"The End Of My Second War." | Band of Brothers (2001)  

Tom Hardy had more lines than I thought.

Imagine surviving two World Wars and still being well adjusted enough to be on guard duty and have casual conversations. That dude is an absolute unit.

“My second war” took me a long time to realize how many vets from WW1 went into WW2 hoping it would finally be to one to end them all.

Imagine fighting in TWO world wars? Casually smoking with someone you were fighting just months prior.

I just love stories where two mortal enemies casually hang out

My grandfather liked the German Soldiers when the war was over. He admired their work ethic and efficiency. One particular story involved offloading a train full of deactivated ordinance and military supplies in Ansbach and nobody knew how to operate the crane. One of the German POWs stuck his hand out and said "I never used one, but I can give it a try" he said it took that kid not 20 minutes to figure out how to operate the crane and get things moving. He had other stories such as getting in a friendly wrestling match with a POW, while he was guarding them by himself, even leaving his weapon unsecured (probably not a good idea) and also them convincing him to demonstrate his marksmanship skills which led up to him shooting a spent cartridge from his M1 Garand at 70m or so (also not a good idea) and all the POWs cheering him on. To him, German Soldiers after the war were like his friends, I guess everyone was just glad it was over.

The actor that played the old german still acts by the way. He's in a tv series called Sturm Der Liebe.

The Feldgendarmerie was the last German unit to be disarmed after the war

That Feldgendarmerie had a very interesting life. Sounded like he had a lot of stories. Good, bad and worst stories.

"Russia is not desirable.." 😂😂 you do not say. 😂

From BoB book: One night Sgt. Robert Marsh was driving Pvt. John Janovec back from a roadblock by a side road. Janovec was leaning on the unreliable door of a German truck. They hit a log. He lost his balance, fell, and hit his head on the pavement. Marsh rushed him to the regimental aid station in Zell am See, but he died on the way of a fractured skull. Captain Speirs gathered up his few personal possessions, a watch, his wings, his wallet, and his parachute scarf, and mailed them to Janovec’s parents. “He had come a long way,” Webster wrote. “He had jumped in Holland and fought in Bastogne. He hated the army, and now, when the war is over and the golden prospect of home was in sight, he had died.”

It was the end of Tom Hardy's war too. A few seconds later he was killed in an accident.

What I found interesting about this show is the people who played major roles didn't get much of a career bump. But so many who played minor and bit parts went on to do major roles.

Could you imagine surviving ww1 and 2 and being on the losing side both times. Holy crap buy a lottery ticket.

My grandfather was in a German Artillery unit in WW2. Somehow he actually never saw combat, was in Denmark for years then moved to the Western Front. The infantry guys captured some Americans, left them with him(pretty much just smoked cigs and hung out with the 'enemy'). Then they got left behind by accident when their unit was retreating and were captured by Americans. He immigrated to the US some time after the war

The helmet with the goggles on top is fucking SHARP.

Favourite German character in Band of Brothers. Especially loved it when he casually says "I'm going home now."

I love that this TV series also continued telling the story's after the war officially ended. It's something that you don't see in war movies/series in general.

That's a big old German dude right there, after a couple wars under his belt, bet he knew how to fight. Good thing he's nice to you.

Germans are so imposing, even when they're not fighting. Love this series.

They're talking about ASR points, basically the point system that determined when you could go home, almost entirely determined by time spent at war. You needed 85. Problem with that system was that combat units and non-combat units acquired points the same way so combat units were less likely to make it to 85.

Tom Hardy had a nice safe ride in that Jeep and then the war was over for him

The Feldgendarmerie's uniform looks badass, sometime about the way he says his lines comes of like "Beware of an old man in a profession where men usually die young." Like the guy must've been everywhere and really seen a lot.

There's something obvious that might not be obvious. The insignia around the German's neck is for the Feldgendarmerie, the military police. While it might just be a reasonable uniform choice for the character since they would be pulling this detail. The Fledgendarmerie units weren't liked, even by the regular army. They did... interesting things.

Little did he know, Argentina would be his next destination.

The German probably fought in the trenches of the first then the second war too? One hell of life

Not trying to come off as a German fan boy, the truth is I’d be more than thrilled to have met an infantryman from the Big Red 1 or the 101st Airborne. But let’s just acknowledge how cool that German soldiers character is. Without deep diving into what sort of person that he may be outside of the conflict, that dude is a spitting imagine of Prussian military culture. And with his age, he would have been some of the last of the old guard. Would be insanely cool to sit down and have lunch with a warrior like that.

