Gad, I need more hours in the day.
Me too!
The German federal Archive is divided into different offices. For our questions we might have to search the one in Berlin-Lichterfelde in the former U.S. Army Andrew Barracks (former SS Leibstandarte barracks, former school, former cadet barracks), or Freiburg im Breisgau where the military archive is located, or maybe in Ludwigsburg with the archive for nazi crimes.
Christoph
Oh my gosh, Christoph, I have been writing for a Long period and just left site for message on other monitor and now the message is gone! Oh gad! I feel sicker than the message I went to look at. The title was the #1 Worst Food for your Skin, Joints and Blood Sugar. Oh Cripes! And I still don't know the answer to that.
First, I am thrilled that you were able to possibly have narrowed down some future sources of impossible to find information!!! Wow, that is Big news! And, THANK YOU!!!
I am convinced info exists. The documents you found about the Abbey/Camp displayed to me that there was a professional approach to keeping records.
Just this last week I got sent a document that is on the web "Gaukonigshofen (circle Wurzburg) Jewish History/synagogue." Because of your help I knew to Google translate it. I only read a small amount of it, and that showed to me that somewhere, someplace, there are records available. Some people want to find out where the records for this article/history came from.
I heard from NARA in Md. regarding my 4th Div. 22nd Regiment Medical Detachment request. Basically I have to go there and see what they have. It does not appear that there is a separate log or Diary for them.
I requested an ad be put into the 78th Div and Ex Pow Org. next bulletins. I Requested Siegburg and Waldbrol information etc. Also will put ad in other places.
What moved that higher on my lists of things to do was that a French gentleman put an ad in the 4th Div Assoc. bulletin looking for Vet's who were in Paris when it was liberated. I gave him information and it looks like he will come in Feb. to film for a French Documentary which includes not just the French in the liberation but shows that the Americans were there too. The 4th were first Americans in Paris but they were not allowed to march in the parade because they were too dirty. I believe it was the 28th that got to be in the parade. Dad, of course, did not get into Paris. He was trucked through to continue fighting. Little did he know he was working his way towards Siegburg and Remagen! Did you read the book Is Paris Burning. It was great, as was the film.
As you know, your Euro is up and we are down. I look daily. I think about how beautiful your country is and how you have handled the pollution, or lack of it, from your cars and trucks. As I drive amongst our crazy drivers, I think about how easy it was to drive on your autobahn. Your cars and trucks did not cut in and out of lanes and trucks had no debris dropping from them. And while I think about Germany, and wish I was there, I better get some things done and more details worked out on Mom, so I can try to go to St. Louis and see what great new clues we may be given.....
As always Christoph, Thank You so much!!! Words can never express my gratitude to you!!!
Jean J
Lots of Success from trip to NARA in St. Louis. Now I need lots of time to analyze what I was able to find.
The most shocking and emotional thing I discovered was a letter from my Dad to a deceased gentleman's father. The letter is pretty well destroyed but the back side of the paper is clearer. So knowing my Dad's handwriting and going in reverse from the back side, I was able to figure out a great deal of what was there. For the moment I will say the beginning part written on Jan. 15, 1945 appears to be:
Dear Sir
This is one of those letters we must
write and yet Sir it is very hard indeed.
Your son was a hero till the very end
He was severely wounded and it was ---
There is more to follow but I want to see if I can get the next couple of lines figured out before I go on. The italics are words I can not definitely confirm at this time.
The evidence of the fire on the records is everywhere - burnt/scorched edges on partial pieces of paper. I am grateful I found what I did.
Christoph, I believe there are German clues in here. And for certain, these hospital records have to exist in Germany. So many wounded men passed through here. And maybe some are still alive - even Germans that were there!
I am slowed down because I caught a cold or something.
Bye for the moment,
Jean J
What a great find! Im waiting to be reading more.
I hope you get well soon!
Christoph
Christoph, You are right! A great find!
More is coming - I am trying to be very methodical and copy and file everything. i am also trying to contact some of the different Bomber Squadrons where we now know the name of the unit the men were in. Maybe, just maybe, a few of the men are still alive. I tried finding contact information on a couple of them but no luck today - maybe tomorrow. What a race against time - the aging issue.
