German/Russian Tank

[romft1945]

I know this site is dedicated to the royal navy but came across this and thought it might be of general interest,tell me off if wrong Rom.

[Wombat]

There is an old German chap who lives down the road from me, and while visiting him one day I noticed a model of a Russian T34? Tank sat on his Television Set. Being curious I asked him about it, and he told me that his son had bought it for him, as he was in the German Army as a boy, (16 yr old).

He lived in Berlin, and when the German Army were pushed back to Berlin and were fighting in the streets, his Sergeant used to let him go home to his Mothers for his tea. I think it was just to let his mother know he had survived another day.

He told me that when he gets depressed, he looks at the Tank and remembers what it was like to be REALLY DEPRESSED.

He has endless interesting stories from the war, and will talk for hours. My son interviewed him for a University assignment, and he taped the interview. I have over 3 hours of his recordings.

Wombat,
(James).

[astraltrader]

You are very lucky to know him James. What an interesting character he must be. I wish he lived next door to me!

[battlestar]

G'Day All

Yes, I remember reading about this when it happened. It was thought that the mud had remarkably preserved the tank's metal. I hadn't heard the status of it since then.

A friend of mind in Victoria had a next door neighbour that served as a sailor on TIRPITZ. I did not get the chance to meet him, but he was a AAA gunner on the mount just above the bridge. I have at least three hours of taped conversation of his experiences (thanks to friend). I found a book of TIRPITZ blueprints which the sailor signed for me, and he marked the places in the book that showed where he ate, slept, etc.

The tapes are great, I just wished I got to meet him before his death in 2005.

[Rorqual]

Just to comment about the war survivors
We have an ex Uboat crewman in our Submariners Association branch
He was on U35 and when the boat was lost most of the crew were taken
prisoner -- it was in 1939 and he spent the whole war sitting it out in the UK and Canada.Stayed in the UK after the war--the Uboat guys weren't released untill last -at least 1947
Fantastic guy to speak to -he is quite pleased we let him join us at meetings as a full member .
Am trying to get him to write a book for us .


Fred

[herakles]

I know this site is dedicated to the royal navy Rom.

With due respect, this is not true. :confused:

This site covers all navies and as well anything of interest to do with WW1 and WW2.

[astraltrader]

To be fair Richard I think Rom was trying to say that he knew it was a Navy site -but he wanted to post something about a Tank.
He posted this way back last Febuary when the Everythingelse section was then Everythingelse about Warships rather than the broader remit it has these days...
I think his addition of Royal was just a sort of typo...

[herakles]

I'm sure you're right Terry.

I didn't see this thread at the time.

[Chris Howat]

As the Royal Navy sponsered and oversaw the development of tanks in the First World War, these vehicles were classed as "ships". They were known as "she" and used port and starboard. So this an appropriate web site from that point of view.
There used to be, and maybe still is, an early WW1 tank at Whale Island. Does anyone know if she is still there?
Chris

[ChalkyWhite]

Hello Fred,

I was interested in your comments as I can confirm that a large number of U-Boat crews were held until 1947.
During research into HMS Eridge in the 1980's I tracked down the CO of U-568 which HMS Eridge, together with assistance from two other ships, had sunk off Tobruk in 1942.
KapitanLieutenant Joachim Preuss was found in Bremen and I swopped several letters with him during which he told me that he had been held until 1947. He also told me that it was not until then that he learned which ship had sunk him. One of the most satisfying parts of my research at that time was to put Preuss and Captain Gregory-Smith the CO of Eridge in touch with one another and they exchanged letters. Captain Gregory-Smith had told me that after hunting U-568 for over 15 hours he was so mentally and physically exhausted that when the U-Boat came to the surface and was then sunk and Eridge rescued all of the crew they were put below and he had no contact at all with Preuss.I had obtained several photos of his crew taken on HMS Eridge after capture and he was overjoyed to see these and identified most of the men, many who had gone to Argentina after the war. He thought most of those who had done so were originally from East Germany.
He provided me with a Convoy report and whilst I was the policeman for the village of Eridge I came into contact with a German POW who visited the farm at Eridge each year as he had made such good friends with the farmer. Hermann translated this convoy report for me which was most helpful.(I think I might have posted this information before, if so apologies!!)

Here is a photo sent me by Joachim Preuss for you to see.

Chalky White

[nigelweysom]

an interesting story , what impresses me is that it didn't take much to get it stated , even at a time when they wee under the pressure of war to produce quickly they still made a quality piece of machinery
Nigel