Famous Fallschirmjäger

Discussions on the personalities of the Wehrmacht and of the organizations not covered in the other sections. Hosted by askropp and Frech.
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Peter H
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Famous Fallschirmjäger

#1

Post by Peter H » 18 Mar 2008, 11:16

Bruno von Kayser(1905-1982)

Attached as a Kriegsberichter to the Fallschirmjäger.Reported from Norway,Lowlands,Corinth,Crete,Russia,Italy,Ardennes.Was there at the Gran Sasso rescue.

Awarded DKiG in 1943.

A famous ballroom dancer as well.

http://film.virtual-history.com/cigcard ... ge/249.jpg

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Peter H
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Re: Famous Fallschirmjäger

#2

Post by Peter H » 18 Mar 2008, 11:23

From Grey Way's website.

Said to Oberleutnant Kayser,middle,reporting to von der Heydte,right,in the Ardennes.
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Peter H
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Re: Famous Fallschirmjäger

#3

Post by Peter H » 18 Mar 2008, 11:30

Joseph Beuys (1921-1986)

http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Beuys

http://www.leninimports.com/joseph_beuys_bio.html

Famous German artist.

Luftwaffe JU-87 gunner,wounded, then transfered to the FJ in 1944 as a member of 7FJD.

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Peter H
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Re: Famous Fallschirmjäger

#4

Post by Peter H » 18 Mar 2008, 11:35

Bert Trautmann(1923-)

http://www.uit.no/mancity/players/old/trautmann.html
In the Second World War he was as a paratrooper in western Russia. He was caught by the Russians and escaped, but was finally captured by the British.

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Peter H
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Re: Famous Fallschirmjäger

#5

Post by Peter H » 18 Mar 2008, 11:41

Felix O. Gaerte

Postwar,famous German diplomat.
Der ehemalige deutsche Generalkonsul in London, Nairobi, Bombay, Melbourne und Istanbul



His autobiography.

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Peter H
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Re: Famous Fallschirmjäger

#6

Post by Peter H » 18 Mar 2008, 12:27

Cord Tietjen (1914-2005)

Awarded RK.Captured in Tunisia 1943.Obtained PHD in Engineering in US after the war.Dr Tietjen was a well known researcher and academic in Germany in the 1960s/70s.

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Doktor Krollspell
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Re: Famous Fallschirmjäger

#7

Post by Doktor Krollspell » 18 Mar 2008, 19:55

This have to be one of the most famous Fallschirmjäger from a celebrity point of view...

Max Schmeling (1905-2005)
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http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_Schmeling

The former World Heavyweight Champion took part in the assault on Crete while being a member of Fallschirmjäger-Regiment 3. He became sick and didn't see much combat at all.


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Krollspell

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Re: Famous Fallschirmjäger

#8

Post by Doktor Krollspell » 18 Mar 2008, 20:07

Alfred Schwarzmann did not only win 3 gold and 1 bronze medal at the Berlin Olympic games in 1936, making him one of Germany's top athletes. Serving as a Fallschirmjäger officer during the war he won the RK in 1940 but amazingly won a Silver medal at the Summer olympic ganes held in Helsinki Finland in 1952 while at the age of 40... 8O

Alfred Schwarzmann
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http://www.das-ritterkreuz.de


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Krollspell

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Peter H
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Re: Famous Fallschirmjäger

#9

Post by Peter H » 19 Mar 2008, 00:56

According to some accounts Schmeling had dysentery before he jumped at Crete,informed his commander the night before,but was still told to carry on.Schmeling arrived at Crete in a feverish state,with an injured head and stomach cramps.He was in no condition to be involved in operations there.

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Re: Famous Fallschirmjäger

#10

Post by Fallschirmjäger » 20 Mar 2008, 23:48

So max did not kill any allied soldiers in action?,or even get a chance to use his boxing skills some if he had landed it a dodgy situation like many of the FJ had,bayonets,civilans etc...

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Re: Famous Fallschirmjäger

#11

Post by Peter H » 21 Mar 2008, 01:47

Quoted from Eric Queen's Red Shines the Sun...,Louis Hedwig who served with Max,page 100:
..von der Heydte..didn't want to take Max with us but was forced to by the top.As soon as we landed Max started losing it.He asked me,Leutnant am I allowed to shot?,even though I was just a corporal.He had sunstroke and the runs....Von der Heydte mentions in his book...that Schmeling came to him before the left the airfields in Greece the night before.Schmeling told von der Heydte that he had dysentery.Von der Heydte told him to tighten up his smock and make the jump.This dysentery caused Schmeling to suffer from heat exhaustion quickly once on Crete..thus the pictures of him exist being supported by comrades walking to the aid station with a hankerchief on his head to help protect against the sun.

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Re: Famous Fallschirmjäger

#12

Post by Fallschirmjäger » 21 Mar 2008, 02:31

Thanks Peter for the info,had he gone in later then when fine or not sick maybe better,but when he healed up he saw no action right or more FJ service.Like was passed out as injured,but the info says interned briefly as a FJ or just for who he was?.

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Re: Famous Fallschirmjäger

#13

Post by Peter H » 21 Mar 2008, 02:49

Max was 36 at the time and not young when compared with the other FJs.That was his last active service.

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Re: Famous Fallschirmjäger

#14

Post by Fallschirmjäger » 21 Mar 2008, 04:43

Well maybe his nerves got the better of him too,and who could blame him,and the age,not shure on the numbers but say some of the officers would be older.Like Bernhard ramcke(52),Eugen Meindl(47),Bruno Bräuer (48),Erich Walther(37) and even some soldiers too right or nco's more maybe.As not shure on the cut off age for the FJ,like taking on a FJ soldier at 37+ would be too old or close to it,but for nco's and higher alright,like a soldier would be idealy 17-27?.But as the war went on and fighting as ground soldiers more,most likely some higher ages too?.

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Re: Famous Fallschirmjäger

#15

Post by Peter H » 21 Mar 2008, 05:15

I think its a bit different being an officer,Schmeling was only a corporal.

Schmeling was above the age for active service.When drafted he thought he would serve as a sports instructor.After service with the Flak he ended up in the FJ.Schmeling also claims he "re-injured the vertebate that he had fractured in the Louis fight" when jumping at Crete.After spending 3 days in a field hospital he was flown out.



From: http://www.wehrmacht-awards.com/forums/ ... hp?t=11910

Said to have been the oldest FJ--Oberfeldwebel Franz Neumann,born 1896.Served in WW1 as pilot,then SA,in WW2 Flak,Fallsch AOK,Fallsch.Art.Rgt. 11.Never did a combat jump though.

Photo from Ian Jewison.
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