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REPORT PAGE 17

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Great Blog on action in Bulge around Malmedy

In French but I used a online translator and worked fine!!!

http://thirimont44.blogspot.be/

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Received a description from a wonderful lady in Germany that describes the action in her town during the crossing of the Rhine!!!

This would have been in the 117th Inf. Reg.'s zone.  Tremendous historical addition....many thanks to Marc Suberling and Rosa!!!

My maiden name was Rosa Kroezemann and in those days I've been 7 years old. We lived in Spellen Rheinstraße/Schweizer Straße junction , at the major road to Friedrichsfeld. The houses are still existing in the southeast of Spellen. I've been together with my mother Maria, my aunt Frieda with her three children, my brother Heinz (4 years old) and three workers from Poland, the ladies Lunka and Janka and Felix, a male worker. All three of them have been forced laborers for the agriculture.

I remember that there was an anti aircraft emplacement in the so called Sandbergen near the sports field. This is between Ork and Spellen.

During the night from 24th of March to 25th we heard artillery fire coming from the direction of Ork the whole night long. The 25th was my mother's birthday.

When the US Army marched into the village Felix took out a white flag through the window in the cellar where we sat during that hours. The soldiers were looking for the inhabitants. As they realized us we had to go upstairs escorted by the soldiers with their rifles cocked. I think there must have been nearly 30 soldiers in the house.

During the day there was heavy German gunfire from the railroad station Spellen which is only one kilometer away. The soldiers decided that all the people including themselves should go back in the cellar. One soldier was left in the hallway to guard the area.

Later a smaller grenade hit the house. The chimney from the oven got broken and we were all getting covered in black dust from the coal and soot. The soldiers and we were all looking equal.

From this vibration parts of the ceiling in the floor felt down and the guard observing the area was hit by the bricks and died in the hallway. 

In the cellar one of the soldiers offered me a chewing gum which I didn't know before. I refused it in first step. From the propaganda I thought it would be toxic. Then he shared it in two parts and ate one of them. I tried the other.

Later we all have had to leave the house and soldiers have occupied it.

I remember that a few days later has been Easter (April 1st was Easter Sunday). It has been a very good Easter because we got lots of food from the soldiers. Life could have been that beautiful for us children in that days, although my father was missing in Russia.

This report is the result of an interview I have made with Rosa in April 2014. She told me from her mind.  Marc Süberling

Photos of crossing area today....April, 2014:

Link to 30th Division Rhine River crossing page....

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Liberation of Valkenburg website:

http://www.aachen-webdesign.de/verzet/biogrPS.php?lang=en#libValk

My name is Arnold Schunck, son of Pierre Schunck, who was the commander of the resistance in Valkenburg (Netherlands). When the 120th Regt. of the Old Hickory approached, he went to meet them and showed them the way into Valkenburg (see below). At that occasion he met among others Bob Hilleque, which was the beginning of a life-long friendship of my parents with Bob and his wife Marie. Now they are all dead, the four of them.

After the war, my father gave several interviews on the activities of their group. He was one of those people, who just had to tell his stories. Others couldn't do so at all. Everyone had to deal his own way with this horrific time.
I gathered these interviews at my web site, so there you can read the story, how Valkenburg was liberated by this 120th Regiment of Old Hickory. Go to
The Liberators are Approaching!
www.aachen-webdesign.de/verzet/biogrPS.php?lang=en#approAch

This story could be interesting for your members, especially for those few veterans who are still alive. I saw, that you already published links to similar stories. See also, at  the same page: The Liberation of Valkenburg
Tuesday I will meet some of these veterans, I heard.
Because then it will be 70 years ago. Our town invited my brother, my sister and me to participate at the celebration. Maybe one of them still remembers Bob.

We thank once more all these boys who risked or even gave their lives to liberate us from the nazi-occupation. My parents "made" me, when the allied troops landed in France, because I was born in April 1945.

Cordially
Arnold Schunck

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Malmedy Bombings, December, 1944

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hello Warren,
Kol. Kellersberg is a settlement of houses constructed for the many coalmine workers of Alsdorf by 1900.
During October 7 to the beginning of November 1944 the people still living there found
themselves between the fronts, and passed those days in an antiaircraft tunnel day and night.
There were fights around, and German as US soldiers died before their eyes.
This I learned recently by a former citizen of that part of Kellersberg, named Helmut Pirkl, who had just 15 years at that time.
He wrote on these happenings in a forum, I copied these lines, added a photo of mine,
all this is attached to this e-mail ......however in German language.
This article is full of emotions and a professional translator should translate this into English.
-
I remember that I read somewhere on these fights in Kellersberg, but cannot find this again.
Could you be of help in finding that text ?

thanks for your help
Hans
 

Link to forum story above.....a great, great read and perspective!!!!  I did a Google translation...worked pretty good.

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Tremendous adaption of the Knox Journal by Gary Boyce:

Click link:  http://geocities.ws/thedavidknoxjournal/index.htm

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CLICK this LINK to READ their story by Willi Weiss

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Great link to the 280th Engineering Combat Battalion....thanks Caryl Bohn!!!!

http://280ecb.blogspot.com/

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Joseph Stanley Jeglinski
Organization: Co K 117th Infantry
Highest Grade Held: Corporal
Military Occupational Specialty: Rifleman 745
Date Of Entry into Active Service: April 4th, 1944 (Drafted)
Place of Entry into service: Fort Sheridan, Illinois
Battles and Campaigns: Ardennes;Rhineland

My Grandpa, Corporal Joseph Stanley Jeglinski was born in Rome, New York, but lived most of his life in Chicago near Midway Airport. He was drafted into the United States Army on April 4th 1944 at Fort Sheridan, located in Highland Park, Illinois. Joseph was sent to Camp Fannin for basic training for 4 and 1/2 months (he trained with the 63rd Infantry, Company B). Camp Fannin is a place where more than 200,000 young American Men became Army Infantry Replacements and is located in Tyler, Texas. After basic training, Joseph was shipped overseas to the European Theatre of Operations on September 20th, 1944 and arrived on September 26th, 1944. Upon arrival, he was placed with the 117th Infantry, Company K, 30th Division (Old Hickory) also known as the “Workhorse of the Western Front”. The 30th Division was well known by the Nazi’s as they wiped out most of Hitler’s SS Divisions. He served in two of the biggest battles in World War II, Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge) and Rhineland. During the Battle of the Bulge, Corporal Jeglinski and another soldier were in the process of capturing an American soldier, but were then captured by the Germans and imprisoned for 30 days. During his time as a Prisoner of War, he ate weeds and roots to stay alive and spent most of his time in a Rail Car. While Serving in the European Theatre of Operations, Joseph loaded, aimed and fired his gun (M1 Garand) at enemy personnel for fire power support in gaining territory. He received several medals including: Bronze Star, WWII Victory Medal, Good Conduct Ribbon, American Theatre Ribbon, EAME Theatre Ribbon with 2 Bronze Stars and Prisoner of War Medal. His military occupation was Rifleman, 745 and wore his Combat Infantry Badge with Pride. Joseph departed Europe on May 6th, 1945 and arrived in the United States of America on May 19th, 1945. He was seperated/honorably discharged from the United States Army on December 3rd, 1945 at Camp Atterbury, Indiana. My Grandpa is my Hero!
Dave Jeglinski

(Proud Grandson of Joseph Jeglinski)


 

  

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Story of 2nd Lt. Henry Victor Crawford III from New Jersey...197 Field Artillery...KIA near Hebecrevon on July 26th, 1944

Click on these two Links:  Link 1   Link 2

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Battle of Inde River, November, 1944..... PDF file  LINK

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