Far out, i thought that was Till Lindemann for a sec there 🤣🤣

When two people are just talking a few days before they were mortal enemy's

I love when we get to hear about these moments where two people on opposite sides of a brutal war are able to come together and just hang out, have a chat, be friendly and respect each other. It shows that they knew they weren’t enemies, they were just on different teams

This was cool af. Just 2 soldiers having a casual conversation I love it.

Great to see Till Lindemann in a major acting role!!

Really shows how despite the issues at hand. There is a respect for each other after both sides fought a literal war against one another. Men respect another man who puts it all on the line 🤷

Between this and Star Trek Nemesis, this is why I didn’t believe it at first when someone told me he played Bane. A stiff wind would’ve blown him away back then.

It always amazes me who all had roles in this series. Tom Hardy, Jimmy Fallon, Donnie Wahlberg, the guy from Office Space, Michael Fassbender, Simon Pegg, Dominic Cooper, James McAvoy… and probably others

Do NOT ask fritz what he was doing in Russia 🤫

"Ukraine...it was okay." Surpisingly accurate since the Ukrainians saw the Germans as liberators from the Soviets. Though the feeling wasnt mutual.

Webster would write a book titled, "Parachute Infantry" about his experiences in the military as well a book about sharks. In 1961 he would go out alone in his sailboat and never return. It is presumed he was lost at sea.

The actor who portrayed Webster did a hell of a job. Simply brilliant!

I cried when this scene happened. My grandfather served and was overseas for 4 years. His service is a secret to our entire family and I’ve spent the last year trying to get his records and details from my country. They have stalled me. I will never forget him telling me 1 of 3 things about the war and it was exactly this . “France was the best, I liked it the most” when I was young I thought it was a joke because that’s where he may have been when the war ended. I’ll never know .

I love that at our core we are people who just want to get our work done,eat, and be happy. It was a nice talk.

One of my favourite scenes. Just kinda wholesome to see them hanging out, I understand they were running a checkpoint of sorts

He returned home, customized a Ford Falcon GT for the desert wasteland and he would later be known as Mad Max

My Grandmother recorded Band of Brothers on vhs from the History channel a couple years before she passed. I wore those tapes out. Always a damn good movie!!! And God bless my Grandmother!!!,

Tom hardy. Never realized how great of actor he was until he got bigger roles.

It's definitely my favorite scene in Band of brothers. The Feldgendarmerie like most of the German army had to continue to help with maintaining order and peace after the war.

"Russia is not desirable" Some things never change

Considering that up to 85% of all Americans of European descent can claim at least some German ancestry, this scene didn't surprise me at all. Also, England is largely comprised of 2 nomadic Germanic tribes, the Angles and the Saxons (hence the English term, Anglo-Saxon), we are all of us not as different as we may think we are. Im a 6th generation Texan, but my ancestors came from Saxony. Even King Charles and the English Royal family's REAL name is Saxe-Coberg-Gotha. It doesn't get much more Germanic than that.

This scene alone helps underpin why brother wars are always tragic things. I always respected the professional German soldier and it's sad that recognizing the humanity within "the enemy" is a taboo today. I'm glad this scene was kept in the show.

Looks like the dude from Rammstein.

“I think I was in every country” lmao yeah I think so too bro 😂

The people serving a government aren’t the enemy. The government itself is.

I’m convinced that the extent of the French resistance has been greatly exaggerated as the Germans seem to have enjoyed the place and felt safe enough to go about as tourists. Starting with Poland the German experience gets dangerous and progressively more hazardous the further east they went. Partisans and privations were a constant source of stress and misery. After the war the French were vindictive but the Brits & US were willing to be amicable to the Germans. The Soviets and the twice abused nations between however kept a very intense hatred going for decades in eastern Germany and to the Germans prisoners.

Given that this man and his comrades invaded all those countries he mentioned this is more of a compliment. France fell in a few weeks, Italy was taken over quickly from the Italians, Ukraine was rougher but manageable, and Russia was hell on earth.

Little known fact, German POWs were held long after war, in the US, the Uk, and ten years in Russia as laborers.

I totally forgot young ass Tom hardy was in BoB. Best WW2 show hands down. Amazing show.

In general, soldiers prefer the company of other soldiers. It takes a soldier to know what a soldier goes through in a war. Simply put, this German First Sergeant and the Young Tom Hardy have far more in common than the private would have with the folks back home. Given the commonality of Western European, specifically German, culture and American culture, no surprise they have more in common than one might think. To this day, in my experience in working with NATO liaison officers, the Brits and the Germans are the most fun. Much in common culturally. Back in 1945-1948 the Germans and Americans of course got along, at least most of the German enlisted soldiers preferred the Americans. Like today, American pop culture had been popular in Germany despite Goebbels' efforts. But, the German officer caste and especially the German general officers preferred the British because of their adherence to aristocratic conventions. The British were much more respectful to rank than the Americans. The French though had a bone to pick with any German, and one cannot blame them. Moreover, the British political leadership was not as naive as the Americans when it came to the inevitable rehabilitation of West Germany as a bulwark against the Soviets. The British more or less ceased trying to prosecute German senior officers of the likes of von Rundstedt, Manstein et al. by 1948. The British were pragmatic and had far more experience with the byzantine nature of European power politics. The Americans were much more zealous. Of course, from a stand-point of justice, the Americans were correct to prosecute those who committed clear-cut war crimes, but from a Realpolitik perspective, the Americans put too much faith in Soviet intentions and spent a lot of time prosecuting guys who were always going to get off in the name of reconciliation with Germany.

