Wilhelm Gehlen

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Panzer Gunner
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Location: Tennessee, USA

Wilhelm Gehlen

#1

Post by Panzer Gunner » 02 Sep 2002, 17:44

Hello All!
I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Wilhelm Gehlen yesterday, a former member of a Hitler Youth flak crew!

This is what I can remember of our conversation:

(Me): Were you a veteran?

(W.G.) "Ja, I was in the Hitler Youth and was part of a 20mm flak group. I was the magaziner, the reason I wasn't in the 88mm flak was because the shells were too heavy they were 56 pounds apeice. They needed boys with muscle for that. I had to run round and round the gun and take out the empty magazines and put in the loaded magazines, the gun had a wheel on the left side that made the gun move up and down and a wheel on the right made the gun turn left and right."

(Me) "Wow! did your unit ever shoot down any airplanes?"

(W.G.) Seven! Four American, three British! one mosquito, two scouts, two P.38's a thunderbolt and a flying fortress!

(W.G.) Do you have a computer?

(Me) Yes.

(W.G.) Okay, I want you to look up my uncle, Reinhard Gehlen! You go to one of the search sites and put in Gehlen, Reinhard and it will bring up my uncle, he was a Major General and cheif of intelligence against the Russians! and if you go to Million Books they have books that tell about him! He died in the seventies he wasn't hung at Nurenburg because he wasn't a political Nazi, you know at Nurenburg they hung all the bastards!"

(Me) "Thanks for the info on your uncle I'll be sure to look him up! It was nice meeting you Wilhelm!"


I thought this might be of some interest, I will be e-mailing Wilhelm later today, are there any questions anyone would like me to ask him?

Regards,Brandon

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Lars Gyllenhaal
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R. Gehlen

#2

Post by Lars Gyllenhaal » 03 Sep 2002, 12:33

Dear Brandon,

Thank you very much indeed for having shared that meeting - fascinating!!

If you get the opportunity I think it would be interesting if you could ask Mr Gehlen if he already as a young HJ Flak crew member was aware of what his relative was, i.e. his role on the Eastern Front. Had young Mr Gehlen e.g. heard even the name "Fremde Heere Ost" (FHO - in English: Foreign Armies East), the name of Gehlen´s intelligence organization.

Mr Gehlen and you might want to see text and photos about a FHO-mission. I have documented one in Russia - see my website (link should be seen here or on my profile). You ll find this mission under the REPORT about a Heinkel He 111. This plane was "hired" by the FHO to take a group the southern Kola Peninsula (Soviet Union) in late 1944.

All the best,


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observer
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Re: Wilhelm Gehlen

#3

Post by observer » 10 Sep 2002, 14:04

Panzer Gunner wrote:
I thought this might be of some interest, I will be e-mailing Wilhelm later today, are there any questions anyone would like me to ask him?
Let´s see: Common historiography has it that when Reinhard (Gehlen) warned Adolf about a Bagration type of scenario, Der Fuehrer blurted "Go and f*** yourself!"

Maybe Wilhelm can comment on the question, if Adolf put it that politely? :mrgreen:

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