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    #1

    DMZ Zeitgeschichte/ WSS biography

    A fairly new magazine in Germany focusses on the WSS men in combat and after the war published by the DMZ (deutsche Militärzeitung). It is interesting as there are quite a few new pieces of information inbetween, f.e. Castro´s Cuba seeking German WSS instructors with in the end actually two men contracting there, or the Swiss swop in 1945 to trade Eastern European refugees in Switzerland against Swiss WSS Pows. The magazine is not very critical about this unit, but having sound background knowledge it offers quite a few details to the readers showing that nothing is purely dark or light.

    http://www.dmz-zeitgeschichte.de/wp-content/themes/naweko/images/titelseite_dmzz.jpg[/IMG]

    The other book is a biography of a very interesting unorthodox but loyal WSS soldier with a wild story to tell with many details of the WSS inside. In the end even emigrating to the US and finding help from German Jews there, who are told by him where he served in the war.


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    #2
    These look really interesting, just unfortunate for those of us stuck with English alone.

    Are you able to provide any more information on the book? Is it in English? Title? I'm particularly interested in the post-war experiences of veterans.

    Allan

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      #3
      Yes, I´ve posted the English version available on amazon. I´m still reading it but I´ve looked through it before and there are quite a few chapters on the postwar treatment and the camps for WSS POWs. Interstingly he also came into contact with quite a few US vets discussing f.e. Malmedy with them and describing their attitudes. In another chapter he f.e. describes the dialogues with US prisoners who say that they´re so relieved that they weren´t taken in by those SS devils but instead by decent Germans (the Germans were in camo so the GI´s didn´t see the runes). He gives a vivid picture of life in Germany in the war (focussed on the Saarland), German attitude towards the enemy and things he experienced in the SS barracks- I like the mixture very much as he doesn´t claim to be the perfect soldier (being just 17 he describes little pranks and even a Swing dance evening in a SS barracks), but nevertheless mentions that he fulfilled his duty with military pride. Inbetween he explains a few things to the non historical reader in a very patriotic view. You can read about the disappointment on US war conduct. He is a child of his time but nevertheless showing a very human attitude never getting derogatory on anyone. I think it is a very honest book and shocking to see the faces of these very young lads who really want to live a teenager life but nevertheless face death with determination but in horror. I got it as a present and think it is interesting and gives a lot of the little details that you miss in the big picture campaign descriptions.

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        #4
        Author Hans Schmidt, `SS Panzergrendier´, 2009 Arndt Verlag Austria
        It has 6 (of 30) chapters depicting the time after the last battles.

        Comment

          #5


          another try to insert the magaines pic instead of the thread only.

          Comment

            #6
            Hi,
            Is there some1 from Germany who can send me a copy of magazine nr 7?
            Information how to get the previous 6 nrs are also welkome
            Thanks in advance.
            MfG,
            Yves

            Comment

              #7
              Originally posted by o.r.k. View Post
              Author Hans Schmidt, `SS Panzergrendier´, 2009 Arndt Verlag Austria
              It has 6 (of 30) chapters depicting the time after the last battles.
              I ve read this book ,though resident in the USA his dislike of Americans borders on hatred

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                #8
                What did you think of it otherwise Terry? I've got it put aside in one of my baskets, but for the price I've always been a bit unsure about it.

                Allan

                Comment

                  #9
                  Originally posted by Herr Lyppe View Post
                  What did you think of it otherwise Terry? I've got it put aside in one of my baskets, but for the price I've always been a bit unsure about it.

                  Allan
                  not one of the greatest memoirs Allan , his war experiences were very short . He is very bitter about the Americans alleged starvation of a "million" pow s ,I m surprised he lived in the states !

