Nurses / Blitzmädel and other female volunteers

balaton · Post by **balaton** » 18 Jan 2005 17:24

I was wondering if anybody knows of any publications by ex field nurses, Blitzmädel,or other female volunteers, recounting their experiences during the war ?

It's an area that doesn't appear to be covered too well at all.

I'd be particularly interested in volunteers who served in the East, but anything would be useful.

all the best

-balaton

knieptang · Post by **knieptang** » 18 Jan 2005 20:50

One Book in german language is Blitzmädel, Heldenmutter, Kriegerwitwe

Wie lebten die Frauen im Dritten Reich, durften sie wählen, arbeiten oder
ließ ihnen die Propaganda nur den Platz am Herd?
Wie veränderte sich das Leben der Frauen im zweiten Weltkrieg, die
daheim blieben, während ihre Männer an die Front gingen?
Gerda Szepansky läßt Zeitzeuginnen zu Wort kommen und vereint deren
Erfahrungen zu einem beeindruckenden Dokument.
Dieses Buch ist eine einzigartige Sammlung, die dem Leser einen
neuen Einblick in die Geschichte gewährt. Absolut lesenswert!

Source: http://www.boekenworm.de/buecher/frauen ... tkrieg.htm

Regards Michael

knieptang · Post by **knieptang** » 18 Jan 2005 20:55

Another one in german language:

Source: http://www.militzke.de/sachbuch_krimi/s ... hp?id=2960

Regards Michael

balaton · Post by **balaton** » 20 Jan 2005 12:55

many thanks for the replies..

Sadly, I don't speak German, although it's on my list. I'll try and pick these up in the meantime.

-balaton

HaEn · Post by **HaEn** » 20 Jan 2005 15:47

German is not that hard to learn. Every little kid over there can speak it

(could not let that go by)

HN.

knieptang · Post by **knieptang** » 21 Jan 2005 02:27

@ HaEn

As we woud say in german language: "HaEn hat heute einen Clown gefrühstückt!"

Michael

Vikki · Post by **Vikki** » 21 Jan 2005 07:50

HaEn und knieptang,

Ja, und ja!

But that's easy for you to say!

balaton, you're right, the subject hasn't been covered nearly well enough. And the few good books on the subject haven't been translated from German. For starters, in english, see if you can get hold of a copy of Frauen: German Women Recall the Third Reich. There's a very interesting chapter in it on the experiences of a Flakhelferin. Unfortunately, I also can't think of any other firsthand accounts that are translated into English, or I would certainly post them here in response to your interest.

~FV

knieptang wrote:@ HaEn

As we woud say in german language: "HaEn hat heute einen Clown gefrühstückt!"

Michael

knieptang · Post by **knieptang** » 22 Jan 2005 02:01

Concerning the so called "Blitzmädels", and the Luftwaffenhelferinnen, there are several hundred links in the internet to be found.

My own research is, that in the year 1945, these girls even had to serve as "Schütze", "Richtschütze", or "Ladeschütze" in AA units, there are some pictures, showing girls in service at 20 mm Flakvierling, shooting at allied bombers.
(Especially in northern Germany, Wilhelmshaven/Hamburg.)

Some of these horrible stories can be found online, most of them in german language, very sad stories, stories to remember...

I will search for some pictures of these fighting women, I remember a picture of a young girl besides a Flakvierling, wearing a black sport sweater and a Luftschutz-Helmet...

War is Hell! Michael

Vikki · Post by **Vikki** » 22 Jan 2005 08:44

knieptang,

That's exactly the kind of story I was talking about of the Helferin in Frauen. The woman in question was first trained as a searchlight operator, then in 1944 was "retrained" as a Flakwaffenhelferin---she was a Führerin, in charge of a couple of female crews on 88s, if I remember correctly.

~FV

knieptang · Post by **knieptang** » 22 Jan 2005 23:59

Fraulein Valkyrie, I did a little research for Flakhelferin/Flakhelferinnen and found 3 small pictures, I would like to share in this forum.

Source: http://www.hco.hagen.de/ruhr/flak/flak4.htm

I will look for other pictures later, I am sure, there are more to be found...

Regards Michael

knieptang · Post by **knieptang** » 23 Jan 2005 02:22

I could not find a single picture of a so called Flakhelferin concerned with the famous AA gun called in Germany as the Acht-Acht/88mm.

I am very interested to find more pictures about this, this will be a long research, I will look through several hundred links about this, I am only aware of some documents, stating that the Airfield Zwischenahn, very close to the place I live, was defended by Fallschirmjäger and several 20mm Flakvierling units, some of these units were women, the so called Flakhelferinnen.

These poor fighting people were in more than deep trouble, shooting against the canadian and polish offenders to protect their homeland, there are not many pictures of these last days in 1945, I will research further...

Regards Michael

balaton · Post by **balaton** » 24 Jan 2005 11:19

Many thanks yet again to you all... all info greatfully received.

Haen, give me twelve months and I reckon I'll be able to hold my own with the heavies down in the Kindergarten !

cheers

balaton

Baltasar · Post by **Baltasar** » 24 Jan 2005 11:42

knieptang, looking at the size and weight of 88mm rounds, I doubt women would've been ordered to operate them.

HaEn · Post by **HaEn** » 24 Jan 2005 16:11

Baltasar wrote:knieptang, looking at the size and weight of 88mm rounds, I doubt women would've been ordered to operate them.

Perhaps the nowadays "stickfigures" would not be able to, but in those days women were still women,

and many could outdo any man as far as heavy work went.

As the war progressed, they took over heavy farm and factory labor also. (as in the U.S. like: Rosie the rivetter")
So could they ? You bet !.
Hats off for the women of old ! HN.

Baltasar · Post by **Baltasar** » 24 Jan 2005 17:07

HaEn, we're talking about more than 1 round to carry arround. Imagine an air raid of several hours.

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Nurses / Blitzmädel and other female volunteers

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