POW's and their "Liberation"

[CNY Militaria]

I was at an airshow today and was talking to one of the reenactors (a good guy that is more interested in accurately portraying history) who told of a good story that he said, "made all their work worth it."

 

He was at a show last year when a vet came in and mentioned that he was a POW in Stalag 17 during the war. They chatted a while and he eventually left. 15 minutes later, another vet came and was wearing a "POW" ball cap. He inquired about it, and the gentleman noted that he was in Stalag 17 during the war. The reenactor told him to wait a few moments. He went and found the first man and reunited them together.

 

Turns out, they were best friends during the war and separated until last year. Since then thay have been "inseparable". Additionally, they remarked that toward the close of the war, the German guards marched them away from the Russians and toward the American lines. One day they stopped to rest in a field, still under guard by the Germans (who were acting a lot more friendly) when a single lone sherman tank came rolling out of the forest. It rolled rignt into the middle of the group, and the Germans dropped their weapons. The hatch opened on top, and a small tanker popped out, pointed in a circle and said (with a southern accent) "Yall's Liberated!". Then he closed the hatch and the tank rolled on.

 

They waited in the field for 4 hours until the next unit came and actually "liberated" them all. He remarked that the lone tank with the small driver was the extent of their long awaited liberation!

 

I just thought this was interesting story worthy of sharing.

[AndrewA74]

I was at an airshow today and was talking to one of the reenactors (a good guy that is more interested in accurately portraying history) who told of a good story that he said, "made all their work worth it."

 

He was at a show last year when a vet came in and mentioned that he was a POW in Stalag 17 during the war. They chatted a while and he eventually left. 15 minutes later, another vet came and was wearing a "POW" ball cap. He inquired about it, and the gentleman noted that he was in Stalag 17 during the war. The reenactor told him to wait a few moments. He went and found the first man and reunited them together.

 

Turns out, they were best friends during the war and separated until last year. Since then thay have been "inseparable". Additionally, they remarked that toward the close of the war, the German guards marched them away from the Russians and toward the American lines. One day they stopped to rest in a field, still under guard by the Germans (who were acting a lot more friendly) when a single lone sherman tank came rolling out of the forest. It rolled rignt into the middle of the group, and the Germans dropped their weapons. The hatch opened on top, and a small tanker popped out, pointed in a circle and said (with a southern accent) "Yall's Liberated!". Then he closed the hatch and the tank rolled on.

 

They waited in the field for 4 hours until the next unit came and actually "liberated" them all. He remarked that the lone tank with the small driver was the extent of their long awaited liberation!

 

I just thought this was interesting story worthy of sharing.

Great Story!!!! . I literally busted out laughing when I read about the Southern Tanker . That's a prime example of a Southerner.

AndrewA74

[Jim Baker]

Good one. Great the two got together again.

[Jeeper704]

Really good story, I almost could see it happening.

Thanks for sharing.

 

Erwin.

[CNY Militaria]

I thought it was a great story too. I could just see the young tanker doing all this. I laughed for a while after!

[DwightPruitt]

I knew a 303rd Bomb Group ball turret gunner who was at XVII-b for almost two years. He was too sick to be evacuated when the camp was abandoned and was kept alive by Austrian civilians until the Russians "liberated" the camp in early May 1945. He told me that the month and a half stay with the Russians was as bad, if not worse, than anything he experienced from the Germans. He hated them until his dying day.

[Polygon]

Great story, I love the "Y'all's liberated" part

[S_E_Craig]

That was a neat story, I am doing a collection of patches on the liberating armies during WW11 with your permission would like to add this story to the other items, pictures, ect that are a side interest to the collection

S E Craig

[CNY Militaria]

Glad you enjoyed it, go ahead!

Justin