Easy Company Medic Eugene Roe

Easy Company Medic Eugene Roe: Easy Company: Aldbourne-England

Please visit a sponsor and help keep this site free

By Stephen Skittrall (Steveuk) (213.122.71.177) on Monday, August 26, 2002 - 04:08 pm:

Open Message To All "Easy Company" vets.

Hello,My name is Stephen Skittrall & I live in
the town of SWINDON Wiltshire a place that will
be familiar to most of you no doubt.
This message is really to let you know that you
guys are still remembered around these parts with
admiration & fodness,only this past Sunday
August 25 there was historical re-enactment in
Aldbourne dedicated to you all.
It attrachted people from all over the UK as
well as some of your old buddies from "Easy Co"
It was quite easy & moving to imagine what it was
like in those days leading up to June 5/6th in
Aldbourne & the surrounding area.
If any of you have any memories of Aldbourne &
maybe even Swindon it would be great to hear
them.
I myself have always been interested in history
& infact did several projects during my school
years about "Operation Market Garden"
This interest has been re-kindled again since
"Private Ryan" & "Band of Brothers" have been
made so I thank Mr Spielberg & Mr Hanks for
that.
Good luck to you all....

Regards....Steve....Swindon..England..

By JANE Southern England (Jane) (195.93.48.7) on Tuesday, September 17, 2002 - 03:14 pm:

~Steve, I heard that it may become a yearly event, any news??~

Whilst on the subject of Aldbourne.........

After meeting Bill & Babe at the weekend (for photos, follow route Easy Company Memorials, Reunions,> 2002 BoB tour) I was lucky enough to be able to look round the stables where some of Easy were billeted

stables

they are just how Webster described them :

"The officers were in a lovely brick house near the village green, in back there were stables, which the men cleaned out and used. The stables consisted of a series of box stalls in each of which four men lived in comfort and a dark, welcome privacy. There they would hide, so many did so when night training exercies resumed (summer of 44) that Winters was forced to make a habit of checking the individual stalls to be certain no one was hiding behind the bunks or standing in the clothes hanging from the hooks. Beyond cover and concealment, each stall had a stove, a large, thick soundproof door and a high, airy ceiling. There was sufficient room to hang uniforms and barracks bags and still play poker or craps"

.. you can't see the stables from the lane, you'd never know they were there!!! and only a stones throw away from the Blue Boar Inn too.

As I've been to Aldbourne quite a few times before (mainly owing to the fact that my late father died four years ago, and I 'rediscovered' his WWII books, all of which were about the 101st, he was only a tiny tot during the war, but was always fascinated by it, and I have fond memories, as a child, on a Sunday afternoon curling up infront of the tv and watching all the old WWII movies with him)..sorry where was I..?.. ah.. other places of interest in Aldbourne... Winters was billeted up stairs at (now-adays) the village Post Office...and of course the cook house on the recreation ground...amongst others..

Best wishes.. Jane.S...(a bit further south from Swindon!!)

~just like to add, for the tv series, it wasn't really filmed in Aldbourne, but a village called Hambledon in Hertfordshire!!~

By Neil Stevens (Neilstevens) (62.252.192.5) on Tuesday, November 26, 2002 - 08:09 pm:

As one of the two brothers who organised the event in Aldbourne I'm pleased it was such a success and was so well received. I gave the illustrated talk on the 506th in the village during WW2 on the Saturday evening of the weekend and mounted the photographic display in the stables on the Sunday. As a Marlborough lad I have been researching the history of the US forces in the Marlborough area since 1988 and have been fortunate to meet, befriend and stay as a house guest in the US with a number of A, B and E Co men.
We didn't have any 506 men in attendance at the Aldbourne gathering Steve but did have one ex C47 pilot from the 86th Suadron of the USAAF's 437th Troop Carrier Group who were based in Ramsbury from Feb 44 thru Feb 45 and participated in the D-Day, Market Garden, Southern France, Bastogne and Varsity operations.
We tried to persuade Don Burgett of A Co to make it over, but weren't successful.
The last surviving stable block is due to be demolished next Spring and there are a number of us keen to see it saved - any ideas/help in finding a safe home would be appreciated, as would any help regarding the location of wartime pics of the village and the surrounding area either with and/or without troops.
You may be interested to know that elements of the 139th Airborne Engineers of the 17th AB Div occupied Aldbourne after the 506th. The 224th Airborne Medical Co of the 17th were also in Marlborough, as was General Ridgeway's HQ prior to the Ardennes break through by the Germans although I have been unable to identify exactly where.

By Marigold Papa (Marigold) (203.160.183.79) on Wednesday, November 27, 2002 - 08:15 am:

Awwwwwww!!! Why are they going to demolish it? I don't have any idea how but i sure hope some people can help...

gold

By JANE Southern England (Jane) (195.93.48.7) on Sunday, December 01, 2002 - 03:01 pm:

Neil... I've just read your message.. I can't beleive they're actually going thru with it...

But anyway.. I DO have one idea.. its not very good.. but... if the block is demolished, so it can be re-built... and if you want to keep the block in Wiltshire..(albeit a bit further South)... I have planning permission for a garage at the front of my house... but I can't afford to build one... what I'm saying is.. that to preserve something so precious, I could re-apply for planning permission for the block... of course I wouldn't use it for anything, and it goes without saying that anyone would be welcome to visit it.... (on the Band of Brothers tour I live just off the A31 that they used to visit the C47).... I know this is perhaps not quite the help you were looking for.. but its an idea...

Please let me know if I can (try) to help..!!!

Jane S
(Near Salisbury)

By Marc Atkins (Marc) (62.7.10.133) on Tuesday, January 07, 2003 - 02:58 pm:

Is the re-enactment going to be an annual event in Aldbourne. (I to live in nearby Swindon)

I heard about this years event only on the mornign of the event and i was allready commited to working both the Saturday and Sunday.

Are there any plans next year (the 60th anniversary of D-Day) for any Easy Vets to revisit? It would be great to say hello.

By homefront41 (Homefront41) (198.81.26.142) on Wednesday, January 08, 2003 - 09:39 am:

Click on Neil Stevens name and you'll find his e-mail address link. He's the man to ask about next year. BK

By ogejhuzi (203.216.220.11) on Friday, March 12, 2010 - 08:25 am: