Who is this Ardennes soldier?

[nobodyofnote]

Thank-you Harro

I know the picture of the young soldier has been posted/discussed before but I can't find it by the search terms I've used. Can anyone out there read my mind as to which one I mean? I think it was a still from footage? He has a machine gun and bandoliers hanging fron his neck, he has some sort of scarf under his helmet against the sides of his face. Actually, his picture appears about 2/3rds down Wiki's Battle of the Bulge page under the heading 'Seige of Bastogne'. I've been wondering about him for years, so anyone who could point me towards some more information would be greatly appreciated!

I think you mean "Mr Battle of the Bulge" or "Winter Fritz". He's never been identified and never will be. Only thing that is known is that he was in the LAH and probably from 1. Pz Gren Regt.
In the past a name, Walter Armbrust, has been given, but this was a misunderstanding. (Armbrust is in fact the MG42 gunner with pea dot jacket in another group of Pz Grenadiers - wrong name, different photo).

Winter Fritz remains and will for ever remain the Unknown German Soldier of the Ardennes offensive...

He appears in this videoclip at around 0.25

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJSoOWvIQ9g

I've read a number of websites that give different identities including Armbrusch, Berthold Nasse, and Ernst Kalt, of Kampfgruppe Hansen, 1st SS-Panzer-Division LSSAH, amongst many others and not correct. The museum at Poteau, Belgium claim they know who he is but he wishes to remain anonymous, living in the United States. Whether they really do is a matter of conjecture.

[Larso]

Thanks guys, that's the one! I remember a friend of mine joking that this guy would've made a fortune if he'd had the rights to his 'image'.

So his identity is unknown. I imagine he was killed, it's hard to believe given his 'profile' that he or someone who knows him hasn't made something of it.

[Blue Jay]

I've read a number of websites that give different identities including Armbrusch, Berthold Nasse, and Ernst Kalt, of Kampfgruppe Hansen, 1st SS-Panzer-Division LSSAH, amongst many others and not correct. The museum at Poteau, Belgium claim they know who he is but he wishes to remain anonymous, living in the United States. Whether they really do is a matter of conjecture.

Berthold Nasse and Ernst Kalt are 1/6 scale dolls manufactured by Dragon. The names Nasse and Kalt simply mean : "Wet" and "Cold" in German ...

[Blue Jay]

I imagine he was killed

Chances are that he was.

If you study the photograph well, then you'll notice he was wearing an American rubberized olive drab poncho, and American olive drab denim overtrousers ...Given the fact that the Americans were very nervous about Skorzeny and his troops (dressed in American uniforms), German soldiers who "borrowed" US clothing to keep themselves warm may have been shot instead of taken POW.

[Harro]

I imagine he was killed

Chances are that he was.

If you study the photograph well, then you'll notice he was wearing an American rubberized olive drab poncho, and American olive drab denim overtrousers ...Given the fact that the Americans were very nervous about Skorzeny and his troops (dressed in American uniforms), German soldiers who "borrowed" US clothing to keep themselves warm may have been shot instead of taken POW.

That's to far fetched given the huge difference between Skorzeny men and an SS-Panzergrenadier in full German combat gear who happens to wear an American poncho. In reality it is simply impossible to say if this particular soldier survived, if not then how he died, let alone link him to the summary execution German soldiers by the American forces.

All we know is a moment in time, a face in a few photos and some film footage. We don't know who he was, where he came from, his history prior to the first photo or his faith after the last photo.

[Blue Jay]

I suppose you're right ... and personally I wouldn't really care to know who he was or where he came from - he is the Face of the Battle of the Bulge, the Unknown Soldier of that last great offensive in the West which was very costly in terms of human lives; let's hope he and all those other unknown soldiers be they Germans or Americans have found Peace now.

