Hello from Bavaria

funny I was in Rattenberg in 1980 on a visit then south and the right up into the south of Garmisch seeing the usual sites of Ober and Unterammergau, Ettal and Wies Kirche.

Ulrich yes I know Pfronten only passing through and heading north of the valley then back when we were at Neuschwanstein there was not time to head right over to Füssen but that can wait for my next cycling trip as their is some great hill climbing going in to the Tyrol

has Kaufburen grown much since the 1980's if you know ? We always wanted to watch the local "Tänzelfest"

 

Hi Steve, Garmish was one of my favorite places visited. I remember when Susanne and I went on a hike on a trail down a mountain and the scenery was totally awsome. Also saw lots of Animals, some fish in areas with water flowing and, I remember a river we walked along the edge of that the water was so chrystal clear that it looked like water you would get from a filter. It was fiarly cool at that time so we were wearing jackets. I remember trying the water from the river we were walking along and it did taste pure and mineral-like, kinda like well-water.

I thought about it long and deeply about what places I would live in Germany if I had the chance-and narrowed it down to three possibilities. Garmish, Laboe and Bremerhaven with Heidelberg as an honorable 4th choice.

 

Hi Ulrich, sorry I did not have proper time this morning to reply to you but here goes ;-))

The reunion for the crew of U 181 was held in Bad Camberg-which is about a 30 minute drive from Frankfurt) and was held at a Gasthaus/Restaurant called: Haus Pohl. They have a large meeting room where the 2 day reunion was held in. Dieter Hille (the Engineering Officer of U 181) was there along with the widow of Johann Limbach - who was one of U 181s Ritterkreuztrager) and SUsanne and I had been the next to arrive.

I was suffering from jet-lag and was very sleepy and since it was early-Dieter sugested that Susanne and I get a bit of rest and to come back at 6PM to meet with the vets. We got there and they had bought us a dinner which was Jagerschnitzel with a bread roll and some vegetables and a drink that I can never remember the proper name of that tasted like Apple Juice mixed with Water-I THINK it was called either Apfelsaft or Apfelsorrle?? Anyway, I enjoyed that drink as well as the meal. That was my first time ever of having a real German meal and I loved it ;-))

That nights meeting ended at 9PM as all of us were tired and needed rest. We came back the next day I think at about 10AM or maybe noontime? I cant remember but I do have all details written down on a tablet somewhere in my things. If I can ever find it and find time? ill gladly post all details. Its as long as a written printed book ;-))

Sundays meeting we got a short visit from another U 181 vet who was very ill but said he HAD to make this reunion to see why an Ami (me) ;-)) was so interested in WWII German Vets. Needles to say, I made a nice impact on them all and we all had a great time.

I remember a funny incident that when I placed copies o two photos taken of U 181 and some of the men-that all the vets came close to knocking heads into each-other because of the contents of the two photos. I got these photos from a Gent who is on this sit ethat goes by the name of Herrkaleun. I had made only a few copies of each photo because we didnt know how many vets were going to show up and they all wanted copies but, I had to keep one set set aside to give to Herkaleun.

One set went with a Fraulein reporter who was from Hamburg and worked for a Hamburg Newspaper.Her story is located on teh internet including two photos. I remember finding that the story is "cached" so ou might have to dig around for it for awhile before finding it?

Anyway, this Lady reporter from HAmburg said the story was to be in the newspaper soon (I dont remember when it was printed exactly?) but she did agreat job of telling about the reunion.

The 2nd day of the reunion was held at a Sports bar that some of the crewmembers had been members of. They bought us lunch which was a Wienerschnitzel and some noodles and salad. I almost got bit by a huge Dog that was lying nearby. They said it was because I didnt smell like a German-and the dog saw me as an intruder. Luckily all the dog did, was to growl at me once.

Susanne and I had bought a Case of Wine to give to the Vets on Saturday night but we were so wrapped up in what was happening that we forgot about the wine till I told her about it. Bt that time, most of the vets had already left and we managed to detain only three. They followed us back to Haus Pohl to retrieve the Wine. They were modest in that they didnt want to look like drunkards to me and each vet took only two bottles each untill Susanne and I urged them to take more.

