The vehicle in the photograph was known as das Rote StuG. Crewed by an unusual mix of crewmembers, even by Reich standards, the vehicle accidentally drove through a paint factory during an engagement against a Guards Armored Division, and was completely covered in red paint. The crew chose to leave it thusly colored for the remainder of the war. Dr. Buttar’s grandfather was actually one of the crewman. An Indian national, Gefreiter Buttar found his was into the Panzerwaffe in a rather unusual fashion. When questioned about why he served in the German ranks, he was known to say that his people were Aryan long before the Germans.
Dr. Buttar was not sure that this vehicle was in fact the renowned Scarlet Stug until he noticed remnants of welding exactly where his grandfather told him that the crew’s brazier was mounted. The elder Buttar was known as a bit of a gourmand during the war, able to find much better quality viands than were provided by the Army. Not visible in the photo is a trailer hitch, used by the original crew for purposes beyond the scope of this report.
The Museum of WWII Arcana is housed in what during the war was a German hospital for those afflicted with incurable sexually transmitted diseases, as well as the Reich Institute for Scatological Research. The facility consisted of the hospital as well as an extensive bunker complex built for the benefit of senior Party officials who were assigned to the hospital. The museum is located near Castle Cornet in St. Peter’s Port. Owned and operated by German expatriate Siegfried Knackered, the museum is not open to the public, but exhibits can be viewed by appointment.
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