Lesser Known Stories from World War II

World War II General WWII Discussion
#1

I have been tossing the idea around of starting a thread based on newspaper articles (or other sources) from World War II. Not the headliners, but the lesser known stories on a more personal level that might be found deeper in the papers. Stories that may be almost forgotten by modern readers, but nevertheless would be very touching and interesting if they could be brought back to our attention. Especially considering the broad audience that we have now with the Internet.

I don’t have anything yet, but if anyone would like to start posting be my guest :slight_smile:

#2

I think the problem with of most of that “newspaper forgoten stories” could be the utter propogandic material, that is absolutly usial during the wars in any countries.
The more importaint and truly are the personal recollections of veterans,or peoples whose relatives did fight at the front.

#3

Thanks for the input Chevan. Not sure if that would always be the case with the smaller stories, although it could happen. I think period newspapers could still be interesting, even with some propaganda elements, as it gives the reader some sense of the mood and emotions of the times.

But personal recollections of veterans, their families or anyone that lived through the war, including civilians, would be fine also.

I won’t limit it to just newspapers or magazines. :slight_smile:

#4

Well I’ll be glad to start it out. Ernie Pyle once wrote about a co-pilot who hated the flak jackets because of their weight. One time he took his jacket off and dropped it on his feet. Not 5 minutes later a piece of flak slammed into the jacket and probably kept him from loosing his leg. He kept the bent plate in the jacket and one of his buddies kept the piece of flak. Needless to say he always after that wore the jacket without complaint.

#5

Thanks albatrosdva - Ernie Pyle wrote such great stories :slight_smile:

That bent plate and piece of flak became stern reminders…

#6

From Best Little Stories From World War II, by C. Brian Kelly, ISBN 0-9624875-0-3, Montpelier Publishing, 1989, pp 89-92

Brave Trigger’s Last Patrol.


In memory of the Trigger (SS-237)
Photo courtesy of Tom Kermen.


Trigger (SS-237) returns to Guam, 17 November 1944
USN photo courtesy of Rick Connole, son of Commander David R. Connole,
K.I.A. while commanding the Trigger (SS-237), 28 March 1945.

USS Trigger (SS-237)

http://www.csp.navy.mil/ww2boats/trigger.htm

http://www.oneternalpatrol.com/uss-trigger-237.htm

http://www.atule.com/USS_Trigger_SS_237.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Trigger_(SS-237)

http://www.history.navy.mil/danfs/t8/trigger-i.htm

http://www.navsource.org/archives/08/08237.htm

http://hazegray.org/danfs/submar/ss237.txt

The stories found in the book Best Little Stories From World War II remind me somewhat of the stories told by American radio personality Paul Harvey in his radio show The Rest Of The Story.

Paul Harvey
http://www.paulharvey.com/index.aspx?id=3193
http://www.paulharvey.com/index.aspx

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Harvey

On May 10, 1976, ABC Radio Networks premiered The Rest Of The Story as a separate series which provided endless surprises as Harvey dug into stories behind the stories of famous events and people.

Paul Harvey’s The Rest Of The Story
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Harvey’s_The_Rest_of_the_Story
http://www.amazon.com/Paul-Harveys-Rest-Story-Aurandt/dp/0553259628

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Paul Harvey is the most listened-to radio personality in America. Millions of loyal listeners tune in every week to hear his unique blend of news and views. Now, in Paul Harvey’s The Rest Of The Story you’ll find eighty-two astonishing true stories of the famous and infamous, the outrageous and the unknown. Each unforgettable tale has for its startling punch line the wild and wonderful solution to a real-life mystery. The 1950’s presidential candidate who killed a teenage girl. The governor of New York who dressed up like a woman–at taxpayer’s expense. The queen whose secret photo collection–if exposed–would shock the world. The American founding father who kept his wife locked in the cellar. The best-selling mystery writer who tried to get away . . . with murder! From present-day shockers to historical puzzlers, Paul Harvey’s The Rest Of The Story reveals the untold story behind some of history’s strangest little-known facts.

