Robert T. Murrell: Patton's 3rd Army - 80th Infantry Division Company M 318th Infantry Regiment

            Robert Murrell was drafted into the U.S. Army on 21 July 1942 and assigned to the newly reactivated 80^th Infantry Division, aka the 80^th Blue Ridge Division. Murrell had served before in the Army Air Corps’ 325^th Observation Corps and thought he had served out his time with the military. However, he was called back to do another stint and help with the American war effort. The 80^th had been reactivated only a few days prior and Murrell was among the first assigned to it.

            The first few months were spent in training, during which time he was promoted to Corporal. His first assignment was as an instructor in the 2^nd Ranger Battalion at Camp Forest. When the Ranger Battalion was sent overseas, Murrell was sent back to his original post and the Division was moved to Camp Phillips, Kansas. Here they received further training and sharpened their skills with all weapon types.

            After this they moved to Camp Laguna, California and/in the Mojave Desert. They left in March 1944, boarding trains for Fort Dix, New Jersey. While there they received their overseas orders and taken to Camp Kilmer, where they boarded trains to take them to the Queen Mary. They boarded the Queen Mary on 28 June 1944 and made the voyage across the Atlantic. For the trip across the pond, Murrell was made Sergeant of the Guard. He wore an MP armband and button, letting others know of his job. As a perk of his special assignment, Murrell could choose his own time to eat and could go to any part of the ship. The entire trip took only seven days. Murrell remembered the “S” wake caused by the ship changing course every 5-7 minutes to prevent a u-boat from laying a course on her fast enough to fire a torpedo and hit her.

            About half way through, a drill took place to allow gunners to practice firing their anti-aircraft guns at drones pulled by aircraft. Not everyone had upfront knowledge of this drill and as a result, initially thought the ship was under attack. Murrell was one of them. However, it soon became apparent that it was only a drill and all were relieved.

On Day 7, the Queen Mary reached the Firth of Clyde in Scotland. The men were finally setting foot on European soil. The men and their gear were unloaded and a train boarded for Manchester, England. The troops went to different local areas with the 80^th bound for Tatton Park, where they honed their weaponry and map reading skills. Murrell said that during their free time they would craft rings out of Silver Fluorine. “We would pound them on the edge until they were reduced in size and flared out. Then we would punch a hole in the center so we could wear them. I lost mine in France on the battlefield,” he recalled.

The men stayed in England for two months and on 26 July they moved toward Southampton and then crossed the English Channel. On 3 August, the 80^th reached the French Coast. They saw sunken ships and aerial balloons moored by the cables to prevent strafing of the landing site. On 5 August, they climbed down a rope ladder to the LCI (Landing Craft Infantry). Unfortunately, when the LCI was pulling alongside the ship it rammed and punctured a hole in the hull. Murrell said the Captain raised cane about the repairs he would have to make.

The first thing Murrell saw when the LCI ramp was lowered was a bombed out gun emplacement. The men loaded into trucks and traveled all day. At dark they unloaded at a field and made camp. Murrell remembered that night saying, “I recall hearing artillery firing but was too inexperienced to know it was our artillery and not that of the Germans.”

The next morning they again loaded up and headed out. Their route took them through St. Lo where the jeep Murrell was riding in was fired upon from the steeple of the town church. He also witnessed his first aerial fight between a German and American plane. The American plane won and the German pilot bailed out, landing in a nearby field.

The men loaded back up and headed for St. Hilaire, 75 miles away. The roadways were littered with the bloated bodies of dead animals and soldiers. The next morning they drove two miles to the vicinity of Vaiges, where they camped overnight. The following morning they headed on to the area of Chammes and continued through several villages. Sniper fire and booby traps were a constant threat. The men were warned not to pick anything up as it could be booby trapped.

Mines were one of the other big threats and as the men came upon them, they would take the time to defuse each one. They traveled through St. Suzanne and Sill Le Guillaume which was defended by the 9^th German Panzer Division. Along the way they encountered several roadblocks where they received artillery and small arms fire. Fortunately the surrounding landscape was one of rolling hills and thick wood areas….the perfect place for the 80^th to halt their column.

They fought a few enemy troops but it wasn’t enough to hold them back. The 80^th suffered several casualties, including one by sniper fire and an officer by means of booby trap. Regarding the bomb damage sustained by France Murrell said, “Everywhere we moved, buildings had been totally destroyed by either bombs or shells.”

The men were told of a large build up of enemy troops SW of Falaise with the mission of cutting the 3^rd Army’s supply lines. (This would lead to what we now know as the ‘Falaise Gap’.) This was the 80^th’s first major battle of fighting through hedgerow’s. One after another, the men had to make their way through them, some being five to six feet high and made out of earth and rock with trees and bushes tightly packed together growing on top. Murrell said that the hedgerow’s were so tall and thick that a German could be on side and an American on the other, neither aware of the others proximity!

A tank would go over the hedgerow and its bottom would be in the air. The German’s would fire a round into it, knocking it unusable. Someone came up with the idea to attach a plow point to the front of the tanks to break through the hedgerows. This proved to be invaluable ingenuity.

The 80^th was assigned to attack and take Argentan. On 19 August 1944, Murrell set up his Machine Gun (MG) section in what he believed to be good positions…..on an embankment overlooking a roadway that ran left to right and turned into a heavy wooded area. He also had some of his MG’s overlooking a grain field. Surrounding his position in front and on both sides was barbed wire fencing. Suddenly one of the men yelled ‘Tanks!’ Murrell looked up and saw a tank coming up the road toward them, with its MG firing. He ordered one of his sergeants to shoot a grenade at the tank with his Springfield rifle that had a grenade attachment. The shot landed right in the turret, killing the entire tank crew!

During all this action, Murrell had his pistol belt shot off and a bullet went through his helmet. Neither time was he wounded! He began trying to clip the barbed wire in front of him when several MG rounded took care of it for him. Again, he was uninjured. The Platoon Officer and two Sergeants were killed only a few feet from Murrell and a rifleman had his leg blown off by a shoe mine. “This was my first experience of what war was like,” Murrell shared, “It wasn’t too much longer and I became battle hardened.”

