Camp near Siegberg Germany?

[Jean Jacobson]

Just back, nothing yet on Otto.

 

But I have been so swamped not even beginning to keep up with Larry and did not get a chance to share this news with you Christoph.

 

I sent a message to that very knowledgeable and helpful gentleman in Remagen, Kurt Kleeman. The message came back:

 

Your message

 

To: Kleemann Kurt

Subject: Guess what? Dad was liberated by the 78th Division. But

what group?

Sent: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 04:06:23 +0200

 

was deleted without being read on Fri, 28 Jun 2013 08:45:26 +0200

 

Do you suppose that was because he is on holiday? There is another gentleman Klaus Schultz that has a great deal of information on the Remagen Siegburg area. He actually was in WW2 so I do not know his current status. He was a big help to the 78th Div. men and also to folks that wanted to come back and revisit the Hurtgen Forest - especially to see where they were wounded.

 

Do you think you can work your magic and find out something on these gentleman like you did on Mr. Stolz, the Sister, the Administrator, the ...........

 

Obviously there is no rush - because, if you are even able to find anything out, I would still need to put together a response.

 

As Always, THANK YOU for Everything!

 

Jean

[Christoph]

Kurt Kleemann is leading the town Archive of Remagen, the Roman Museum Remagen and the Peace Museum Bridge of Remagen. You can try his official e-mail k.kleemann@remagen.de (if you didn't already) or call him 0049-2543-201-59 in his Office. He is working together with Wolfgang Gückelhorn who helped me with my documentation about the V1 Launch area here in Lohmar. He just published new findings about the American camp for German POW at the Rhine near Remagen, they could prove that not 1% of the 260,000 German POW died there, even though it was said that some 10,000s died there of hunger and diseases.

 

There is an interview with Klaus Schultz about his time as soldier in the Huertgen forest online: http://www.mm-historyguide.de/80.0.html

Perhaps you can reach him via info@konejung-stiftung.de who have set up that site. His name is quiet common in Germany, one is a pretty famous intendant and dramatic adviser, so it's hard to google the right one.

 

Christoph

[Jean Jacobson]

Christoph, as always, you were so kind to look all of this up.! And you were so fast! I was shocked when I went back on the site yesterday and found you had already solved my problems!!!

 

The email address is the one that I have. I will wait until next week to resend my email. If I get a chance I will call him, it is incredible that you got me his number and everything so fast! I can not get a number that fast here in America - for anyone. Maybe Larry can - he appears like you, to have a magic touch.

 

How I wish I knew the German language! It seems to me last year it was Wolfgang that Kleemann called and he asked him for his thoughts on my Dad - where he could have met up with the Allieds and the group. Now because of the Guidry information - and I do not believe it could be wrong since it was written back close to the event - it has been confirmed that it was the 78th Div.

 

I am waiting to hear back from the Eisenhower Library on my request about Guidry's capture. Larry helped define the details including the boxes where the information might be located. Once that request has been fulfilled - successful or not - I will wait a bit and then go back to the wonderful gentleman there and see what guidance he can again give me for the 78th Div.

 

My research, if I recall properly, showed the 78th and others not being that far east of the Rhine. And the documents and books that I have read all say or imply the same thing - that they were restricted until later than March 21st to breakout from that area.

 

I am so happy to have the Klaus contact info. I might consider writing to him and telling him what I am looking for. I was considering asking him about the 78th and Dad's location etc. - but once I learned, and it was only recently, that he was not in the age range of Kleemann, but instead had actually been in WW2 I doubted that I would ever explain my dilemma to him.

 

However, after seeing him in that video, I am reconsidering. He looks great.

 

And about the video, I was so thrilled to be able to share that with the 4th Division folks that I am in contact with. The Hurtgen Forest and that area played a great role in their lives. 2 were wounded there but not captured. And one gentleman that was wounded there was ultimately taken to Siegburg/Abbey and there for 2 weeks up in the hospital area.

 

The Hemingway Trail is of great interest to the 4th Div. because it was the 22nd Reg. in the 4th Div. that Hemingway hung with. There are great tales about their times together.

 

So that Hurtgen Forest video/documentary meant a lot to me and to those 4th Div. folks. THANK YOU!!!

 

Your email was another O WOW from Christoph!!!

 

I was planning to respond last night - never made it to Mom's - but the reason I did not respond sooner will come in a future response...

 

As Always Christoph, THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!!

 

Jean

[Jean Jacobson]

This has been an all War day. Just to update you - Larry's information was right on and eventually I did end up talking with Otto's son. His father did not talk about the War so he does not have many details to share on that period of his Dad's life.

