question about Brecourt scene in BOB?

[aamaya3]

I was watching BOB series today and I have a question about a particular scene in the Brecourt Assault. I have been wondering for a long time exactly how Private Hall is actually KIA. The series does not show much as to how this happened. Does anyone have an answer? Thanks.

[Jacques Wood]

The Brecourt Scene in Band of Brothers is good but as to what actually happened it is a bit Hollywood. You see there are bits in the scene that didn't happen and bits that happened that they left out. For example when Lorraine is seen missing the Germans running across the field and Guarnere finishing them off, in reality this happened the other way round.
As for the Hall thing. That is a tricky part. There wasn't actually a John Hall that took place in the Brecourt fight. I believe there was a John Hall that was killed when his C-47 crashed on D-Day, but the man at Brecourt was actually John D. Halls who was from the 2/506th mortar section. In fact there wasn't a John Hall in A Company, just C Company but he was killed in the C-47 crash. Also the Halls that fought at Brecourt was not part of the original Winters group.
So back to your original question, how was he killed. It is kind of hard to pin point actually how the trooper Halls died. It could have been when he was running through the trenches (which were no way as deep as shown in the series) and most likely from the heavy German MG fire coming from across the field. As the fighting was going on, people may have missed seeing him get killed and only discovered his body later making it harder to tell how it actually happened.

Hope this helps,

Matthew

[aamaya3]

yes it does thanks...

[Mooch]

The real "Halls" was killed by a rifle bullet to the head at Brecourt.

[Jacques Wood]

Thanks for the clarification Mooch!!!

[jasonr]

I know this thread is old but i figured NOTHING on this forum should be TOO old to add comments :)

My understanding at least in the Series of BoB, is that Hall was hit by a grenade or or other similar explosive. Whether tossed or set as a "booby-trap" tripwire or similar is beyond me. That is how it looks when he runs into the trench bunker.

[Mooch]

jasonr,
The Hall character trips a booby trapped grenade in the mini-series.

In real life, Halls was killed by a bullet to the head. Whether it came from a German rifleman, sniper or machine gunner will never be known...all three weapon types fired the same round.

Yes, the mini-series compressed things...here are a few clarifications: Winters never met up with a 'Hall' as Matthew stated. It was the F Company supply NCO he met up with. Halls arrived at Brecourt with LTC Strayer's 2nd Battalion column, which was traveling about 10-15 minutes in front of the one Winters was with.

To tidy up the confusing timeline of events...
After landing and getting his bearings, Winters gathered up several men (mix of E Co, including Lipton, F Co, 82nd and the aforementioned F Co supply NCO) and fell in with a column commanded by LTC Cole (MOH, 3/502). Winters and crew departed the Cole column as they neared causeway #2 (some time after the wagon ambush) and linked up with a small column of Dog Company troopers commanded by CPT Jere Gross. It was with this column that Winters (and crew) made their way to Brecourt. As I stated, Strayer's column showed up shortly before the arrival of Winters and crew.

Hope this helps.
Hang Tough,
Mooch

[fiwi463pfa]

and it's indeed true that there were no trenches at all, the Germans used the ditches which are still there today.