Warfare in News

Joe Ekins, formerly of the Northamptonshire Yeomanry, died last Wednesday at the age of eighty-eight. Many believe that he was the man who fired the fatal shot that killed the famous Nazi tank commander, Michael Wittmann.

Joe Ekins was a typical British soldier of the Second World War. A Northamptonshire shoemaker, he was basically a civilian in uniform with a healthy disdain for authority and privilege, combined with a total disdain for the values and extremism of his enemy. He was certainly a reluctant soldier although he had no compunction about volunteering for service, he saw his war very much in terms of good versus evil.

Joe was not one to re-live the past. For many years his amazing exploits during those famous 12 minutes in Normandy in 1944 were hardly the topic of conversation.

However in recent years, as military history became more popular many historians and others have beaten a path to his modest door in Rushden. At last Joe was prepared to tell his story, but never for glory and never for fame.

The film Wittmann Vs Ekins goes some way to proving Joe’s part in the death of Wittmann, but to the man himself the question was irrelevant and the answer not worth considering. This British soldier just wanted to get the thing over and done with and get home to what he loved and fought for.

After the action on the Normandy beaches, Joe was made a radio operator for the rest of the war.

Joe Ekins, formerly of the Northamptonshire Yeomanry, died last Wednesday at the age of eighty-eight. Many believe that he was the man who fired the fatal shot that killed the famous Nazi tank commander, Michael Wittmann. Joe Ekins was a typical British soldier of the Second World War. A Northamptonshire shoemaker, he was basically a civilian in uniform with a healthy disdain for authority and privilege, combined with a total disdain for the values and extremism of his enemy. He was certainly a reluctant soldier although he had no compunction about volunteering for service, he saw his war very much in terms of good versus evil. Joe was not one to re-live the past. For many years his amazing exploits during those famous 12 minutes in Normandy in 1944 were hardly the topic of conversation. However in recent years, as military history became more popular many historians and others have beaten a path to his modest door in Rushden. At last Joe was prepared to tell his story, but never for glory and never for fame. The film [i]Wittmann Vs Ekins[/i] goes some way to proving Joe’s part in the death of Wittmann, but to the man himself the question was irrelevant and the answer not worth considering. This British soldier just wanted to get the thing over and done with and get home to what he loved and fought for. After the action on the Normandy beaches, Joe was made a radio operator for the rest of the war.