Camp near Siegberg Germany?

[Jean Jacobson]

Larry, I want to first respond to your post before this last one - were you really a truck driver? And if so, there will never be another one like you again!!! Oh how I wish I had seen you on the road! I am, of course, curious about the kind of truck, loads, distances traveled, cost of insurance on you and the vehicle, music you listened to, routes, how you picked that occupation and a million other questions...

 

But so we don't get penalized I should say, did you drive distances from like Siegburg to Bonn. Or Siegburg to Remagen. Or .. Thus, there is nothing personal and Marion will know we have stayed on topic.

 

If you were still truck'n, I would be a disaster - and, probably try to clear the roads so no one could get near you!

 

I am very fortunate that you are the kind of man you are - Brilliant for one! and Generous beyond words!

 

Thank You for Everything!

 

Jean

[Jean Jacobson]

More to follow on the INCREDIBLE Dryden info - as soon as I can,

 

Jean

[Jean Jacobson]

I fear I am going to get interrupted and have to leave - but wanted to get started because this information is so again, incredible.

 

Separate from the death of Dryden discovering the March 6th date of his group doing the bombing over Siegburg is really so unlikely. But it must be true? Did one plane cause the damage at the Abbey or multiple planes. According to the person I communicated with over in Siegburg - March 6th was the last bombing they ever received in Siegburg.

 

I certainly never thought it was possible to find out what group did that last bombing - it could have been the English too - but that Larry found it - is possible because he seems able to find out anything! But that it was Dryden's group - is pretty bizzare. I wonder if folks in that group wrote personal stories about those missions. I don't think it was intentional that Dryden's group went back to the area near where Dryden went down - at least I don't think so. The reason is the fear so many of the POW's in many locations had about being bombed by their own Airmen. No one could be sure of what happened to Dryden or his crew - they could be alive and somewhere in the areas being bombed.

 

It is thanks to that bombing that Dad could see that the fencing somewhere around the Camp had been bent down so one could go over it/ through it and he immediately thought of that and ultimately did it - is what he told me.

 

I researched Dryden and the crew and have to go back to my notebook to refresh myself on what I learned. I actually was able to locate Mr. Lefever and he shared with me a great deal. Fortunately I got what I got (and use some shorthand when talking to people) because the next time I called him I could tell he did not want to talk about it and he said so. He said he did not sleep well after we talked and it was a problem for him. Obviously, I did not discuss that period in his life again. And quite some time later - maybe a year or more? when I was so excited about something I discovered, I took a chance and called him. I did it with great trepidation. Mr. Lefever did not answer his phone! I might have tried to call one more time .... but must review the notebook...

 

Larry it is all STUNNING information that you have been able to find - and so much more than I did!!!! And mine took weeks to acquire and here you are in hours coming up with this! YOU ARE AMAZING! And a gift to humanity!

 

Thank You seems too small to say, so THANK YOU, but still not big enough, but I know you understand how much I appreciate what you are doing for me and all of these men!!!

 

Jean

 

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[SonofaMP]

The target of the bombing raid on Siegborg, 6 March, (M/Y) was the railroad marshalling yard. undet of pff means the results were undetermined by the PFF, or lead aircraft.

 

 

PFF was abreviation for Pathfinder Force. The PFF ship was the lead ship in the bomber formation that had the precision radar target locating system know as GEE. Gee was the code name given to a radio navigation system used by the Royal Air Force during World War II. It measured the time delay between two radio signals to produce a "fix". It was the first hyperbolic navigation system to be used operationally.

 

 

The only way to find out the number of planes in the raid is to get the actual mission 189 reports of the 4 squadrons composing the 397th Group.

 

 

On 6 March, the the 1st Infantry Division was about 3 miles from Bonn and the germans were retreating across the Rhine ( the Bonn bridge was blown on the 8th) . The railyards in Siegborg were a legitimate military target at that time. The abby may have been a secondary target or target of opportunity because of possible use as an observation point.

[Jean Jacobson]

Larry, Thank You for further explaining that. It is helping me better understand these bombing raids.

 

I do not know how you do this Fantastic Research!

 

It is so exciting to see what you uncover!

 

I did go back to some of my notes on Dryden and tomorrow will add some details..

 

Good Night and there are not enough words of praise to Thank You for what you are doing for me and for my Dad!

