Thank You Marion!

Christoph, I spoke to a Vet today who was on the Dryden plane. He was wounded but was taken to Lindberg, Germany and did not know anything about Siegburg.

I did however get to ask him about the bombing that Sister Edeltrud referred to. Not the specifics but in general if the English bombed at night, and assuming that the Dec. 28th bombing occurred at night, would they, the bombers, be able to see a big red cross on the roof of a building. He said No - it was pitch black at night.

The gentleman also said the English bombed to break the morale of the people and that is why they bombed cities. Whereas the Americans bombed to destroy anything that helped the German Army.

I talked to him for quite awhile about his experience and that Dec. 23rd, 1944 mission and so forth. He was really impressive for 91 years old!

Christoph, do you have any idea how old the Nun is or how is her health. I guess those are not easy questions to ask.

Jean

No, sorry, she might be in her eighties? Sister Gracia has only said that she doesn't hear well and that she is the oldest sister in the cloister.

Christoph

Latest news, National Archives does not have General Collins's diary. I will have to do more digging.

Jean J

But they have a camp report:

Camp Reports: Germany: Hospitals: Siegburg Res Laz

http://research.arch...cription/892897

Online there's only a description, to obtain the records you (or we) should contact the National Archives and Records Administration.

Christoph

Edit:

You have seen this description?

http://research.archives.gov/description/598914

Christoph,

As always, you are amazing! I started working with what you sent. I also contacted the Army Records facility at Carlisle, Pa. this AM. The fellow on the phone was terrific but after more research it does not appear that I will be able to easily find anything. Not yet, at least. The website is: usahec.org

I went back to the Eisenhower Library and told them a gentleman in Germany sent me these websites. Maybe something will appear.

More to follow,

Jean J

Christoph,

What a frustrating day. I had no successes. I even tried VII Corp because Collins was in charge. Maybe a lead will pan out from all of this.

Jean

Christoph,

A little progress - the gentleman at Eisenhower Library will pursue the one website you sent me.

Yesterday, the gentleman at Carlisle made an astute observation. He does not think that Collins would have done the debriefing. I am trying to figure out what G-2's, intelligence officers, might have been at Remagen at the time.

Also trying to figure out what American outfit would have been in the countryside between Siegburg and Remagen, assuming that is the direction my Dad ran when he escaped. Not necessarily because of the debriefing but who knows, the 2 guys in the jeep that my Dad spotted from afar could still be alive today. Unlikely, but so was finding Norton and the Sister. I am however, very curious about that outfit. And so many other things, but another time.

Regarding the Sister, more to follow.

Jean J

Jean,

I sent an e-mail to the NARA asking for the Camp Report, and another one to the National Archives (UK). They have an Red Cross Report (Ref. no. WO 224/175) concerning Prisoner of War Camps in Europe, particularly also the "Seigburg Lazarett" from 1944: https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=27524 . Today they answered with an estimate, the copying cost for all 116 pages would be 52.20 Pounds. That's quiet much, and I don't know what I would pay for, and all information is from sometime in 1944. I could also send them a description of what I'm looking for, but: What am I exactly looking for?

If your father was was in Siegburg until the bomb raid of 3rd March: That was before the Ludendorff bridge and Bonn were taken. How could he know that he should run in direction to Remagen at that moment?

So many questions

Christoph

Christoph,

I could not respond earlier and so happy that the system is up and running now. It is always so exciting to see if you have written anything.

First of all, as always, Thank You very much for all of your efforts! I can send you a check for whatever costs you incur on my behalf. You are a riot when you say "What am I exactly looking for?" That is so funny. And my response, will be I am not sure. This is a tougher task than you thought!

I have written you off line and not sure if the messages have arrived.

Great questions about where on earth do you run, even if you do get out. On top of that my Dad had a rotten sense of direction! But Dad did not escape until March 15th so that solves the Remagen Bridge knowledge since that was March 7th. Early in Dad's Vmails home from Siegburg (I have to look for exactly what he said) he did not appear to have much War news like from a radio. The news was coming from the captured and wounded soldiers.

But ( because of limited time) I can tell you at a later time more details about the fact that they did have some way of getting news.

So assuming Dad knew about Remagen, and his last 2 days of running and hiding he spent at a German farmhouse that had a young Belgian boy doing the farming, where was he? As Dad would say, he was not there as a tourist! And no gave him an itinerary of just where he was at any special time. He knew he landed D Day on Utah Beach and I got him to write down, as best he could, what the names were of all of the places he fought in or passed through. But this location is quite vague. He was, however, pleased with the potato soup that the farmers gave them. He felt it had more potatoes in it than what was on the menu at Siegburg.

Now what unit was in this vague location is a question. More to follow tomorrow,

Jean

Siegburg was for about three weeks under artillery fire before the attack over the Sieg river began on April 7, 1945, 11 00 hours. Have you read Ray Repasky's memoirs on the main site here https://ww2combatengineers.comRayRepasky.htm ? That means the US troops could not have been far away from Siegburg when your Dad was there until the 16th. Siegburg was taken by the 97th infantry division. ( http://www.lonesentry.com/gi_stories_booklets/97thinfantry/index.html ), maybe they were also the first to be seen by your Dad, or perhaps the 13th tankers ( http://www.13tharmoreddivision.org/ )?