The men of the 80^th advanced forward to the wood area where they found a wire stretched between a couple of trees and branches thick with foliage hung along it, creating a blind allowing the Germans to freely move without being spotted by the Americans. After a total of three days heavy fighting, Combat Team 317 came to the aide of the 318^th (Murrell’s), relieving them of their positions on the line on 21 August. The men had captured Argentan, after which they moved out to meet up with the Canadian Army.

On 22 August near Pilou, a member of Murrell’s MG section told him he was going to surrender. Murrell tried his best to talk the soldier out of it but to no avail. The last Murrell saw of the man was as he disappeared into a wood area down the hill toward enemy lines. (Note: In 1983, Murrell returned back to the battlefields. When visiting HAMM Cemetery, he saw the young man’s name on the wall as being MIA.)

On 26 August, the men loaded into the trucks and headed for La Riviere nearly 250 miles away. From there it was on to Jalons, another 330 mile trip. The men traveled an additional 45 miles to Les Grandes Loges where they engaged the enemy. As the Sergeant of a MG section, Murrell would give covering fire for the advancing infantry. Once the infantry would get close to the line of the MG’s, the MG sections would move up and repeat the process. This was accomplished by watching where their tracers were hitting.

The infantry fought several minor battles over the following weeks. One such battle took place on 10 September when the German’s counterattacked at Belleville, France. A good friend of Roberts commented that he was tired of having to dig in each night. He chose not to dig in that night and unfortunately there was a night attack, during which time his friend was hit in the head. Five days later the comrade died.

Soon the men crossed the river Moselle at Dieulouard and fought through Loisy and Atton. The 3^rd Battalion captured Mousson Hill (a lookout spot that’s vantage point went for miles). The enemy launched two counterattacks and was finally successful on 15 September in cutting the supply line that ran from the bridgehead area to Mousson Hill (and the 3^rd Battalion). The enemy retook Atton (1.5 miles south of the hill) and the adjacent area.

The 3^rd Battalion, two platoons of an anti-tank company, along with Company M and its MG’s, 81 mm Mortars, and Tank Destroyer Units were cut off from the bridgehead area and surrounded by the enemy. The battalion was low on ammo, radio batteries, and medical supplies. Volunteers were needed for a patrol through enemy lines for the much needed supplies. Murrell volunteered to lead the patrol of four other volunteers. The men reached the bridgehead without being spotted and received the much needed supplies.

All five were loaded down with as much as they could squeeze into their packs and pockets (rations, mail, medical supplies, batteries, etc.).  Just as they had made it through enemy lines, the patrol was spotted. Murrell remembers one of the men having a box of rations shot off his shoulder and exclaiming, “No German is going to stop us so get the he*$ out of here!” The men did just that and safely reached their own lines. The group was received with a grand welcome. They found out that in their absence, an L-4 Artillery Spotter plane had dropped supplies to the men. Murrell received the Silver Star for leading this patrol and safely returning with the entire group.

After a few days, Company B 319^th Infantry Battalion fought through enemy lines, breaking the German encirclement. Brig. Gen. Searby (Commander of the 80^th Artillery) was killed from an MG burst on the hill during a counter attack. The 318^th headed on to Millery where, from 22 – 24 September, they fought the enemy before moving on to Bratte. While in Bratte, Murrell was walking down a path beside the woods. He thought he heard German voices. Patiently listening intently, Murrell saw two German soldiers talking and walking towards him, rifles slung over their shoulders. They were oblivious to Murrells presence. He shouldered his weapon and shouted “Halt!” The Germans surrendered immediately. While walking them towards the encampment, so the men could be taken to the POW cage, he noticed the safety was on on his rifle. “I just about crapped,” Murrell said of the realization.

On 22September, Murrell’s MG section was assigned to Company I 318^th with the objective of capture the high ground on Hill 351 (500 yards west of Morey). Note: The dates in the above two paragraphs are correct. Murrell was in two places, so to speak, on the same day. It was captured before dark and the men settled in to the foxholes dug by the Germans. Two men were assigned to Murrell’s MG section. He told one which squad he would be in and sent him to it, while the other was to stay with Murrell in his foxhole until morning.

Before morning, the two Germans who had dug the foxhole Murrell and the young man were in returned. At the time Murrell was asleep, as it was not his turn at guard. One German jumped down into the foxhole and landed on Murrell’s thumb. The young comrade of Murrell’s, having no combat experience, acted immediately and like a combat hardened veteran. He stabbed the German who had jumped into the foxhole with his bayonet and then, taking the German’s gun off him, promptly shot the other one who was standing at the edge of the foxhole. His quick action saved Murrell and his own life.

Company I (which Murrell was still attached to) had captured several German’s and were temporarily being held in a slit trench. The American artillery began shelling the hill the next morning. Company I sent up flares for the day but he artillery either was without a codebook or in the dark as to the code used by Company I. As a result, the Company had to vacate the hill and one of the German POW’s found this hilarious. He didn’t laugh for long, as one of the riflemen tossed a grenade into the trench with the solo German.

October brought rain and lots of it, causing the levels of streams to rise above their banks. The muddy conditions led to the troops being unable to move and the Division took up defensive positions near Lixieres. They remained there until 8 October when they moved to engage the enemy at Clemery. While in Lixieres, Murrell received a 3 day pass to Paris. He described the sites, such as the Eiffel tower and Notre Dame Cathedral as “awesome and inspiring”.

Any front line troops on liberty, wore a green shoulder loop letting MP’s know who they were. Speaking of this Murrell said, “It made one feel good to know and see so many others wearing that green loop. If anything was to happen and you needed help, we were all together to settle the problem.”

After his R&R, Murrell returned to his own unit which continued to fight across France. On 26 November at Fort Bambiderstroff, the group came upon a pill box setting in a valley with a road leading to it. The ground in front of the pill box was completely barren and surrounded by barbed wire. Murrell led a group of several men into the pill box and discovered it had 5 floors below ground level with tunnels connecting it to other pill boxes. While clearing the pill box the men captured several German soldiers.

