Patton was an ass. A very successful ass, but an ass nonetheless. Pistol whipping your soldiers who have been driven mad by a concentrated prolonged artillery barrage is not cool.
I would point out that the British survivors of Operation Chariot, the Commando raid on the drydock at Saint-Nazaire, either quoted Mark Twain directly or paraphrased him when asked about it their courage and fear. They knew the operation was likely to be a one way trip and they still all volunteered. They rejected Pattons view when questioned.
Pistol whipping?
Put down the pipe!
Patton struck one soldier on the helmet with the gloves he was holding in his hand. Another he struck on the shoulders with his gloves.
IIRC one soldier had a habit of reporting for sick call for any little thing. Every sniffle, stubbed toe, hangnail...anything.
The other was a known malingerer who had several write ups and was basically pulling a Klinger, trying to be sent back to the rear.
In any event Patton self reported both incidents. After contacting Gen Marshall Ike decided to take care of it administratively.
Washington Post “journalist” Drew Pearson reported the story, adding salacious “details” that never occurred.
In a book review published more than forty years after Pearson’s death, journalist Jack Shafer called Pearson “one of the skuzziest journalists to ever write a story.”
William F. Buckley Jr. declared himself “the founder of The National Committee to Horsewhip Drew Pearson”.
In any event Patton spent much more time among the infantrymen than any other officer of his rank.
He would show up out of nowhere and start talking to small groups of infantry. Slapping them on the back, telling how proud he was of them, how the world depended on them. He would talk small unit tactics and safety.
He also wrote more letters to the families of his soldiers than any other General.
When I was growing up one of my neighbors had served in 3rd army.
On his living room mantle were the only two momentoes of the war he displayed.
One was his Purple Heart, the other was a handwritten letter from Patton telling his parents he had been wounded. The letter praised him as a fine example of American manhood and promised their son would be back with his unit fighting the enemy as soon as he had healed. He was buried with his Purple Heart and that letter.
He thought the world of Patton as did most of the men who served under Patton.
Patton knew men responded to larger than life figures so he played one.
Ike and Bradley both picked Pattons brain before every planned operation.
Patton tried to warn Ike about the hedgerow country and was ignored. He also tried to warn Bradley and Ike about Bastogne but was again ignored.
Call him an ass if you want. He was right more often than wrong.
Besides, Operation Chariot was in March, 1942.
Patton entered the war during Operation Torch in NOVEMBER, 1942.
It would be 8 months before any English soldier heard of George Patton at the time of Chariot.
Did you purposely skew your timeline?
Jeremy Clarkson did a very good program about the raid on Saint-Nazaire.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nXusKM5uX0s&index=15&list=PL0BCBABCD4184DE91