Cook was born at Mount Holly, Vermont on October 7, 1916. He attended the United States Military Academy at West Point, and graduated as an officer, with the rank of second lieutenant, in 1940. He volunteered for the airborne forces in 1942, joining the 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment (504th PIR), which became part of the […]
Meet the Heroes: British Army Brigadier – John Ormsby Evelyn ‘JOE’ Vandeleur
As Commanding Officer of 3rd Battalion Irish Guards, he led the breakout of XXX Corps during Operation Market-Garden. In the movie “A bridge too far” he is played by the famous actor Michael Caine: Lt. General Horrocks:[…] “The Irish Guards, under the command of Colonel Vandeleur, will take the lead.”Lt. Colonel J.O.E. Vandeleur: [whispering to […]
Meet the Heroes: US Airborne Lieutenant Colonel – Benjamin Vandervoort
The real Benjamin Vandervoort Benjamin Hayes “Vandy” Vandervoort was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross twice. He was the Commanding Officer of the 2nd Battalion, 505th PIR, during the airborne landings in Normandy. Despite having broken his ankle on landing, he led his battalion in defending the town of Sainte-Mère-Église on 6 June. During “Operation Market […]
Meet the Heroes: Otto Skorzeny
Otto Skorzeny was an Austrian SS-Obersturmbannführer during World War 2. He was involved in a string of operations, including the rescue mission for dictator Benito Mussolini. He led Operation Greif, in which German soldiers infiltrated enemy lines using their opponents’ languages, uniforms, and customs. By April 1943, he had been made head of German special […]
Meet the Heroes: Canadian Private Léo Major – One-Eyed One-Man Army
Shortly after D-Day, a grenade blinded Léo Major in his left eye, but that did not stop him from becoming a true hero. In April 45, Leo Major was supposed to scout the city of Zwolle, but instead he proceeded to run throughout the city firing his guns, throwing grenades and making so much noise […]
Meet the Heroes: Soviet Platoon Commander – Yevdokiya Zavaliy aka “Frau Black Death”
When bombers flattened her village in 1941, she persuaded the commander of a cavalry regiment to take her with them to the front line, claiming to be 18 years old when she was in fact 16. In 1943, she was appointed the one and only female commander of a marines platoon. Her platoon was repeatedly […]
Meet the Heroes: German Hauptmann Günther Viezenz – Infantry Ace
There are those stories of WW2 that everyone knows and which have become famous and well-known through books, movies or TV-Series. But then there are other individuals from WW2 where not much is known besides their impressive achievements. We can only speculate about their personal stories and what kind of people they were. Günther Viezenz is […]
Meet the Heroes: British Army Lieutenant – Jock Lewes
Lieutenant John Steele “Jock” Lewes was a British Army officer during WW2 and the founding principal training officer of the Special Air Service. Its founding commander, David Stirling said of Lewes: “Jock could far more genuinely claim to be founder of the SAS than I.” To destroy Axis vehicles, the SAS used small explosive charges. […]
Meet the Heroes: British Army Lieutenant Colonel – Paddy Mayne
Lieutenant-Colonel Paddy Mayne is a legendary figure in the history of the Special Forces. A celebrated sportsman with a turbulent character, he played a vital role in the early successes of the Special Air Service (SAS), becoming one of its most important commanders. Lt. Col. Robert Blair “Paddy” Mayne was a founding member of the […]
Meet the Heroes: General Major Stanislaw Sosabowski – Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade
General Stanislaw Franciszek Sosabowsk was the commander of the Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade which fought valiantly in Operation Market Garden, a battle which ended with disastrous casualties of allied troops including the Polish division. The Polish 1st Independent Parachute Brigade was among the Allied forces taking part in Operation Market Garden. Due to […]