From there it was on to St. Avold and Longueville, and then on to Bettwiller where the men were readied to cross over into Germany. Before this move, new orders came for them to pack up and be ready to move out on an hour’s notice. Word came down on 19 December for Murrell and the other men to board their vehicles and travel ~150 miles to Fischbach, Luxembourg without delay. General Patton had learned of the German breakthrough in the north. Murrell’s group was to be part of the efforts to stop the German counterattack. The men were to drive as fast as possible and not to use the cat lights (head lamps completely covered except for a thin slit which made them look like a cat’s eyes). This battle in the north is what we now know as the Battle of the Bulge. The vehicles used by the 80^th were open to the elements and the temperature was at freezing point. The men were in a battle to stay warm on top of trying to defeat the Germans. They huddled up together, under blankets and anything that would help them to stay warm.

They arrived at their destination on 20 December at 1500 hours. On the morning of 22 December, they moved out on foot to Colmar. Upon reaching the outskirts of Ettelbruck, the 80^th attacked the Germans. Artillery shells filled with white phosphate hit only a few yards in front of them. Railroad tracks cut through the field and the 80^th noticed a column of Germans who hadn’t yet noticed them. Having the upper hand, they killed many of the unsuspecting Germans.

It was the worst snow the area had seen in quite some time. At a depth of about one foot or more, walking was difficult for the men of the 80^th and so was the battle for Ettelbruck. Eventually they were successful. After this, the 1^st and 2^nd Battalions were withdrawn from the positions of the 318^th and attached to the 4^th Armored Division. They were to relieve troops surrounded in Bastogne. This left the 3^rd Battalion (Murrell’s) to cover the ~ 10 mile area of Ettelbruck (and surrounding areas).

On 23 December, Murrell was approaching the two MG’s he had set in a valley facing northeast, when a direct hit was made on one of the crews killing every member. A few seconds later and Murrell would likely have shared the same fate. The men continued holding the town until 2 January 1945 when they went into the Corps Reserves. The snow was still deep and temperature’s extremely low. Speaking of the deadly and unfavorable conditions Murrell said, “If a man were wounded he had to try to keep moving as he would freeze to death if he lay down.” He also recalled the water in their canteens freezing, forcing them to scoop snow for drink.

The morning report following the capture of Ettelbruck noted the losses of Company M 318^th: 1 Officer & 6 Enlisted Men KIA, 7 lightly wounded in action, 3 seriously wounded in action, 4 lightly wounded in action and 5 non-battle casualties. Murrell’s group left Ettelbruck on 23 January and traveled to Wiltz in Regimental Reserve. They received one of a few hot meals in many days and were entertained at a USO show.

They left for Bedford on 27 January. Once there they took up defensive positions and engaged the enemy from 27 January until 15 February. During their time in Bedford, Captain Kessler (Company Commander) told Murrell to send Bill Ewing (a good friend of Murrell’s) to the Command Post (CP) because he was being given a 90 day furlough. Murrell was not to tell Bill why the Captain wanted to see him.

Seeing a golden opportunity to have his buddy shaking his boots, Murrell said to him, “What the heck have you done? The Captain wants you at the CP on the double.” The two headed for the CP. Bill gave a perfect salute to the Captain and stated ‘Staff Sergeant William E. Ewing reporting as ordered sir.’ Captain Kessler told Bill the good news at which time Bill turned to Murrell and exclaimed, ‘I’d knock you off your butt if you weren’t such a good buddy!’ He then grabbed Murrell, the two hugged and cried, Bill ecstatic at going home for a bit and Murrell happy for his pal to be off the battlefront for a while. Before Bill could return the war ended but the two men remained in contact afterwards, often visiting one another, until Bill’s death in 1983.

On 16 February Murrell and his fellow infantrymen crossed from Bedford, Luxembourg into Biesdorf, Germany.  They took up defensive positions, received replacements, and engaged the enemy near Cruchten. They fought their way south through numerous towns and villages. Finally they reached a town called Serf, which was where they crossed the river Rhine into Weiskirchen. The pace at which the men were moving greatly increased, blowing through towns at lightning speed.  They reached Kassel on 3 April and from there moved to Siebleben to Apfelstadt to Gotha to Egstad to Jena to the outskirts of Chemnitz, where they were halted. Company M 318^th was assigned to reconnoiter positions on the far outskirts of the town.

They pulled up alongside an anti-tank gun and asked where the roadblock was. The men pointed ahead of them so the Company M 318^th continued on until realizing they had run their own roadblock and were right in front of the German’s roadblock! The driver of the jeep Murrell was in quickly turned around in an attempt to escape their mistake. Unfortunately a shell hit them on the broadside of the vehicle. The men jumped into the ditch closest to them, each on opposite sides. The ditch Murrell was in overlooked a building with German soldiers all around it. He shouldered his carbine and took a shot, but couldn’t determine if hit anyone.

Murrell jumped up and ran to the other side of the road where he took cover behind some buildings. Just as Murrell was peeking around the corner, a brick just above his head was chipped by a bullet. The men commandeered a couple of bicycles and rose like the wind back to their own lines. Thinking of this ride Murrell said, “I often wonder what the crew of the anti-tank gun thought as we rode past them on bikes. I remember the day better than any other day in the war because it was my 3^rd wedding anniversary (16 April 1945).

The 80^th Infantry Division was notified that the Russian would be taking Chemnitz, so they reversed their direction and headed back to Gera then to Nuremberg. The 3^rd Infantry Division had recently taken the city and it was where Hitler gave many of his speeches and held massive rallies. Murrell and his buddies were assigned to mop up and patrol the town until 27 April. After their stint at Nuremberg, they loaded into the trucks and headed to Hordorf on 4 May. They then crossed into Braunau by walking the framework of a railroad bridge blown up by the Germans. The men remained in this town for a short period, patrolling streets and maintaining order.

On 7 May the men boarded a train to Attnang, Austria. Before getting on the train, they took time to purchase tomatoes, onions, and bread to make sandwiches. A few bottles of wine were also procured. On 8 May, the war in Europe was declared over and Company M 318^th celebrated until they had to move out on patrol in the Mondsee Mountains. Murrell was riding in a jeep that had a water-cooled MG mounted on it. Along their journey they happened upon a pocket of Germans who were unaware of their country’s surrender and a short fire fight took place before the men could convince the German’s that the war was over. Company M headed back to Attnang.

