A gun to the head........

[Eric Queen]

I thought this photo was interesting. Notice the guy in the back with the army badge on.

[Willi Z.]

Those ex-Heer paras playing with guns....

[Edelweiss]

Wow... When you think of how many accidents happened with P08s !
If I was at the sit man's place, I would've had an "little explanation" with the "funny" plonka...

[Óscar G]

Hi everyone:

When you think of how many accidents happened with P08s !

If I´m not wrong, Obltn. Horst Trebes was involved in such an accident. After the operation on Crete he was awarded the RK and celebrated it in Halberstadt with some FJs. The night party had a tragic ending: Oberjäger Karl Polzin (member of the Trupp 4 at Eben Emael, and one of the famous Fjs depicted in the photos taken after the attack) was shot and killed "by accident" by Trebes. Polzin was sleeping in the bathroom and Trebes insisted on awakening him shooting his pistol... It´s easy to imagine the scene and the "situation under total control after a night party" before shooting him...
His mother-in-law saved him from death penalty. She had worked as a nurse during WWI and met Hermann Göring in the Lazarett where she was. After recovering from his wounds, Göring promised he would help her in the future, in case of need. She asked him the favour and Göring interceded on Trebes´behalf.
Anyway, Horst Trebes lost his Offz. graduation, as well as every order and badge. Jäger Trebes was engaged again in Africa, where he lost his right arm in action. He was KIA in Normandy at St. Denys-Le-Gast, near Carentan, on July 29, 1944. He was at that time Hauptmann and commander of III./FJR6.
Regards. Óscar

[Edelweiss]

Interesting story ! A very similar accident almost happened during WWI to Ernst Jünger (as he tells in "Steel storms"). A friend of him came to wake him up, and while talking to him, played with his Lüger that was near the bed ; the bullet passed only a few centimeters from Jünger's head...

[Mauser]

"jack The Lad "

You always get one "Jack the Lad", i bet this guy was the companys prankster, lets hope that it wasnt loaded

Regards

Mark

[Brian C.]

If you look closely, he is holding it sideways in the world's first "gangsta" aiming pose.

[Eric Queen]

That is an interesting story about H.Trebes, Oscar. A friend of mine, Willi Peters, watched ( former army paratrooper ) H.Trebes die at Carentan. They were together ( 12./FJR6 under M.Poeppel ) during an Allied bombing run. Mr.Peters took shelter under a tree, and Trebes slid under a half track. Peters watched as the half track took a direct hit. I have it all on tape. If I have time later, maybe I will post the transcription. I know Mr.Peters liked Trebes a lot, as opossed to Hagl ( RK Kreta ) whom he hated ( because Hagl had stolen his girlfriend when they were both still in the FIB )

He cried though when he told me how Hagl died. Does anyone know that story?

EQ

[Edelweiss]

No, not yet. Such a pain after all this time, it's touching...

[Ian Tannahill]

Giday everyone,

Everytime I look at a photograph of Hagl, I recall Eric's comments some time ago about the terrible treatment Hagl received from the partisans who captured and killed him.

All the best,

Ian

[Óscar G]

Hi everyone:
The nightmare that FJs lived in Carentan and the surrounding area had to be terrible! This direct testimony from Willi Peters will be really interesting, Eric. He seems to have seen or made contact with some signifier FJ events and protagonists: Trebes and, as you tell in your book, Stösser...
On the other hand, I have a sketchy reference about the crudel murder of Hagl. IMO, one of the crudelest treatment in the Second War...
Regards. Óscar

[Edelweiss]

Where did it take place, and who were these "partisans" ?

[landsknecht66]

Not sure if this is way out of topic in this thread, but it relates to playing with guns and FJs!

I am borne in Sweden, but my mother and her parents came here after the war, and my mothers father was in the 1st FJ Div (my grandfather that is). Anyway, my grandfather died before I was borne (sadly enough), but he left a lot of stuff behind him from the war. Among these things was a Walther P38. This pistol was found by me, when I was about 9 years old. Of course I was totally in heaven... a real pistol, my hero grandfathers pistol, it was like finding a great treasure.
So, with my grandfathers medals on the chest of my t-shirt and the gun in hand, I run out to play and to show my friends... one thing though, my grandmother saw me!
And she was not to be taken lightly, in other words, no one screwed around with her (she was a Oberhilferin in the LW on the Eastern Front during the war).
She of course run out and just yelled a commando and I froze! She got really angry and upset, and she started to swear in German, a sure sign to be very still and quiet (normaly it meant: run like hell!!!). She then told my step grandfather to get the car, and we went out for a ride. We arriwed by a small lake and my grandmother told me to sit in the car and shut up. She then throwed the pistol in the water!!!!
My grandmother was swearing, my step grandfather was very very quiet and I was crying! LOL!!!

I hope the story wasnt too much out of line, since at least the pistol was owned and carried by a FJ!

[Edelweiss]

Amusing story that ended fortunately without drama ; except for the P.38 of course, who had a very sad end...

[R_Hessian]

Germans

Hello Landsknecht66,

Very interesting story... I worked at the US. Embassy in Stockholm in the 80's and I met many Germans who came to Sweden after the war; Soldiers who deserted from Finland, People who worked on secret projects, Concentration camp survivors etc.

But the most unique was the Commander of the KustJaegena ( I hope I spelled that right its been a few years ), I was one of 4 Marines allowed to take the test for this very elite unit in the town of Vaxholm... we wore Swedish uniforms! ( I still have my hat and badge )

All of this was kept very low key and we were at the time asked not to speak of it as Sweden was a neutral country.

Anyway after the test ( 2 of us passed ) we went to the Commanders house and as we talked I peeked at his book collection and I found all of "Carell's" books in German. I asked the Commander if he had much interest in the war and he told me of when the "Ami's" came to his families farm.

It went something like this; He was a boy when an American unit came to his town, all of them spoke Polish. One his farm they had white Russians working he said that the troops raped the white Russian woman and hung the men in his family barns.

At one point a soldier gave him a grenade with the pin pulled and told him to take a walk, long story short he was aware of what he was given and was able to get rid of it without him being killed.

When his family was able they fled to Sweden. At first I had a hard time believing the story because it just did not seem to make much sense with a all Polish unit etc.

The Commander of this unit was a very serious and professional soldier and the unit he commanded was darn tough! I asked him lots of questions about this incident and he finally looked at me and said, "What I have told you is true".

Anyway one of many Germans I met during my time in Sweden.

Regards,

Robert