Christoph,
Thanks to you Christoph, Mr. Stolz even got me a translator! Can you believe it! And to top it off, the gentleman is often booked by the American war grave commission as an interpreter. I have a lot of questions for him on that topic.
Hope you are having a great time!
I will let you know the results of my trip. Mr. Norton is anxious to know what happens too. Maybe nothing War wise, but what a privilege to get to meet Sister Koch and the other 14 Sisters.
Jean J
Just when you think it can't get any better...
Hi Guys!
I got back 2 days ago and the trip was wonderful. Before I wrote anything about the trip I wanted to see Marion's No Bridge Too Far. I was too busy before leaving on the trip to see it. I have learned so much about Combat Engineers thanks to this site. My DVD player had a little problem and now will hope to see this tomorrow.
I was lucky to find Ernst as an interpreter. He was great. Ernst came through Mr. Stolz that Christoph had referred me to. The Sister was adorable! I learned some things about the Camp but she was kept completely away from the Allies. She never saw my Dad or any one.
The Dr. for the German's was not the same as for the Allies. Their Dr. was SS. The Allied Dr. she said was Polish (not Russian.) She did not seem to know or understand anything about red pills.
More to follow, and wonder how sunburned/tanned Christoph is.
Jean J
Woohoo! Jumping up and down here with you! I am so excited and happy for you, woman!!!
:bluejumper: :bluejumper:
Marion,
I am looking at your video No Bridge Too Far and had to stop it to tell you IT IS AWESOME! I had no idea that you had created such a spectacular production! I do not want it to end! Not only am I stunned at the contents but the quality of it is amazing!
I am going to order several copies of it to send to people that also have your passion for honoring WW2 history and the people who were part of it!
I can hardly wait to finish looking at it!
Thank you for all you do for us!
Jean J
Well, holy cow Jean. I can't thank you enough. Saw this post and was so overwhelmed by your enthusiasm. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
Now, can I ask a favor from ya? Since you obviously loved it, would you be willing to add a review on Amazon.com? If so, you can find the link here:
Thanks so much. Really appreciate your very kind comments.
Marion,
That is so funny, because I wanted to tell you that others need to know about it! I wondered if they had a copy of it in the WW2 Museums Bookstore, or in any of the other War Museums. It is Outstanding and I did not want the first disc to end. I am holding off on seeing the 2nd because I do not want that to end either. It is absolutely a First Rate Magnificent production! And,of course, I will tell Amazon and others that too!
More to follow,
Jean J
I returned this morning from Croatia, and it was wonderful again! But it it is to be regretted that I was there while Jean's trip to Germany! I hope you'll write more about it!
I found a letter of the NARA in my postbox with the red cross report about the hospital! While the visit in May 1944 there were inly two Americans in the hospital, George Fulton and Robert Kritzner. The name of the head physician is also mentioned: Oberstabsarzt (head surgeon major?) Dr. Smeeds - is this the name you have been looking for, Jean? Attached the two main pages.
I also got an answer of the archbishop's archive in Cologne. They have about 30 files about the hospital in the abbey, mst of them can be looked at at the archive in Cologne, only 9 files with personal personnel data are confidential. There are also two cassettes of 1991 with reminiscences of former inmates of the hospital which will be digitizes this month and then they are also accessible.
Christoph
Hooray Hooray! You are back Christoph! It was really sad with you not there when we were there! The next visit, you are the priority, and your schedule is what we should start with first!
Now before I say anything else, I just finished my Amazon review on Marion's production. I would not allow myself to visit this website until I had done so. The DVD is absolutely fantastic! Next on my to do list is to order more copies of it. My To Do list is actually frightening.
Christoph you did not give many details from your vacation but you sure got into your Siegburg research mode fast! I hope you had plenty of sun. Your Siegburg weather was wonderfully cool and it did rain and was overcast a lot. But we loved that. Germany looked beautiful with all of the flowers blooming everywhere, everything was so clean and tidy, and there appeared to be no pollution. The drivers of cars and trucks were excellent and we never saw an accident anywhere.
Our hope is to come back maybe as early as late September based on your schedule as well. Sister E. Koch is adorable! She seems to be in good health and had the energy to talk for long periods of time. Sister Joanna was terrific too and between the 2 of them and our interpreter, Ernst, we had no difficulties.