The German 6^th Army surrendered to the 80^th after General McBride told the German General that all his men who were across the river would become American prisoners while those who didn’t get across before midnight would have to go to the Russians. The 318^th Infantry Regiment became guards who patrolled the city. Word soon came down that they were to travel to Sonthofen, Germany (a place where the Hitler Youth, aka: Hitler-Jugend, were trained).

While in Sonthofen, an NCO (Non-Commissioned Officers) club was formed and Murrell was made Liquor Control Officer. The club was located in the building of the former chow hall of the Hitler Youth. The top 3 grades of NCO’s were issued a bottle of whiskey and it had to be controlled by the club. Each one was issued a card that allotted them 23 drinks. Each time a drink was served the NCO’s card would be punched. Once the card had 23 punches, the NCO was cut off.

To supplement their liquor, Murrell managed to procure some potato schnapps. He took the German who served as bar keep with him and they were able to obtain 15 gallons of pure uncut schnapps. They cut it with 3 parts water and served it as an added drink. During his time as an officer in the NCO club, Murrell learned he had accumulated enough points to go home and be discharged.

He was sent to Camp Lucky Strike for processing and asked if he wanted to switch his 80^th patch for that of the 6^th Armored Division which he would be travelling back to the states with. “I refused”, Murrell stated, “wearing the 80^th patch all the way.” He boarded the Rock Hill Victory ship in Marseilles, France. He sailed through the Mediterranean Sea, past the Rock of Gibraltar, and on to New Port News, Virginia. The entire voyage took 23 days. Murrell was sent to Camp Atterbury, Indiana and discharged on 26 October 1945.

In 1973, Murrell learned about the 80^th Infantry Division Association and joined. Over the years he has served in various positions with the association, including as National Commander (1982-83) and as National Secretary/Editor/Historian for 19 years (retiring in 2009 from the post. He remains active in helping the children of men KIA in the Second World War find out about their father and has even written several books on the 80^th.

Fallschirmjager Ernst Simon: 1st Parachute Division

            Ernst Simon lived in Reichenberg (Sudentenland in North Bohemia) and joined the Luftwaffe as a Fallschirmjager (paratrooper). He was assigned to the 1^st Parachute Division. After 4 weeks of jump school at Fallschirmschule 3 in Braunschweig during May and June of 1940, Simon became a member of 13 Company FJ Regiment 1.

            In the May of 1941, Simon parachuted into Crete (specifically Heraklion) out of a Ju-52.  Each Ju-52 contained 12-13 para’s who jumped with only a Luger pistol and several hand grenades on them. The heavy equipment, such as machine guns, mortars, and rifles, was dropped in weapons containers after the last para left the aircraft. It typically took the para’s approximately five minutes to reach these containers. The regiments were met with heavy resistance, which was not expected. The Luftwaffe was supposed to suppress the defenders during the parachute drop. However, the parachute attack was two hours behind schedule due to a poor estimation of refueling and loading time for the Ju-52’s.

            The British (English, Scottish, Australian, & New Zealand) and Greek Troops knew where and when the para’s would land because the British had broken the German radio code. To compound the situation, German intelligence failed to collect and relay accurate information as to how many troops were defending Crete. These failures resulted in many of the para’s being killed before or right after landing. Simon said that the worst weapon used against them during their descent was the 40 mm Bofors gun. He witnessed 8 Ju-52’s shot down during this airborne mission and from those planes; only 3-8 para’s got out of each.

            His platoon was lucky in regards to where they landed…in a vineyard that provided some cover for the men. They quickly opened their weapons containers, loaded up with weapons, and headed out for their objectives. The 2^nd Battalion, which landed at the airfield, was attacked with anti-aircraft guns and tanks. Most of these para’s were annihilated.

                Several unsuccessful attacks were launched on the first afternoon and the next morning Simon’s battalion began a coordinated attack to take Heraklion, which was surrounded by a high wall. They began by firing all of their mortar ammo (24 per mortar), after which they became a normal assault platoon. Thankfully they had been trained for such circumstances.

            The battalion successfully broke through the towns heavily defended western wall door on the morning of 21 May, after which eight hours of house to house combat ensued. Simon’s squad leader was killed at a street corner and Simon received a gun shot through his right shoulder. Fortunately it was only a flesh wound. He took refuge in a nearby home where a comrade bandaged him up. The two men holed up in a protected corner for a bite to eat while bullets whizzed by all around them. By evening, the Germans had incurred heavy losses, were running low on ammo, and had their line of retreat closed up.

            The battalion, with some difficulties, was able to get out of the town and what was left of the 3^rd Battalion reassembled. The dwindling ammo was evenly distributed among the remaining men and came to 15 rounds per rifle and 150 rounds per machine gun (mg). Simon remarked of the desperate situation, “It would have been about 8 seconds of fire for each mg….there after we would have had to throw stones!”

            The British forces chose not to attack the German’s at this point, a fatal error. Despite the circumstances looking bleak for the Germans they stood their ground and about a day later the 4^th Mountain Division landed in Maleme airport along with ammo, various supplies, and reinforcements…. turning the tide in favor of the German’s. A few days later Simon’s group was ordered to the 1^st Battalion which lay east of Heraklion airfield.

            After a long night march they reached their objective without being detected by the British. The men did have to storm a minor hill on the last stretch. With the Germans now at an advantage, they steadily pushed back the defenders. One by one the cities fell into the hands of the Germans. The British did manage to get their troops aboard two destroyers without the Germans knowing. The Greek troops were left on the island and had to surrender.

            The Germans collected and buried their dead, including Simon’s Company Commander, Platoon Leader, and Squad Leader. His regiment suffered losses of roughly 45%. On 10 June the men flew back to Greece, then traveled by truck and then by rail to their garrison in Stendal, Germany (100 km west of Berlin). Their popular Regimental Commander, Col. Brauer, assembled his men and gave his speech, “Boys you are now going on furlough. I wish you a good time. Don’t talk so much about this operation….I know myself…it was $h*t.”