#7

I met a fellow one time that flew B-24s in Europe. He was stationed in France after the invasion and ran into a rather comical instance. He had just finished his bombing run and had been very shot up. The plane was still flying but slower then he thought because the instruments were not working right. What made the situation all the more interesting was the thick fog which came up after the run. After the right amount of time (had he been going the speed he thought he was) he spotted an airfield and landed. The Germans were totally surprised when he landed at their field but lucky for him he realized his mistake and got back up in the fog and headed home before the could get a good shot at him.

#8

I know one who married a German woman whose father was a pilot during the war. He told that at a time late in the war (late 1944 I think) he was tasked with dropping thousands of false £ (pound) notes in the Bodensee (a lake in southern Germany).

Unfortunately I know no details.

#9

As wounded Staff Sgt. John Hill was helped from his B-17 bomber after a raid on Jan. 13, 1943, the commander of the 305th Bomb Group, Col. Curtis LeMay came up and said:

“Don’t worry, that bullet didn’t have your name on it.”

“No,” replied Hill, “but it had ‘To whom it may concern’ on it.”
http://www.taphilo.com/history/8thaf/8aflosses.shtml

#10

There was a fixit man serving in North Africa, I forget which unit now (its another Ernie Pyle story) that always was working on stuff. His particular love was for clocks. One day he was out on patrol in the desert and he got shot in the back pocket. He was uninjured because he had a small alarm clock there. He was much more distraught about the clock being destroyed then the fact that he had been almost shot.

Bill Mauldin wrote one time about going into a town in Italy in a jeep. They were a little disoriented so that actually were not sure where the front line was. As they went around a curve in the road they came right in front of a German tank in the road. Mauldin said he never knew that a jeep could go from 45 mph straight into reverse. It turns out that the town had already been taken and the tank was no threat but they didnt know that.

#11

Fritz Sauckel, gauleiter of Thuringia joined one the first u-boat to go on patrol in British waters as a stowaway (mainly as a public relations stunt).

He is better known for his policies as plenipotentiary for labour mobilization, a position he held from 21 March 1942.

As a child I read that at least two persons during WWII survived free falls from above 5000m without parachutes (at least one landing in snow). Anybody heard about such wartime incidents?

#12

Well, my grandmother was making some awesome jam and smuggling Jews during WW2, soon though she ran out of Jews to smuggle and was just making jam.

#13

oynk-oynk

#14

Would something like this be an option:

http://journalism.indiana.edu/resources/erniepyle/wartime-columns/

I have some more stories, tons actually, but I’m not sure about copyright and posting entire columns up…trying to figure out that stuff gives me a headache as I run similar themes on my history blog, but it’s hard to quote just part of a story and get the idea across…gosh, better stop ranting! :slight_smile: Hope everyone likes the Ernie columns…

#15

Great material…I like Ernie Pyle. :slight_smile:

These are the types of stories that I had in mind.

Thanks Tony.

#16

One of them must have been Nicholas Alkemade:
http://www.ww2incolor.com/forum/archive/index.php/t-2954.html

#17

Thanks!

It seems that if you want to survive a free fall from attitude, in WWII or nowadays, it´s a good idea to become unconscious before landing…

#18

Good thread idea. I’ve got a few books packed with stories like these, one being ‘Bizarre Tales From WW2’, maybe about 60 or 70 3 or 4 page stories from the war, I’ll post a few up in a bit.

#19

One of my old friend,who died a few years ago,tell me some story about Stalingrad:
My old friend and he’s squad marching in the snow and left a hill,and they see a shocking view:many soldier frozen into death,or shoot down,and some “funny” soldier,is stand up lot of the hard frozen corpses,and put into the corpses to the snow,conversely head to the ground,along two side of the snowy footpath.It would be a sick view.
Another story:
In the field on the front the Red army has been score victory,and the axis forces fall back foot,and the lucky ones on a truck.Some soldiers try to jump into the truck,but the truck is full,and some of try to hang on in the truck side.The weight was too much,and the soldiers who became demented the stress of war,hit and cut their own kameraden hands,and fingers down with a spade.

#20

I stumbled across the Veteran’s Project over at the LOC tonight and found a facinating story about Cognac, Girls and the Battle of the Bulge!

Here’s the link, have fun!

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/vhp/story/loc.natlib.afc2001001.01768/