Lesser Known Stories from World War II

[George Eller]

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I have been tossing the idea around of starting a thread based on newspaper articles (or other sources) from World War II. Not the headliners, but the lesser known stories on a more personal level that might be found deeper in the papers. Stories that may be almost forgotten by modern readers, but nevertheless would be very touching and interesting if they could be brought back to our attention. Especially considering the broad audience that we have now with the Internet.

I don't have anything yet, but if anyone would like to start posting be my guest :)

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[Chevan]

I think the problem with of most of that "newspaper forgoten stories" could be the utter propogandic material, that is absolutly usial during the wars in any countries.
The more importaint and truly are the personal recollections of veterans,or peoples whose relatives did fight at the front.

[George Eller]

I think the problem with of most of that "newspaper forgoten stories" could be the utter propogandic material, that is absolutly usial during the wars in any countries.
The more importaint and truly are the personal recollections of veterans,or peoples whose relatives did fight at the front.
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Thanks for the input Chevan. Not sure if that would always be the case with the smaller stories, although it could happen. I think period newspapers could still be interesting, even with some propaganda elements, as it gives the reader some sense of the mood and emotions of the times.

But personal recollections of veterans, their families or anyone that lived through the war, including civilians, would be fine also.

I won't limit it to just newspapers or magazines. :)

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[albatrosdva]

Well I'll be glad to start it out. Ernie Pyle once wrote about a co-pilot who hated the flak jackets because of their weight. One time he took his jacket off and dropped it on his feet. Not 5 minutes later a piece of flak slammed into the jacket and probably kept him from loosing his leg. He kept the bent plate in the jacket and one of his buddies kept the piece of flak. Needless to say he always after that wore the jacket without complaint.

[George Eller]

Well I'll be glad to start it out. Ernie Pyle once wrote about a co-pilot who hated the flak jackets because of their weight. One time he took his jacket off and dropped it on his feet. Not 5 minutes later a piece of flak slammed into the jacket and probably kept him from loosing his leg. He kept the bent plate in the jacket and one of his buddies kept the piece of flak. Needless to say he always after that wore the jacket without complaint.
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Thanks albatrosdva - Ernie Pyle wrote such great stories :)

That bent plate and piece of flak became stern reminders...

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[George Eller]

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From Best Little Stories From World War II, by C. Brian Kelly, ISBN 0-9624875-0-3, Montpelier Publishing, 1989, pp 89-92

Brave Trigger's Last Patrol.

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/5686/bravetrigger01mk3.jpg

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/1718/bravetrigger02vt9.jpg

http://img151.imageshack.us/img151/255/bravetrigger03rh7.jpg

http://img504.imageshack.us/img504/2919/bravetrigger04ot3.jpg

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/5788/bravetrigger05ay9.jpg

http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/7637/bravetrigger07sv5.jpg
In memory of the Trigger (SS-237)
Photo courtesy of Tom Kermen.

http://img183.imageshack.us/img183/1436/bravetrigger06vd5.jpg
Trigger (SS-237) returns to Guam, 17 November 1944
USN photo courtesy of Rick Connole, son of Commander David R. Connole,
K.I.A. while commanding the Trigger (SS-237), 28 March 1945.

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USS Trigger (SS-237)

http://www.csp.navy.mil/ww2boats/trigger.htm

http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-trigger-237.htm

http://www.atule.com/USS_Trigger_SS_237.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Trigger_%28SS-237%29

http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/t8/trigger-i.htm

http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08237.htm

http://hazegray.org/danfs/submar/ss237.txt

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The stories found in the book Best Little Stories From World War II remind me somewhat of the stories told by American radio personality Paul Harvey in his radio show The Rest Of The Story.

Paul Harvey
http://www.paulharvey.com/index.aspx?id=3193
http://www.paulharvey.com/index.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Harvey
On May 10, 1976, ABC Radio Networks premiered The Rest Of The Story as a separate series which provided endless surprises as Harvey dug into stories behind the stories of famous events and people.