 

Jean

[Jean Jacobson]

Good Morning Larry!

 

I will be out probably all day but wanted to share something personal about Dryden with you. You brought him back to life because of your relentless pursuit of WW2 research!

 

According to Mr. Lefever he was an extra gunner and filled in for the crew that day. He was a tail gunner and because he was not part of the regular crew he did not really know them. But he knew of or knew Dryden.

 

It was Dryden's 65th mission - and Dryden said that when he got back he was getting out and going back to the States. This was to be his LAST mission!

 

I did not verify the 65 missions - and thus I did not learn the destination of them.

 

More on this later but I must say again Larry , you touch so many lives by what you do to help us all!

 

Jean

[SonofaMP]

Jean might run out of ink & paper printing today`s email. Am i going too fast again?

[Jean Jacobson]

Christoph and Anyone that reads this, and I am sure Marion knows it, but Larry with that intimidating Logo, is one of the kindest men you will ever meet!!!

 

He spent the day tracking down so many of the men that were buried in the Siegburg Cemetery! What an Honor to them!

 

I have not even reviewed everything he sent - it is that much!

 

Having Larry in your life is like hitting the Jackpot in the Lotto - The Big Jackpot!!!

 

And while I am writing this - this incredible man, Larry sends a message that he has 7 more names on the Stolz list to go!

 

He also mentions it might rain tomorrow. That is a good thing for these 7 other gentleman - apparently Larry stays in doors and just keeps researching and researching on rainy days.

 

I asked him what he thought of rain - and he responded "wet." Fascinating to try to understand what makes up this genuinely beautiful human being!!!

 

Larry represents all that made America Great!

 

And these deceased men and the outfits they were in is all now known! They can be properly honored and their Outfits told more details about the men. In many cases, like Dryden, the Outfit did not have some basic info on him. And we all know the limitations of the records in St. Louis.

 

I am so happy that one man was from the 35th Div. Their Association is excellent and I will send the information that Larry found to them. I will let them know that it is Larry that did all of this research. They already know a little bit about Larry over there.

 

And now there is a much greater likelihood that we can understand when and where they were wounded and captured and why going to the Siegburg Hospital made sense.

 

Was this the biggest and best hospital around for a certain number of miles/kilometers. From my research many of the very seriously wounded men that survived did not have to undergo further surgery after their liberation. The care they got was that good. And Dr. Kayser, the German Dr., played a key role in at least one of the gentleman's life.

 

More to follow, but for now, I can not express enough gratitude to Larry - I still can not look at that Logo though - so intimidating - but maybe a good thing.

 

Jean

[Jean Jacobson]

I think this Forum should be changed to the Larry Fan Club Site and then we, of course, need one for Christoph!

 

Latest Larry the Legend news:

[Jean Jacobson]

Whoops, I hit something and now here I am... but what was to follow so that post was not off topic was - trumpets are blowing - remember Larry found Guidry's family so all of this news comes from Larry's efforts!!!

 

Just got sent a copy of a copy of the Famous photo that I heard about of Dad and Guidry. Dad looks great and Guidry too - Guidry's smile is huge. Dad looks quite handsome!

 

The typewritten caption includes that the 2 of them get their first American Bread and Jam in more than 5 Months from PFC Lawrence Morel of 158 Spring St. Newton, NJ And it says the 2 soldiers were captured on the 7th Army Front Last Year and were liberated by the 78th Lighting Division East of the Rhine.

 

So new clues to help find debriefing info - and research came back with nothing from the 78th Div - but can try again. Maybe Morel will be a clue. I bet Larry is working on that right now.

 

Christoph, Guidry looks a head shorter than Dad - so your theories could be right that Dad could have helped him over the Sieg. The other good piece of news from that caption is Dad did not try to swim the Rhine with Guidry! And with Dad, you could never be sure what he would do.

 

So many pieces of the puzzle to figure out and so many pieces coming together.

 

I did not know when I could devote the kind of time required for me to try to find Guidry or anyone in his family. I had already failed at quick efforts. And I might never have been successful, even with a full scale effort.

 

It is 'Larry the Legend' who found the source of all of this! I feel confident that someday I will get a better copy of the photo - but if I never do - it will be my Most Favorite Picture of My Dad!

 

Larry my Dad would want to be President of Your Fan Club!!!

 

THANK YOU!!!

 

Jean