            Shocked by the high losses of the Crete operation, the German High Command would never again launch another major airborne attack.  Both the Axis and Allies recognized the possibilities of an airborne attack and the Allies built up great airborne forces. The Germans learned from their mistakes and made improvements to their own airborne troops.

Among the changes were having paratroopers jump with their rifles and machine guns. The weapons were attached to them with a 16 foot line and after opening their chute, the men would let the guns go so their hands were free for landing. The breach of the gun had a clothe cover, easily ripped off and a plastic end cap kept them usable.

After Crete, German paratroopers were used primarily as a fire brigade, thrown in when the front was at risk of breaking down. Essentially, they were used to “put out fires”. The first time the need arose for such a brigade was at the beginning of winter in 1941 when the Russians tried to break out of the Leningrad encirclement.

The critical point was east of Leningrad at the river Newa between Lake Ladoga and the city. The Russians attacked the German corridor to Lake Ladoga from the North and the South. The 1^st Parachute Division was flown to this area with two regiments. They were at the front line for 46 days, during which time they managed to hold the line and defeat 146 Russian attacks. Their losses however were again heavy. One company of Fallschirmjager Regiment 3 was down to three sergeants and three men by the time they were relieved!

The men returned to their garrison and were given furlough over Christmas and New Year in Stendal. A few months later they traveled to Northern France, Normandy to be specific. Simon said that they had a good relationship with the French in the area. He specifically recalled a local one-legged WWI vet who sold him eggs and butter, as well as taught him to drink Calvados (the local apple brandy) mixed with olive oil.

In September of 1942, the Russian front situation again became grave for the Germans. Simon’s Division was sent in as fire brigade once again and was given a 40 mile stretch of front line to hold. The success of this task rested on the shoulders of only three regiments. The winter was very harsh, with temps dropping in the below 40 degree range. Simon was with the Forward Observer Post with 4 Company, only 250 meters (890 ft) from the Russian line. Simon noted that it was fatal to pop your head up for more than a few seconds. This was evident by the 4 Company’s losses, among them it’s Commanding Officer, Oberleutnant Holters.

Because of the low numbers of men, Simon’s Operation Post crew took their turn standing night watch with the machine gun (mg). The watch was divided up into about one hour increments because of the extremely low temperatures. The men’s sole water source was roughly 100 ft behind their trench and it was always a dangerous trip. On one such trip to the water, the man sent to retrieve it received a gunshot to the chest. The bullet pierced one of his lungs and he was laying helpless out in the open.

Simon and a comrade were given the task of getting the injured man back to the safety of the trenches. Lt. Glombowski (Simon’s boss) had two mg’s rain down a hail storm of rounds on the Russian positions. This covering fire allowed them the time and protection needed to drag their comrade to the trench. (The man did survive his wounds.) Simon shared that it was an unwritten rule among his unit that no wounded man would be left without everything possible being tried to save him.

Another example of this unwritten rule in action is the tale of a similar experience as above. A man was wounded and lying in front of their trench. The first two medics who went out to retrieve the man were killed. Despite this, a third medic bravely went out and successfully retrieved the wounded comrade.

Toward the end of Simon’s six months (~ March 1943) along the Russian line, he was sent by the Company Commander for a day with the artillery unit (~ three miles in the rear). He was to participate in an advanced fire control methods presentation. It was the one and only time Simon was away from his Company. Shortly after arriving, he witnessed his platoon in a desperate race towards the west.

Wondering what had happened, he returned to his Company’s original location. The Company Commander explained that the Russians had launched a counter offensive at the 3^rd Battalions location and the support of Simon’s Company was needed. A comrade went in Simon’s place since he was absent. Upon the Company returning, nearly the entire Observation Post crew had been killed, including Simon’s Platoon Leader (Lt. Glombowski) and the comrade sent in Simon’s place.

Simon’s Division was scheduled to be relieved but the Divisional Commander insisted on handing the position over just as they had received it. This was a problem because two important hills had been taken by the Russians. After reinforcements and supplies arrived, especially self propelled anti-tank guns, Simon’s Division set about their task. They waited until nightfall and then attacked with flamethrowers and grenades, successfully reclaiming both hills. Simon said his Company played a small role in the mission.

After being relieved, the men had to tackle nearly impossible roads. It took them roughly a month to get from the front line to Southern France. They were then given furlough, had their depleted ranks filled, and received further training. During a series of full scale maneuvers (beginning with parachute jumps), Simon ended up dunked in water that filled a ditch next to the barbed wire fence he ran into on his landing.

Then, on 9 – 10 July of 1943, the Allies landed in Sicily. The 5^th U.S. and 8^th British flooded the beaches. The Italians threw their arms down and retreated, leaving two German divisions to their fate. On 17 July, Simon’s Division was tasked as acting as fire brigade in an attempt to save their comrades from capture and hopefully to keep the Allies at bay. Two regiments of the 1^st Parachute Division and a few smaller units were flown from Marignane (Southern France) to Naples in He-111 transport planes.

While in Naples, the German para’s stayed close to the trenches and endured American bombing attacks every couple of hours. The men waited a days’ time for their Ju-52’s to arrive, on which they would load up for an airborne mission. Once the Ju-52’s arrived, the Squadron Leader was hesitant to take off in daylight without any fighter protection.

The para’s eventually convinced him to take off and when they reached the North Coast an alarm was raised letting them know that enemy fighters were approaching. The para’s immediately began their jumps and their weapons containers were successfully dropped after them. Simon and the men later found out that their Ju-52’s were shot down after they jumped. They succeeded in holding the 8^th Army back for an entire month, allowing all the German troops, equipment, and weapons to be safely ferried to the Italian mainland. Simon was wounded on 5 August by an exploding grenade, one day after his 22^nd birthday. He ended up with splinters in his hands and face, including his eyes.

Simon was transported in the only vehicle, a 20 year old hearse from the Catania Cemetery, to the closest field dressing station. He vividly remembers the black draperies and gold fringe which lined the vehicle. Both of his eyes were bandaged and he was taken to the next field lazarette by the Messina ferry. Once there his left eye was unbandaged and he was again able to navigate on his own. From there he was taken to a Bavarian hospital where they were unable to save his right eye. To this day, Simon still carries two small splinters in that eye.

