I posted the below quoted msg but have, as of now, not received any response.
My question: does anyone have any idea what Bussmann's mission was and how in the world did Bussmann end up being with a group of officers of GD in Austria.
Does anyone have any idea about the circumstances?
Thanks in advance,Rudi S.
Posted: Sat Sep 15, 2007 8:44 pm Post subject: General Maeder and Cpt. Bussmann in Austria as POWs
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I am referring to an interesting picture I saw in the book "Panzerkorps Großdeutschland - Bilddokumentation (Helmuth Spaeter) on page 147". Judging by the background, this picture was taken after the end of WWII in Austria near Brixen. To General Mäder's left (as seen by you right of the general) is Oberleutnant, or maybe by then Hauptmann Bussmann.
I was captured with Bussmann by the US troops near this place (with him). All I remember, that for an unknown reason, Bussman disappeared.
Bussmann, 2 Sergeants and I were, prior to arriving in Austria, on a special mission in Munich. It was a Top Secret mission (I saw once the order signed by Hitler when prior to the end of the war, Bussmann had to show the order to a German MP in order to get priviledged treatment from 2 German MPs sitting on the fenders of our Mercedes).
A day or so, after arriving at Brixen where we were taken POWs, Bussmann disappeared.
BTW, I was never told about our Top Secret mission but I assumed that it had something to do with reorganizing our unit (either GD or GD/FBB) for "the last stand at Eagle's Nest.
I have never seen any of these officers while a POW in Brixen.
BTW, I had a good job in Brixen being the orderly to a Major who was in charge of the FBB soldiers in Brixen and I was designated the official interpreter between our Major and a second Lt. of the US Forces who came every morning for a 'visit'.
Perhaps you could post this picture on your forum - someone might know more about this situation than I do.
Mit besten Grüssen aus Texas,
Rudi S.
PS: I would have liked to post the picture, but I don't know how to do it.