Paul Harvey's The Rest Of The Story
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Harvey%27s_The_Rest_of_the_Story
http://www.amazon.com/Paul-Harveys-Rest-Story-Aurandt/dp/0553259628

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Paul Harvey is the most listened-to radio personality in America. Millions of loyal listeners tune in every week to hear his unique blend of news and views. Now, in Paul Harvey's The Rest Of The Story you'll find eighty-two astonishing true stories of the famous and infamous, the outrageous and the unknown. Each unforgettable tale has for its startling punch line the wild and wonderful solution to a real-life mystery. The 1950's presidential candidate who killed a teenage girl. The governor of New York who dressed up like a woman--at taxpayer's expense. The queen whose secret photo collection--if exposed--would shock the world. The American founding father who kept his wife locked in the cellar. The best-selling mystery writer who tried to get away . . . with murder! From present-day shockers to historical puzzlers, Paul Harvey's The Rest Of The Story reveals the untold story behind some of history's strangest little-known facts.

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[albatrosdva]

I met a fellow one time that flew B-24s in Europe. He was stationed in France after the invasion and ran into a rather comical instance. He had just finished his bombing run and had been very shot up. The plane was still flying but slower then he thought because the instruments were not working right. What made the situation all the more interesting was the thick fog which came up after the run. After the right amount of time (had he been going the speed he thought he was) he spotted an airfield and landed. The Germans were totally surprised when he landed at their field but lucky for him he realized his mistake and got back up in the fog and headed home before the could get a good shot at him.

[snebold]

I know one who married a German woman whose father was a pilot during the war. He told that at a time late in the war (late 1944 I think) he was tasked with dropping thousands of false £ (pound) notes in the Bodensee (a lake in southern Germany).

Unfortunately I know no details.

[Rising Sun*]

As wounded Staff Sgt. John Hill was helped from his B-17 bomber after a raid on Jan. 13, 1943, the commander of the 305th Bomb Group, Col. Curtis LeMay came up and said:

"Don't worry, that bullet didn't have your name on it."

"No," replied Hill, "but it had 'To whom it may concern' on it." http://www.taphilo.com/history/8thaf/8aflosses.shtml

[albatrosdva]

There was a fixit man serving in North Africa, I forget which unit now (its another Ernie Pyle story) that always was working on stuff. His particular love was for clocks. One day he was out on patrol in the desert and he got shot in the back pocket. He was uninjured because he had a small alarm clock there. He was much more distraught about the clock being destroyed then the fact that he had been almost shot.

Bill Mauldin wrote one time about going into a town in Italy in a jeep. They were a little disoriented so that actually were not sure where the front line was. As they went around a curve in the road they came right in front of a German tank in the road. Mauldin said he never knew that a jeep could go from 45 mph straight into reverse. It turns out that the town had already been taken and the tank was no threat but they didnt know that.

[snebold]

Fritz Sauckel, gauleiter of Thuringia joined one the first u-boat to go on patrol in British waters as a stowaway (mainly as a public relations stunt).

He is better known for his policies as plenipotentiary for labour mobilization, a position he held from 21 March 1942.


As a child I read that at least two persons during WWII survived free falls from above 5000m without parachutes (at least one landing in snow). Anybody heard about such wartime incidents?

[Warpig]

Well, my grandmother was making some awesome jam and smuggling Jews during WW2, soon though she ran out of Jews to smuggle and was just making jam.

[Egorka]

Well, my grandmother was making some awesome jam and smuggling Jews during WW2, soon though she ran out of Jews to smuggle and was just making jam.
oynk-oynk

[the_librarian]

Would something like this be an option:

http://journalism.indiana.edu/resources/erniepyle/wartime-columns/

I have some more stories, tons actually, but I'm not sure about copyright and posting entire columns up.....trying to figure out that stuff gives me a headache as I run similar themes on my history blog, but it's hard to quote just part of a story and get the idea across....gosh, better stop ranting! :) Hope everyone likes the Ernie columns.....