In October of 1943, Simon was released from the hospital and sent on furlough. He was considered “not fit for combat duty” and sent to the reserve battalion in Germany. This is where all para’s were sent who were released from hospitals and lazarettes. If they were fit, they were sent back to the para divisions. Simon’s injury led him to be placed into the staff company, which was responsible for administration tasks.

It was a cushy job but Simon’s heart was with his fellow fallshirmjagers. He asked the chief doctor to allow him to be classified as “fit for combat duty on own request”. Not only was this request granted, but he demanded that he be transferred back to the 1^st Parachute Division in Italy and this too was granted. It was custom for the “repaired” veteran para’s to be sent to new “para divisions”. (These new divisions were made up mostly of new recruits who had no jump training.)

Simon noted of his returning to 13 Company, “….it was really a very touching occasion. I was received like the lost son.” He found out that his Company Commander had requested twice that Simon be sent back to his Company, fit for combat duty or not, but he was met with no success.

Simon was given the choice of staying with the rear echelon and acting as an instructor or becoming platoon leader of a new 12 cm mortar platoon (the first in the Division). He was honored that as a “mere sergeant” he would be offered such an opportunity as the latter. He gladly accepted. The Company was just beginning to reorganize after the Cassino battles near Lake Trasumeno at this time. The men were forced to retreat to the Adriatic line where they tried to hold but to no avail.

Slowly the Germans were pushed to the North. Simon said the superiority of their enemies increased dramatically with each day. The air too was dominated by the Allies. Simon recalled the Allied planes attacking them, even single soldiers trying to escape. The German’s mortar ammo was becoming so scarce that the Company equipped one platoon with Italian 8 cm mortars because of their commonness in Italian arsenals.

During the winter of 1944/1945, the men held a position in the Apennin Mountains for several months. In a night surprise attack, the Germans took Mount Castellaro from the enemy where Simon served as Forward Observer. At midnight on New Years Eve 1945, both the British and the Germans held a grand fireworks show, created by firing every weapon with colored tracer ammunition. The British fired propaganda shells that contained the message, “Merry Christmas from your British Neighbors”. The Germans followed suit and for at least a little while in one corner of the world, there was peace on the battlefield.

The Germans were forced to leave these positions because the enemy had broken through east of them and they were at risk of being encircled. A series of minor and major fights took place on the retreat. Simon had several close calls during this time, typically when he served as Forward Observer. Upon getting close to the river Po in April, Simon’s Battalion was assigned to be the rear guard and charged with holding the enemy until morning to allow German troops to be ferried to the north bank during the night.

Once they arrived, they saw that the two ferries, which were supposed to carry the troops across, were nowhere to be seen. They found out that one had been destroyed by an artillery hit and the other blown up prematurely by German engineers. The troops were then ordered to swim across. They stripped nearby homes of every wooden door to use as floats for their supplies and clothing. The men then stripped down themselves and started across the river. Simon recalled the river being ~150 ft wide and the water very cold due to it being fed by the thawing ice from the Alps.

Simon said of this memory, “We (all) made it, including our Battalion Commander who was swimming with us, smoking a thick cigar. It was quite a sight…the River full of our men, naked soldiers on both banks (but with a steel helmet on)….firing with mg’s and rifles at the fighter bombers which attacked us with their guns.” The men actually managed to shoot down one plane. The pilot parachuted out and landed among the Germans on the South Bank. He had to swim with them, which he wasn’t very happy about.

A retreat followed the river crossing and Simon had several more near escapes. Their trucks had to be destroyed because they received no more gasoline. The heavy mortars had to be drawn by oxen after that! At one point the men attempted to harness a wild bull but it proved to be more than they could handle. Eventually the oxen had to be left behind as well. The men finally made it to Predazzo in the Italian Alps and in the first days of May 1945, the German surrender came down.

Ernst Simon Jan. 1945 - San Martino di Castrozza (Rest Home Of 1st Para Division)

American troops arrived but Simon and his comrades were left alone for several days. Finally the American troops returned and transported the Germans to the region of Trient where the other part of their Division was located. The Germans were billeted in Italian homes, one squad to a house. They were supplied with U.S. Army rations and allowed to keep some of their light weapons. They stayed at this location for a little more than one week. Each day the men would walk down to the lake for a swim and all wondered why they weren’t behind barbed wire like the rest of their comrades.

Finally, what was left of the German 1^st Parachute Division was gathered together on the grass field. Each regiment sat in a circle around their commander and the explanation came: The U.S. Command wanted to know if the men would be willing to fight on the Allied side at the invasion of Japan. (Note: At this time, the U.S. military knew nothing about the atomic bomb and the Division had quite an excellent reputation.)

FJ Ernst Simon's ID Tag, Patches, Pins, etc.

Simon said the German para’s saw no future for them in Germany, so after a lengthy discussion they agreed to do so IF for every man of their Division..one ton of food stuffs per month be sent to Germany. The men waited a week before they got their answer from Allied HQ ……such terms could not be guaranteed. So the 1^st Parachute Division was broken up and the officers sent to separate POW camps. All ended up behind barbed wire. Simon spent time in several American POW camps in Italy including Ghedi, Pisa, Livorno, Naples (a voluntary work team), and lastly Bad Aibling in Bavaria.

He was released from the POW camp in April of 1946 but could not return to the home he knew before the war because the Czechs had thrown out all three million Sudenten Germans (including his parents). He first tried to find his parents, as he hadn’t been in contact with them for over a year. He finally found them in Northern Germany, living as fugitives. Simon wandered from place to place for some time and eventually landed in Bavaria where he found work. A year later he brought his parents over. Years after the end of the Second World War, Simon and the other remaining 1^st Parachute Division Fallschirmjager’s were made Honorary Members of the New Zealand Crete Veterans Association.  Today Simon lives in Germany and is 90 years old.

