North Africa campaign during WW2

[Airman OCCS]

I was reading Flags of Our Fathers and James Bradley states that in the North Africa campaign during WW2 opposing armies had battlefield schedules and allowed each other to recover their wounded after a battle. In my own recognition he makes it seem like the US Army was like the British during the Revolutionary and wanted to proceed in battle like gentlemen does anyone know if this is true ?

[rolls]

Probably got more to do with disease rather then being gentlemenly.

[a_very_ex_STAB]

I was reading Flags of Our Fathers and James Bradley states that in the North Africa campaign during WW2 opposing armies had battlefield schedules and allowed each other to recover their wounded after a battle. In my own recognition he makes it seem like the US Army was like the British during the Revolutionary and wanted to proceed in battle like gentlemen does anyone know if this is true ?

Not sure about that but there was a well known incident where Rommel turned up at a field hospital out in the desert and decided to inspect it and visit the wounded.

On closer inspection he and his aides realized it was British tents they were wandering around :-) Time for a sharp exit - he got away 'unmolested'.

[Kitsune]

@a_very_ex_STAB:

So Rommel got away because of British chivalry, that is how this story is told in Britain? Here in Germany it this is depicted as one of those Desert Fox things. It goes like this:


Rommels command car, having lost its way after a battle and after driving around in the desert for a while, approached a troop camp only to find out that it was a British field hospital. Complete with guards walking around and all.
In this somewhat dicey situation, Rommel calmy exited the vehicle and approached the British, claiming that his troops had surrounded the camp (somewhere out there in the distance) and that he wanted to inspect it now. He even asked them wether they were short on any medicine and offered supplies from German stocks. With the wishlist, and he turned around, like coolness incarnate and re-entered his command car, to drive off (probably with a majestic wave out of the window ;-)). That way he escaped and later on managed to rejoin his troops.

[Macs.]

Famous for (in 1942 North Africa (http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/Africa)) accidentally visiting a New Zealand (http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/New_Zealand) Army field hospital which was in Allied (http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/Allied) hands at the time. Half way through the inspection and morale improving visit he realized the mistake, finished his inspection, inquired if anything was needed, promised medical supplies, took a final salute and drove off in his british staff car.

http://www.arrse.co.uk/wiki/Rommel

;-)

[Kitsune]

Thanks. Never knew wether this anecdote was true. :grin:

[Macs.]

Keep in mind that this is from the wiki of the "British Army Rumor Service", I doubt he drove off in a british staff car. rofl

I tried finding more about this on the internet, but all I can find are Wikipedia-like sites, and no real proof. So I am not really sure if that is more than just a Urban Legend.

[Kitsune]

[...]I doubt he drove off in a british staff car.rofl
No, that is indeed true. Rommel used two British Dorchester ACV's as command vehicles, named "Max" and "Moritz" (a very free translation for this could be "Tom" and "Huckleberry"). More about them here: http://www.geocities.com/firefly1002000/mammuts.html

[a_very_ex_STAB]

Keep in mind that this is from the wiki of the "British Army Rumor Service", I doubt he drove off in a british staff car. rofl

I tried finding more about this on the internet, but all I can find are Wikipedia-like sites, and no real proof. So I am not really sure if that is more than just a Urban Legend.

I read about it in a book some time ago rather than on the net. Now if only I could remember which book!

[kitatatsumi]

ive heard about this.
the "war without hatred" they called it......didnt seem to really catch-on elsewhere.

[cover2]

I was reading Flags of Our Fathers and James Bradley states that in the North Africa campaign during WW2 opposing armies had battlefield schedules and allowed each other to recover their wounded after a battle. In my own recognition he makes it seem like the US Army was like the British during the Revolutionary and wanted to proceed in battle like gentlemen does anyone know if this is true ?


Back to the question at hand, and I read "Flags" too. I don't know about "schedules", but certainly in the war with Germany, truce flags were often brought out so opposing sides could recover their dead and wounded. Case in point: the battle for the causeway at La Fiere in Normandy right after D-Day. US Paras of the 82nd, after beating off an armored attack by the Germans, allowed the Germans to cross the causeway to their own side to recover their dead and wounded.

This happened in many small instances like this throughout the war in N. Africa, Italy, and NW Europe. Certainly not something restricted to North Africa. Perhaps they had "schedules" there; I don't know, as I've studied the war in NW Europe more.

Hope this helps.