Words of Wisdom From The
"DISPOSAL MAN"
Carl Cestari on Hector Grant-Taylor (09/27/02)
Colonel Hector Grant-Taylor is credited with upwards of forty Axis "kills" to his credit. He was one of about a dozen professional "disposal" men active for the British government during WWII.
Some selected quotes on the "vocation" of killing:
"What you want-you've got a morbid desire to know-is killing easy? Well, I'm going to answer your question, and then DON'T ask it again. NO, not when the guy is at arm's length. To kill an enemy at long range-with a blockbuster, a twenty five pounder, or the sixty-eight millimeter, is a routine job. But in close quarter battle you kill at conversation distance. You can't let it get to you. You've got to be able to watch the whites of the poor devil's eyes turn up, KICK him in the face in case the job is incomplete, and forget him. Especially FORGET him."
"You may call it the callousness of the butcher, that kind of killing, or you may call it the idealism of a superpatriotic man. BUT, it has to be done."
The "double tap":
"Give him TWO. When a man is dead, he should stay dead."
On "firing position":
"The policeman or soldier in close quarters battle who hesitates to assume a fancy stance, and then sight is a dead pigeon."
"It takes too much time. Seeing the enemy and shooting him MUST be practically simultaneous. The man who would live must aim by feel, NOT eyesight, and if you crouch somewhat, with one foot forward and with the elbow of the arm you're firing with pulled in to where it is six or eight inches directly in front of the navel, you CAN'T miss."
On the knife and "silent killing":
"There is NO defense against the knife. If it's a sudden attack and you've no gun."
"His knife work is equally artistic. He doesn't like knifing; he considers it crude, as well as unpleasant. But there are occasions when a sentry must be removed silently."
"You don't stab or HACK with a knife," he says. "You stroke with it."
"With smooth cobra-like lunges, he shows how arteries can be cut most deftly, from behind, from the side, and - if need be - from the front."
Grant-Taylor was active "operationally" in the European, Pacific, and CBI theatres of operation. He also was highly regarded and sought after as an "instructor" for varied British and American special units. He was active in the SOE run "Killing School" in Palestine, as well as Calcutta, and Cairo.
Those who served with him on actual missions held him in awe, and eagerly sought to get back into the "field" with him whenever possible.
There is alot to this man's story. I am compiling this material from a number of sources and the story of this man just gets better and better.
His connection with the FBI, the Chicago underworld, the SOE, OSS and influence on Scotland Yard and the SAS is fascinating.
Much more to come!
Carl Cestari
9/27/02 Re: Words of Wisdom From The "DISPOSAL MAN".......
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James,
It's great stuff!
I think it is absolute foolishness to disregard or minimize the lessons that can be learned by studying these men and their methods.
Men like Bryce, Hamer, Grant-Taylor are not as well known as WEF and EAS or Colonel Applegate, but ALL these men actually learned by DOING!
D.M. O'Neil is another example. There are those who are aware of only the small section of his method as shown in the FM's. One small aspect of a method that when studied(and understood) in it's entirety is nothing short of genius. Not to mention that his background from the SMP, the OSS, 1st SSF, the SAS, the USMC, the CIA and other "Intelligence" services, AID/IPA is astounding.
So call me old fashioned, narrow minded, whatever, I'm like a prospector sluicing for gold.
You gotta sift thru alot of sand, but every now and agin' you find that nugget.
Carl Cestari
9/27/02 Re: RE: Words of Wisdom From The "DISPOSAL MAN"...
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Al Capone, Johhny Torrio, Dion O'Bannion, Walter Stevens, Big Jim Colosimo, Frank McErlane, the Genna brothers.........
A "Who's Who" of the Chicago underworld. Killers, extortionists, kidnappers, strongarm specialists, bank robbers.......you name it.
What do these "gentlemen" have in common with Grant-Taylor you ask?
Well, H. Grant-Taylor credits these "folks" with TEACHING him many of the methods he "employed", and taught!
Now we can discuss "Chicago Willy" the shiv expert and mob assassin who taught along side WEF at Area F.
Maybe later.
Thuggery. Brutal, direct and effective.
Or.........could it be? Al "Scarface" Capone was really a "Chicago Seefoo"!
The possibilities.........................................
Carl
9/29/02 Re: Some technical questions
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Get "JOCK LEWES". Excellent read. Also, "JOY STREET" for a different perspective.
Colonel "Bull" Simmons held Richard Meadows in very high regard. That speaks volumes.
Carl
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