Simon's Honorary  Membership into the Crete Veterans' Association

Seeking WWII Veterans For Blog

Thank you for visiting the WWII War Time Memories blog. We have had readers from Russia, Switzerland, Great Britain, Belgium, United States, and other countries visit the blog thus far. Trying to find WWII Veterans from foreign countries has been quite tough and I want to ask my readers to please send me the contact info for any WWII Veterans you know who would like to be featured on my blog. You can be of the utmost help in doing so. Feel free to leave this information as a comment here on the blog site or by emailing me at aengleford@gmail.com .

My hope is to have a large base of faithful readers and to collect enough war stories to turn the blog into a book. I hope that you will continue to read the blog on a regular basis and will let your friends know of it as well. The Veterans did the serving, I do the writing, but you can help me make connections with other Veterans.

On another note: My paternal grandfather, who was a WWII Veteran, passed away on 16 January 2012. He was and will continue to be the reason why I chose to pursue this project. I am currently working on compiling his war story and it is very likely that he will be the ONLY WWII Veteran featured on this blog who was not living at the time the feature was written. The only reason I did not begin with his story is because of the limited information I have on his service. However, regardless of how little information I have to go on….you can expect to soon read what we know about his service.

Fallschirmjager Eugen Hinnen

            Eugen Hinnen, born near Crailsheim, Germany, had dreamed of one day entering the German Air Force since he was a young boy. His father was Swiss and his mother German, so he was born as a Swiss citizen in Germany. He spent much time watching STOL (short take off & landing) airplanes, such as the Fieseler Storch, on a local airfield. He was fortunate enough to even get to sit in the cockpit of one once. A love for aviation ran in Hinnen’s blood.

Before he could fulfill his dream he had to learn a profession such as auto mechanic, electrician, or plumber. In 1937, young Hinnen began looking for an apprenticeship but opportunities were scarce. The economic situation was bleak and many in Germany, like the rest of the world, were struggling to find work. The only possibility he really had was to take an apprenticeship as a plumber-mechanic in a plaster factory, the very factory where his father was employed. Hinnen took the position and not long after the Second World War began. (Note: Before his apprenticeship, Hinnen applied for German citizenship which was granted. He was able to keep his Swiss citizenship.)

            With Germany at war, the freedom to switch careers was denied Germans and given over to the Official Work Office (Arbeitsamt). The only available employment opportunity for most youngsters was to commit to the General Work Services (Reichs-Arbeitsdienst). Soon after completing his apprenticeship at the age of 19, Hinnen was called up by the Arbeitsamt to report to a nearby airfield for training as an aircraft mechanic. Hinnen received three months of training and was transferred along with the other mechanics in his group to a military airfield in Bayreuth (NE of Nuremberg). Here they were organized and equipped for regular work at military airfields. The Reichs-Arbeitsdienst worked closely with the Wehrmacht throughout the war so while Hinnen would be working on military aircraft he wasn’t in the German Air Force.

            By this time, the Russian campaign in the East had begun and Hinnen’s mechanic group was informed that they would be stationed at a military airfield somewhere in the North (e.g. Finland). Hinnen volunteered at this time to enter the actual German Air Force, in the hopes of getting into pilot training. The denial of his application led him to volunteer to be a paratrooper (fallschirmjager), a job that would keep him in the aviation field. “Once in the paratroops it was forever,” Hinnen explained.

            Just before he was to set out for his station assignment with the mechanic group he received the order to enter the paratroops and was placed in Regiment 16 II Battalion 8 Company at the age of 20. Hinnen attended Fallschirmschule in April of 1944 in Wittstock. 

Eugen Hinnen in exercice/training uniform

            He was first committed to a seaplane unit in Bulgaria near the Black Sea. Attacks were made on the Crimean isles and Russian submarines in this area. Later on Hinnen was transferred to the 2nd Battalion for fighter pilot candidates in Cherbourg. Shortly after his transfer it became obvious that he had contracted malaria during his service in the Black Sea. After he recovered he insisted on being transferred back to his old para unit, which is exactly where he “landed”.

Eugen Hinnen in full battle dress in Normandy

            After the D-Day invasion, Hinnen’s regiment was sent to Normandy where they took up defensive positions near Abbeville (NE of Amiens). The regiment stayed only a few days and was then transferred back to Germany. The paratroopers trained in night drops but soon received orders to turn in their parachutes and get equipped for terrestrial combat. They flew east in an armada of roughly 200 Ju-52’s (Luftwaffe transport planes) to Kowno, which was the capital of Lithuania. From Kowno, only the 2^nd Battalion proceeded to Wilna (Vilnius) in 50 Ju-52’s.

Upon reaching the Wilna airfield, many of the Ju-52’s turned back due to the airfield being badly destroyed by artillery craters. A couple of the planes that chose to land toppled over because of the pock marked airstrip. The pilots of the plane Hinnen was in, along with eight others, managed to land with no problems. It was already dusk and night was fast approaching. The para’s quickly disembarked and the planes immediately took back off for home.

The airfield was attacked by Russians and Polish Partisans and the para’s were at a distinct disadvantage. Russian tanks surrounded the airfield and shelled the Germans. As night enveloped the battle, the Germans took cover wherever they could. Most of them climbed into trenches that had already been dug out by the enemy. They believed the Russians and partisans to be elsewhere, but to many of the para’s dismay…they found themselves in the very same trenches as the enemy. “A bitter and merciless battle was the result,” Hinnen shared.

These para’s were annihilated. Hand to hand combat in close quarters was the death these men faced. Hinnen’s group was in a different section of the trenches and they had no idea about the death of their fellow para’s at this time. As the morning sun rose, the battle continued. Hinnen’s group sat up their machine guns in tactically favorable positions and waited more than half the day for their comrades.

The Russian tanks pushed back the German para’s and upon recognizing a group of retreating para’s as their own, Hinnen’s group began running towards their comrades happy to finally see them. The joy was quickly snuffed out as those believed to be comrades of the German para’s opened fire on Hinnen’s group. Para’s began falling dead and the rest began running back their trenches. The enemy rushing the German para’s were actually partisans dressed in German uniforms, likely taken from the para’s who found themselves in the same trenches as the enemy.

