Oh my gosh it is Mary! The daughter of Walter! Your Dad, you and Christoph have really helped solve so many of the unknowns about the Lazarett at Siegburg. Thank You!
Please note that now with confidence I can refer to it as the Lazarett at Siegburg thanks to all of Christoph's help.
Mary whatever I write you I will copy at the same time to Christoph because he has made this site what it is!
I assumed that you were busy and so I never wrote to you personally over the last many months. But I wanted to tell you time and time again, how much your efforts to learn more about your Dad had helped me learn more about my Dad! If you had never looked for information, I would never of found Christoph!
I will get in touch with you as soon as I can - I am overwhelmed at the moment but it is not on Siegburg things.
I want to call, maybe Memorial day, the few remaining Siegburg alumni that I uncovered. I am just so uncomfortable about bringing up something they try to forget. More about that later..
Off line I would be interested in discussing - if you wanted me to see what I could find in St. Louis Archives on your Dad. I would need his Serial no. But I can not put in any new requests for many months. I am waiting for these last requests to be filled. They have been terrific down there.
The Siegburg operation really was huge based on the number of men that went through there - some lucky enough (in a strange way - because meant to ill to move) to stay there and not get moved to other Camps.
At Waldbrol men were put to work - those that could - and one now deceased Allied prisoner witnessed it. He did a deposition on it and I have it amongst my papers from the Archives. I need to scan it so I can share that with you both. Clearly the men that came at the end from Siegburg were not put to work.
My latest ad in DAV Magazine looking for Siegburg POW's brought forth 3 calls. None of the gentlemen had been at Siegburg but what a privilege for me to get to talk to them and the wives too. And how similar the problems were and are with these men even though a couple were in their 90's. The early years of their marriages were very very difficult.
I hope on Memorial Day to call and say hello to all of these gentlemen. One man had never had anyone ask him about his experiences. And he was shot down over Sicily - the longest held POW I have found!
Have had a chance to visit part of each of the last few days with a gal from the New Orleans WW2 Museum. It is so wonderful what they have been able to achieve!
Hooray Mary is back on line!
Bye for the moment,
Jean J
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