Searching for Augusta: The Forgotten Angel of Bastogne

by Martin King

Overview

A brutal siege. A forgotten heroine. A war-torn romance. And a historian determined to uncover the truth.

Untold millions who saw and read Band of Brothers can finally know the whole story of what happened to American soldiers and civilians in Bastogne during that arduous Winter of 1944/45. In the television version of Band of Brothers, a passing reference is made to an African nurse assisting in an aid station in Bastogne. When military historian Martin King watched the episode, he had to know who that woman was; thus began a multi-year odyssey that revealed the horror of a town under siege as well as an improbable love story between a white Army medic, Jack Prior, and his black nurse, Augusta Chiwy, as they saved countless lives while under constant bombardment. Based on the recent discovery of Prior's diary as well as an exhaustive and occasionally futile search for Augusta herself, King was at last able to bring belated recognition of Augusta's incredible story by both the U.S. Army and Belgian government shortly before she died. This is not only a little-known story of the Battle of the Bulge, but also the author's own relentless mission to locate Augusta and bestow upon her the honors she so richly deserved.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781493049424
Publisher:	Globe Pequot Publishing
Publication date:	04/01/2020
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Martin King is a highly qualified British Military Historian/Author/ Lecturer who’s had the honor of reintroducing many US, British and German veterans to the WWII battlefields where they fought. He lives in Belgium near Antwerp where he spends his time writing, lecturing, working with veteran organizations and visiting European battlefields.

Widely regarded as a leading authority on European Military History, General Graham Hollands referred to him as the “Greatest living expert on the Battle of the Bulge”. Steven Ambrose called him “Our expert in the Ardennes”. Fellow writer and notable historian Professor Carlton Joyce said “He really is the best on the Ardennes". His campaigning work for World War Two veterans recently came to attention of some leading military personnel at the Pentagon who cordially invited him to present his latest work The Tigers of Bastogne. Awarded ‘Services to Education’ certificates by the USAF and NATO. In 2015 his documentary feature Searching for Augusta received no less than 7 Emmy Awards for Best Historical Documentary.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Maps viii

Preface: The Setting xi

Introduction: The Spark xv

Chapter 1 Who Were These People? 1

Chapter 2 Going Home for Christmas 15

Chapter 3 All Quiet in Bastogne 25

Chapter 4 The Fog Was So Thick 35

Chapter 5 Cafes and Cellars 43

Chapter 6 No Way Out 51

Chapter 7 Welcome to Hell 59

Chapter 8 Whose Nuts? 73

Chapter 9 Blue Skies Smiling at Me 83

Chapter 10 What's Merry About All This? 95

Chapter 11 The Ghost Town 107

Chapter 12 The African Angel 121

Chapter 13 Speechless 129

Chapter 14 A Great Leveler 137

Chapter 15 The Last Dying Gasps 143

Chapter 16 Broken Town, Broken Heart 149

Chapter 17 Searching for Augusta 153

Epilogue 177

Excerpts from Interviews, Diaries, Letters, and Reports 181

About the Author 237

Editorial Reviews

It brought me to tears!

Norman Lichtenfeld

Thanks to the passion and determination of Martin King to deliver the extraordinary details of this modern day saint, Augusta Chiwy's life of humility and drive to do the right thing even in the face of hell can never be forgotten again!

Helen Patton

One of the joys of studying history is that people emerge from the shadows whose actions that would otherwise have been forgotten demand our attention. One such is Augusta Chiwy, a Belgian nurse who found herself immersed in the horror of the Battle for Bastogne during Christmas 1944 and responded with spectacular courage and compassion. Chiwy's story has now been revealed in full by the energetic researches of Martin King who has demonstrated that Chiwy should be counted as one of history's true heroes

Peter Snow

Augusta Chiwy, a civilian volunteer nurse to the 101st Airborne Division fighting in and around Bastogne in December 1944, will be forever remembered as the young girl from Burundi who became the ultimate symbol of self sacrifice and devotion to our wounded in need. With her religious faith and experienced mind and hands Augusta Chiwy became the modern battlefield's Florence Nightingale to our besieged divisions that were outnumbered 10 to 1 in both armor and men. Her iconic sacrifices have been honored by the American and Belgium governments along with numerous organizations thanks to Martin King’s tireless efforts to get her the recognition she so justly deserved. A petite figure of gigantic historic proportions now resting in Bastogne but reunited in heaven.

Carlton Joyce

His Majesty entrusted me with the honor of conveying...his appreciation for your very interesting book. Highly sensible to the remembrance of those who suffered and even gave their lives, like many allied soldiers did, to free Europe and Belgium, the King was deeply moved by the feature documentary.

General Jef van den Put

Martin’s story of Augusta Chiwy reminds me of that which the soldiers in the 327th Infantry Brigade, 101st Airbone Division hold dear: selflessness, duty, and commitment. Augusta serves as a shining example of these attributes and this story reminds all of us in uniform that we must never forget the sacrifice and service of those who came before us. This is a must see for anyone and also those who have served as well as their loving, supportive families.

Colonel Rob Campbell (ret'd)

I have never known a better story in my life. It is thoughtful and touching beyond belief. The context that you provide on the Bulge to help tell the story is beyond reproach. This 11 on a scale of 10.

Commander Jeffrey Barta