 

He volunteered to send me some documents and photos that he has, once he locates them, and then maybe with Larry's help we can figure some things out. I do not want to keep any of his docs or photos, so at that time I will have him count the number there, and then he will see the same number returned. Plus I will reimburse him for his costs. All I can do is hope it one day happens.

 

Otto did get wounded and it included the loss of one eye and some other things. According to his son, his injuries were not that severe so he was able to tend to the other POW's at the camp. He made sure the men were as comfortable as they could be. He was apparently mobile and in the big hospital ward in the Abbey one of the POWs said they remember Otto's name constantly being called. And the other POW said Otto handled the bed pans etc - whatever the men needed. And he even held this man's leg as a hole was drilled through the bone in his leg. Quite a Man!!!

 

Otto has a most unique pre War story. He was Danish - in the Merchant Marines did not mean he was in the military. He went on a ship and they delivered things to other locations. Otto married and 4 days later went on a ship to Boston. The day he arrived in Boston - he became a man with no country - because the Germans had invaded Denmark.

 

He jumped ship and went to Wisc. to stay with some friends. At some point the American authorities came and said he had a choice - go to prison because you are in America illegally or join the Army. If he joined the Army, he would be given citizenship in the USA. So that is what he did. His wife knew nothing because he could not write her.

 

It was 10 years before they were reunited and a lot had happened during that period! His Mom had been a member of the Underground and done many heroic things too!

 

And it is Thanks to Larry the Legend - that another piece of the puzzle has been put in place!

 

Yes, more details will be interesting - but to see a name on a document stating that Otto was a witness as well as my Dad to the death of 2 different soldiers - and know absolutely nothing about Otto would be to me a horrible injustice. And to hear from 2 men that Otto's name remained with them all of these years - and again to not know anything of him - would be a travesty! Otto can now be known and honored as a WW2 Hero!

 

Jean

[SonofaMP]

another win for the VI Corps Team in co-operation with the International Order of the Joyful Bunny

[Jean Jacobson]

Larry, you are so funny! And that is separate from your being such a wonderful human being to do the kind of research that you do and the length of time required to help record history so it is not lost or forgotten!

 

Just this morning I wanted to look up something and instead of going to my volumes of notebooks - what did I do?

 

I went to Larry the Legend's summarized list of the 22 men that were buried at the Siegburg Cemetery. I got the answers I needed quickly.

 

I was looking to see if any of the men were from the 106th Div. I recalled I had spoken to someone some time in the past from the 106th - and recently, more will follow in the future, I spoke to another wonderful gentleman from the 106th.

 

Thanks to you I saw immediately the answer was - no one from the 106th was on that list.

 

Then I looked to see if there were any other Airmen on the list, other than Dryden. Again, thanks to you Larry, I could quickly see the answer was no!

 

I did happen to look more closely at the Marcus Abner entry and recalled that was the information I had first gotten - as far as the ship,etc. His file at the NARA in St. Louis actually had some documents in it that will clear up that misunderstanding that was in that other place in his records. It will not be right away, but I will get those off to you.

 

Larry, you are absolutely Amazing! And I can't wait to share some new news with you and Christoph - I want you to be impressed with my efforts too!

 

Now, how long should I make you wait?

 

Jean

[Jean Jacobson]

Not Long - here I am!

 

You won't believe it, and today I absolutely have to go do the things I was supposed to already have done - but one War project - non Siegburg - after another kept rolling in.

 

So... the news - I joke that the homeless cat answers my switchboard when I get busy - and ....yes, I heard from another Siegburg Alumni! Another Jackpot! He was in many Camps.

 

I am trying to put my notes together - and I have many more questions for him! It all takes time - but just when you think the well is dry.....

 

This gentleman got issued a POW dog tag! Has his number on it ....

 

Has to have been done at Siegburg - I am so sure.

 

Larry, when you did all of that incredible research on Dale J. Welsh, I passed it along to another POW from Dale's outfit that passed through Siegburg too. Fortunately he lived and went on to many Camps. While they did not know one another the wound and capture and dates were all connected. The POW numbers were only a couple apart!

 

I have my request in at the Archives on Dale, and maybe next week I can get there to see what they have on him and the other records I requested this time.

 

That news from your incredible research on Dale solved more Siegburg questions and the gentleman I spoke to was so pleased to have the information you provided.

 

Thank You Larry,

Jean

[SonofaMP]

From a quick look at the NARA POW records, it looks like alot of the 106th Inf Div went to Stalag IV B.

 

working on records of 4 definite & 1 probable air crew men from 2 separate bombers that were at the Military Hospital, Siegburg. All 5 survived & came home.

[Jean Jacobson]

Fabulous Larry the Legend!

 

Thank You,

Jean

[Christoph]

They were in Siegburg and then went to IV B near Halle, 400 km east of Siegburg? Normally Stalag IV H was the "hospital camp" for IV B.

 

Christoph