Fortified German Gun Position by junge1
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Description
Yours truly at the entrance to one of the fortified German gun positions at Pointe du Hoc.
This picture was taken in May 1998 and is scanned,
Sig...
I emigrated from Germany to Canada in June 1960. We sailed from Bremerhaven, Germany to Montreal, Canada on Greek Lines' 'SS Arcadia' with stops at London, Amsterdam, Le Havre, Cobh, Ireland to pick up emigrants and returning Canadian NATO soldiers and their families. Our first stop in Canada was Quebec City.
When we stopped in Le Havre, at the mouth of the Seine someone pointed out that German fortifications could be seen along the cliffs lining the Baie de la Seine. I couldn't have cared less - wasn't interested. The war had been over a long time ago - 15 years earlier (and 15 years is a long time for a twenty year old), yet memories of what I had experienced were still fresh in my mind. Night bombings in Berlin that required going to the basements, the fear, the eerie sound of the sirens, the drone of the bombers, the flak, and the whistling of the falling bombs, the eerie reflections of the burning buildings on the clouds.
I was three years old when we left Berlin and moved to Sudentenland, now Czech Republic. Remembering the the marches, the Swastika flags, seeing an execution (from a distance), the fear of the women of the approaching Russian Army. Seeing a Czech guard pointing a gun at my mother for having failed to salute the Commandant (while I was at an upstairs window watching) and watching weekly processions of dead inmates being transported through the village were we lived after the end of the war. What nobody had known was that there was a concentration camp nearby. It wasn't until the war was over and the inmate population had changed - from Jews, Czechs, and other undesirables - to Nazis and new undesirables, that the ordinary people became aware of this fact. To drive home this fact - inmates that had passed away during the week were transported through the village to the cemetery. The inhabitants weren't supposed to watch, armed guards were watching windows for movement. So my aunts and older cousins, stood on chairs and tables, well clear of the windows to watch the procession.
My mother and I were caught by a Czech patrol in spring 1946 while we attempted to cross the border from Germany into Czechoslovakia to retrieve some of our belongings and were turned over to the Russian Commandant. Luckily for us, the commandant wasn't there and the Russian orderly let us out through the back door - all that plus the aftermath of the war, the hunger, the misery, the unemployment I remembered. I was only a kid, but later I often wondered what would have happened to me if I had been born earlier. Would I have been a Hitler youth, or a German soldier?
So the idea of looking at something that reflected that part of my life I wanted nothing to do with in 1960.
When I took this picture, 38 years later, having come to the United States and having served nearly 30 years in the Armed Forces, both active duty Air Forces and Air National Guard, I looked at this with different eyes. Seeing the invasion beaches, Omaha, Utah, Gold, Juno, and Sword, seeing Sainte Mere-Eglise, the remnants of the Mulberry Harbors at Arromanches-les-Bains, and seeing the cemeteries, the American, Canadian, the British- and yes- the German cemetery where thousands of ordinary soldiers lay buried, soldiers that had given their lives for what? For Freedom - something we as Americans take for granted.
Standing in front of this fortified bunker was a humbling experience and gave me much cause to reflect.
Comments (30)
renecyberdoc
well i was more lucky beeing born in luxembourg in 1955. and i thought of that,what if.the one can never say how he would have acted unless beeing in the scene.and i would surely have been a hitler youth,and be it only to be out of trouble and vanish in the group, maybe a coward me?'never know. or maybe i would have been a rebel beeing beaten to death in a dark corner we will never find out lol. great thoughts with this one.
Lashia
Wow an intense history to this shot! Awesome capture- thanks for sharing! :)
kgb224
Stunning capture. I also sometimes ask myself what was the purpose for me being forced to do military service. Stunning capture my friend. God Bless.
blinkings
Wow. A place I would love to explore.
flaviok
Impressionante relato com um profundo e real questionamento de reflexões.Brilhante texto e imagem meu amigo, aplausos (5)
bazza
Great capture and history Sig, looks like a great solid bunker.. It always surprises me the amount of work that went into making these, and I wonder were they made before the war in preparation for war or during the war. The amount of time and concrete it would have taken.. not a five minute job to build.. Thanks for sharing this!!
ysvry
great story and pic.
flavia49
very poverful, great text and excellent shot and series!
farmerC
Fantastic work.
Faemike55
very good photo and very impressive historical narrative. You've shined a light on an unknown bit of history in the war and mad it personal
mariogiannecchini
Beautiful capture and photo ! Very impressed by your ups and downs, lived a great life story!
blondeblurr
Thank you for sharing your story with us here at Rendo, I have had similar experiences - except I was born in East Prussia, grew up in Berlin and Hannover - but than migrated to Australia ... but all those little details, you had just mentioned, bring back lots of memories for me as well ... (including bunkers) Cheers Sig - I wish you well, BB
drifterlee
Cool shot!!
Osper
Your story makes the picture come alive! Your service deserves a salute. Your memories are of a much differant world. One that you lived. Thanks.
bobrgallegos
Outstanding capture and awesome narrative. Very well done Sig!!!
sandra46
VERY INTERESTING STORY AND GREAT PICTURE. THANKS FOR SHARING
annie5
Stunning capture and thanks for the info! :)
bmac62
Like this photo. So good that you had the opportunity to stand there in 1998 rather than in the war years. You've recounted your experiences as a young boy very well. When I think of your story I think what a brave woman your mother was. You haven't changed much between 1998 and 2011:) Although I know you could swim a bit faster then. lol.
auntietk
It's a bit eerie, seeing you standing in front of that bunker. As you say ... a few years difference, and who knows what might have happened? You've condensed your story into a powerful and moving few paragraphs. (The editor in me is impressed with the result!) You know, though, I have on occasion said to friends who have asked, "My friend Sig was born in Berlin in 1939 ..." and that's enough to stop them in their tracks. They wait, knowing there will be a story worth waiting for. It's your life, yes, and in 1960 it was bad memories, yes, but you have a fascinating "back story" just by virtue of your time and place of birth. We are all a part of history, and that time in Germany was particularly wrenching. I enjoy you as much for your weather reports as your stories of Germany in the 1940s, and am happy to be your friend. Thank you for sharing this story and image. It still stops me in my tracks, even though it's not new to me.
wilhelm2
Super story!!!
whaleman
Interesting shot!
emmecielle
A great photo and a very interesting story!
Crudelitas
You're really quite got around! Thank you for sharing your experiences and impressions with us! Interesting photo. But in such bunkers, it is always cold down my spine. So many needless deaths.
nefertiabet
Inteessante Story und Bild!!!
debbielove
Sig? I can't add more to this.. Well put, my friend! Please, I am sorry for the scattered commenting of late.. I will be attempting to catch soon.. Take care.. And Excellent picture, thanks.. Rob
rachris480907
Wow, Sig, great photo and a very poignant, thought-provoking personal history with it! Thanks for sharing, and thanks for reminding us of the freedoms we hold dear, but too often take for granted.
moochagoo
Always impressive view !
jocko500
wow this is something. i just read on line some of the history of how the Greman people was treated after the war. Both by the ussr and by the U.S. and Brits. Make me wonder who the monsters was. the rapes was much more that the Germans di in all of the war. The Allies passed out over 50 million condoms a month. so sad. I believe if you talk the talk walk the walk thenn. look like the U.S. did not do this. of course the USSR was the worse.
Buffalo1
I have seen these bunkers, too. Your story proves that the common people are the ones who suffer most from the foolishness of leaders.
MOSKETON
MUY BUENA.