101st A/B -- Which unit sported war paint in Normandy?

[Airchallenged]

Originally Posted by BillyTucci

Thanks Bob --

Not yet, but I plan to go there. Maybe some of you can attest to this... According to Cornelius Ryan's The Longest Day, Bob Murphy, a pathfinder from the 505th (I think) landed in St. Mere Eglise at 12:115am. He was the one who landed in a woman's courtyard, as she was attempting to go to the outhouse, well Ryan writes that he scared the hell out of her with his "war paint" he also wrote that Bob had a mohawk. I think he's still alive. Does anyone know of this? As far as my research shows thus far, only the "Filthy Thirteen" did the war paint, though some of the guys in the newsreel photo prepping the C47 with them do as well.

Do you know what type of paint the 502nd used? Are there any pictures?

Thanks!
B

Billy,

Those guys other guys in that clip i posted were the other engineers I think. It is totally possible that other 82nd troops did Mohawks and war paint but not 101. He may have meant that his face was blackened which was very common. How would she have know he had a mohawk with a helmet on?

Matt

[gi-rene]

Originally Posted by Airchallenged

Billy,

Those guys other guys in that clip i posted were the other engineers I think. It is totally possible that other 82nd troops did Mohawks and war paint but not 101. He may have meant that his face was blackened which was very common. How would she have know he had a mohawk with a helmet on?

Matt

What if it was ripped off by the slipstream? Or he lost it with some other accoutrements for other reasons. Or discarded it because it broke. The M2's had that nasty welded D bale which was very prone to breakage. The M1Cs had the swivel bales (much more common) but still the right impact, scrape or whatnot can snap one of those too...

[BillyTucci]

Originally Posted by Airchallenged

Billy,

Those guys other guys in that clip i posted were the other engineers I think. It is totally possible that other 82nd troops did Mohawks and war paint but not 101. He may have meant that his face was blackened which was very common. How would she have know he had a mohawk with a helmet on?

Matt

I you guys check out the chapter "The Night" in The Longest Day (page 106), Ryan writes about Murphy that "...his face was streaked with war paint, accentuating his cheekbones and nose."

Of course, who knows if Ryan added that after seeing pics of the Filthy 13, but it's not a big deal, just one of those little factoids we all like to know. Does anyone know Robert M. Murphy? I believe he's thankfully still with us.
Billy