The Forgotten Dead: Why 946 American Servicemen Died Off the Coast of Devon in 1944---And the Man Who Discovered Their True Story

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Summary: A Man Obsessed
Review: "The Forgotten Dead" is an autobiography of one man's struggle to to pay tribute to 946 American servicemen killed durng rehersals for D-Day off the coast of Deven in England 1944. Mr. Ken Small, an ex-policman and ex-hairdresser, began to uncover the events of the D-Day rehersals while partaking in his hobby of "beachcombing". The book includes a summery all the events of the D-Day rehersals from the the displacement of the local population in the area sourounding Slapton Sands and Blackpool Sands along the coast of Deven to the catatrophe of operation Tiger when a convoy of U.S. Landing Ships were attacked by German E-Boats. Mr. Small supplements his narrative with detailed accounts from U.S. Servicemen who survived operation Tiger and U.S. and U.K. servicemen who were involved in the decisions leading up to operation Tiger. However, the crux of "The Forgotten Dead" is Mr. Smalls obsession with establishing a memorial to pay tribute to all those who perished in the D-Day rehersals. Though not a Pulitzar Prize winner, "The Forgotten Dead" is well worth reading as it recounts a catastrophe in World War II which, until a few years ago, not many people knew about. I, myself, became engrossed in Mr. Small's epic struggles with endless bureaucracies...I found this book to be entertaining as well as thought provoking. ....

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Summary: One man's goal of honoring the 946 GI dead of Devon Beach.
Review: A few years ago, the story came out on how 946 American soldiers died when practice landings on the Devon Coast in Great Britain went terribly wrong. This was due in no small part to Ken Small who lived in the region and beach combed as a hobby. Small describes how he uncovered this little known story and the remains of this landing. Along with the raids by German E-boats, several tanks sank during the initial landing. Small uncovered one tank and arranged that it be brought ashore, repaired, and displayed as a memorial to those soldiers who died. He battled both the American and British governments to accomplish this. He also spent a small fortune in this effort.
I admire the courage and fortitude of this man. The book is his testament to the deaths of these 946 Americans, and the grateful expression of one English man for their sacrifice. This is a pleasant read for those who think all Europeans have forgotten what the USA did for Europe in WWII.