My Old Collection

[Ammersee]

In the summer of 1965, after I got out of the 5th grade, we visited my grandparents in Miami. Grandpa Joe showed me his war souvenirs and I was really interested in them. When we left, he gave me all of the stuff he had.

He was in the Army Air Corps, a mechanic that specialized on Pratt & Whitney engines. He served in the 85th Dep Rep Squad, which was a "depot repair" outfit that patched up airplanes on fields close to the front. He was in N.Africa, Sicily, Italy, France, Germany, and finally Austria.

First two pics are items from Italy.

[Ammersee]

The RAF pin was given to my grandfather by a grateful crewman that he pulled out of a burning plane that crash landed. It was his "lifesaving medal".
The dash tags were taken from planes shot down while strafing his airstrip.

[Ammersee]

After the Rome-Arno Campaign, he had a bit of R&R in Rome. Shortly after, the Normandy invasion was on. He somehow lost his job as a mechanic and was given a rifle and turned into an infantryman! He landed not at Normandy, but in So.France shortly after Normandy. He ended up with Patton's 3rd Army and was on his way to Germany. He said he saw Gen. Patton all the time...he was everywhere and you couldn't help but see him.
They entered Germany and (part of?) the 3rd Army moved SE to take Berchtesgaden in case Hitler tried to move the gov't there. Evidently his unit skirted by Munich to the west, and they found themselves at Lake Ammersee.
I'm not sure how they found it, probably by accident, but they entered a boarded up cabin on the lake. It just happened to be owned by Reichsleiter Walter Buch. Grandpa Joe said the cabin was completely stuffed with loot. He described box after box of fancy dueling pistols, barrels full of rolled up oil paintings, and whatever else came from the museums and private collections of Europe.
He said fights broke out among his men, (he was a staff sergeant) they were fighting over who got what. They took it all, I'm sure of that. My grandfather sent his loot home and sold it in Chicago on Maxwell St. in 1946. He did keep some personal items of Buch's. This is all that is left of his raid on the cabin.

[Ammersee]

Here's a closer pic of the "good stuff". I cringe when I think of the beautiful tunics ripped apart with pocket knives to get the insignia. I imagine other men in my grandfathers squad got the rest of the insignia that go with these.

[Ammersee]

He also got Buch's photo album. My grandfather was told not to ship the photo album home as the National Archives would snatch it. Gramps brought it home taped to his chest.

[Ammersee]

I have scanned the entire album and have given copies to Mike Miller, Max Williams, and Mark Costa. (Special thanks to those 3 gentleman) Between the three of them they have identified many of the people pictured. Many more are still nameless. Here is the inside cover of the album.
The caption below the pic says something to the effect: picture after a sculpture by Otto Leiber. I have since found out that the Leiber family were all artists of one sort or another and they emmigrated to the US after the war...to Laffyette Indiana. I'm not sure if Otto made it or not.

HAS ANYONE SEEN THIS BUST BEFORE? I'd sure like to have it!

[Ammersee]

Another view. The photo at far left is captioned "Major Buch". This is how Buch was know after WW1. He served with the 114th Baden Infantry.
The second pic is the one I scanned and copied for my display frame.
On the right, you can see Rudolph Hess facing right in the long coat. He is talking to a Luftwaffe officer. Buch is behind them looking this way.

[Ammersee]

Here's one more shot of the album. I'd say Buch was and "A" type personality judging from these pics. The pic of the old man in the chair is Hans v Sydow, Buch's commander in the 114th in WW1 and a PLM winner.

[Ammersee]

And now you get to "meet" my grandfather, Joe Stepnick. He's the one holding the 5 German bayonets and wearing the German helmet.
He was born Josef Stepnicka in Bohemia in 1913. He and his mother and sister got out of Europe at the end of WW1 and came to Chicago. I think he was a typical American, fighting his way through Europe for souvenirs. One thing he made certain I understood was that he had no animosity toward the German people whatsoever, but in the same breath he told me how he hated the Nazis.

I have good close-ups of all the insignia and will post pics of them if you want.
Ammersee

[besslein]

wow super historical item

[Allan P.]

Excellent, very historic album you have there.

Alan

[Daniele C]

Great Pieces of history!!!!!

[Marc Garlasco]

Wonderful story! Love the pics - it certainly makes my mind SPIN when I think about that cabin!!!

[Ammersee]

I know what you mean, Flak. I've thought about that cabin at least once a week for the last 40 yrs. Ammersee

[A H]

Awesome story! and great items!. Wish my grandad had brought more stuff back, rather than selling coffee and smokes!