Could Allied ground troops participating in ETO during 1944/45 have suffered from a massive slump in morale of such a nature as to chronically undermine their combat efficiency ? In Sept 1943, 200 British veteran soldiers of the 8th Army, already weary from fighting in North Africa and Sicily, and some suffering from malaria, mutinied after, on their way across to the Salerno beach-head, they'd been assigned to new units of the US 5th Army, although initially informed that they'd rejoin their old outfits. WI the Salerno mutiny, which was the largest combat refusal by British soldiers during WWII, had been replicated later on around the time of D-Day, the Normandy battles, the Holland and Ardennes campaign during 1944-45 ?
Apparently, during the leadup to D-Day in 1943/44, among the seasoned American and British veterans of such outfits which had fought in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, then were transferred to England to spearhead the invasion of France, such as the 1st BIG RED 1 and 9th OLD RELIABLES Inf Divs, 82nd ALL AMERICANS Airborne Div, surviving Rangers to form the 2nd and 5th Ranger bns, 7th DESERT RATS Armd Div, 50th TYNES AND TEESIDE Inf Div, and 51st Highland Div, there were some vets who believed that they'd already done enough in the fight thus far, that other men should now shoulder the burden, and who resented having to risk their lives yet again. Could such sentiments among the seasoned Allied troops available to fight in ETO have been the underlying sentiment for some largescale combat refusal, had there been perhaps some catastrophic incident during the campaign like larger casualties during 6th June or the destruction of an entire beach, or greater casulaties and even slower progress in the BOCAGE ? OTL, during the Normandy campaign, there were some instances of combat fatigue among individual soldiers in Monty's 21st Army Group. What about later on in the NWE campaign- could such a huge morale breakdown have occurred after the debacles at Arnhem, the Hurtgen Forest, or the opening stages of the Battle of the Bulge ? How much would the Allied advance on Germany have been stuffed up had there been the spectacle of large nos. of combat fatigued veteran soldiers, feeling they'd done more than their fair share and refusing to go back into the line, engaged in largescale brawls and shootouts with MPs, or substantial nos. of individual soldiers deciding to go AWOL ?
Apparently, during the leadup to D-Day in 1943/44, among the seasoned American and British veterans of such outfits which had fought in North Africa, Sicily, and Italy, then were transferred to England to spearhead the invasion of France, such as the 1st BIG RED 1 and 9th OLD RELIABLES Inf Divs, 82nd ALL AMERICANS Airborne Div, surviving Rangers to form the 2nd and 5th Ranger bns, 7th DESERT RATS Armd Div, 50th TYNES AND TEESIDE Inf Div, and 51st Highland Div, there were some vets who believed that they'd already done enough in the fight thus far, that other men should now shoulder the burden, and who resented having to risk their lives yet again. Could such sentiments among the seasoned Allied troops available to fight in ETO have been the underlying sentiment for some largescale combat refusal, had there been perhaps some catastrophic incident during the campaign like larger casualties during 6th June or the destruction of an entire beach, or greater casulaties and even slower progress in the BOCAGE ? OTL, during the Normandy campaign, there were some instances of combat fatigue among individual soldiers in Monty's 21st Army Group. What about later on in the NWE campaign- could such a huge morale breakdown have occurred after the debacles at Arnhem, the Hurtgen Forest, or the opening stages of the Battle of the Bulge ? How much would the Allied advance on Germany have been stuffed up had there been the spectacle of large nos. of combat fatigued veteran soldiers, feeling they'd done more than their fair share and refusing to go back into the line, engaged in largescale brawls and shootouts with MPs, or substantial nos. of individual soldiers deciding to go AWOL ?