Battles of Cassino....

Gentlemen :

Could you guys point me in the right direction for listing some excellent books on the multi-battles at Cassino ? Also any web-sites available covering this somewhat unknown epic battle(s)?

I have just met of sorts a gent that was in service with 4 FJR. He served in Afrika, Sicily, Italy.....not sure where and then transferred to Normandy, where he was taken prisoner. I have only had one phone call with him so far, this being as the result of some Luftwaffe research for my own book and in so doing he willfully gave me some interesting info of his WW 2 career. He lives on the Oregon coast so it will give me plenty of reason to take my camera and tape player for a long interview. His English is excellent by the way. I'll let everyone know how this will go when I visit him in July.

Alles gut !

E.B.

 

Erich: You lucky devil you, now im jealous. You are in touch with a Fchjgr vet and I aint--yet. However, I do have Rudolf Witzigs addresssssssssssssss if interested??

 

Carl :

Ja bitte !

I would love to have it. wouldn't this be a kcik in the arse if this guy has some war pics that he sent home before his capture ???
He evidently saw quite a bit of action as he told me he was all in the rearguard actions against troops and armor. I'll let everyone know of course how this proceeds.

E.B.

 

OK, I will have to give it to you on tuesday-when this place kindly reopens.

 

Groovy man ! Gosh, I'm sure dating myself.

see you Tuesday.

E.

 

See you then. I would give it today but my info is all the way cross town or about 20 miles from here.

 

Guten tag freunden !

Well, just searching through my files and here are 3 links for the Battles of Cassino.
www.mindspring.com/~gif212/Links.htm
www.accessweb.com/users/rbereznicki/over.html.ssi

Greg Ways Fallshirmjäger site : www.eagle19.freeserve.co.uk/cassino.htm

a great site by the way. and Carl it looks as though Witzig's group was quite active for the battles in Sicily before the withdrawl up the Italien boot.

Way Kühl ! Whenever you can send his adresse........

deine freund,

Erich

 

Crap !

I wrote the wrong adresse for one of the links.......should be
www.accessweb.com/users/rbereznicki/over.html-ssi

Erich

 

Dear Erich: thanks for the links, I had forgotten abouth the 36th Div (T-Patchers) site. I'm kinda partial to that unit me self

I knew one of them who was highly decorated, and he was chosen to be one of the Presidential Honor Guard, from F.D.R's time to H.S.T, and later to D.D.E. and J.F.K., then he retired and moved to Kingsville, Texas and sadly passed away about 10 or so yrs ago. I sure liked talking to him. He was a Sergeant Major.

 

I forgot to tell you that I sent tou Rudolfs address via private mail, please let me know it arrived safely or I will have an Appleplexy.

 

Oh yes, Carl, it would of been nice to interview with a tape player, cam-corder, etc. all the vets we have all met as well as the guys on this board. Would make a very interesting forum or link with some great personal stories. As PzJgr researches his grandfather, I research a 3rd cousin on my mothers side shot down in action south of Hannover. My relatives do not talk of him or the other 3 Wehrmacht vets of the family that were KIA in Russia. One is still reported MIA. I've tried my best to pull teeth to get info from the relatives, but to no use. No pics, nothing. So I have to go to WASt in Berlin....... and all I can do at least for the one from the Luftwaffe is piece info I have collected over the past 35 years from his Jagdgeschwader and the US bomber vets/bomb group accounts. Research can be very frustrating, so I really feel for PzJgr, since I know he wants answers.

Hangin in there .......

E.

 

Eeeeeee, I didnt know that your family had lost so many. My family was very lucky. There were 2 in the Navy, 1 101st Para, 1 in the 80th I.D., and my Vater was in the USAAF. All saw action, one nearly died after his ship was torpedoed, not by bullets but by sharks-then exposure for having had spent over two weeks in a liferaft.

The Para, was in the BoB and was at Bastogne. One wonders how any of them survived that. He had been wounded in his legs while trying to fire a bazooka at a German tank. He was nearly crushed by the tank-not because the Germans purposedly aimed their tank at him, but it had been hit in the turret by an anti-tank shell and it kept rolling forward with the crew dead from the shell blast. The tank finally got stuck in a ditch where it finally stopped. My uncle had managed to crawl out of the way. This is about all I know about this uncles service in WW2 as a Screaming Eagle.

 

Intersting Carl that only the German side seemed to get hammered of my family. I do believe that because the family lost so many son(s) and also the families...2 of them were strafed by p-51's in 1945, that they also lost the war, it is not hard to understand why they will not share. so I keep digging. Maybe one day something will shed some light further. I've got quite a few pages built up already. I see also that your family has felt the effects of the evil war. You've got some great stories to pursue for sure !.......like to hear more sometime of course.
And YES, I received your message about Witzig loud and clear. Danke !

E.

 

Dear Erich: Thanks...

Yep, we had several in ww2 and luckily none perished aven though they all saw combat at one time or another and all had their close calls. Sadly though, all but my uncle-the 101st trooper, have all passed away

A huge shame in my family is that it seems noone else cares what our relatives went through which ticks me to no end

and just for good measure

Also, thanks for letting me know you got the address. I hope you will have the time to write him soon. I have several in the mail like to Heinz Heuer, Dr. Bodo Spranz, Gunther Rall-etc etc, and its costing me a small fortune. I think I will try to write to at least 4 different RKT's a month.

I'm also starting to write to Medal of Honor Recipients too and hopefully will get replies from them. My first MoH Recipients I am attempting to write to are: Mitchell Paige (famous for his fighting on Guadalcanal) Desmond T. Doss (famous for his exploits in saving lives in the Pacific) Walter D. Ehlers (of Texas) famous for his ETO exploits, and Francis S. Currey, famous for his D-Day exploits.

I hope to eventually get to write to all 49 living MoH vets. I think it would be fantastic to have a special page for them here--what do you think??

 

Well Carl :

I think you should pursue as many MoH receipients as you can. Would make a neat story/link for this web-page(s)
Keep up the great work. This site has been an absolute kick just to hang out and say what's on your mind. I've got about 20 Luftwaffe day and night chaps to write, so Witzig may wait a little but not too long as I want to fully interview the FJGr 4 guy Jack Marohl and get the full scoop on the Sicilian campaign. Of course Witzig's account would be most beneficial as well......maybe some pics I hope, I hope....

E.

 

And speaking of links, try this one on for size. www.das-ritterkreuz.de

I too hope im sucessful in contacting MoH Recipients. We will see if it happens within another 3 weeks.

 

Carl :

Good luck on your contacts......and that RK web-site sounds interesting.

I'll check that out.



E.

 

Many thanks... I just did some cruising in the site, its good and has the potential of being great, but definately needs more info.

Still, I think this site is kickin' and will soon be in the top five.

 

I think you are absolutely right. I did check on some RK Luftwaffe pilots which he has nothing on at present. Also nice, well nice isn't the correct word, but seeing who has past away is very important as it shows these guys aren't getting any younger. I see one chap that I was going to write to this month passed away in april.....dang !

But that's life !

E.

 

If this person just gets Fellgiebels book, his site would start to kick.

How passed away? I might have not recieved that info on him. Pls let me know as soon as possible.