My next meeting with a WWII Vet was with an RKT in Hagen. Susanne and I met with Remy Schrijnen :rk: and his Wife Johanna-at their home in Hagen. We spent 12 or so hours with them and boy did we learn more than a thing or two.

Remy showed me two photo albums full of fotos he took while serving in Russia. I was impressed with what he took. One photo in particular, was a combat foto. It showed a column of t-34s passing so close to where he was that he could have reached out and touched them as they passed his position. All the tanks were buttoned up tight meaning ready for combat. I saw several other photos he took during combat-but the one with the T-34s really impressed me. Remy was a few inches shorter than I am but he had balls made of steel. Remy is the bravest man I ever met in person, and was one of the most generous of vets I ever had the priviledge and pleasure to have known and been friend with. The other most bravest of Soldiers I ever had the pleasure of meeting-but only by mail) was a Victoria Cross Recipient by the name of Captain Richard Wallace Annand. :vc: I got to know and become friends with this gentleman thanks to a great mate of mine who lived near him in London. I am forever in debted to my friend Paul for getting me in touch with the only living member of the Durham Light Infantry who had a Victoria Cross. Paul is also a member of this site and visits when he can. He is also deeply involved with the RKT and their Organization.

Anyway, our meeting with Remy was a great one. When we first arrived, he offered Bier-but I dont drink Bier and people think im peculiar because of it ;-)) so he gave me some Coffee laced with Cognac-that I really liked but it made me sleepy for about 2 hours and I had a hard time staying awake ;-)) but I did so ;-)) Johanna cooked us a noontime meal of Goulasch with bread and potatoes and was delicious. We also had Supper with them and Remy tried to get me to drink Wine-but I dont much like wine but still drank some to not be insulting to him ;-)) Supper was an open-faced sandwich which was also delicious ;-)) Remy joked with us about having to exercise a lot so he didnt gain a lot of weight eating Johannas great cooking ;-))

The Kiegsmarine Vets we met in Bremerhaven was strictly by chance. severl of them just happened to be volunteering on U 2540 when Susanne and I visited. The vets there saw that I was wearing a Uboat stickpin on my cap and asked why I was wearing it? I told them about the reunion of U 181 in Bad Camberg and that they made us honorary members of their crew adn gave me this stickpin and other things. After I told them that, these vets started giving me things too, like postcards and other items like a U 2540 cap, and some other things.

The vets we met at the Uboar Archiv in Altenbruch-we met by chance also. They just happened to be touring the Archiv with Horst Bredow (the only survivor of the Uboat he served on) and Susanne and I were looking through all kind sof info that the achiv had as well as tens of thousands of photos.

I wa staying at: Gasthaus Zur Rose in Dingelsdorf/Konstanz, and had been ther efor a few days when a group of people were sitting at their Staumtisch drinking as they usually did a few times a week, and they invited me over to their table. We talked awhile and I told them why I wa in germany and what Susanne and I did, and they invited me to have a few drinks with them. I accepted the drink-which looked like black ink-to me, and they said I better just hold my nose and drink it all as quickly as I could. Man that stuff was horrible and I then found out it was jagermeister-which I had never had any of till then but I knew it was a drink that on had to have an acquired taste for. I do like schnapps-like Cinnamon Schnapps and Butterscotch Schnapps. After the Jagermeister, I had a sifter of Cognac-to clean the Jagermeister taste from my tongue-it worked ;-))

Feel frewe to ask me anything about my time with the Vets and ill gladly tell you what I can remember.

Take care Ulrich and hope to see you here often.

As I was told be a former Artillery Officer--Bis Bald ;-))

 

Welcome, I've been to bavaria not so long ago on vacation!

 

Welcome Gebirgsjaeger!

 

Hello to all,

@ Erich

Good choice to go hiking at Tyrol, if i be able to PM i can send you an really good link where a lot of hiking tours are on with pics and good descriptions. No, Kaufbeuren didn´t grow very much only a few. The Tänzelfest is really fine but the two day before are great. We have "Lagerleben" whrer the complete city center is looking like in the mid age with all sorts of food and drinks and groups which are having mid age styled clothings and shows their programs. You have to visit it.