[George Eller]

Would something like this be an option:

http://journalism.indiana.edu/resources/erniepyle/wartime-columns/

I have some more stories, tons actually, but I'm not sure about copyright and posting entire columns up.....trying to figure out that stuff gives me a headache as I run similar themes on my history blog, but it's hard to quote just part of a story and get the idea across....gosh, better stop ranting! :) Hope everyone likes the Ernie columns.....
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Great material...I like Ernie Pyle. :)

These are the types of stories that I had in mind.

Thanks Tony.

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[labdarugo]

[/URL]Fritz Sauckel, gauleiter of Thuringia joined one the first u-boat to go on patrol in British waters as a stowaway (mainly as a public relations stunt).

He is better known for his policies as plenipotentiary for labour mobilization, a position he held from 21 March 1942.


As a child I read that at least two persons during WWII survived free falls from above 5000m without parachutes (at least one landing in snow). Anybody heard about such wartime incidents?

One of them must have been Nicholas Alkemade:
[url]http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-2954.html (http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-2954.html)

[snebold]

Thanks!

It seems that if you want to survive a free fall from attitude, in WWII or nowadays, it´s a good idea to become unconscious before landing...

[Hysteria__]

Good thread idea. I've got a few books packed with stories like these, one being 'Bizarre Tales From WW2', maybe about 60 or 70 3 or 4 page stories from the war, I'll post a few up in a bit.

[imi]

One of my old friend,who died a few years ago,tell me some story about Stalingrad:
My old friend and he's squad marching in the snow and left a hill,and they see a shocking view:many soldier frozen into death,or shoot down,and some "funny" soldier,is stand up lot of the hard frozen corpses,and put into the corpses to the snow,conversely head to the ground,along two side of the snowy footpath.It would be a sick view.
Another story:
In the field on the front the Red army has been score victory,and the axis forces fall back foot,and the lucky ones on a truck.Some soldiers try to jump into the truck,but the truck is full,and some of try to hang on in the truck side.The weight was too much,and the soldiers who became demented the stress of war,hit and cut their own kameraden hands,and fingers down with a spade.

[the_librarian]

I stumbled across the Veteran's Project over at the LOC tonight and found a facinating story about Cognac, Girls and the Battle of the Bulge!

Here's the link, have fun!

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.01768/

[kuuk]

Here is a short story from the days of Operation Market Garden:
On 20/09/1944 we watched some of the 82nd Airborne landing on Dropzone "N" south of Groesbeek in the Netherlands, from the dike along the river Maas (Meuse) approx. 2km's away from the action. After about 30 minutes too much firing came our way as planes and gliders continued to pass right over us. Some of the planes were on fire and crashed. Back to the cellar for protection. The next morning two para's came to our town. (They actually had jumped after their Dakota had turned around.) Later that day two very tall para's were spotted walking towards our town but across the river. Several Underground men then took a rowboat across to pick them up. After meeting with several more Underground men -including my Father- they were rowed back across the river to return to their unit. No sooner had they started to walk back, a German patrol spotted them. Luckily for them, the rowers noticed their plight, and they rowed back to shore to retrieve the para's. When in the boat again, they rowed with everything they had to escape the firing from the Germans that by then had started. The para's then decided to dump all their equipment overboard to lighten the load, and they eventually landed safely on our more friendly shore. The two returned to their unit via another route the next day. In the nineteen-eightys, while diving for evidence of remnants of a Roman bridge, one of the divers found a knife on the bottom of the river, which later was positively identified as a special improvised knife carried by some of the para troopers to cut their lines should it be necessary. As no other paratroopers were known to have crossed the river, it is certain that it was one of the items discarded by the two tall Americans while fleeing from the Germans!

