Named Groupings

[Naval Enigma]

Outstanding. Seriously, that is some outstanding collecting.

It's nice to see some German material come as a group, you can compare the differences in the wool, etc.

The Ike you saved is a solid piece with a great doc package.

[Cassidy]

Now to a Deutsches Rotes Kreuz Helferin


- The German DRK uniform is the same style as worn by my wife's mother DRK Helferin Luise Paesch. The photo of Lusie was taken on 19 January 1943.

[Cassidy]

My father in-law told me that in May of 1945 that he was severely wounded.

Luise and another nurse helped him escape as the Russian Advance threatened the Lassaret (Field Hospital) located in Schwerin Germany. A good section of his skull was missing due to a shrapnel wound. It was replaced with a wire mesh which remained in place until he died in 1991.

I found out later that it was actually the 8th ID that took Schwerin. (8th ID was my first duty assignment after my wife and I got married, ironic)

My father in-law was Harri Karl Paul Frank. He is the tall guy to the far left of the photo.

At first he was in the U-Boots operating out of Brest France until he got the measles. He and another sailor had to miss a run and their U-Boot never returned. They were then transferred to a mine sweeper on the Black Sea. Their Mine Sweeper hit a mine, sank and they were captured by the Romanians. They managed to escape to German lines where he was given two weeks infantry training and placed back in the line. During this time, he was wounded and evacuated to Schwerin.

As told by Harri: He, Luise and another DRK Schwester arrived by foot in Neustadt in Holstein on 3 May 1945, the same day that the ship Cap Arcona was sunk by British Fighter-Bombers just off Neustadt. Harri and Lusie were later married 24 Dec 1947.

[afrikasandman]

Originally Posted by Cassidy

Thanks,

Hang tough Airborne! When Dad went through Jump School it was six weeks! They packed their own chutes.

I went through jump school in 1981. Dad passed away on St. Pats Day the year before.

I made all 5 jumps with his pin back sterling wings in the top left pocket of my OD "Pickle Suit" uniform.

They jump your wings in for the ceremony, not sure if they still do this? Do they still call the Instructors "Black Hats"

When the SGT Airborne came by to pin my wings on, I asked him to pin my my Dads WW2 wings on me. He asked me if I wanted to go on the stage and have the Colonel pin the wings on. I said, "No SGT Airborne, my Dad was an NCO and I would like you to pin them on." I think that he even showed a little emotion.

Wow, it is hard to believe how time flies. I retire next year with 30 RA.

Good luck at Benning,

We didn't jump with our wings, they have the guidon carrier always keep a set in his pocket that is given to him by the 1st Sgt and he keeps the wings and when asked for them he/she must produce them. If they don't have them on them the whole class gets smoked.
The instructors are still black hats, one of the black hats for my platoon held the longest confirmed sniper shot from 06-08 shot a Chechnian sniper in Fallujah in the chest and killed him at 1200m. Jumpin is a great time and can't wait to do it again! We did get our blood wings though, at least most of the officers did that got along well with the black hats. Matt

[Cassidy]

I think that I was not clear. That was just me that jumped with my Dads wings in my top left shirt pocket. No one else did it. No one knew about it.

They had a single HALO jumper, jump in with a box full of wings for the class as part of the ceremony. They said that they did not want to issue us "Leg" wings.

Dads winds were Sterling Silver, the issue wings at the time were marked 1/20 silver filled Not sure why we skimp on the small stuff!

Airborne!

Originally Posted by afrikasandman

We didn't jump with our wings, they have the guidon carrier always keep a set in his pocket that is given to him by the 1st Sgt and he keeps the wings and when asked for them he/she must produce them. If they don't have them on them the whole class gets smoked.
The instructors are still black hats, one of the black hats for my platoon held the longest confirmed sniper shot from 06-08 shot a Chechnian sniper in Fallujah in the chest and killed him at 1200m. Jumpin is a great time and can't wait to do it again! We did get our blood wings though, at least most of the officers did that got along well with the black hats. Matt

[Cassidy]

OK, Now back to the U.S. and a good friend of mine.


Lieutenant William H. Lentz Jr. (Bill)
WW2 Army Forward Observer (Air) L4 Piper Cub

Born 23 June 1920, Commissioned as a U.S. Army Officer from Duquesne University ROTC on 3 June 1942.
Assigned to Company B, 261st Artillery Battalion, later attached to the 202nd with Artillery Group under XIII Corps, 9th Army. Participated in Ardennes, Rhineland and Central Europe Campaigns. First air observation mission was flying under low cloud cover to Bastogne in December 1944. LT Lentz also supported operation Varsity. (LT Lentz had 76 Combat Air Observation Missions and was awarded the Air Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster.

He wrote a complete history of his vast combat experience in the ETO in “Remembrances of World War II”, Bill Lentz. Unfortunately it is only in hard copy.

When I have time I will try to transcribe some of the amazing stories. On one occasion he protected his unit during an ambush. He had his pilot fly the observation airplane over the German positions so that he could fire his Thompson out the open window and drop grenades. One German soldier fired a Panzerfaust from his foxhole at Bills plane just missing the wing.

Below is a period photo of Bill. Next there is a recent photo of Bill standing next to a mannequin sporting his WW2 flight suit and Officers Cap. How often are you able to get the original owner next to his mannequin?

Bill retired as an LTC.

More to follow.

[Cassidy]

A couple of more photos of Bill. Bill relaxing having a Bier during the war!

[Cassidy]

LT Parker, the Pilot taking a break in Krefeld. A combat photo that Bill took of some ground observed fire.

[Cassidy]

A photo of a captured German Aircraft.

Bill mentioned that they painted the German Airplane white and one of the officers flew it to a Girlfriends farm in England at the end of the war.

One page from a copy that Bill gave me “Remembrances of World War II”, Bill Lentz.
Not sure if you can read it?

[jacquesf]

Cassidy, great thread and the right way to collect imo. Amazing personal history that is in your collection. Jacques

[rexmundi]

Very nice collection !

[PerMilitaria]

Outstanding collection!

Thanks for sharing!

[Cassidy]

Thanks for the comments.

I just found a Photo of former LT Mohr from 1997.

I asked him to put the uniform on one more time. Well, it almost fit.
Sorry about the quality of the snap shots.

Also one shot of the uniform for comparison.

[Cassidy]

Another 1997 photo of LT Mohr and a 1944 photo of him in the same uniform.

[Cassidy]

I also just found a couple of photos of GJR Erich Schmid.

One from 2000 of Erich with the guys in my old collecting room when I was stationed in Germany.

The other photo is of Erich from 1942. "1942 Nach der Schlact von Charkow, Vormarsch Richtung Kaukausus."