major Macpherson, and his existence was becoming legendary throughout rural France. This cave-dwelling, skirt wearing, Sten-gun wielding slayer of fascists was probably the most flamboyant guerrilla commander of all time. He even snuck into a German-occupied French village wearing his kilt, only to sit down and have a drink in the local café with the town mayor. There were also rumours circulating of a Scotsman who would drive around in a black car flying the British flag. Quite reliably the Germans had a complete sense of humour failure, and a considerable bounty was placed on Tommy’s head claiming he was "a bandit masquerading as a Scottish officer and extremely dangerous to the citizens of France”. This bounty actually had the opposite effect to what the Germans intended, and streams of new French volunteers wanted to fight alongside “The Kilted Killer”.
.
With greater numbers alongside him, Tommy would continue to wage his guerrilla war. Bringing about the destruction of vital railway lines and bridges; hijacking supply lorries, destroying trains, draining fuel dumps and of course bringing death to the Nazi war machine. On one occasion Tommy accidentally decapitated a German commandant and his driver by booby-trapping a barrier arm so it crashed down on their moving vehicle. Other resistance fighters then gunned down the motorcycle escort; “A satisfying morning” according to Tommy.
.
His most amazing feat, however, was still to come. With the battle of France swinging decisively in the allies favour many German units were falling back to defend their homeland. One such unit of 23,000 men and over 1000 vehicles were close to making it back to Germany, and it was Tommy’s job to negotiate their surrender. In a stolen Red Cross vehicle Tommy along with a French officer and a German doctor drove through miles of enemy territory, and despite being engaged by machine-gun fire made it to the Village schoolhouse where the meeting with the German commander would take place. As well as bringing (as always) his finest bonnet and Kilt Tommy also brought some fine negotiating skills. He told the German commander he had a radio link directly back to London, and if he didn’t receive his immediate unconditional surrender he would call for RAF Bombers and Heavy Artillery to completely decimate all German troops in the area. Having built a strong reputation for not fucking around the German surrender was swift. However, it was all a complete bluff - Tommy didn’t even have a radio let alone RAF Bomber squadrons on call. Essentially one unarmed Scotsman brought about the surrender of a 23,000 heavily armed unit.
.
After the fall of France Tommy’s war was still not over. He was sent to repeat all of the above in Italy against Communists loyal to the Yugoslavian leader rather than fascists loyal to Hitler. Again, in a Kilt he waged a guerrilla war against the enemy; and again, a bounty was placed on the head of this “interfering Major”, and again not a single fuck was given.
.
For his actions during WW2 Tommy was awarded 3 Military Crosses, 3 x Croix de Guerre, a Légion d’honneur and a papal knighthood. He eventually became the most highly decorated living member of the British armed forces. After marrying and having three children Tommy would go on to live to the ripe old age of 94.
Last edited by cancel2 2022; 01-29-2020 at 08:47 AM.
Controlled Opposition (01-29-2020), Eagle_Eye (01-29-2020), Mott the Hoople (01-29-2020), Truth Detector (01-30-2020)
And there's more!
https://m.warhistoryonline.com/war-a...a-british.html
Truth Detector (01-30-2020)
There were many, many unrecognized heroes from WWII from different countries.
Many never made it home, others were wounded and just forgotten.
I couldn't imagine the youth of today doing what they did.
Common sense is not a gift, it's a punishment because you have to deal with everyone who doesn't have it.
Truth Detector (01-30-2020)
RB 60 (01-30-2020), Truth Detector (01-30-2020)
My Uncle was one of them. He was a co-pilot of a B-17 Bomber in the 8th Army Air Force. He flew over 50 missions, including most of the documented big raids in which so many B-17 crews were shot down.
In fact he was one of them. In the last year of the war his B-17 was shot down over Austria. His plane crash landed and two of the crew members were killed and the rest captured and spent the rest of the war as POW's.
While a prisoner my Uncle attempted to escape three times and was recaptured each time. The second time he was captured he was told that he'd be summarily executed if he attempted to escape again.
That didn't stop him and he attempted a third escape and was recaptured. The German Prison guards placed him in a closet in their barracks and told them that in the morning they were going to shoot him. It had been done before so he was certain that "This was it". The next morning he heard the guards come back into the barracks and when they began to open the door of the closet he was stuck in he had put on his game face. He was prepared mentally to die like a man. When the door opened the man standing there was a corporal in the US Army.
Pattons 3rd Army had arrived in the village down the road from the POW Camp and all the Camp guards had skedaddled.
Talk about being lucky to still be alive.
I have some documents and photos about his bomber and it's crew. I've shared them with Tom but haven't posted them on here is it's possible I could be DOX'd if I did so.
You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic!
cancel2 2022 (01-29-2020), RB 60 (01-30-2020), Truth Detector (01-30-2020)
How about a film about true heroes, not fascist running dogs.
"Do not think that I came to bring peace... I did not come to bring peace, but a sword." - Matthew 10:34
Mott the Hoople (01-30-2020)
Truth Detector (01-30-2020)
Yea...what an amazing adventure...though like some war hero's you kinda have to question their sanity. Who was the famous Brit Soldier from WWII who was famous for using an old Scottish Broadsword? He was one of those incredible figures only a war could produce that should have been killed but wasn't?
Then again during WWII there were millions of soldiers who faced death intimately on a daily or near daily basis yet survived...with scars to be sure...but did survive. Most of them just didn't talk about it. I know my elders who served in WWII did not like to discuss their war experiences.
You're Never Alone With A Schizophrenic!
cancel2 2022 (01-30-2020)
cancel2 2022 (01-30-2020), Truth Detector (01-30-2020)
"When government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."
A lie doesn't become the truth, wrong doesn't become right, and evil doesn't become good just because it is accepted by a majority.
Author: Booker T. Washington
cancel2 2022 (01-30-2020)
"When government fears the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny."
A lie doesn't become the truth, wrong doesn't become right, and evil doesn't become good just because it is accepted by a majority.
Author: Booker T. Washington
My father was in the Philippines when the survivors of the Bataan Death March were rescued. He never said much about his experiences in WWII. He was visibly shaken when we watched the movie The Great Raid. I never questioned him on what he did when he was in the Navy during that time, he never volunteered to talk about it either. Most of the biggest heroes from WWII were modest or killed, it was others who revealed their heroics.
Common sense is not a gift, it's a punishment because you have to deal with everyone who doesn't have it.
Mott the Hoople (01-30-2020)
Bookmarks