[flamethrowerguy]

2nd Lieutenant Friedrich Lengfeld (*September 29, 1921; +November 12, 1944) was a company leader of the 2nd company/Füsilierbataillon of german 275. Infanterie-Division.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Friedrich_Lengfeld.jpg

Lt. Lengfeld was mortally wounded on November 12, 1944 during an attempt to rescue a wounded G.I. from the minefield "Wilde Sau" (wild boar) in Hurtgenforest.
Hubert Gees from Salzkotten/Eastern Westphalia was a soldier in Lengfelds company by the time of the incident. He reports:
"With Lt. Lengefeld I lost the best superior I ever had. In the previous hard weeks he meant much to me and gave me a lot of inner strength. He was an exemplary company leader and he claimed never more from us as he was willing to give by himself.
Led by him I was on patrol straight into the american forward outposts. When the american observation ammunition detonated on trees with a flogging bang and we got the impression that the enemy broke into our positions he never said "Go and check" but "Follow me".
On November 12, 1944 when the soldiers of the 12th US Infantry Regiment had re-taken the forester's house of Hürtgen just to lose it again in the forenoon, our company severe loss.
In the early forenoon an obviously heavy wounded G.I. was crying for help in a beseeching way. He was lying in the middle of the minefield "Wilde Sau" at the edge of the embankment of the eastern side of the road, in no man's land. My Co, Lt. Lengfeld, sent me to our MG position to deliver the order "not to shoot if american corpsmen will show up to salvage the seriously injured". Since the heartrending cries for help lasted for hours Lt. Lengfeld ordered our corpsmen to put together a rescue squad. This must have been around 10:30 am.
Lt. Lengfeld went on top of the resque squad on our side of the road. The road itself was secured with anti-tank mines whose positions were relatively easy to locate. Just when the Lieutenant wanted to change the side of the road approaching the G.I. he was taken down by an anti-personal mine. In a great hurry he was taken back to our command post to be given First Aid. Two holes in his back with the size of a coin suggested severe internal injuries. Lt. Lengfeld moaned in great pain. Led by a lightly wounded NCO he was brought back to casualty station "Lukasmühle". The same evening he died from his severe injuries on the main casualty station at Froitzheim"
Today Friedrich Lengfeld is buried on the cemetery in Düren-Rölsdorf.

On the military cemerery in Hürtgen the only memorial for a german soldier has been erected by the former enemy for Lt. Friedrich Lengfeld:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/de/6/6f/Lengfeld_memorial.jpg

http://www.ehrenmale-kreis-dueren.de/Dueren%20-%20Roelsdorf%202003_0910%20Bild2.jpg

http://www.ehrenmale-kreis-dueren.de/Dueren%20-%20Roelsdorf%202003_0910%20Bild3.jpg

[navyson]

That's a cool story flame, thanks for posting. I see you even got pictures of the grave.:)

[flamethrowerguy]

That's a cool story flame, thanks for posting. I see you even got pictures of the grave.:)

Right, bro, a little dismal sight for a "hero's" grave, isn't it?

[navyson]

Right, bro, a little dismal sight for a "hero's" grave, isn't it?
Yeah it is actually. Did they install the memorial plaque close to the grave at least so peopl might pay respects? (the others should get respect also).

[flamethrowerguy]

Yeah it is actually. Did they install the memorial plaque close to the grave at least so peopl might pay respects? (the others should get respect also).

The memorial is actually on another cemetary (at the village of Hürtgen, one of the two german main cemetaries of the battles in hurtgenforest), about 4 miles away from Lengfelds grave,

[flamethrowerguy]

A poster from Russia uploaded this one on the picture site. Somehow there was not much of feedback to it there but I find it too interesting to be ignored completely.

http://www.ww2incolor.com/d/69406-2/____________+__________________+__________________ __________+____+____________+______________+______ +________________

The poster called it "The Prediction. 1952". These sheets are supposed to be found by a woman called Galina Belevich from Chekanovskiy in the abandoned POW camp "Ozerlag" for german and -mostly- japanese soldiers near the city of Bratsk in Siberia.
Unfortunately it's quite difficult to read but I'll translate what I am able to decipher:
"Written on July 2, 1952.
Camp 043, July 2, 1952.
Prediction
Communism will cease itself in the years 1952 -1955. Stalin is going to die in the year 1953, in the month of March, 4th or 5th (Stalin actually died March 5, 1953 - FTG). His friend, the commander of the camps, B. (= Lavrentij Pavlovič Berija - FTG) will also be sidelined...powerless. The overthrow in Czechoslovakia and the side changing of Tito was foreseen by me in dreams. A. K. (? - FTG)"

