if you would make a interview with a german veteran

[DerMonk]

what would you ask them

i will start my first interview on friday - and of course i have a list
but maybe i forgot something interesting

what would be of the biggest interest for you ?

thanks beforehand

[BergführerKiser]

Grüß Gott Der Monk!

What branch of the Wehrmacht was this veteran in....Infantry, Panzer, Gebirgsjäger, Navy, Air Force, Waffen-SS? Of course if he was a Gebirgsjäger, I would be interested in everything that he did during his service.

[Garron]

I met a german Afrika veteran in August in my holiday to German (my Auntie by marriage Uncle), he was really kind to me as he liked me and treated me like one of his children as i had an interest in the German side of the war, and answered one or two questions, i didnt want to go into much detail incase it raised some emotions for him, he had a few photos of him one in kublewagon with a K98 sling over his sholder and two of his friends on relaxing, He is still very proud of his connection to the Africa campaign and Rommel,

he did tell me the story of his capture

He managed to get some leave and returned home to Germany for 2 weeks, on board a ship, when he got back to fight the port was captured by the British and he spent from 1943 intill 1944 in a British POW camp and 1944 untill 1946 in an American camp,

What he found remarkable was that his neighbours had moved in 1939 to America as they could see it war was coming, his camp American camp was near to were they lived and they visited him regularly,

now i think about i wished i had asked him or any vet i have met

What Rank?
Branch of service, panzer artiliery whermacht?
General stories
live in the German Army
His age in combat,
Where he fought,
i would go for the weapons aswell, about the k98, was it reable accurate strong,

and if you dont mind could you tell us the answers and how it went, and good luck

[DerMonk]

@Garron

thanks very much
in my list with 65 questions i did not have any about weapons and the reliability of it .
good point

tnx indeed

by the way:
very funny - my grandfather also was serving in the DAK - and was imprissoned in the states until 1948

[DerMonk]

@Bergführer Kiser

Grüß Gott Der Monk!

What branch of the Wehrmacht was this veteran in....Infantry, Panzer, Gebirgsjäger, Navy, Air Force, Waffen-SS? Of course if he was a Gebirgsjäger, I would be interested in everything that he did during his service.

he served with the 101 jäger division -so no "real" gebirgs division (although a lot of them where trained for being gebirgs-jäger)- which served togehter with the 1GD in the attack on Barwenkova on the 17. may which led to the battle for charchov May 1942.

they also fought together with the 4GD in kuban later

a few more days and i have a lot information and material on the 101 jäger-division !

also some horrido !

[BergführerKiser]

Servus Monk,

Sounds like he will be a great interview. A friend of mine was a member of the 4.Geb.Div....he was a German-American who grew up in New York City. He wanted to become an opra singer and got a scholarship to the Berlin Music Conservatory in 1940. He went over to study in Berlin and was there for a few weeks before Hitler closed all the universities. They told him that he could be in the army now and was drafted. He trained with the Geb.Jäg.Rgt 139 in Villach, Austria, then was transfered into the 4.Geb.Div. in Ukraine and continued into the Caucasus Mountains, then the Kuban when he was wounded. I interview him everytime I go visit my parents in Florida. He's currently writing a book about his life.