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Railsplitter · 04-09-2006, 08:22 PM

Ed, thanks for the reply. The following is from a letter my father wrote that got me to thinkin' something like that might have been going on. The letter is dated Saturday, April 28th, 1945 Germany:

"I've got a Jerry pocket watch now, but it's not so hot. I had plenty of loot in my pockets the night those Jerries almost caught us. Loot was flying every which way. Everybody was throwing away Jerry watches, rings, bracelets, pens, pencils, coins, guns - anything that was Jerry property. So you can see how hopeless the situation looked. The Lord was with us again, as usual. I kept my pistol, but I had it ready to heave when the time came".

It could very well be rumour, but it sounds like those guys were not taking any chances. As far as the story of the capture of his Luger, the abridged version goes something like this:

I'm not sure but I think he may have gotten ahold of it around the town of Gilenkirken (sp?). I think the 84th was involved in the liberation of that town. Anyway, he pulled it off a german officer who was surrendering. He told me that they had been warned not to stand directly in front of a prisoner when you removed their belt. " You were supposed to stand off to the side or reach around and grab it from behind" he said. Buckle guns maybe??. My father said two things stuck in his mind about the occasion. First was the look the german gave him when he grabbed his pistol belt. "If looks could kill..." he said. " He was a german officer. They were proud men, and he did not like the idea of some teenage punk taking his sidearm".

The second thing he remembered was the fact that standing right next to the surrendering officer was a girl dressed in a german army uniform. "Some german officers had women on the front lines...we used to call them foxhole warmers" he said.

The story goes on as to how he lost the holster and belt...and almost got a P38, but it gets long.

Ed, feel free to use the story. I will try to type up the long version and get it to you somehow before you print your book. As far as pictures go...I would need some help. I'm not the best at that sort of technical wizardry.

Mark

04-09-2006, 08:22 PM	#9
Railsplitter User Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: Chandler, AZ Posts: 112 Thanks: 0 Thanked 13 Times in 11 Posts	Ed, thanks for the reply. The following is from a letter my father wrote that got me to thinkin' something like that might have been going on. The letter is dated Saturday, April 28th, 1945 Germany: "I've got a Jerry pocket watch now, but it's not so hot. I had plenty of loot in my pockets the night those Jerries almost caught us. Loot was flying every which way. Everybody was throwing away Jerry watches, rings, bracelets, pens, pencils, coins, guns - anything that was Jerry property. So you can see how hopeless the situation looked. The Lord was with us again, as usual. I kept my pistol, but I had it ready to heave when the time came". It could very well be rumour, but it sounds like those guys were not taking any chances. As far as the story of the capture of his Luger, the abridged version goes something like this: I'm not sure but I think he may have gotten ahold of it around the town of Gilenkirken (sp?). I think the 84th was involved in the liberation of that town. Anyway, he pulled it off a german officer who was surrendering. He told me that they had been warned not to stand directly in front of a prisoner when you removed their belt. " You were supposed to stand off to the side or reach around and grab it from behind" he said. Buckle guns maybe??. My father said two things stuck in his mind about the occasion. First was the look the german gave him when he grabbed his pistol belt. "If looks could kill..." he said. " He was a german officer. They were proud men, and he did not like the idea of some teenage punk taking his sidearm". The second thing he remembered was the fact that standing right next to the surrendering officer was a girl dressed in a german army uniform. "Some german officers had women on the front lines...we used to call them foxhole warmers" he said. The story goes on as to how he lost the holster and belt...and almost got a P38, but it gets long. Ed, feel free to use the story. I will try to type up the long version and get it to you somehow before you print your book. As far as pictures go...I would need some help. I'm not the best at that sort of technical wizardry. Mark