Joe,
I hope you don't mind, but I felt like the wonderful pictures you sent today along with the details on how this sword was acquired is deserving of a new thread so everyone will have the opportunity to see it and read your story.
Joe would never admit it, but he is a true hero, and men like himself are the reasons we all enjoy the freedoms we possess today. A heartfelt THANK YOU to Joe Peterburs for his service and sacrifice!
Joe sent me greater resolution images than I was able to post here due to size restrictions. If you would like to see these, please PM me with your email address.
OK...Here's Joe's account of how this fascinating edged weapon was acquired:
I WAS SHOT DOWN ON MY 49TH MISSION STRAFING AN AIRFIELD NEAR BERLIN ON 10 APRIL 1945 AND ENDED UP IN STALAG III (LUCKENWALDE) WHERE MOST OF THE PRISONERS WERE RUSSIAN. I ESCAPED AFTER ABOUT A WEEK AND GOT WITH A RUSSIAN TANK UNIT THAT WAS ON IT’S WAY WITTENBERG ON ELBE. WE FOUGHT THE GERMANS ALONG THE ROUTE AND AFTER A COUPLE DAYS OF FIGHTING AT WITTENBERG THE GERMANS CAVED.
AN AMERICAN INFANTRY SQUAD CROSSED ELBE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE RUSSIANS AND I WENT BACK WITH THEM. THEY WERE STATIONED AT HALLE AND WERE DOING MOP UP OPERATIONS. THE ARMY HAD TOLD THE GERMANS TO PILE ALL THEIR WEAPONS IN THE TOWN SQUARE AND IT WAS WHILE WE WERE GOING THROUGH ONE OF THE SMALL TOWNS IN THE AREA THAT I PICKED UP MY SWORD AND OTHER SOUVENIRS INCLUDING SEVERAL GUNS THAT THE ARMY GUYS SWINDLED ME OUT OF PLAYING POKER. AFTER A FEW DAYS WITH THE ARMY I TOOK OFF ON MY OWN. AFTER A COUPLE HOURS OF HICKING ACROSS THE GERMAN COUNTRYSIDE I CAME ACROSS A C-47 IN AN OPEN FIELD PICKING UP POLITICAL PRISONERS (DRESSED IN THE INFAMOUS STRIPED CLOTHING). I TALKED TO THE PILOT AND BUMBED A RIDE EVENTUALLY ENDING UP IN PARIS WHERE I WAS SUMMARILY DELOUSED AND PLACED UNDER CONTROL...
May God bless men like Joe Peterburs! Take a moment to tell him thank you while we still can!
Good collecting and God bless,
William
I hope you don't mind, but I felt like the wonderful pictures you sent today along with the details on how this sword was acquired is deserving of a new thread so everyone will have the opportunity to see it and read your story.
Joe would never admit it, but he is a true hero, and men like himself are the reasons we all enjoy the freedoms we possess today. A heartfelt THANK YOU to Joe Peterburs for his service and sacrifice!
Joe sent me greater resolution images than I was able to post here due to size restrictions. If you would like to see these, please PM me with your email address.
OK...Here's Joe's account of how this fascinating edged weapon was acquired:
I WAS SHOT DOWN ON MY 49TH MISSION STRAFING AN AIRFIELD NEAR BERLIN ON 10 APRIL 1945 AND ENDED UP IN STALAG III (LUCKENWALDE) WHERE MOST OF THE PRISONERS WERE RUSSIAN. I ESCAPED AFTER ABOUT A WEEK AND GOT WITH A RUSSIAN TANK UNIT THAT WAS ON IT’S WAY WITTENBERG ON ELBE. WE FOUGHT THE GERMANS ALONG THE ROUTE AND AFTER A COUPLE DAYS OF FIGHTING AT WITTENBERG THE GERMANS CAVED.
AN AMERICAN INFANTRY SQUAD CROSSED ELBE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE RUSSIANS AND I WENT BACK WITH THEM. THEY WERE STATIONED AT HALLE AND WERE DOING MOP UP OPERATIONS. THE ARMY HAD TOLD THE GERMANS TO PILE ALL THEIR WEAPONS IN THE TOWN SQUARE AND IT WAS WHILE WE WERE GOING THROUGH ONE OF THE SMALL TOWNS IN THE AREA THAT I PICKED UP MY SWORD AND OTHER SOUVENIRS INCLUDING SEVERAL GUNS THAT THE ARMY GUYS SWINDLED ME OUT OF PLAYING POKER. AFTER A FEW DAYS WITH THE ARMY I TOOK OFF ON MY OWN. AFTER A COUPLE HOURS OF HICKING ACROSS THE GERMAN COUNTRYSIDE I CAME ACROSS A C-47 IN AN OPEN FIELD PICKING UP POLITICAL PRISONERS (DRESSED IN THE INFAMOUS STRIPED CLOTHING). I TALKED TO THE PILOT AND BUMBED A RIDE EVENTUALLY ENDING UP IN PARIS WHERE I WAS SUMMARILY DELOUSED AND PLACED UNDER CONTROL...
May God bless men like Joe Peterburs! Take a moment to tell him thank you while we still can!
Good collecting and God bless,
William
..can you get a close up of the writing on the hilt or type what is says? thx
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