You should not send a cheque but if you like order the documents you want on your own, I think they might be more interesting for you than for the rest of the world including me - you may of course let us participate if you'll something really interesting

The last message I got from you is of 24th.

Christoph

Christoph,

I will not be able to finish this, but at least I can write for a couple of minutes.

I am looking at my send messages and I see them after the 24th. They are on the 25th, 26th, and 27th. I must be using the wrong address?

I will order the documents and for sure I want you to see anything that is useful to you.

I read the Ray R. info quite some time ago and I believe I had a problem with the dates. Don't want to go look now because then may lose this. Also I wanted to one day see what the history books on Siegburg provided.

My requests to St. Louis Archives have to be separated from way tried sending it. It was quicker for me but now have it in my queue to do it the proper way.

The wonderful gentleman I mentioned before at the Eisenhower Library is making quite an effort to find out what outfit could have been coming into the fields of Germany - (Two Men and a Jeep). I tried to figure it out as I mentioned the other day, but ran out of time. And even then who knows if I could have figured it out. I believe the 97th came after the 21st of March and I don't believe it would have been the 13th Armored, but who knows. He is also looking to see if there is any possibility debriefing records exist connected to the different outfits that were in Remagen at the time.

There is a great possibility that the debriefing records can never be found - and certainly not easily. However, I am prepared to stay looking for them for years to come. Thanks to the suggestion from the other wonderful gentleman at Carlisle I think I have a logical path to go down

Never heard from Abbey web site on the English issue. Or on anything.

When there is time, I am also working on the cemetery issues.

Bye for the moment,

Jean J

Christoph,

I went back and quickly looked at the Ray piece. Thank goodness Marion and everyone went to the effort of preserving and sharing all of that information.

This is the part that makes me think it was not their group that Dad so luckily connected with. "At 1725, March 28, 1945, division headquarters rolled across the German border a few miles west of Aachen. A short time later, it passed through the streets of the battered city, which Hitler once said never, would be taken by the Allies.

The division's first assignment was taking up defensive. Positions along the western bank of the Rhine River opposite Dusseldorf. Here, 97th doughs captured their first prisoners"

It will be fascinating to find out the unit that sent out an advance jeep. Could they have been lost? Just a joke. Dad said he could not believe while hiding outside that in the distance he saw this American vehicle. He waved them down, which it seems to me certainly had a lot of danger associated with it. These men were shocked to find Dad and Gidrie!! I believe somewhere some additional documents will appear.

Good night,

Jean J

Christoph,

I use reply and last night replied to the address your message came from.

Jean

Christoph,

With your help I contacted the Sister's Abbey by telephone. I decided that waiting for a response by email could take too long.

One very sweet Sister tried to help me and then she got another sweet Sister, Joanna, to come to the phone, one who knew a little more English.

My conclusion is that if a window of time opens when I can go (and that is sooo difficult) , and if you are on vacation at that time, I may chance it and still go there. It will be a very brief trip. The second Sister referred to Sister Edeltrud Koch as being old. But she is only 84 or 85. That sounds young to me! She also mentioned like you did about the deafness. I said no problem, we can write a question and she can say the answer. I will tape it.

I asked what could I bring her from America. She said nothing just the visit. Then I asked what could I bring Sister Koch and she said maybe sweets. She said the community is small - only 15 Sisters.

I called the German Embassy back in Washington to see what sweets they suggest. The lady there said maybe Reese's peanut butter cups (apparently some German's like peanut butter and others do not),a Snickers candy bar mixture, peppermint patties and for German ideas she said Milka Chocolato, Ritter Sport, or Ferrero Roche.

Joanna was adorable. She tried to tell me I might need a GPS to find the place. I told her not to worry I would come with one.

Now the other news is that I called Norton to give him the above update. Plus,..

Can't finish, more later.

Jean J

Jean,

That sounds great, Ihope you'll find a window to come!

And I imagine the ambassador's face when you ask him which sweets he suggests for german nuns If you ask me I would recommend the peppermint patties sound good, peanut butter is not every one's cup of tea in Germany and Snickers, Milka and the rest can be bought in every supermarket.

If your dad knew that the Ludendorff bridge was under american control and also the direction to Remagen, they could find the way cross-country quiet easy. It's a way of about 20 km bee-line, not so much in peace but in war-times... They would have passed the Siebengebirge ("Seven mountains", but a trained person can climb them all in one day), and these mountains can be seen from the Michaelsberg so theyhad a landmark for their orientation - but if they were hiding in a farm I assume that they have not reached the mountains. After leaving the city of Siegburg most of the way was untilled at that time. There were heavy battles in the Siebengebirge, but on 21 March the area was under american control. I have ordered a book about the last days of the war in this area, I hope we'll find some information about the american units in the area. I have googled a bit, but it seems as if hundreds of escaped prisoners of all nations were hiding in farms at that time all over Europe, and there have been hundreds of (also forced) labourers in the area between Siegburg and the Siebengebirge, many of them working for the farms, and many also from Belgium.

Christoph