Memories about my granddad

The purpose of this board is to post information and pictures of the family members who served have served in any kind of service to their country. In this way we can honour their memory and service.
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yagen
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Memories about my granddad

Post by yagen »

Hi everyone,

I must admit that I am quite reluctant to add an entry here as my granddad fought for the bad guys.
I do not know much about his service during the war as he never spoke much about that time and I never asked. From what little I can still remember he fought in the russian campaign and got as far as Stalingrad. Fortunately - in a very weird sense - he was badly injured by grenade shrapnel and was returned home from the field no longer able to fight. He had lost part of his hearing and his left eye. However, that saved his life as he was not caught in the "Kessel von Stalingrad" (I have no idea how to translate that, maybe the Stalingrad trap?). After recovering from his injuries he was expelled from the army and after the end of WW II had a long life as art teacher and fairly renowned painter. He died this summer, just a few months after his 100th birthday.

My biggest hope is that this part of history will never be repeated and that the world will get a more peaceful place.

Kind regards,
Reinhard
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43rdRecceReg
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Re: Memories about my granddad

Post by 43rdRecceReg »

There's no need to be reluctant, Reinhard.
That your Opa should have survived such terrible wounds, experiences, and massive cultural change, to live to be 100, and leave an artistic legacy is worthy of putting into words. What's more it's worth adding photos too, if you have them. :thumbup:
My Father and his brothers fought in WW2, while my Grandfather and brothers fought in WW1. Yet, my best male friend is a former Leutnant of Polizei in Hamburg (Rentner Heutzutage...). His father built Messerschmidts during the war. A good friend of his, a neighbour- Horst, fought at Stalingrad. Gangrene from a wound cost him his right arm. He often observed, ruefully, that there was something in Russian soil/earth to caused even the most minor wounds to turn septic.
My Father and his brother were in the same recce regiment, and got as far as Bremen during the war...but would have shared a schnapps quite happily with my friend, his father, and Horst
if they had ever had the chance to meet them. :)
Horst has since died; but he was a kind, gentle man, and he had an old soldiers' 'graveyard' sense of humour. He could almost have been a 'Tommy'. I'm sure there were millions like him, who fought for their country and not for Adolf's warped thinking.
Last edited by 43rdRecceReg on Wed Nov 28, 2018 10:40 am, edited 1 time in total.
"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please"- Mark Twain.
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yagen
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Re: Memories about my granddad

Post by yagen »

Hello again,

thank you for your kind words. I always fear that I might be called a nazi when mentioning WW II or my tank hobby. I have seen on TV, in museums and on historical sites what Hitlers folly has brought upon the people. It is sad that mankind is not only able but also willing to commit such crimes.
I can only hope that I will never have to experience war myself.

Kind regards,
Reinhard
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HERMAN BIX
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Re: Memories about my granddad

Post by HERMAN BIX »

Good Morning Mr Yagen, I too agree that you have no fear of judgement here for I believe that any man that wears his nations uniform regardless of the agenda that his political handlers aspire to is worthy of the utmost respect.
I have trodden the hallowed turf if many graveyards in Europe, including many of the German ones and I can honestly say there are no “bad guys” lying in that earth.
Through the passage of time enemies become friends, but unfortunately, sometimes friends become enemies.
Thanks for an insight into your family’s history.
HL JAGDPANTHER,HL TIGER 1,HL PzIII MUNITIONSCHLEPPER, HL KT OCTOPUS,HL PANTHER ZU-FUSS,HL STuG III,HL T34/85 BEDSPRING,
HL PZIV MALTA,MATORRO JAGDTIGER,HL F05 TIGER,TAMIYA KT,HL PANTHERDOZER,HL EARLY PANTHER G,TAIGEN/RAMINATOR T34/76,
HL AN-BRI-RAM SU-85
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Artyfist
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Re: Memories about my granddad

Post by Artyfist »

Hi all,
My Opa also served on the eastern front as an engineer. Buliding bridges during the advance then blowing them up during the retreat.
He has sense to surrender to the Americans, after what he had seen done to the russians.
His son, my uncle wanted to join the hitler youth (just like we joined the scouts) but Opa would not let him.
Opa died when I was quite young but I have some photos and also his eastern front medal.
Always wanted to wear his medal and mine when on parade but was not allowed.
Torro Sherman
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jarndice
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Re: Memories about my granddad

Post by jarndice »

I have no memory of my Grandfather and my Father only saw him twice when he was less than a year old,
Grandfather Christopher died leading his regiment at the Battle of the Somme in WW1,
I come from a military family my father served in the Indian Army until 1939 when he resigned and joined the County regiment which was absorbed into the BEF,
He was evacuated from Dunkirk but he was seriously injured when his ship was bombed and he was invalided out of the Army,
He spent the rest of WW2 as an Armourer on an American Bomber base,
He was just 50 when he died,
I got to the hospital in time for him to see for the first time his only son in uniform,
He was a man who had a firm control of his emotions but the tears flowing down his smiling cheeks told me all I needed to know.
He died the following day,
What gives me real pleasure is that ten years later in the 70s I was with a NATO Company which included Belgium, Dutch, British, and German Soldiers,
The camaraderie was something to behold we melded as a unit and socially we got on across national,cultural,and language barriers,
I made good friends that have stayed the course of time.
I think I am about to upset someone :haha:
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43rdRecceReg
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Re: Memories about my granddad

Post by 43rdRecceReg »

Reflecting on Shaun's Family. All of us within Europe, and offshoot states, have some connection with militaria, and with what appeared to be an unending series of conflicts culminating in the 'War to end Wars'. Which was, as it happened, the War to start the next one. :thumbdown: :| Our ancestors seemed to like nothing more than killing one another; but then we are tribal, territorial animals I suppose.
In the spirit of the Christmas truce in Dec. 1914, and the Centenary of the end of the conflict, it should be pointed out that until the FIrst World War began, Germany had been the traditional ally of Britain. From the Conflicts in the Americas, through to Waterloo and beyond the Brits and the Germans had almost been best buddies. Maybe that should come as no surprise because the Brits (well, the English, mainly) and the Teutons share strong cultural, linguistic, and ethnic links.
As the Spiegel puts it (relative to recent DNA tests):
" ...But there is no use in denying it. It is now clear that the nation which most dislikes the Germans were once Krauts themselves...." :haha: :haha:
http://www.spiegel.de/international/eur ... 68706.html
That ever trustworthy rag, and implacable enemy of the Far Left, the Mail, also had its own jolly take on the theme:
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/arti ... Jerry.html
Hmmm..well, if that's half of all Brits (excluding, I would imagine, Brits from Asia and Africa :shh: :shifty: ), then even some Scots, Welsh and Irish have dipped more than their feet in the Germanic genepool.. :O
So, Reinhard, you can feel slightly relieved, because the World Wars were really 'Home matches' not 'Away games'. :thumbup: :D
Let's hope the spirit of the Xmas truce was reborn after 1945, and that we won't be a big dysfunctional family in future.. :thumbup:
Christmas Truce. Dec. 1914
Christmas Truce. Dec. 1914
"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please"- Mark Twain.
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