The First Sergeant's Report on his Experiences on the Set of the HBO Production

Production of Band of Brothers began on 3^rd April 2000 at Hatfield airfield in Hertfordshire, and finished on November 24^th 2000.   Based on the book by Stephen E. Ambrose and drawn from hours of interviews with survivors as well as Soldiers’ journals and letters, Band of Brothers tells the story of Easy Company, 506^th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101^st Airborne Division, United States Army.

While I would be the first to admit that in the context of a year long production, my involvement in this colossal television series was small, I feel fortunate and honoured to have had the opportunity to have been involved with this epic film.

506th Base stick ready to go at Hatfield airfield

Many members of the Living History world can also lay claim to having done their bit on Band of Brothers and certainly many well-known names within the hobby played a far more important part than I did.  However, my story goes back to the year before production started when I had the pleasure of meeting Joe Hobbs who was to become the Assistant Costume Director on the production.

Joe, also a Living Historian, had a reputation for authenticity and felt that as he was getting involved in the epic story of the World War Two US paratrooper, he should experience what it is like to make a parachute descent.   With this in mind Joe attended the “Dutch Courage” basic military parachute course that I was running in Holland in September of 1999 to mark the 55^th Anniversary of the Market Garden operation.

First Sergeant en route to Normandy

Stand Up! Hook Up!

Joe and I remained in contact during the period before production started and I had an open invitation to visit the film studios.  As I live a short distance from Hatfield, I took advantage of the invitation whenever I could.  As it happened, even before I had my first visit to Hatfield studios I was contacted by a company working for the Props Department who had heard that I owned a Westfield Compact Paratrooper Bike and wished to use it to model several reproduction bikes for the filming.

My first visit was, as you can imagine, very exciting.  Although I had been on the set of several films through my job working for Kodak, this was the first time I was going to have the opportunity to get right up close to the action.  As a spectator I was fortunate enough to experience much of what goes on behind the scenes.

"Anyone seen where the tank went?"

Tank action

Although several months before the production began there were several opportunities to attend casting sessions to try to get involved as an extra, I felt that with my age against me and the fact that hundreds of other budding film stars would also be trying to get involved, the thought of appearing in any of the scenes never entered my head.  However, several months into the filming with many of the regular extras moving on to other things, there came an opportunity to do some casual extra work, fortunately most of this was during night shooting, which did not interfere with my day job!!  Although joining hundreds of other extras dressed in World War Two M43 pattern combat clothing was great fun, it was also extremely hard work and the hours very long.  Some may consider jumping in and out of the back of a GMC 22 times (rehearsals and filming during the first Bastogne episode) a little boring but considering we were at the time being directed by none other than Tom Hanks, all were more than willing!

Although being involved in the filming was outstanding, one of most memorable times at Hatfield was during an evening re-shoot during the Normandy phase!.  Having seen the first rushes of the Normandy deployment episode, it was reported that Hanks and Spielberg felt that there should be more dialogue from the leading actors on the aircraft on their way across the channel (those of us that have experienced the cramped and noisy conditions within the confines of a C47 aircraft with the jump door removed will know that in reality there is very little point in trying to hold a conversation).

First Sergeant catches a lift up to the set

First Sergeant's Jeep at Camp Toccoa

With the production so far ahead in concentrating on the other campaigns that Easy Company were involved in, taking the cast back to Normandy for this re-shoot involved a lot of work getting all the lead actors’ Normandy pattern gear together for what was going to be about a 15 second addition to the episode.  I was contacted and asked if I minded doing a couple of nights – I didn’t have to be asked twice!!

Working for the webbing department, I was employed to conduct the parachute rigging of the key actors for the re-shoot.  Bearing in mind that American World War Two Paratrooper is my hobby, I reported to Hatfield studios dressed for the part in first pattern HBT coveralls, A2 flying Jacket and jump boots.  With flashbacks of the many parachute manifesting line-ups I had been in on past parachute courses, we lined up the actors and kitted them out with their jump equipment and checked them off as if they were making a real jump.

Some serious Yank armour

Some very serious German armour

Having worked with each other for several months, many of the key actors were working well as a team, with their attitude very similar to what I had experienced in the Forces for real.  When checking their equipment before boarding the C47 mock up (a real one cut up – sacrilege!) I took great delight in tightening the crutch straps of Bill Hughes (the actor who plays Bill Guarnere) so tight he couldn’t stand up straight.  When he queried my enthusiasm I told him it was my responsibility to ensure that he jumped with a correctly fitting harness.  His expression was similar to Joe’s the first time he made a real jump.  It’s sad, I know, but I was playing it for real, until I remembered the Griswold weapons bags that the cast were carrying contained no more than cut up rubber Brown Bess muskets (from the Sharpe’s TV series) that I had prepared that morning!

The night's shooting culminated in a visit to the set of two of Easy Company’s best known veterans – “Wild Bill” Guarnere and “Babe” Heffron – both over from the States to see the filming.  Their presence on the set caused much excitement among the cast and crew.  I certainly did not think that they would be interested in meeting me, but I was wrong and both Bill and Babe took great pleasure in autographing the inside of my A2 Jacket (which I now on occasion wear inside out!)

Although I took every opportunity to visit the set whenever I could, the next chance I had to put on the kit and get involved in the filming was when I was asked by Joe to help out on a stills photography shoot to promote the production.  These few days were a living historian's treat as the main cast and production team were abroad filming the final episodes of BOB, so our team had the use of an entire film set which we used to pose in various items of uniform and combat equipment representing the American paratrooper in France and in Holland, and for one set of pictures at an airfield representing ground crew.  During this photo shoot we got to play with many of the film props and as this was an opportunity for FAAA to get involved, we supplied much of our own equipment too.

