Meeting with FJ veteran last week

[Billy B]

Walter spent 3 years as a Russian POW before returning home and then was arrested again by his country’s government. He escaped and landed a job as a mechanic with the US army. He learned English and came to the US in 1952 with the US military.

Why was he wanted? and how did he get into the US change his name invent a persona etc?

[tropenmilitaria]

Why was he wanted? and how did he get into the US change his name invent a persona etc?

He didn't say exactly why but I think that it was perhaps that he was a soldier for the German army. Maybe some Czechs in the government were still upset by their earlier annexation by Germany. He came over here with his original name and history via the US military.

[Andy C.]

This is a masterpiece of a story, he looks well too. I would have so many questions for him. WOW, good job Andy.

[erichcraciun]

I am currently working on a project in Pilsen. If you are interested in sending him some current fotos of hist hometown, please let me know.

Erich

[John Henderson]

Hi,
I was slightly taken aback with the story and where Walter came from in Czechoslavakia. My father in law, who has lived in Scotland since the war, comes from a place not too far from Pilsen. He was born in Rothmul near Zwittau, now Svitavy. We visited his home town two years ago and passed through Pilsen.
My father in law served in the 3rd Fallschirm, after the RAD and HJ in Brinn in the Sudetenland. He has quite a story too.
Thanks for posting this. I will be sure to let him see this thread.

kindest regards John

[tropenmilitaria]

After 3 years of loss of contact, Walter recently contacted me to let me know he is okay but had some health problems which caused a change in his living arrangement. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that he was okay. I hope to see him again soon

[Bryant U.]

After 3 years of loss of contact, Walter recently contacted me to let me know he is okay but had some health problems which caused a change in his living arrangement. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised to hear that he was okay. I hope to see him again soon

.

[mmbroek]

Good to hear!

[tropenmilitaria]

Just had the pleasure of visiting again with Walter and wanted to share a few things from my notes which some may find interesting.

Flight training with the Luftwaffe:
Before joining the Luftwaffe, Walter received glider training with the Hitler Youth for which he received 3 different awards. After joining the Luftwaffe, he trained on the Arado Ar 66 (a bi-plane) and the Arado Ar 96 (single engine trainer in which he flew solo). Flight training was near Berlin but he also did some guard duty at an airfield in Holland. He still has his original will & testament that he wrote during flight school. This was found by the German govt. many years after the war in an archive and sent to him. After severe fuel shortages, Walter was sent to train as an engineer with the 1st FJ Division.

Life as a Pioneer with the 1st FJ Division:
The German line south of the Po River in Italy was mostly static in nature at the start of his deployment. He and other pioneers had been brought in to fill the vacancies left by the depleted engineer battalion that emerged from the Battle of Monte Cassino. Some of his trainers were veterans of Cassino. At night, he slept with members of his unit in a deserted Italian farmhouse. During the day, he undertook engineering duties such as laying mines & barbed wire, building bridges, and constructing trenches. He recalled being trained with explosives and how to bring down trees to block roads using dynamite. He laid one minefield in Italy and had to place barbed wire around it with mine warning signs. German mines were very deadly since many were made with plastic/bakelite and couldn't be picked up by mine detectors. Many German engineers were killed in daily operations such as laying mines.

Fieldgear & Uniforms:
Walter kept his paratrooper helmet hanging from his belt and only wore it when US artillery was incoming. He recalled being shelled with anti-personnel rounds by the US when he & his friends were constructing a bridge one day. He wore a visored soft cap (M43) most of the time and liked the warmth the ear flaps provided. He wore his paratrooper smock daily and found it came in handy when carrying spools of barbed wire since it helped protect his uniform and body from the sharp barbs. He laughed about shredding one smock from carrying so much barbed wire that kept snagging. He wore Italian cleated low boots which he liked since he could wear 2 pairs of socks and they were easy on his feet during marching.

Russian Captivity:
He and many other German veterans of the Italian campaign made their way in a long column trying to make it to the American held western section of Czechoslovakia at the end of the war. His hometown of Pilsen was located in the western section under US control. Some Czech civilians helped the Russians coming from the east and even fired on German troops trying to retreat westward. Most Germans had long since dumped their arms during the long march. Walter had a K98 and 3 rifle grenades which he threw into a waterway during the march home. The Russians captured Walter and others in central Czechoslovakia before they could make it to safety on the American side. Many of the Russians appeared Asian/Mongolian in appearance he remarked. The Russians laid blankets on each side of the POW column and everyone was expected to place money, rings, watches, blankets, boots, etc. on the blankets. German soldiers who did not comply were shot in the head with pistols.

Russian POW camp in Georgia:
"Living conditions were very primitive in nature" he recalled. The outer perimeter of the camp was encircled with two rows of barbed wire separated by a dirt corridor which was smoothed over by the Russians every night so that footprints of escaping prisoners could be seen. Huge, deep pits on the outskirts of the camp served as latrines. Boards were placed across for the POWs to stand on. Many German POWs suffered from digestive problems and became weak. Some sickly POWs fell off the boards to their deaths in the latrines.

