Feldgrau Author: Peter Mooney

[3Kompanie]

Hi to everyone. My name is Peter Mooney and I have had just had my second book published. It is titled 'Waffen-SS Knights and their Battles - Volume 1 1933-1942'. This work covers each Knight's Cross holder of the Waffen-SS in detail, using original documents as a source, backed up with personal accounts of the award holders themselves or the people that fought alongside them. This is more difficult in this first volume due to the fact that a lot of the 'early' guys are long since dead - this will get better in the later volumes. The work features new maps that will pinpoint the location of each award as the war unfolds. This is a chronological project and will follow through the rest of the war in the subsequent volumes.

The purpose of this project is to examine how close in time or location proximity did each award holder conduct their actions. Where they right next to one another or a thousan mles apart? Was it the same day or 5 years apart? This is something that I have always wanted to know and feel that something that has been missing from existing books. The maps took many months to draft alone, but I feel that they add to the project. Like some of the other authors on this Forum, I have been very lucky to have had direct contact with the Waffen-SS veterans, including some of the men that this work focuses on. I hope that the finished article does their memory (unbiased) justice.

It is published by Schiffer, as is my first book 'Dietrich's Warriors', which covers the history of the LAH's 3. Kompanie (Infantry).

I would welcome any feedback on these books, especially the new one as I am in the midst of volume 2.

[Tom Houlihan]

It sounds like an interesting approach to the subject matter, Peter. Congratulations!

Are there any NORD men in this volume?

[3Kompanie]

Volume 2 of this project is due out July (U.S) and August (Europe, although awaiting confirmation of these dates)

This second volume covers the critical first stage of 1943 (January to the end of July), therefore covers the Kharkov and Kursk battles. Both campaigns added dozens more Knight's Cross holders to the ranks of the Waffen-SS and this series continues to pull all of these actions together in chronological order. These are backed up in some cases with insights from the veterans themselves.

(think) the price is the same as Volume 1 and available from Schiffer or your usual stockist.

Foreword to this volume has been written by Knight's Cross holder, Eberhard Heder (SS-Division Wiking)

Volume 3 is being worked on at present and will cover the remaining months of 1943.

Hope you enjoy and would welcome any feedback from you

Peter

[3Kompanie]

Thanks John for the review and glad you liked the second volume. I hope that other forum users will find the book to their liking too? As you say, regarding Herr Heder (and the other surviving Ritterkreuztraeger) very nice guy and very helpful. Always good to get the support of these men when doing this project, and a real honour. Work is continuing on this mammoth project and unearthing new details never ceases to amaze me! I would welcome feedback from other readers of this second volume. To finish off John, the photos I used were of differing quality levels, not ideal, but in some cases, a necessity. I hope it does not detract too much from the overall enjoyment for readers?
Regards
Peter

[Ritterkreuz]

a usefully series on the bio of men of Waffen SS, i'm waiting the third volume!

[dgc47]

I'd like to thank Mr Mooney for Vol 1 of Waffen-SS Knights and their Battles. An excellent read. I look forward to buying Vols 2 and 3. They will stand well among my collection.

Thank you

[3Kompanie]

New Kurt Sametreiter photo book on release now - check the Book Review section on here for details and images.

Thanks
Peter

[John P. Moore]

I find it rather strange that Peter Mooney appears to be posting on FaceBook under the name of "Kurt Sameitreiter". Further, he is posting photos of vets, sometimes in their underwear, where it appears that he has Photo Shopped himself into the image, standing or sitting next to the vet. Plenty of examples of these peculiar photos can be found here.

https://www.facebook.com/kurt.sametreiter

I don't understand how Mr. Mooney and his LAH publishing company can expect to be taken seriously when we see this sort of behavior.

John Moore

[Jukka Juutinen]

I clicked your link and found no such photos. Or does one have to actually sign in on Facebook? That won't happen here ever. I find it strange that someone of reasonable mental health actually follows that site.

[3Kompanie]

Hello John

Just been aware of this post from a fellow history enthusiast and book reader. (I don't get the chance to go on this site often).

I am absolutely on FB under Kurt's name. This was done with Kurt's full knowledge and agreement, primarily to promote the photo books we have both written on his history. His grandson has full awareness too, is 'friends' with that profile and keeps Kurt up to date, as he lives a very close to Kurt's home.

As part of the interactions on there, between history enthusiasts, various people had enquired as to who I had been lucky enough to meet, from a veteran point of view. As the FB post stated, those photographs were put in from those direct requests from people interested in seeing how the veterans looked postwar.

Like you and some of the other Authors out there, I have been very lucky to have met many hundreds of WSS (and other) veterans, learned from them and ensure that their recollections are laced through my book texts, where relevant. I have attended reunions that have included I. Panzer Korps (1. SS & 12. SS), Totenkopf Division, Korps Steiner, Westland Regiment, GvB, and Ulrichsberg reunions. This is alongside countless visits to some of these veterans homes from 1999 through to the most recent 'new' visit in February of this year.

To answer one of your specific posts (vets in their underwear) - meeting Josef Rollecke was a rare chance, as he kept himself to himself post war. He lived near Eberhard Heder, so on one of those visits, a friend and I took the chance to see if he would talk to us. He did so, for a short space of time, but due to the unexpected visit and the warm weather that day, he chose to be dressed as he was, in his vest.

I do not understand why you would presume that I 'photo shopped' myself with these former soldiers. My technical skills would not stretch that far! I have been lucky enough to have met every person that these FB posts show. Each photo is a genuine image and can be evidenced through various documents (photos, interview notes taken at the time, and other people who were there with me). I have met many others, but did not always have the foresight to take a photo with them - I wish I had.

The reason for the FB page has been clarified above. The 'being taken seriously' is part of the reason for sharing those images with people, as they lend credence to the fact that the book content comes direct from these history makers. To use one of your own comments regarding one of my titles, "this information (content in the book) can only but have come from someone who was there at that time".

I do not understand why you use the word 'behaviour', when referring to this, nor why you would automatically presume that a fellow author has 'faked' images. We have liaised for many years on various things and I always felt there was a mutual respect and understanding, plus appreciation of what we are trying to achieve here - the correct recording of the history of these former soldiers.

Something appears to have changed that, although I am at a loss to know what? I trust my response has helped clarify the key points for you and others that have read this thread.

Regards
Peter

I find it rather strange that Peter Mooney appears to be posting on FaceBook under the name of "Kurt Sameitreiter". Further, he is posting photos of vets, sometimes in their underwear, where it appears that he has Photo Shopped himself into the image, standing or sitting next to the vet. Plenty of examples of these peculiar photos can be found here.

https://www.facebook.com/kurt.sametreiter

I don't understand how Mr. Mooney and his LAH publishing company can expect to be taken seriously when we see this sort of behavior.

John Moore

[3Kompanie]

To answer your point Jukka Juutinen

"I find it strange that someone of reasonable mental health actually follows that site."

This has been used as a medium to increase the awareness of the books and reach a wider audience. The page exists with Kurt Sametreiter's full knowledge and the people that liaise with me under that profile, tend to be of a younger generation (but not always) and that is helping to reach an audience that would not normally know about this side of things. That in turn increases the interest in our chosen subject and also improves the education of the people who chose to read the various titles.

I can guarantee you that my mental health is very sound.

Regards
Peter