[George Eller]

2nd Lieutenant Friedrich Lengfeld (*September 29, 1921; +November 12, 1944) was a company leader of the 2nd company/Füsilierbataillon of german 275. Infanterie-Division.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/22/Friedrich_Lengfeld.jpg

Lt. Lengfeld was mortally wounded on November 12, 1944 during an attempt to rescue a wounded G.I. from the minefield "Wilde Sau" (wild boar) in Hurtgenforest.
Hubert Gees from Salzkotten/Eastern Westphalia was a soldier in Lengfelds company by the time of the incident. He reports:
"With Lt. Lengefeld I lost the best superior I ever had. In the previous hard weeks he meant much to me and gave me a lot of inner strength. He was an exemplary company leader and he claimed never more from us as he was willing to give by himself.
Led by him I was on patrol straight into the american forward outposts. When the american observation ammunition detonated on trees with a flogging bang and we got the impression that the enemy broke into our positions he never said "Go and check" but "Follow me".
On November 12, 1944 when the soldiers of the 12th US Infantry Regiment had re-taken the forester's house of Hürtgen just to lose it again in the forenoon, our company severe loss.
In the early forenoon an obviously heavy wounded G.I. was crying for help in a beseeching way. He was lying in the middle of the minefield "Wilde Sau" at the edge of the embankment of the eastern side of the road, in no man's land. My Co, Lt. Lengfeld, sent me to our MG position to deliver the order "not to shoot if american corpsmen will show up to salvage the seriously injured". Since the heartrending cries for help lasted for hours Lt. Lengfeld ordered our corpsmen to put together a rescue squad. This must have been around 10:30 am.
Lt. Lengfeld went on top of the resque squad on our side of the road. The road itself was secured with anti-tank mines whose positions were relatively easy to locate. Just when the Lieutenant wanted to change the side of the road approaching the G.I. he was taken down by an anti-personal mine. In a great hurry he was taken back to our command post to be given First Aid. Two holes in his back with the size of a coin suggested severe internal injuries. Lt. Lengfeld moaned in great pain. Led by a lightly wounded NCO he was brought back to casualty station "Lukasmühle". The same evening he died from his severe injuries on the main casualty station at Froitzheim"
Today Friedrich Lengfeld is buried on the cemetery in Düren-Rölsdorf.

On the military cemerery in Hürtgen the only memorial for a german soldier has been erected by the former enemy for Lt. Friedrich Lengfeld:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/de/6/6f/Lengfeld_memorial.jpg

http://www.ehrenmale-kreis-dueren.de/Dueren%20-%20Roelsdorf%202003_0910%20Bild2.jpg

http://www.ehrenmale-kreis-dueren.de/Dueren%20-%20Roelsdorf%202003_0910%20Bild3.jpg
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Great story Flame,

War can also bring out the best in people...

It would be interesting to know if the American soldier that Lt. Lengfeld attempted to rescue survived or if he also died from his injuries.

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[flamethrowerguy]

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Great story Flame,

War can also bring out the best in people...

It would be interesting to know if the American soldier that Lt. Lengfeld attempted to rescue survived or if he also died from his injuries.

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Thank you, George.
That is indeed an interesting question. I just re-directed it to the Twenty Second United States Infantry Society.
I hope they'll answer and are able to give that precious information!

[Krad42]

Right, bro, a little dismal sight for a "hero's" grave, isn't it?

Indeed, it is! There are many heroes on all sides who just like him were buried in inconspicous graves amidst anonymity. There are many who probably lie somewhere, in foregin lands, with nothing marking their resting place. It is a very unfortunate aspect of war and a very sad one. The story is a very nice one, though, and one that I wasn't aware of. Thank you so much for sharing it! I'm glad that his sacrifice was at least recognized by the Americans.