US Army Service:
Came to the United States after the war and joined up with the US Army (1952-1956). I observed that he had sleeve patches for the 9th and 23rd Infantry Divisions. Became a helicopter mechanic after receiving training in Texas.

[Colt]

Great thread and loved the update, I think it's interesting that he goes from being a German paratrooper to russian pow to U.S army mechanic in just a few years! Hope all is well with him.

Just had the pleasure of visiting again with Walter and wanted to share a few things from my notes which some may find interesting.

Flight training with the Luftwaffe:
Before joining the Luftwaffe, Walter received glider training with the Hitler Youth for which he received 3 different awards. After joining the Luftwaffe, he trained on the Arado Ar 66 (a bi-plane) and the Arado Ar 96 (single engine trainer in which he flew solo). Flight training was near Berlin but he also did some guard duty at an airfield in Holland. He still has his original will & testament that he wrote during flight school. This was found by the German govt. many years after the war in an archive and sent to him. After severe fuel shortages, Walter was sent to train as an engineer with the 1st FJ Division.

Life as a Pioneer with the 1st FJ Division:
The German line south of the Po River in Italy was mostly static in nature at the start of his deployment. He and other pioneers had been brought in to fill the vacancies left by the depleted engineer battalion that emerged from the Battle of Monte Cassino. Some of his trainers were veterans of Cassino. At night, he slept with members of his unit in a deserted Italian farmhouse. During the day, he undertook engineering duties such as laying mines & barbed wire, building bridges, and constructing trenches. He recalled being trained with explosives and how to bring down trees to block roads using dynamite. He laid one minefield in Italy and had to place barbed wire around it with mine warning signs. German mines were very deadly since many were made with plastic/bakelite and couldn't be picked up by mine detectors. Many German engineers were killed in daily operations such as laying mines.

Fieldgear & Uniforms:
Walter kept his paratrooper helmet hanging from his belt and only wore it when US artillery was incoming. He recalled being shelled with anti-personnel rounds by the US when he & his friends were constructing a bridge one day. He wore a visored soft cap (M43) most of the time and liked the warmth the ear flaps provided. He wore his paratrooper smock daily and found it came in handy when carrying spools of barbed wire since it helped protect his uniform and body from the sharp barbs. He laughed about shredding one smock from carrying so much barbed wire that kept snagging. He wore Italian cleated low boots which he liked since he could wear 2 pairs of socks and they were easy on his feet during marching.

Russian Captivity:
He and many other German veterans of the Italian campaign made their way in a long column trying to make it to the American held western section of Czechoslovakia at the end of the war. His hometown of Pilsen was located in the western section under US control. Some Czech civilians helped the Russians coming from the east and even fired on German troops trying to retreat westward. Most Germans had long since dumped their arms during the long march. Walter had a K98 and 3 rifle grenades which he threw into a waterway during the march home. The Russians captured Walter and others in central Czechoslovakia before they could make it to safety on the American side. Many of the Russians appeared Asian/Mongolian in appearance he remarked. The Russians laid blankets on each side of the POW column and everyone was expected to place money, rings, watches, blankets, boots, etc. on the blankets. German soldiers who did not comply were shot in the head with pistols.

Russian POW camp in Georgia:
"Living conditions were very primitive in nature" he recalled. The outer perimeter of the camp was encircled with two rows of barbed wire separated by a dirt corridor which was smoothed over by the Russians every night so that footprints of escaping prisoners could be seen. Huge, deep pits on the outskirts of the camp served as latrines. Boards were placed across for the POWs to stand on. Many German POWs suffered from digestive problems and became weak. Some sickly POWs fell off the boards to their deaths in the latrines.

US Army Service:
Came to the United States after the war and joined up with the US Army (1952-1956). I observed that he had sleeve patches for the 9th and 23rd Infantry Divisions. Became a helicopter mechanic after receiving training in Texas.

[Ed Taylor]

I had a laboratory technician that worked for me in Buffalo, NY. He and his wife were Estonian. Before the war he was in the Estonian Army. When the Russians occupied Estonia after the German/Rusian non-aggressian pact he was conscrip[ted into the Red Army. When the Germans occupied Estonia he was conscripted into the Wehrmacht and fought with it in Heers Gruppe Nord until the end of the war. As the Russiand advance he walked through the forests until he eventually reached Germany. After the war he migrated to Canada and eventually to the US in the 1950s. The interesting thing is that when he arrived in the US he recveived a draft notice. After serving for 6 years in 3 armies, much of it in combat, someone at the US draft board showed some sympathy and waived his service.

[London Jay]

What an excellent read this thread has proved.

Many thanks for sharing it.

Jay

[tropenmilitaria]

Thanks for the continued interest in this thread. Here is a portrait photo of Walter's brother Karl wearing his Infantry Waffenrock. Walter was nice enough to make a professional copy of the original and give it to me as a gift. Karl was sadly KIA Russia December 31, 1941. He was only 24 years old.

[Zakaria]

Very intresting indeed.

[Bradley]

What a story! Thanks for sharing this with everyone.

I'll be sure to keep my eye out for any updates in this thread.