THE HIDDEN HEROES AFTER-WAR MEMORIAL AT TALLY HO FARM WINKFIELD SL4 4RZ ENGLAND




  How Schweinfurt gives thanks for foes become friends
 
   
  Three forms of reconciliation between communities and nations
     

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HAPPY LANDINGS CLUB
 

BEFRIENDING FLY2HELP & ROSIE
THE RIVETER CHARTER HIGH

 

CHAMPIONS AT TALLY HO FARM

        2014 TIME CAPSULE

OUR B17's CREW

    TCAAP IN MINNESOTA

    ROSIES IN LONG BEACH 

    INFORMATEERS

    

SCHWEINFURT RECONCILED 1943-2014

USAAF MEMORIALS IN UK

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BETWEEN 1943 AND 1945, as the centre of ball-bearing manufacturing, the city of Schweinfurt suffered 22 air strikes between.

 

A total of 2,285 Allied planes dropped 600,000 bombs weighing nearly 8,000 tons.

Production was never permanently interrupted, despite the attacks, and eventually levelled off at 85 percent of pre-war production.

 

Schweinfurt, however, was badly shaken. The air raids destroyed half of civil buildings and industrial facilities.

And forms of reconciliation and humanity came to light - some from the air, some from surprising groups on the ground.

You'll see from the sections below how the citizens and foreigners closed ranks, worked together, with a common humanity.

The Schweinfurt communities raised their city back to life with the help of the American forces, who initially came as occupiers but soon played an important role in the reconstruction of the Schweinfurt area.

These examples show the great generosity of spirit for which all should be thankful when are is over and done with.

There's much to treasure here.

 

OUR CARTRIDGES SEEN IN EARTH FROM SCHWEINFURT SENT BY PASTOR DIETER SCHORN OF THE LUTHERAN CHURCHES.
DIETER HAS BEEN A GREAT FRIEND OF THE SECOND SCHWEINFURT MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION, AND HAS ALSO
OVERSEE MUCH OF THE FINE WORK OF RECONCILIATION BETWEEN THE CITY AND THE GARRISON.
HE WAS THERE ON 14 OCTOBER 1943.



 MICHAEL PFRANG, PASTORAL WORKER IN THE CATHOLIC PARISH OF ST JOSEF, AND SOME BALLBEARINGS OF THE FAG BRAND MADE BY SCHAEFFLER IN SCHWEINFURT. THEY ARE RESTING ON EARTH FROM ST JOSEF'S. THE ORGINAL CHURCH WAS DESTROYED IN THE BOMBING ON 14 OCTOBER 1943,  THE PARISH PRIEST AND TWO CHILDREN WERE KILLED.

MICHAEL IS SEEN HOLDING AN SSMA PIN AT A SMALL HANDOVER CEREMONY AT ST MARTIN'S IN THE FIELD CHURCH IN CENTRAL LONDON IN APRIL 2014 - WHEN HUGH GIBBONS PRESENTED HIM WITH SOME SOIL FROM ST JOSEPH'S CHURCH IN BRACKNELL, AND A $1 NOTE AS A TOKEN TOWARDS ST JOSEF'S FUNDS.

  "...in the hope for lasting peace among all people"
 

Thirty years after the Second Schweinfurt Raid, some of the survivors from the Mighty 8th Air Force, including Colonel Budd Peaslee, S/Sgt Phillip Taylor and 1st Lt William Allen, decided to form an organization to commemorate their fallen comrades-in-arms.

 

They called it the Second Schweinfurt Memorial Association, Inc. (SSMA)giving it direct connection to the second air raid on Schweinfurt.

 

Initially, the full members of this association were all veterans of the 8th Air Force who flew on Mission 115. Every year the members, and their families and friends, meet in a different city in the United States around the 14th of October to honor their dead fellow airmen.

 

However, at the 50th Anniversary in 1993, two Germans - Dr. Helmut Katzenberger and Vomar Wilckens - came to the reunion in New Orleans to present to the group information they had on that fateful day.

 

In 1996 Georg Schafer contacted the SSMA and asked to join the organization. When asked what bomb group he was in he replied that he was not in a bomb group, but that he had been a Luftwaffenhelfer, and “my family owned ball bearing plants in Schweinfurt”. Mr. Schafer, now retired from the Board of Directors of FAG Kugelfischer, had served, along with his classmates, in one of the 88mm Flakbatteries around Schweinfurt.

 

He came to the reunion in Las Vegas and brought many artefacts from "Black Thursday". Many of these artefacts are permanently included in the Second Schweinfurt display at the Mighty 8th Air Force Museum in Savannah, Georgia.

 

It was at this reunion that the Americans suggested erecting a joint memorial remembering this mission. Mr. Schafer presented this idea to his fellow Luftwaffenhelfers, who embraced the idea.