[Krad42]

The prediction is rather interesting, especially assuming that it was written by a German POW. Tito's views were indeed very independent and, in spite of being a communist, his regime was known for having big differences with other communist countries. He remained fairly neutral during the Cold War and didn't accept Stalin's attempts to control him. So, obviously, the person who predicted this was right on the money with that. Of course, communism as a whole didn't cease in 1952-55 and the Cold War was already at work., although it would have been nice to see communism end then. The prediction about Stalin's death is quite remarkable as well.

[flamethrowerguy]

3014

The little story behind this memento:
"I belonged to the 13th Company of Panzergrenadier-Regiment 25 of the "Hitlerjugend" Division. After the first battles in Normandy, where we occupied a position in the Ardenne monastery, we, together with a light infantry gun platoon, were attached to a reinforced company, Battle Group Schrott. One evening we were called to the commander and six of us received the Iron Cross 2nd Class. I wanted to send it home but did not get round to it for some reason or other. I put the Iron Cross in my wallet which I always carried in my back pocket. A few days later, we had to repulse an Allied bridgehead. I was at that time leading the Signals section of the light infantry gun platoon. After starting to attack by the first houses of a village, the attack was then brought to a halt by artillery fire from which I got a shell splinter in my shoulder but which was not serious, and another one on my wallet directly where the Iron Cross was. I later lost the splinter. Getting out of this critical situation was difficult with healthy legs but with shot-up legs perhaps impossible. After this incident I was convinced that I should return home from the war."

by Paul Maus in "Wenn alle Brüder schweigen"

[PIKZAK]

Hello.

Ummm…

This is something like navyson’s post, in his WW1 thread Unusual Events/Uncommon Valor, where someone goes out into no man’s land to help another human being. I wanted to post it there but according to navyson this is apparently the right place. If this is not the type of story that belongs in this thread please forward all negative comments to navyson.


I'll tell you a story and this is all you ever need to know about
war. We were at Ortona and there were places where their lines
and ours were fairly close together. Ortona is in Italy, over towards
the Adriatic side. There was some terrible fighting there.
we'd send out patrols, they'd send out patrols. At night. If
we got a chance, we'd grab a couple of them if we met, ambush,
and they'd try the same. Or we'd try and knock a few over, and so
would they. Or, and this happened, almost by gentlemen's agreement,
we'd pass by. Like ships passing in the night. Nobody
wanted to kill that night.
One night we had two patrols out and we knew they did,
and about two in the morning we hear this terrible screaming. It's
a guy screaming. On and on. I'm sure you could hear it for miles.
Up and down, high and low, screaming, screaming. I can hear it
now. Our lieutenant is with us and he says, "The poor bugger's
taken some in the belly."
Now, I'm telling you this. It went on for two hours and it
seemed like ten. You see, we thought he'd die. Not often did they
last that long. But this one wouldn't die.
Finally a guy says he's going out there. He's an Indian, and
I think he was from around Cochrane, near Calgary, or maybe his
name is Cochrane. An Indian-he gets killed about a month later.
Anyway, the lieutenant doesn't say anything and so this Indian slips.
out and Jeezus! it is one dark night and I ask the lieutenant if we
should ask for a couple of flares, just to help him, and he says no.
In about fifteen minutes, all of a sudden the screaming
stops. Just like that. Like shutting off a tap. A light switch. In
about five minutes this Cochrane comes back and he says, "Damn
it to hell. What a shitty way to earn a living."
The sergeant after a while asks who it was out there, and
Cochrane says he doesn't know. Well, was it one of our guys?
Cochrane says he doesn't know. Was it a German? He says how the
hell should he know.

Then-and you might not think there are some very
moving moments in a war in the mud and wet and shit-but
Cochrane says, "All I know was that there was a dying soldier out
there and I just put my hand on his forehead and said a little
prayer and then I put the knife right into his throat. I was just
helping a poor soldier along the way."