[hegu69]

Thank-you Harro

I know the picture of the young soldier has been posted/discussed before but I can't find it by the search terms I've used. Can anyone out there read my mind as to which one I mean? I think it was a still from footage? He has a machine gun and bandoliers hanging fron his neck, he has some sort of scarf under his helmet against the sides of his face. Actually, his picture appears about 2/3rds down Wiki's Battle of the Bulge page under the heading 'Seige of Bastogne'. I've been wondering about him for years, so anyone who could point me towards some more information would be greatly appreciated!

I think you mean "Mr Battle of the Bulge" or "Winter Fritz". He's never been identified and never will be. Only thing that is known is that he was in the LAH and probably from 1. Pz Gren Regt.
In the past a name, Walter Armbrust, has been given, but this was a misunderstanding. (Armbrust is in fact the MG42 gunner with pea dot jacket in another group of Pz Grenadiers - wrong name, different photo).

Winter Fritz remains and will for ever remain the Unknown German Soldier of the Ardennes offensive...

His name was Hans Tragarsky and he passed away on January 07, 2011
I knew him personally and he confirmed that he's the guy on the picture

[Harro]

I don't want to be rude, but this forum is all about facts and prove and evidence. Over the past decade I've come across so many people who assured me that they knew the name of the guy in that photo and various names have been given, including by veterans. No doubt you can present more details which prove that Herr Tragarsky was indeed "Winter Fritz"?

I suppose this is the same man:

http://fwj.friedwaldbestattung.de/200701/pdf/10003.pdf

[hegu69]

Yes, it is the same person.
He told me that the picture shows him...and the interesting part...he didn't know that his pictures have been famous.
He never talked about the war...he didn't want to.
Too many bad memories.
I knew him for some years and I do not think that he was lying.
He told me his story how the pictures have been made.
There is no more proof than the fact than the story he told me but why should he lie to me?
Everybody can believe whatever he wants but I do know that the pictures show him!

[Harro]

Thanks "hegu69", could you please share his story about how the pictures have been made with us?

[hegu69]

[quote="Joms"]Ok . If i say that i pretty shure of his name. Where can i get more information about him

I am 98% shure. But dont want go out with it if i am not 100. If i understand right no one officiell dont no his name?


Which name do you have?
Hans Tragarsky?
I knew a guy from LAH which told me that's him....he passes away in 2011

[hegu69]

Hans was born 1921 and joined the LAH when he was 17.
He fought from the first day until the last day of WWII
Specially Greece was very emotional for him, loosing many close friends.
He has served every front in the war except Africa.
About the pictures he only told me that he remembers that day.
They had an ambush and after the fight was over, they took food and cigaretts from us vehicles.
Guys from the "Propagandakompanie" came by, stopped and asked if they can take pictures.
Thats all...nothing spectacular.
I think they just liked the heavy armed guys after the fight smoking US Cigaretts.
Hans never realised, that the pictures are so famous.
We surrendered to US Troops close to Vienna after the US Army promised them, not to deliver them to the Russians.
Well.....he and many of his comrades where given to the Russians, so he had not a very good opinion about promises of the US Army.
After he returned from Russia he suffered many problems because he has served in the Waffen-SS, specially LAH
He had the Iron Cross 2nd class and the silver Close Combat Medal, Assault Badge etc.
He was woundet several times and a russian shrapnell was still in his back until he passed away.
He was a great guy, I liked him very much.....

[MarioL]

I think without photos for comparing it´s only another name in the game.

[Harro]

Indeed, nothing indicates that it's not him but there's also no proof that he was indeed "Winter Fritz" and a lot of names have already been mentioned over the past years.

BTW1, I suppose Herr Tragarsky did not attend meetings of his Truppenkameradschaft? Because these photos were well known to most other veterans I know or knew.

BTW2, what strikes me as odd is that so many internet links already mention him as "Winter Fritz" but it's always the same text and it is always commercial (photos on e-bay, etc.)

[Jochen S.]

Indeed, it's only another name. We need proof otherwise it is nothing more then hot air. Please, do show us your then&now images, documents aso. Don't get me wrong, I want to believe but you will have to show some evidence.