Souvenir from Goering's train

[Eagle's Nest]

This grouping turned up at a flea market in Texas the other week, and I was lucky enough to snag it via a fellow collector. 

 

The veteran was called Raymond Berg. He served in the 93rd Cavalry Reconnaissance Squadron, attached the 13th Armored Division. His 900-strong unit arrived at Le Havre, France, in the fall of 1944. During the advance through Germany, he rode in an armored car as radio operator and gunner. 

 

Berg's unit was among the first to arrive in Berchtesgaden in early May 1945, where he had first pickings from Hermann Goering's special train which had been abandoned just days before. 

From the train, he removed the signalman’s flag, and marked it with his name “R.Berg”. The flag remains attached to its original cherry wood bracket. He also took a walk up to Hitler’s Berghof, where he snagged “a piece of marble from his staircase and a nozzle from his private firetruck.” His finds were later documented in a newspaper article, which his parents kept in a family scrapbook.

 

The chunk of marble was separated from the group some years back, and now sits in the garden of Berg’s old house. If only the current owners knew what they had. 

 

Berg passed away on October 10, 2009 in Benton, LA.

 

 

[Brian Keith]

Great stuff and fine documentation!

Thanks for posting it!

BKW

[USCapturephotos]

That is a really unusual bring back group. I especially enjoyed seeing something taken from the famous Goering train hidden in the Berchtesgaden train tunnel with all of those famous artworks. Thanks for sharing!

Paul

[katieony]

Really interesting souvenirs with great provenance!  Thanks for sharing it!

 

Mike