                  Comment

                    #10
                    To Yves, Allan, Terry

                    as I started the thread I´d like to refer to the said things. Yves, the DMZ also sends abroad. I found the contact data in the magazine. You can contact them either by telephone 04384 5970 0 or by mail:
                    verlag@deutsche militaerzeitschrift.de
                    If it comes too expensive or doesn´t work I´d be glad to help and you can drop me a line.
                    To the book:
                    I had another impression than Terry. I don´t think he is anti-American, as he often recounts his experience with decent Americans. It´s rather the bad experience he had that made him very disappointed at how the American army often treated their POWs. He mentions the more than casual POW killings, the `roughing ups´, the `giving em their own medicine attitude´, the US propaganda inciting a hatred that didn´t really exist before, the open air camps in an unusual cold spring, the unsympathetic attitude of many guards to their suffering prisoners due to the propaganda and non fraternization regulation, the US order to prevent civilians from helping the POWs, the denial of access to Red Cross inspections and food delivery, the torture and maiming of POWs ( like in the Malmedy trials). The handing over of POWs to the Red army and the French, the broken promises of short internment...
                    It was chance what experience you had but there is no doubt that these things happened (Rheinwiesenlager, Badd Nenndorf (British)...) The official figure of 2-3% death rate under such circumstances certainly is too low and Baque´s figure too high-
                    Of course you aren´t too grateful if you experienced that- but he always differenciated between decent guys and the others.
                    I don´t want to start a history discussion but I think it is legit to mention these things in memoirs. I´d expect another language if it really was hatred.

                    Comment

                      #11
                      Originally posted by o.r.k. View Post
                      as I started the thread I´d like to refer to the said things. Yves, the DMZ also sends abroad. I found the contact data in the magazine. You can contact them either by telephone 04384 5970 0 or by mail:
                      verlag@deutsche militaerzeitschrift.de
                      If it comes too expensive or doesn´t work I´d be glad to help and you can drop me a line.
                      To the book:
                      I had another impression than Terry. I don´t think he is anti-American, as he often recounts his experience with decent Americans. It´s rather the bad experience he had that made him very disappointed at how the American army often treated their POWs. He mentions the more than casual POW killings, the `roughing ups´, the `giving em their own medicine attitude´, the US propaganda inciting a hatred that didn´t really exist before, the open air camps in an unusual cold spring, the unsympathetic attitude of many guards to their suffering prisoners due to the propaganda and non fraternization regulation, the US order to prevent civilians from helping the POWs, the denial of access to Red Cross inspections and food delivery, the torture and maiming of POWs ( like in the Malmedy trials). The handing over of POWs to the Red army and the French, the broken promises of short internment...
                      It was chance what experience you had but there is no doubt that these things happened (Rheinwiesenlager, Badd Nenndorf (British)...) The official figure of 2-3% death rate under such circumstances certainly is too low and Baque´s figure too high-
                      Of course you aren´t too grateful if you experienced that- but he always differenciated between decent guys and the others.
                      I don´t want to start a history discussion but I think it is legit to mention these things in memoirs. I´d expect another language if it really was hatred.
                      good point ,well made

                      Comment

                        #12
                        Thanks Terry-it is always nice discussing such topics without ideological blindfolding and framing, open to arguments. It is not about ideologies but about people in a tempest of war propaganda and hatred- many merited by remaining decent others didn´t no matter if their uniform was an Axis or an allied one. I just found two documents showing that the US occupational policy wasn´t friendly at first and to a degree deliberately harsh f.e. at the Rheinwiesen camps- one of a German district council of Bad Kreuznach reporting on US regulation that civilians are threatended to be shot if trying to get near the POW camp to distribute food, and two handwritten messages of POWs begging civilians for food. As I said it isn´t about bashing the US or excusing Nazi deeds- it´s about wrongdoings in general. I recount one US officer who after his served time in Germany (way after the war) some years ago came back to give a personal excuse to the German POWs as when he learnt about the camps he felt obliged to do so due to his personal code of honour and quite a few vets were very touched by the gesture, as there still was a lot of bitterness, as many Germans regarded the GIs as amicable people whom they accidently had war with.







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