Junkerschule Tölz & Smoking

[John P. Moore]

How times have changed. Germanic officer students at Junkerschule Tölz who did not smoke were reported. I believe that this also says something positive about these young men who had not adopted that vile habit.

Nichtraucher--JST.jpg (50.33 KiB) Viewed 3704 times

[Tom Houlihan]

That's the first time I've ever heard anyone getting dinged for not smoking! I wonder what the rationale for that was?

[haen2]

Smoking ?
When I became 12 years of age, (thanks to a jewish grandmother ?) I suddenly became a man, and was allowed to smoke.
I was a highschool senior, and tobacco was rationed, but not for us "kids".
But by gosh and by golly, those of us who had discovered the new freedom, smoked. So we gathered oakleaves, grass, (real grass ), went to the dutch bible society and got a pocket new testament, which was gladly given. These were printed on 'rice" paper.
We now had smokes and paper to roll it in. Tried it a few times, but just about choked on it.
Fast forward . . . . . . . "Eintritt" in the German army. We got three cigarettes a day with our rations. Since it was "manly" to smoke, those of us who had not, started. In a few weeks i was saving my cigarette butts, drying them, and rolling them into a semblance of a cigarette.
Once in frontline duty, the rations increased to 7 a day. When we had capitulated, our greatest joy was to go on a work detail for the Canadian guards, because that earned a few extra cigarettes a day, and once in the camp, the "normal" rations had dried up.
I had a girlfriend who told me that I was not a smoker, the cigarette was, and I was only the sucker at the end of it.
So I huffed and puffed for some years, on and off. In the 50's I joined the Mormon church, and in one instant became a non smoker.
Some time later, after emigration to the U.S., paradise, where cigarettes were only 19 cents a package, i walked through a plate glass window, of a new church building, which I thought was an open door; got cut up pretty badly and one of my friends offered me a cigarette, to calm my nerves.
BINGO in a few days I was smoking again, at first just once a while to "calm my nerves" because i had just landed a decent job, and with a family to support i could not afford to lose it. Pretty soon "limiting" myself to only three a day, after all that had been my military ration, so how bad could it be. Quit- started again- quit- started again, became a "O.P.B."(other peoples brands) until the 26th of September 1968. As a medic I had know of course for years how i was killing myself, but telling myself that my Grampa smoked several cigars a day, and dropped dead at the age of 86. Then came the moment of decision ( a revelation ?). My furniture smelled like stale smoke, so did the curtains. Enough was enough, so I quit. Actually I told myself that from here on i was a non-smoker; I filled a pipe with tobacco, and put a book of matches in its stand. Showing myself that I was the one who coul leave it alone. After aboout 10 years i thought it was enough convincing and threw it out
And . . . I did. Within a few weeks my breath did not stink anymore, and after a year my X rays showed nice clean, clear lungs.
I did not kick the cat, did not beat the kids, or yell at my wife; i had just become a non-smoker.
The first few day i did not know what to do with may hands, but that also disappeared.
Thus . . . .moral of the story: If you are happy and you're puffing, enjoy it as long as you can. If you wish to live a few yearslonger and in better health, just bcome a non-smoker.
Don't say : I quit ! because your subconscious will tell you : "Oh yea, but just one more won't hurt you "
Just become a non smoker, and feel just a little smug about yourself
OK, end of sermon !
Live long and prosper !
H.N.

[Hans]

There is no mention as to why they were reported. Could have been for good or bad. Schicklgruber did not smoke therefore I would think that there was no crime in not smoking.

- Hans

PS I'm told that all the survivors in our family smoked by 1944 to stave off the hunger pains. Most gave it away once they got their hands on U.S. tucker. I still remember the bacon/ham, it came in big tins.

[John P. Moore]

Haen - Thanks for your interesting comments. When I first saw this report I found it hard to believe that non-smokers existed among any combat veterans back in 1944 and I doubt those young men were Mormons. I recently finished reading two excellent books about the USMC in the Pacific during WW II, Helmut for my Pillow by Robert Leckie and With the Old Breed by Eugene Sledge. Both authors described the prevalence of smoking among front-line Marine combat troops. Like many other others, I first started smoking cigarettes while in the military. It was those packages of cigarettes that were packed in the C-Rations back in the 1970s and the military culture at the time. What later motivated me to quit was not the health warnings, but the regular reports in the press that cigarette smokers in the USA were typically people from the lower socio-economic backgrounds, less intelligent and lacking in self-control. That was not a group that I wanted to be identified with! I recently observed a USMC captain smoking a cigarette in uniform outside the Federal Building in Portland, Oregon. What conclusions did I instantly form about that USMC combat veteran and his judgment? My hat is off to those 1994 Tölz students, some of whom appear to be Dutch like Haen.

John

[Mansal D]

Well they did have a habit of documenting as much as they could! Thank goodness they document their crimes against humanity as well so they could be prosecuted for them.

Anyway, I wonder if this might have had to do with rations. If they saved those 3 cigarettes per person for all the units, it could be something! Then again, from what I have read there was a lot of trading going on between those who did and didn't smoke.

[andernach]

Hello,
It was and is not uncommon in the German Army to build "Stubenbelegungen" (soldiers in one accommodation) only with smokers and only with non-smokers. So, the non-smokes are not forced to sleep in a sleeping-room ("Smoking-chamber") full of smoke.
To build these "Stubenbelegungen" you have to list either the smokers or the non-smokers. Are the non-smokers the minority of the "Lehrgang" or a company, you will list them (to provide a to long list).
I do not know, if the Waffen-SS practiced this too, but it is a possibility, isn`t it?

Best regards,

andernach

[Mansal D]

Yes, sure is a possibility. Quite thoughtful of them.