My Great Grandfather

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The Richards Beitzen heading out to sea

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The Lienienschiff Braunschweig in Wilmshaven

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Another group shot before being transfered into the Wehrmacht.

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Convoy near Minsk

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Resting spot near Rouen France. Note all the battle/Target practice damage in the wall. Also my Great Gandfather leaning his K98 with the others.

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Rest area near Rouen France

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In Rouen France. Note the uniforms, regular Wehrmacht uniform with Reichsbahn collar tabs. Also the one guys wears a SA sports badge.

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On their way to Stalingrad.

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Picture of a lake on their way to Stalingrad.

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Pulling what could be his truck out of the mud, Stalingrad.

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Convoy near Stalingrad.

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Taking a brake near Stlingrad.

I talked to my Opa the other day and he was telling me that sometimes his fathers unit wouldn't see a Officer for weeks and they would not know what to do so they would just wonder through out Russia. He said basically they were lost. I'm assuming this happened because they weren't attached to any particular Division. That's what was going on when he was riding the camel. They were just sitting there looking around with binoculars and they saw some one on a camel. So they loaded up and went to see who was riding it and also because there was a camel. Then when they got there they saw it was a German Officer and so then the Officer got off and my Great Grandfather climed up onto the camel and had his picture taken.

My Opa also said at one point he had a pet Eagle, it rode with him in the truck. He was going to bring it back to Germany and give it to the Hermann Goring Park, but it wasn't for sure he was going back to Germany and he met a German officer who was for sure going back. So he gave him the Eagle and told him to give it to Hermann Goring Park, but he doesn't know what happened to the Eagle after the Officer took it.

My Great Uncle was telling me his fathers truck was always the last one because it was the repair truck, had all the tools on it. So at least one time they were driving through Russia and my Great Grandfather started throwing hand grenades out the window. All the other guys in his convoy could hear the explosion and they thought they were being attacked. So when they got where they were going all the other guys were saying "man we barley made it out with our life’s they were attacking us." and so on. My Great Grandfather just sat their with a smile on his face because he knew the truth in what happened.

I love hearing all the old stories of my Great Grandfather.

[patrice]

Great thread and thanks for sharing with us your uncle's pictures and war experience.

I've learned something new today, I didn't know that some breast eagle were being worned on the top left pocket.

[trompiche]

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I'm posting these pictures on what is my Great Grandfathers 10 year anniversary of his passing. Wir verfehlen Sie Opa Willi.

First picture is of him in F.A.D.