Hinnen and his comrades were shaken, knowing that from there on out they would not be able to tell friend from foe at a distance. Not long after, Hinnen ran into several of the partisans dressed as German para’s. He believed the rouse until he hugged one of his supposed comrades and in return got rifles pressed into his gut. He would have been killed or taken prisoner if it hadn’t been for a Polish nurse from the nearby military hospital who convinced the partisans to let Hinnen go. Hinnen even witnessed one of his Sergeants being clobbered by his own pistol and drug off behind enemy lines, thanks to another partisan dressed as a German. It is likely that they stripped the Sergeant of his uniform as well.

The Germans retreated and evacuated numerous train loads of their casualties to the West. From then on, an unconditional defense up to the last man was ordered. Wilna was an important railway junction for the Germans, because all supplies to their troops in Leningrad ran through it. The remainder of the fighting was close combat from street to street and house to house. Hinnen was wounded on a street intersection during the battle. The Germans led a counter attack and afterwards took a short break of sorts at the same intersection Hinnen was wounded at. Suddenly a shell exploded in the center of the street and everyone was sent flying. Hinnen received two shell fragments to a foot, as well as a broken ankle. He was no longer able to continue fighting and took cover for the night in a cellar along with several other wounded para’s.

The remainder of Hinnen’s group counter attacked and he waited on them to return. His waiting was in vain as they never showed up. Hinnen headed out limping along the houses looking for someone in charge. Finally he found the Command Post (CP) of a special tank unit. The wounded were loaded onto the trucks for transport to the next military hospital. There was no space for Hinnen in the trucks so he caught a ride on a tank and took cover behind the turret. A medical orderly tried taking Hinnen’s weapons from him but Hinnen refused stating, “As long as we are in the battle area and as long as I am able to shoot, I don’t give my weapon in.” Normally the wounded weren’t allowed to bear arms of any kind but Hinnen made his point very clear and was left alone.

The military hospital they arrived at was overcrowded with more than 800 wounded. The CP for General Stahel (Commander of the defense of Wilna) contacted the CP for Hitler (Rastenburg/E. Prussia). The ordered remained the same…….defend the town to the last man. General Stahel had all the para's (~25) gather round. He personally shook the hand of every para, thanked them for their service, and handed them a chocolate. This was a tradition out in the battlefield which meant that each recipient was being awarded the Iron Cross. An official promotion ceremony would take place in a quieter area in the rear later on. 
At this time, Hinnen fully believed that the order to break out would come soon because the famous Panzer Division Grossdeutschland would be approaching outside of the pocket to relieve them. The moral in the hospital was low. Soldiers from different units stood around and passed on any news or gossip. Hinnen had a bed but still kept his fighting equipment on his person, using his gun as a crutch and eagerly listening for any updates on the true situation. An order was finally given for the men to break out of the Wilna pocket at midnight.

Hinnen decided to take a short nap before the breakout and drug his mattress through the street to a cellar where other soldiers were awaiting the go ahead for the breakout. He laid down with gun in arms and pockets full of grenades. Hinnen asked a comrade to wake him when they were to head out but for some reason, this individual, nor any of the men also in the cellar, took the time to wake him.

Hinnen awoke from a 12 hour long deep sleep. When he awoke, he remembers the sun shining brightly through the cellar window and realizing there wasn’t another soul with him. He was confused and “in the dark” about the situation, Hinnen said. Had his comrades successfully broken out? Had the town surrendered? Have all the Russians been taken prisoner? The questions seemed to speed through his head one after another. He got up, rifle at the ready and limped up the stairs. Spying out a window he saw Russian soldiers, their guns also at the ready, surrounding the backyard.

Looking across the backyard, Hinnen noticed that all the active German fighters had gone. Left were only German nurses, doctors, a few staff officers, and some wounded soldiers. They were separated into different groups and transported away. Hinnen had to make a decision. Should he try to secretly slip away or should he stay put? He chose to make his way back to the hospital corridor where the heavier casualties had been. They were still there and immediately began yelling at Hinnen, “You stupid! Throw your gun down! They will shoot us all when they see you fully armed!” Hinnen was stubborn and refused to lay down his arms. Fortunately no Russians came into the area. He left the hospital and threw all his weapons into a big heap. “I now recognized....I was a prisoner….this was the end…..physically I was finished.”

He made his way back to his hospital bed where he fell into another deep sleep. He was not recognized as being a “new” member among the wounded by the Russians. Of the 3,000 German soldiers who attempted to break out of the Vilna pocket, only 500 were successful in reaching the German forces outside the siege ring. Hinnen was taken prisoner on 13 July 1944. He was forced to a brutal march into the unknown with 50 fellow paratroopers and a few wounded. The group was constantly on the brink of being shot by the guards.

Roughly 800 wounded soldiers in the hospital were shot and left behind after Hinnen was taken prisoner. He spent 3 ½ months in a POW camp (195/1) in Wilna. There were roughly 4,000 prisoners from various European nations. He spent the next 3 weeks on railway transport in November of 1944 from Wilna to Moscow where they were placed in the Tambov POW camp (South of Moscow).

Hinnen was recognized as a Swiss citizen being born in Germany. He, along with ~ 350 civil refugees of neutral countries temporarily imprisoned by the Russians, were put on a special repatriation railway transport. Transport took 4 weeks to the Swiss border. He arrived on 18 November 1945 in St. Margreten, Switzerland where he resumed his original Swiss citizenship. His military service in Germany was done as a German citizen. (Note: Hinnen was NEVER a member of the Nazi party.)

Eugen Hinnen, 24 , front row, extreme right in Swiss Airforce Recruit School 1947

       Hinnen could have been sentenced by Swiss military courts because military service for foreign countries was not allowed, but fortunately he wasn’t. In 1947 he fulfilled his Swiss duties in a 4 month recruit school with the Swiss Air Force. Hinnen joined the P-51 D (Mustang) Fighter Company 20 as an Airmen First Class. For more than 10 years Hinnen was the only top paratrooper in the Swiss Air Force with actual combat experience. 

            After recruit school he was one the 1^st civil parachutist in Switzerland. He was well known for his dare devil type jumps with flares attached to his feet and opening the parachute at the lowest height. He also became one of the best marksmen on the rifle range.

Eugen Hinnen, Head of the first Swiss Civil Parajumper's School after WWII