I can hardly wait to send you some of the German documents - filled out in German! Very impressive and professionally prepared medical reports - all done in German. Regrettably the volume of records is so sparse because again - the fire.
The amount of work that NARA had to do is staggering so that I could even review what they could piece together. Frayed and burned and faded and torn papers each put in separate cellophane like folders. And nothing can be pulled out of the folders or touched. If a document has staples in it, you must go to the counter and have an attendant remove the staple. As they should, you are watched at all times. One woman was making a fuss because she could not wear into the room her bulky sweater with a zipper in the front of it. I am glad they are strict. 2 people can not look at the same folder at the same time. I would finish with a folder and then give it back to the person at the desk where it got logged in and then it got logged out by my husband when he was ready to do the copying.
More to follow,
Jean J
Just learned from Ex POW organization that the one gentleman, Charles, from the list of 8, has been delinquent since1981. Not a good sign.
The other 7 that were part of the wounded Air Force types that went on to Dulag Luft, were never members of Ex POW organization.
Well there is always hope ....
Jean J
Contining to monitor this with great interest. The letter from your dad was simply amazing.
Jean
Thank you for the scans! On the one of the Red Cross I found Mr Silker signation (see post #157!), and some are signed by Dr Schweers , did we have him here before?
And there is a note that Buettner was moved to the camp hospital Hoffnungsthal, the one I mentioned in post #009.
Abner was burried at the Nordfriedhof, as Dryden!
Christoph
Oh Christoph,
I did not expect to hear from you so soon. Maybe by tomorrow night I can write more.
I am working on keeping the papers organized and figuring out what is there and doing some research for the future - so things stay rolling.
Did talk to American Legion about putting ad in their bulletin - may hear in next few days. Still no luck connecting with DAV.
Trying to figure out the outfits the men were in, whose records I requested. Some files are very paltry.
One deceased gentleman, Lee, (buried at Siegburg) had a request from a nephew of the man in 2006 about medals.. This man's father was a twin to the one that died. I called the number in the file and did get to talk to the nephew. He said they never knew Lee had been in a prison camp or hospital. One thing the nephew thought Lee's Mom said was that Lee died of TB. Lee did go to the Cemetery in the Netherlands to the grave site of his Uncle. He said his Grandmother was really happy he had done so. Tomorrow I want to write the nephew.
Spilker is the Father or Padre that was mentioned in the article you sent me by the man doing all of that Michaelsburg research. And while Spilker had been deceased awhile, according to that article, the author was still alive. Would be great to get to talk to him.
And Schweers, I think was the Dr. for the Germans. Now at least at a future time we can ask directly about him.
Also we can ask at a future time where the box of records are for the German Red Cross
I have more documents to process .... Can't wait ...I will send you more.
Are they calling the Cemetery with the 23 men, the Nordfriedhof/North Cemetery?
Documents on Abner say he died on Dec. 30, 1944 from wounds. And on one document it says: " According Death Certificate. Res Lazarett Siegburg. Cause of Death. Gunshot Wound Head. Buried Siegburg Cemetery. POW No. 13125."
Fascinating when they have information as to where and how they were injured or captured. "T/Sgt. Abner was last seen as he led his platoon into the attack." It was Dec. 1, 1944 and intended destination: "Draw and woods S.E. of Vossenack, Germany." "There were only eight members of the third platoon that were not WIA, KIA or MIA. At this time there is only one man left out of the third platoon, therefore no accurate report can be submitted." Date of that report is Jan. 13, 1945.
I hope to revisit the Buettner file tomorrow.
Christoph, I am so happy and grateful, maybe better to say "honored" to know you!
Goodnight,
Jean J
More details on letter Dad wrote to the deceased gentleman's Dad. This may help finally clarify the Cemetery issue:
I still have more lines to confirm/figure out but at one point he writes:
"_______ your son here
at Siegburg in the American Section
of a German Cemetery with some other American
boys who have found a greater peace than
seems to exist on earth. Some day when
this all is just a bitter memory I hope to talk
this over with you"
I believe the word is 'buried' before 'your son'
May be a few more days before I can get the papers organized.
Jean J