I gave Sister E. Koch the small pictures of the Abbey that I brought with us, and that we took sometime in the late 1980's. She was thrilled to have them. So what we plan to bring next time is a lot more of the photos in 8 x 10 size plus some large aerial views that we have already experimented with printing. The Sister can show us what area was the German Hospital portion and what areas she knew and their function.
Since our 1980's trip (and the photos) the Abbey has stuccoed over what was once all stone. It also appears that steps were removed from the back of one side of the building. You will see this when we compare the current structure to these old photos. I will make a set for you. I also want to ask Mr. Norton to make a copy of the photos he took on his trip to Siegburg which was maybe a year or 2 before we went in the 80's.
What you sent is fascinating Christoph! This report was in May of 1944 before D Day on Normandy. I have to go back to the recording from our visit, which I have put in the queue, but the Dr. for the German side had a name that started with S. So it was probably this Dr. Smeeds. Sister E. Koch said he was SS. She also said her older brother was SS too.
More to follow, afraid I will lose this, Hooray Christoph is back!
Jean J
Christoph,
Your getting me in touch with Mr. Stolz was incredible. In next couple of days I will scan his little drawing which has the map of where Dryden and the others were buried. What a shame that Mr. Stolz was in hospital and now in recovery he said that would take several months. I hope he will be okay!
Sister E. Koch said the Russian Dr. was not Russian but Polish! There is a Polish Dr. mentioned in the Dryden paperwork and that must be who they thought was a Russian Dr; and he was still there after the War was over.
Sister E. Koch said that the Cook would never of told my Dad and the Allies to take down the Christmas tree. She was in disbelief when I told her the story about the Cook. She said It had to be the SS German Dr. who maybe told the cook. I think she said 31 wounded Germans in the hospital were killed in that bombing Dec. 28th. It must have been horrific! Dad was still talking about it in a Jan. 3rd Vmail.
Mr. Norton never knew of a Christmas tree. So now I know the tree story was from up in the Allied section of the Hospital. Mr. Norton did not realize there was an Allied Hospital up there. He realizes now that he never saw my Dad at night - it was always during the day. Mr. Norton had his leg surgery done by a German Dr. behind the front lines and before coming to Siegburg. And the Polish Dr. came to see them in the Barracks.
So Dad slept with the Allies in the Allied portion of the Hospital up above and not down in the barracks where Norton was. .And Walter Brinegar was handled up at the Allied Hospital and not down below in the Barracks. And it was my Dad who told him to be careful of his language. All the other men that were up at the hospital were too sick. They were too sick to qualify to go down the hill to the Barracks section or to get moved on to another camp. And because there was only room for so many at the Allied hospital section and even German section had limits of maybe 125 to 150 men? at some point they moved you on to a different camp. Wow, finally thanks to Norton, the Sister,You - Christoph, Walter, and Dad I am getting a full picture of what was happening!
And when I asked Norton about inspections - he could not imagine such a thing - so now we know the inspections were not done at the barracks but up at the hospital. It will be interesting to see if from Dad's documents I can figure out an approximate date an inspection occurred at the hospital and then see if there is official documentation for that inspection. Your newly sent documentation shows they had instpections!
No luck on debriefing info. Had Eisenhower Museum and First Division Research Library both see if there was anything. The answer was no. Thus my conclusion is that he was not rescued by the First Division.
I have gotten lots of the Newsletters from the 78th Division, so kind for someone to send them to me, and maybe there will be some clues there.
Found a great researcher Mr. Kleemann in Remagen, he works at the tourist office. He was fantastic! I think I could live in Remagen. It was such an idyllic town. What a story with the bridge crossing and loved the Museum and the plaques outside. Those 78th Division newsletters have pictures of some of the Veterans returning to celebrate putting the plaque up to recognize their efforts.
Made it up to the Hurtgen Forest and saw the Museum and also the home that has the WW2 medical hospital in its basement. I am so glad that was preserved. It would be hard to envision such a thing. I do not know if you know Mr. Esser but he is another great human being who tries to help all of us, both German and Allies, locate information from up in that area.
I am so anxious to see what you find from the Cologne documents.
Oh I left the candy with the 2 Sisters and the Mother - but I Confess I did eat some.
Good night!
Jean J