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Left for Dead at Nijmegen
- The True Story of an American Paratrooper in World War II
- Narrated by: Shawn Compton
- Length: 7 hrs and 10 mins
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Left for Dead at Nijmegen
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Summary
When Metcalfe boarded the C-47 which would drop him at Groesbeek Heights, just outside of Nijmegen, Holland, he was handed a box of twelve dozen condoms by an overconfident British lieutenant. He was to be among the first to jump into what should have been a picture-book meadow, free of German troops. Instead, it was defended by three German antiaircraft cannon emplacements.
As he jumped into a hail of bullets and exploding shells, he watched his plane roll over and plummet into the ground. It was at that moment he realized the condoms had either been a bad joke or the planners of Operation Market Garden had seriously underestimated German resistance. Gene was listed as KIA and left for dead by his patrol, who presumed the worst when they saw his injuries from a shell explosion.
The rest of his story is equally gripping, as he became a POW held outside Munich, being moved between various camps ridden with disease and a severely undernourished population. Eventually, after making an escape attempt and being captured within sight of the snow-capped Swiss mountains, his camp was liberated by American troops in April 1945.
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What listeners say about Left for Dead at Nijmegen
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- simon191
- 31-05-23
Some things should never be forgotten
Absolutely fantastic account of a person's experience of the war . Emotional in places and shocking to hear some of the things that happened. Well worth listening to .
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 06-11-23
Good story well told
Very good war story and a very courageous man. Well done. Thank you to all who served.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Morag Bocking
- 30-05-23
great wee adventure
well written and a great wee adventure shared, what is not to like, fully recommend
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- T. J. Gluckman
- 05-07-23
Well-told story though at times far-fetched
If you are interested in WW2, this a book certainly worth listening to. Once I'd got into it, I wanted to listen to the end.
Most of it is credible e.g. the soldier's descriptions of combat itself at Nijmegen 1944, and P.O.W. camps where US soldiers were held. In addition the image created of the US Army is by no means flattering -- that adds to the likelihood of its authenticity. And last but not least there are many good stories in it.
But when he claims at the end, that by chance in 1962 he met THE head of the Dutch Resistance, either the protagonist is v gullible or thinks readers are. Why? Firstly, resistance organisations were made up of many autonomous networks because if there were ONE unified group only, and its leader / one of it members were captured & tortured, then....Secondly, that random US tourists by chance met the head of "the" D.R,, is very unlikely. There are other sections which likewise strain credulity.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Paul
- 03-09-23
Great true story
This is well written and read accounts of truly amazing men in a devastating time
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story1 out of 5 stars
- Terry Coughlan.
- 19-01-24
Utter nonsense!
Rarely have I heard such utter fantasy. Completely unbelievable account of some idiot's dream. Had to stop and delete it from my library. Thank God it was part of the "free" books.
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