Best Regards


@ C. Evans,

many thanks for sharing your memories with me! I really enjoy such great happenings.
And i am curios to hear more of them. If you will be at Konstanz someday, Kaufbeuren isn´t too far away....!
Many thanks again.

All the Best

@ PizzaDevil

Thank you for wellcoming me! Where in Bavaria did you made vacation?

Regards

@SteveM

Many thanks for the welcome

regards

Ulrich

 

Lieber Ulrich:

~ Käthe and I are already planning next years trip so who knows where we may land would like to visit Skip in the Alsace and then could head south and east, who knows you may get a phone call. must confess due to the popularity of too many world visitors "in season" summer would be out possible Herbst ? the fest sounds wounderful and the old med costumes would thrill my wife and with the culture. well lets just say it would be a grand time for all of us to take it all in.

 

In the Bayerische wald.

 

Lieber Erich,

mmhh that sounds good, the Alsace! Lovely Landscape ( and i mean the landscape ) and wonderful tasty food and great wines. Herbst is a good time for hiking over here. So tell me when you are planning your trip, maybe that we can meet for a nice time.

Regards

Ulrich

 

PizzaDevil,

it depends on where you are at the Bayerische Wald. You can have it quiet or a bit more life. But i love to go hiking there in the woods.

Regards

Ulrich

 

Hi Lou,

thank you. I read a lot of good stuff on this great forum, i enjoy it really. And the nice guys and gal too. It is a good place to stay!

Regards

Ulrich

 

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PizzaDevil,

what do you mean with many nazis in Bavaria? I have never seen those guys on the streets here.

Regards

Ulrich

 

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Ah, OK! As far as i know there will be some but not much. Most are passed away. I am not very sad to loose this guys, and i mean the hard ones! Sad is that the nice vet´s are passing away too. So it is hard to find these friendly guys to talk with them.

Regards

Ulrich

 

There are actually many there, or there were, dont know about now though, as you said, many died.

PD

 

Pizza/D, what brought this comment on? Its BECAUSE of things like this thats said, is why those few WWII German Vets will not join this site and participate here.

I for one, don't care how many WWII nazies are still living as they have no importance or impact on anyhing im even mildly interested in. Oh and, yes, I did indeed know a ""real-genuine bonafide WWII Nazi"" and I was friends with him as well. Before anything gets outta hand, this man was a Belgian Nazi-and I visited with he and his wife at his home. More importantly, this man was a VERY highly decorated Soldier who served on the Eastern Front, and was a very distinguished Gentleman. This man was also a correct persson who never, not once, committed any war crimes against anybody. In fact, the ONLY crime he ever committed, was when he was slated to stand two duty watches-somewhere on the Leningrad Front, but decided to take a weeks worth of Sugar rations and went to a nearby Russian village to get a bottle of Vodka to mix the ration with, and proceeded to get drunk out of his mind and so he missed standing both his duty watches. His Platoon Sergeant found him sleeping somewhere and drug him to the Commanders tent-(by his boots) because he was going to put him up for Courtsmartial on charges of Deriliction of Duty. But thats another story.

Back to my original intent on a reply. Its because of comments made like the one you made to Ulrich, which are insulting as hell, and should NOT have been made to begin with. Its partly due to this, that its hard to keep German members here. Just remember that Ulrich, had nothing to do with WWII era Nazis and is not a nazi. I know you did not call him one but, your statement was a blanket statement and could easily be implied as to what exactly you meant with your retorts to Ulrich.

Cheers-Carl.

 

On neo nazis. Who cares about them anyway? they are nothing but a bunch of losing poseurs looking for attention that mama and papa evidently never gave them.

 

Ulrich, I would most definately would like to meet you in person if I can ever afford to make it back to Germany? ;-)) I know you could tell me things from personal experiance and from knowing many many more WWII German vets than I do-that the time spent listening to what you could say-would be worth a ton of Gold ;-))

I do wish to also say that many of us here do appreciate what you have already given to us here, and hope to be able to keep you here to get more great info and such.

Take care mate--C.