 

On June 16, 1998 a German American Memorial was dedicated by members of SSMA, former Luftwaffenhelfers and the city of Schweinfurt on a site alongside the former “Spitalsee” air raid shelter in Schweinfurt. The memorial was created by G. Hubert Neidhard (3/3/28 - 5/14/99), who was an art teacher at Alexander von Humboldt High School in Schweinfurt and a flak-helper in his hometown during the war.

 

This started the amicable meetings between members of the SSMA and the former flak helpers. In 1999, a group of former flak helpers, accompanied by Gudrun Grieser, Lord Mayor of the City of Schweinfurt, attended the reunion in Savannah, Georgia.

 

Reno, Nevada was the site of the 2000 Reunion. In 2001, SSMA decided to hold their reunion in Schweinfurt, the first time the organization had held their meeting outside of the U.S. Sixty two participants from the U.S. attended despite the disastrous events in New York and Washington on September 11. Fort Worth was the site of the 2002 Reunion, Seattle in 2003. In 2004 and 2007 the members returned to meet in Schweinfurt.

 

The bonding between former enemies is an impressive sign of active reconciliation, but also an admonition to future generations to do all they can so that horrors like those in the 20th century are never repeated.

 

The inscription on the German American Memorial speaks to the bond between these two groups: "Dedicated by some who witnessed the tragedy of war, now united in friendship and the hope for lasting peace among all people".


The German American Memorial at Spitalsee-Bunker

IN MEMORY OF SCHWEINFURT AND AIRMEN OF THE 8th US AIRFORCE ANS THE GERMAN LUFTWAFFE WHO LOST THEIR LIVES ON MISION 115, OCTOBER 14 1943, KNOWN TO THOSE WHO WERE THERE AS BLACK THURSDAY.

DEDICATED BY SOME WHO WITNESSED
THE TRAGEDY OF WAR
NOW UNITED IN FRIENDSHIP AND THE HOPE FOR LASTING PEACE AMONG PEOPLE

SECOND SCHWEINFURT MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION
LUFTWAFFENHELDER DE SCHWEINFURTER FLAKBATTERIEN

The designer G Hubert Neidhart (1928-99) noted that "the rust-coloured rectangular heavy steel slab has come out of plumb. Declining obliquely, it plunges down into the ground, thereby splitting an erratic boulder. Under enormous pressure of this violent impact from above, the boulder is slashed, bent and torn open. A deep, gaping gash has been inflicted upon it.  The deep cleft remains open, visible for all times, showing serious injury, a wound not yet healed...The inscription, however, contrasts this unbalanced image. It is an appeal to remember, to commemorate, to reflect - a reminder, a request for more humanity."

"The Memorial is not a glorification of war, not an appeal for hero-worship, but simply a quiet, modest warning reminding us of a fateful past.



The Winkfield B17's cartridges reconciled with some of the soil from the Memorial, sent by the Lutheran
churches of the city in March 2014.
The nearest they'd been before was about
4 miles away on 14 October 1943

 

   
  A salute to Schweinfurt by those leaving
 

Directive JCS 1067, which went into effect April 1945, mandated that Germany had to be treated as defeated enemy state. Any type of “fraternization” with the German population was prohibited. The directive was only valid until July 1947.


German-American relations grew and strengthened over the course of decades. Americans obliged Germans with “goodwill” gestures. American officers’ wives, for example, invited German high school students for tea. U.S. Army units bought Christmas gifts for children in 1946. Finally the Americans became a part of the cityscape: They had German landlords, ate in German restaurants, became friends or made acquaintances with Germans. Many settled in the area.


There were various joint events such as the German-American Volksfest, which used to take place in an area in Ledward Barracks. However, after 11 September 2001, the event was relocated to the grass area behind the bowling center on Kessler Field. In addition, Americans became members in German clubs such as the German-American Wanderclub Schweinfurt e.V., a hiking club.


Thousands of American soldiers served in and near Schweinfurt as part of the garrison.  However, the changes in Europe and elsewhere meant that its role came under review, and the decision was taken that the garrison should close in 2014 - not quite 70 years after it was established.



A TRIBUTE TO THE COMMUNITIES LIVING AND WORKING TOGETHEROVER THE DECADES
SEEN HERE ON
THE GARRISON WEBSITE


   
The all-inclusive Schweinfurt Soldiers’ and Veterans’ Monument that's staying
 

This monument commemorates and celebrates all the trials and jubilations of the past seven decades.

 

As a lasting monument to the time and service given by soldiers and their families to both the Army and the greater community, in 2012 the  was dedicated in the Alter Friedhof – a public park situated behind the Schweinfurt Musikschule on the Gutterman Promenade, and a location accessible to all. The monument is the work of local artists Steff Bauer and Sören Ernst

 

One major aspect of the monument is its inclusiveness. It stands as a testament to every U.S. Armed Service Member who has served in Schweinfurt since the end of World War II.  It is a symbol of their service, commitment, sacrifice and the partnership that they have helped to forge between the American military community and their German hosts.

 

The monument consists of a sculpture of a bald eagle at rest placed upon a terrace that incorporates the national symbol of the five pointed star.  The star is also symbolic of peace and harmony — important themes in German-American relations. Framing the sculpture is a low wall that ideally places the monument in its own contemplative setting.

