Over 20 years since they were immortalised in TV series Band of Brothers, dog tags belonging to members of ‘Easy’ Company have been discovered. The dog tags were found in England, by the team behind one of Dan Snow’s upcoming documentaries.
While digging in Aldbourne, Wiltshire, the tags of Richard A. Blake and Carl Fenstermaker were discovered. This is where the company were stationed previous to taking part in the US landings on Normandy in June 1944. Deadline states that archaeologist Richard Osgood was leading the dig at the time of the tags being found, a collaborative effort with participants from Nightingale and Aldbourne Heritage Centre and Breaking Ground Heritage.
This finding actually marks Black and Fenstermaker being recorded as members of the troupe. Even if they were known by name, they might not have been cast in the historical drama series. Over 300 men served in E Company by the time WWII was over, forcing co-creators Tom Hanks and Steven Spielberg to be particular about whose perspectives we followed through the whole ordeal.
“World War II is an incredibly important and emotive period in history, and it’s only right we shed light on those who gave up their lives to protect their own and other countries,” Snow added in a statement. “As we celebrate 78 years since D-Day, I’m proud we have found further soldiers from within the Band of Brothers who deserve recognition.”
Band of Brothers boasts a large ensemble cast, with David Schwimmer and Tom Hardy among the long list of names. The show premiered in September 2001 on HBO, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest dramatisations of war ever made.
Snow’s documentary, titled Uncovering the Band of Brothers, will arrive on History Hit at the end of June 2022. There’ll be an accompanying podcast, typical of Snow’s multimedia approach to his historical narratives.
Two sequels have been produced: The Pacific, in 2010, and Masters of the Air, coming later this year. Maybe they’ll lead to more forgotten soldiers getting their due in the future.