Took me a moment to realize this is after the fighting and they’re working on sending everyone home

That German is solid. Both world wars his country is defeated and he takes it like a walk in the park.

"Kids these days with their "Garands" and their "MG-42s"".

I don't think the average combat soldier hated the enemy. They just wanted it to be over and go home.

No more brother wars

the German soldier is played by a German actor named Dirk Galuba. the same actor can be found in the German TV series "stürm der liebe". here in Italy it is a TV series that is very popular. Btw Galuba it’s a great actor.

Stahlhelm with the goggles looks so freaking cool

All those strong men from World War II if they weren't fighting and killing each other could have built something incredible

Damn, this show had everyone

He’s wearing the Feldgendarmerie ( field police) gorget. I’m sure he was a hard ass when active, they called them chain dogs. They hunted partisans too.

At the end we are all human

I can attest to what the German soldier was saying. Many of them bought vacation homes in Italy in the 90’s because they remembered how nice it was until the fighting started

At the end of the war, my grandfather was held over until 46 and worked in a prison camp. He made friends with one of the Nazi Prisoners who was just a kid, maybe in his late teens. My grandfather was in his mid 20’s at the time. One day they are trying to kill one another and the next they are swapping stories of home life.

Bane's grandfather would have been so ashamed of him....

Band of Brothers might have been the best show I've ever watched.

"Not desirable...:

81 points, did all the campaigns (except the ardennes) and was one of the last member of the company to go back home... Webster is the most stunning member of easy from my pov, he was as educated as the officers (even more than some)but decided to go to war as a private the whole campaign.

Show has so many good actors

“Russia was not desirable, Ukraine was ok” Damn I’m sure that statement from 2001 won’t make weirdos online upset

Looks like Till Lindeman 😂👍🏻

“Ah, you think France is your ally. You merely adopted France, I was born in it, molded by it….”

"We have defeated the wrong enemy" - Patton

I really want to hear that soldier's story. He fought as a German, but I doubt he fought as a nazi. He must have some crazy stories to tell.

He didn't like Russia because they had their ass beaten there

Herr Saalfeld als Kettenhund .

Hes glad to be in american custody

People forget that most soldiers weren’t people that adored Hitler, a lot of them were just forced to join through the conscription

Im from a small town in Canada on a remote lake, there was a small POW camp on the lake comprised of german soldiers. My grandfather who was born in 1936 was hospitalized during ww2 and had to share his room with 3 german soldiers recovering for months. They played games with him and kept him company as he recovered. Funnily enough after the war all had to return to germany, but less then a year after they left dozens of germans returned and immigrated to canada to live on the lake. To this day I know multiple german families that live on the lake still.

Imagine fighting in 2 wars your country lost 💀

That’s one big ass German

Tom Hardy so young!

Isn't it strange. 2 lots of soldiers that had to fight, hate kill each other on sight because they were indoctrinated and ordered to by OTHERS ... and then one day, the orders changed and suddenly they can talk to and treat each other as regular human beings. War is strange.

Webster actually wrote a book about his experiences in WWII, it's a very good read I highly recommend it.

My favorite Tom Hardy roles are the ones where I didn't even notice it was him. Black Hawk Down, Batman Dark Knight Rises, Band of Brothers, stuff like that. Granted I never knew who he was for years and I'm actually not a huge fan of his no disrespect.

In reality Eisenhower had surrendered German soldiers herded into open farmland surrounded by barbed wire where one million men died from starvation and exposure.

The German soldiers is a unit

Man now i gotta watch the entire show again to remind myself what happened right before and after this.

"Don't. Salute. The Germans." "Or what, Webster? Even if you outranked me, you could sod off, bud."

Russia has never been desirable

Russia was bad but Ukraine was okay? The Ukraine was apart of the USSR during WW 2.

Möchten Sie nach Munchen gehen?

Webster’s actor was almost casted as Bruce Wayne in the Dark Knight Trilogy. This was damn near a convo between Bane and Batman.

You know what a medic said "they were young men, just like us, they were just wearing different uniforms" - Kenneth Moore