 

The eagle has a triple meaning of being the symbol of not only the United States of America, but also the city of Schweinfurt and the Republic of Germany. The eagle is not in the typical pose of triumphant flight, but is rather at rest. It is symbolic of the peaceful relationship our two nations have enjoyed since 1945. It also demonstrates that even a warrior must take time to rest and contemplate what he has done and what he will do in the future.

 

The statue, wall and terrace are all in the native material of sandstone that has been specially treated to withstand the rigours of time. Because the monument will be in a public park, it will be maintained by the city, and is, therefore, a fitting and lasting tribute.

 

This project was spearheaded and primarily financed by the Veterans of Foreign Wars and Ladies Auxiliary.



   
   
  Nations helping nations - thanksgiving in the streets and fields of Schweinfurt
 

IN LATE 2013, the city of Schweinfurt arranged an exhibition to mark the 70th anniversary of the Second Schweinfurt raid.

 

As part of this, a very fine catalogue was produced by the team at the Stadtsarchivs in the city; overseen by Uwe Muller with contributions by Hans-Peter Baum and Daniela Kuhnel.

 

In German and English, Schweinfurt in the Air War 1943-1945 is a superb and definitive guide to the history of the 14 air raids that the city suffered. It has many photographs.

 

The commentary by the eminent historian Hans-Peter Baum looks at all sides of the story.

 

But it includes five perspectives about those on the ground that are hidden from many other accounts - yet have historical importance. 

  • In the longer run, morale of those in the city did not break down. If anything, their attitude became more of defiance, and a stiffening of spines. If Britain could take it during The Blitz, so could Schweinfurt.


  • The population of the city had traditionally favoured the Social Democrats.  But the bombing had the effect of of improving relations with the NSDAP (Nazi party). The reason was that the local party subdivisions supplied hot food and meals to the bombed-out families, and supported attemps to make their houses habitable again.


  • Another humanitarian spin-off was an improvement between Germans and foreign workers, prisoners of war and forced labour from concentration camps. Together they made up about a fifth of the population in 1943-5. The NSDAP was not pleased to have to give  praise to foreigners for their efforts after the raids. But several company fire brigades which worked very efficiently were composed of Czechs, Frenchmen and Russians. There was no sabotage and hardly any attempts to flee. The fact that there had been many victims of the bombings in the workers' camps showed local people that foreigners were not spared by the Americans.  And the foreigners saw that they would be pulled out of the rubble just like the Germans were. "All in all, both parts of the population closed ranks."


  • Because adult males were being sent to the military, about 1000 Flak boy pupils aged about 16 had been called up as Flak Assistants in the Schweinfurt area by October 1943. Among them were pupils at the Oberschule, today the Alexander von Humbolt Gymnasium. They were taught the school curriculum but were quartered close to their batteries and got weapons training for the Flak, serving as fighting crews.  It's thought many were killed in the bombing.  As the batteries were used in the ground fighting in 1945, the Flakhelferen were especially at risk of attacks by Allied fighter bombers .


  • A remarkable angle on good citizenship was shown in the remarkable private initiative for the improvement of air raid protection in Schweinfurt. There were enough shelters around the main train station and ball-bearing factories, but few in the northwestern, northeastern and eastern parts of the city. The initiative was started by 1st Lt Andreas Bauer, commander of a rifle battalion stationed there. An ardent opponent of the NSSAP, he had been ousted as editor of a Kronach newspaper in 1933, and for some time worked as coal miner.  Using his experience, supported by Mayor Pohl, he started building tunnels in Schweinfurt - despite the opposition of the military bureaucracy. The ideas was taken up (We Can Do It!) as a collaboration with other citizens, soldiers in his unit, foreign workers and prisoners of war - who were taken into the very effective shelters during the raids. "It is quite remarkable that this initiative was able to continue with its project under a dictatorship which was fundamentally hostile to any private initiative: the humane attitude evident in the execution of its plans deserves unqualified praise."










FLAKHELFER GEORGE SCHAFER AT SCHOOL
IN 1942 - AND AT A SECOND SCHWEINFURT
MEMORIAL ASSOCIATION REUNION

WELCOME & BASICS

     CONTENTS 

    LOCATION

    NEWS 

     TALKS  

CONTACT 

 

HAPPY LANDINGS CLUB
 

BEFRIENDING FLY2HELP & ROSIE
THE RIVETER CHARTER HIGH

 

CHAMPIONS AT TALLY HO FARM

        2014 TIME CAPSULE

OUR B17's CREW

    TCAAP IN MINNESOTA

    ROSIES IN LONG BEACH 

    INFORMATEERS

    

SCHWEINFURT RECONCILED 1943-2014

USAAF MEMORIALS IN UK

RETURNERS HOME

   BLACK THURSDAY

DETECTORISTS  

 

BOMBEE'S EYE VIEW

     SCHOOLS CITIZENSHIP STUDIES