New to Feldgrau! Great site! I am making a trip to Germany this summer to research family. I have always been amazed at the German war machine and I am proud to have family that served.
1. My great-grandfather served in WWI. I do not have the picture and do not know where it is, but I am sure that he won the Iron Cross. Unsure on unit. His name was Hans Hinrich Ludemann from Tronesch, near Hamburg. He died when I was a boy, but I do remember that he spoke very little English. Immigrated to the US with his family in 1929.
2. My grandfather was an American soldier at the Battle of the Bulge. He spoke German and he said that his commander would have him translate for German POW's. He was uneasy about going to Europe because he knew that he had cousins that were serving with Germany. I think he was in an unusual predicament. He has never returned to Germany to visit his family. He supports my trip. What I do know is that only two of his cousins survived the war. One survived because he was injured so badly and was returned home. Another of his cousins was killed when he crashed his ME-109 into a smokestack during the Battle of Kiev.
I am very anxious to make this trip and I need help as far as what to do with the info when I get it. Has anyone else made a similar trip? I do not know if asking military questions would be out of order. Thnak you!!!
Family research trip to Germany
Moderator: Tom Houlihan
Your first port of call should be the Rathaus where ever your relatives were born. Also the Amtsgericht in the same places. If you want to research family prior to 1876 you need to visit the local church, or most probably the Bishopric to which the church is subordinated. Visit WAS(t) in Berlin.
By all means ask military related questions. The oldies will be glad to help once they know you are not some nut case who will blame them for all the worlds ills since Adam & Eve. Intelligent discussion with the younger generation though is not all that easy.
Have a good trip and don't forget to go to Nurnberg.
- Hans
By all means ask military related questions. The oldies will be glad to help once they know you are not some nut case who will blame them for all the worlds ills since Adam & Eve. Intelligent discussion with the younger generation though is not all that easy.
Have a good trip and don't forget to go to Nurnberg.
- Hans
Was haben wir für dich gewollt
Du deutsches Vaterland?
- H Gehr IR 21./17.ID
Du deutsches Vaterland?
- H Gehr IR 21./17.ID
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sgriffin383
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John W. Howard
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Info
Hello Sgriffin:
If you are visiting your German relatives, you should ask for as much information about their relation's service as possible. Their full name, date of birth, unit information, etc. Then you can put in requests to Wast for info on their service. Once you get a unit ID, we can help you dig-up info on their units and areas of service. It might be nice to write to the relatives now, asking for the info, so that when you get there you can visit sites relevent to their service. Any idea what outfit your father fought with in the Bulge?? I am just curious. Good luck and best wishes.
If you are visiting your German relatives, you should ask for as much information about their relation's service as possible. Their full name, date of birth, unit information, etc. Then you can put in requests to Wast for info on their service. Once you get a unit ID, we can help you dig-up info on their units and areas of service. It might be nice to write to the relatives now, asking for the info, so that when you get there you can visit sites relevent to their service. Any idea what outfit your father fought with in the Bulge?? I am just curious. Good luck and best wishes.
John W. Howard
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sgriffin383
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- Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 10:28 am
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sgriffin383
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John:
Correction on grandfather's unit. He was with the 11th Replacement Corps HHC. I seen his original DD-214 equivalent. It said that he had the Ardennes and Rhineland battles listed as combat areas. After he made it into Germany he volunteered to go to the Pacific theater. He said that he expressed the fear of killing a family member and they transferred him. He participated in the liberation of the Phillippines. He stayed there for the rest of the war. He said that the liberation of the Phillippines lasted long after the Allies had officially liberated Manilla. He said there pockets of Japanese resistance everywhere. The Japanese were on nearly every island and would not surrender or they died.
Sgriffin383
Correction on grandfather's unit. He was with the 11th Replacement Corps HHC. I seen his original DD-214 equivalent. It said that he had the Ardennes and Rhineland battles listed as combat areas. After he made it into Germany he volunteered to go to the Pacific theater. He said that he expressed the fear of killing a family member and they transferred him. He participated in the liberation of the Phillippines. He stayed there for the rest of the war. He said that the liberation of the Phillippines lasted long after the Allies had officially liberated Manilla. He said there pockets of Japanese resistance everywhere. The Japanese were on nearly every island and would not surrender or they died.
Sgriffin383
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sgriffin383
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- Posts: 32
- Joined: Wed Feb 27, 2008 10:28 am
Hans:
We are going to Hamburg and then to Tornesch. My grandfather will not go for more than 1 week. He is very excited. Looks like June that we will travel. We are staying with relatives in Tornesch. His cousin is the only one of his first cousins to return from the war. I have so many questions for them. I will definitely have questions and things to share with members of Feldgrau. I wish we had more time to travel more. He is 85 and this trip is huge for him at his age.
Sgriffin383
We are going to Hamburg and then to Tornesch. My grandfather will not go for more than 1 week. He is very excited. Looks like June that we will travel. We are staying with relatives in Tornesch. His cousin is the only one of his first cousins to return from the war. I have so many questions for them. I will definitely have questions and things to share with members of Feldgrau. I wish we had more time to travel more. He is 85 and this trip is huge for him at his age.
Sgriffin383
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John W. Howard
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- Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2002 10:55 pm
Good Stuff
Hi sgriffin:
Thanks for the follow-up!! Wow!! Out of the frying pan and into the fire for your grandpa. A friend of mine's father was with the 1st Cav Div in the Philippines and was up to his eyebrows in combat; he had a lot of hardware to prove it. Best wishes.
Thanks for the follow-up!! Wow!! Out of the frying pan and into the fire for your grandpa. A friend of mine's father was with the 1st Cav Div in the Philippines and was up to his eyebrows in combat; he had a lot of hardware to prove it. Best wishes.
John W. Howard