German infantry on a sit down protest at not being allowed

to ride on the tank

D Day, 6th June

For those of you who never had the opportunity to visit the set, it is difficult to describe just how big it was.  However, the village scenes of “Saving Private Ryan” were shot in a small portion of the same space utilised by Band of Brothers at Hatfield.  The set that became 11 different European cities and villages was 12 acres – the same size as 9 American football fields – and although the vast majority of the buildings you see in the series are built by the Scenery Department, the building used to represent Littlecote Manor, the 506^th Regimental Headquarters in England (where Captain Sobel is relieved of command of E Company) is in fact Hatfield House.

One of my most disappointing experiences as an extra was when I was issued a rubber M1 Rifle instead of a real one because as a casual extra I had not attended any weapon training session.  While I appreciated the weapons safety aspect, I was most put out as I owned almost every category of WWII US Army Infantry weapon and had spent many years in the Forces as a Platoon Weapons Instructor, (The weapons handling drills in regards to normal safety precautions, NSP’s, that I saw, was a little disconcerting to say the least . Handing over of weapons with magazine fitted and the working parts to the rear in the case of the M1A1 SMG!!).

Stand in the door!

Captured! Joe Hobbs (Asst. Costume Director) surrenders to some

very dodgy "Eagles"

As upset as I was, I bit the bullet (rubber) and got on with it.  During the Battle of the Bulge episode, while standing close to a fire, I melted the barrel of my rubber M1 after being instructed by Tom Hanks to turn round and get closer to the fire!! (I was in the background when Sink briefs Winters on the outskirts of Bastogne)  If you think this is surreal you should have been with us on one of the hottest June evenings of the year in two foot of snow!  It is reported that one third of a million pounds of recycled paper was used to create the snow for the forest set – the largest amount ever used in a production, and it took 4 weeks to “dress” the set.

Although I never had the opportunity to discharge a weapon myself, there were over 700 authentic weapons used on the production and a heavy day of filming saw over 14,000 rounds of blank ammunition used.

I also never had the chance to crew any of the vehicles, although on several occasions I did get a lift up on to the film set in either a Jeep or a Half Track and on one summer evening I visited the set in my own Jeep, sneaking into the reconstructed ‘Camp Toccoa’ and back to 1942 were I took a couple of pictures of my far too clean vehicle next to the 506^th Parachute Infantry camp sign (now on display in the Bletchley Park “Benning Wing Museum). What a fantastic feeling, standing in the doorway of Regimental Headquarters and looking across the assault course to the Jump Tower. It was not hard to imagine the camp full of the hero’s of Easy Company, Carwood Lipton, John Martin, Don Malarkey, Bill Guarrnere and of course Lt Dick Winters to name but a few. For a year the old Hatfield Airfield was Camp Toccoa, Georgia, The United States Of America!

Film crew play tank commanders

Tiger, knocked out single-handed by First Sergeant

With regards to the vehicles, I am sure many of the viewers will agree that the armoured vehicles reconstructed for the series were some of the best ever seen in film or on TV. The Art Department constructed 4 World War Two era Tanks using the frames of Russian T34 Tanks and British 432 Armoured Personnel Carriers as the foundations.  Unfortunately, I could never understand, especially with the amount of money that went into reconstructing these big armoured vehicles, why many of the Jeeps used in filming were again French M201 Hotchkiss variants, which as far as I am concerned would have benefited from at least having the wheels changed to World War Two pattern split rim.  However, the original WWII Jeep that is seen in many of the close up scenes belonged to a friend and fellow Living Historian who ran the Webbing Department.

Over 10,000 extras appeared in the Band of Brothers production over a 10-month period.  Several other members of my group, Airborne Command, also had the opportunity to get involved, including my Wife Lesley who played a Dutch civilian in the Market Garden episode.  Specially selected for her vicious temper and spitting skills, Lesley is seen taunting the Dutch collaborators as they have their heads shaved!!

Working on the set and visiting the various departments, I acquired many insights into how some of the mistakes were made in regards to uniform inaccuracies which although were annoying to the purist Living Historian did not spoil the series in regards to the general public.  Those with a critical mind should however remember that the departments who equip the actors and extras are employed to do just that and not provide Military technical advice, and what is finally seen on the screen is what the Military advisors “advise” I was witness to several “heated” discussions where the end result was that leading actors went on set “incorrectly dressed”

FAAA played but a small part in this fantastic production and I owe a personal debt of gratitude to Joe Hobbs, who got me on the set and found some casual extra work for myself and other members of the group, and Alan Hausmann who gave me the opportunity to work in the Webbing Department.

German troops move up, in the back of a Transit van

In-flight catering

I, like many of the guys involved with BOB share an interest in this period of American history and wanted to be involved out of a sense of recognition of what the Veterans had done and in remembrance of those that did not make it. I am glad that the series was made now, before all those that make the story worth telling have moved on!  It is very poignant that while compiling this article I was informed by an E Company Veteran of the sad news that 1^st Sergeant/Lt Carwood Lipton had died that morning.  I am grateful he was with us to see his Company’s story told on television.

Read the book, been in the film, got the T-shirt

The series Band of Brothers will go down in history as one of the finest and probably most expensive series ever shown on TV, and it is gratifying to have been a part of it and above all to have played a part in remembering not only the men of Easy Company but all American servicemen who paid the ultimate price in fighting for the freedom we now all take for granted.

“FROM THIS DAY TO THE ENDING OF THE WORLD,

BUT WE IN IT SHALL BE REMEMBERED,

WE FEW, WE HAPPY FEW, WE BAND OF BROTHERS”

“Henry V, St. Crispen's Day Speech”

William Shakespeare