Is this a fake Carius Photo?

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43rdRecceReg
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Is this a fake Carius Photo?

Post by 43rdRecceReg »

Whilst idly leafing through Pinterest pics, I came across the paired photo,below, purportedly showing the legendary Otto Carius in the turret of Tiger 131. It's above a well-known wartime photo of Carius in a Tiger's command position. (The name of the contributor appears at the bottom of the pic)
Having checked around, I couldn't find any references to a visit by Carius to the Tank Museum, at Bovington. Somehow, I can't imagine that he would have appeared in one of his favoured checked shirts, if he'd received an official invitation to visit the Museum. :think:
Carius died, aged 92, in 2015. Had he visited Bovington when he was still pretty mobile, I'm sure they would have made a big deal of it. Here's the photo:
Image
I've just managed to order a used copy of his highly rated 'Tigers in the Mud', from Amazon. I still find it truly amazing that such a modest, and slight looking, man could have survived five simultaneous bullet wounds, made a full recovery, and gone on to build a lasting reputation for courage under fire.
Here's a link to a short appreciation of his life:
Image
It's at this website, where it's also possible to check up on other famous WW2 figures (even some real baddies. Carius remains untained, and held in great esteem, so far as I can tell)
https://ww2gravestone.com/people/carius-otto/
Last edited by 43rdRecceReg on Mon Sep 14, 2020 10:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Get your facts first, and then you can distort them as much as you please"- Mark Twain.
Tiger6
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Re: Is this a fake Carius Photo?

Post by Tiger6 »

David Wiley has referenced this visit in several of the museums recent youtube videos.
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43rdRecceReg
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Re: Is this a fake Carius Photo?

Post by 43rdRecceReg »

Tiger6 wrote:David Wiley has referenced this visit in several of the museums recent youtube videos.
I've often followed David Willey's 'Tank Chats' on Youtube, but I've been unable to find any direct reference to Carius visiting the Museum. I've also tried a variety of search terms such as 'Carius visits the Tank Museum'; 'Carius in Tiger 131'; 'Otto Carius at Bovington'; 'Carius and David Willey'; 'Carius at Bovington'...and so on, and still drawn a puzzling blank :problem:
I've also probed Bovington's own 'search' facility- and found nothing connecting Tiger 131 and Carius. Sure, it wasn't his tank, but I would have thought there'd be some reference to him as a VIP visitor...
Either there are search terms I've not tried, or thought of- or there's actually little evidence of the visit. I would have expected even the local papers to have covered it. :|
Last edited by 43rdRecceReg on Mon Sep 14, 2020 10:47 pm, 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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Jimster
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Re: Is this a fake Carius Photo?

Post by Jimster »

Nothing to add except that he is one of my favorite heroes! He won me over when I read about how he kept a bottle of liquor in the holder beside his commander’s seat that was meant for a scuttle charge. His book is awesome and was/is a great resource for my love of the Tiger tank. All throughout his book he puts parentheses around the word “Tiger”.
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B_Man
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Re: Is this a fake Carius Photo?

Post by B_Man »

Its a pity the "Curator Q&A" series on YouTube has just finished or you could have messaged David Willey and asked him.
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