The Great Italy Veterans Thread

Discussion in 'Italy' started by Paul Reed, May 30, 2008.

  1. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    As myself and Owen have mentioned elsewhere, we were pleased and delighted to meet a number of veterans of both sides during the recent Italian Battlefields trip. This thread is dedicated to some photos of them, and further information we glean on them in due course.
     
  2. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    John Dudley.

    John served with the East Surrey Regiment and 2nd Battalion Royal Fusiliers, in 4th Division. he was wounded three times, and ended the war in Greece.

    I was especially please to bump into John, as I see him every year at War & Peace.

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  3. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Men from John's platoon, 2nd RF, taken in 1945.

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  4. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Burkhard Hogspiel.

    We met him outside the German War Cemetery at Caira. He served with Geb. Pioneer Btl 818, according to what he put in the cemetery visitors book. Anyone know any more about this?

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  5. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Burkhard in 1944.

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  6. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Paul, these photos are so much better than mine.
    I think I need another new camera.
     
  7. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Ted Doyle MM.

    Ted served with the 2nd RF, 4th Division, 1943-44 and was badly wounded in September 1944 on the Gothic Line when a Tiger took out the house he was in, killing his mates and badly wounding him. His MM appears to be for the September 1944 period, according to the battalion history.

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  8. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Owen, I need you to add the details of this Beds & Herts veteran who was travelling with John and Ted.

    EDIT by Owen:This is George Bayliss, a Chelsea Pensioner.
    He joined the 2nd Bn Beds & Herts Regiment in 1938 in Hemel Heapstead.
    He was demobbed in 1946.
    I've written to him and sent him a picture very similar to this one.
    I've also asked him if he'd care to tell me about the 1940 campaign.


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  9. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Otmar Bolldorf.

    This was one of our most amazing meetings - we literally bumped into him and his friend, as we were walking back from Snakeshead Ridge. He casually remarked he was a veteran, and seemed quite pleased when we spent half an hour questioning him about his experiences!

    Otmar fought with a Panzer Grenadier Regiment in 90th Panzer Division; he originally fought with the Afrika Corps and came up against the NZ troops quite a lot in Italy. He was attached to the defences at Cassino, and fought in the area around the Station and also up on Snakeshead Ridge. He was wounded near Aquino in May 1944.


    EDIT by Owen: Otmar was in 361 Panzer Grenadier Regiment.

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  10. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Otmar in 1945; as you can see he has the EK 1st and 2nd Class, and a wound badge.

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  11. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    And finally, one vet I would have liked to have had with me again, my old pal John Dray who fought with 5th Northants at Cassino. This is him pictured on Snakeshead back in 2004.
     

    Attached Files:

  12. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    I've edited in extra info to your posts , paul.
    Here is Otmar in the middle of these chaps.
     

    Attached Files:

  13. von Poop

    von Poop Adaministrator Admin

    Every now and then this interweb thing glitters like a tiny jewel...
    Brilliant stuff.

    How did you get the pictures of the German guys in uniform?

    Cheers,
    Adam.
     
  14. Paul Reed

    Paul Reed Ubique

    Adam, they had them with them, so we took copies on the spot. Don't ask, don't get, we found! It was all quite amazing.
     
  15. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    As Paul said the German Veterans and Mr Dudley were all carrying photos in their wallets.
    Here's Burkhard Hogspiel (who is Austrian) getting out his....how's that for a then & now. :)
     

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  16. marcus69x

    marcus69x I love WW2 meah!!!

    Excellent stuff lads. Really well done.
     
  17. andalucia

    andalucia Senior Member

    This is a very interesting thread, great stuff, well done.
     
  18. CROONAERT

    CROONAERT Ipsissimus

    Burkhard Hogspiel.

    We met him outside the German War Cemetery at Caira. He served with Geb. Pioneer Btl 818, according to what he put in the cemetery visitors book. Anyone know any more about this?

    No one get tempted to whistle "Eidelweiss" to him?:D

    Gebirgs-Pionier Bataillon 818 was formed on 20th December 1943 and basically spent the war in Italy. As you probably know, they fought around the monastry in Cassino before withdrawing with Rome, Assisi, Perugia and Arezzo all getting a mention. They were also the unit that closed the Calla Pass. In November 1944, they established a boat transport over the Po and , slightly later, built a bridge in it's stead before withdrawing via Padua and Bassano to Etsch where they surrendered to the Americans.

    Dave.
     
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  19. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Dave where did you find that info?
    I can find nothing on-line about them.
     
  20. CROONAERT

    CROONAERT Ipsissimus

    Try searching with it's correct (German) spelling ("Bataillon" instead of "Battalion" , "Pionier" instead of "Pioneer" for example) and (in the case of German units) drop the initials (such as "Geb.", "Aufk." ,"Nachr.", etc), replacing them with the complete words ("Gebirgs", "Aufklarungs", "Nachrichten", etc)...

    Lexikon der Wehrmacht - Gebirgs-Pionier-Bataillon 818

    Dave
     
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