German WW1 Vets that Fight in WW2 as Americans

[Paul R]

Are there any groupings or evidence that suggests any German WW1 Vets that fought as Americans in WW2? If there is any evidence of this(I would be surprised if there were not), lets see it here!

[Daniel Cole]

I know of Brits, but I've never heard of Americans. That would interesting to know.

[Paul R]

I know of Brits, but I've never heard of Americans. That would interesting to know.

Really? Please tell!

[Ed_Haynes]

Those (few) Nazi-sympathizing Brits who heart and soul were with their friend Adolf. So far as I know, none were veterans of the Great War. They knew better, perhaps?

There are threads here celebrating them.

Some have a positive view of them.

But this is far FAR from your question.

Edited December 11, 2008 by Ed_Haynes

[Paul R]

Those (few) Nazi-sympathizing Brits who heart and soul were with their friend Adolf. So far as I know, none were veterans of the Great War. They knew better, perhaps?

There are threads here celebrating them.

Some have a positive view of them.

But this is far FAR from your question.

Hey Ed.

I was actually asking for the opposite... German WW1 vets that later joined the American(or even British) ranks for WW2. :cheers:

[Ed_Haynes]

Hey Ed.

I was actually asking for the opposite... German WW1 vets that later joined the American(or even British) ranks for WW2.

I know. That is where the previous response went "off".

[Daniel Cole]

There is a book I have called "With the German Guns: Four Years on the Western Front " by Herbert Sulzbach. The author, a Jew was an officer in the German Army in WW1 and a later was in the British Army in WWII. He had an amazing life.

You can still get the book at Amazon.

Check out these links:

http://www.london.diplo.de/Vertretung/lond...are__Seite.html

For a picture of his decorations:

http://www.royalpioneercorps.co.uk/rpc/his..._germanguns.htm

Edited December 11, 2008 by Daniel Cole

[Paul R]

Thanks Daniel,

That second link was great! Thank you!

Those medals do look strange grouped together! I liked the passages about his work as an interpreter at the POW camps!

[Gunner 1]

As a teen ager I lived next door to a man from the German-speaking part of Switzerland who served as an artillery balloon observer in the German Army during World War I, winning the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, the silver wound badge and a couple of German states' war crosses. He came to the US after the war, became a US citizen and was a real estate dealer. Because he spoke fluent French and German he was appointed as a Captain in the US Army and served as a Civil Affairs Officer in France and Germany during 1944 and 1945 receiving a US Bronze Star Medal. He is the one who started me in medal collecting when I was a high school student. I wish I had taken a photo of his medal group. Regards, Gunner 1

[Paul R]

As a teen ager I lived next door to a man from the German-speaking part of Switzerland who served as an artillery balloon observer in the German Army during World War I, winning the Iron Cross 1st and 2nd Class, the silver wound badge and a couple of German states' war crosses. He came to the US after the war, became a US citizen and was a real estate dealer. Because he spoke fluent French and German he was appointed as a Captain in the US Army and served as a Civil Affairs Officer in France and Germany during 1944 and 1945 receiving a US Bronze Star Medal. He is the one who started me in medal collecting when I was a high school student. I wish I had taken a photo of his medal group. Regards, Gunner 1

Perfect!! You actually remember seeing his decorations? Were they all mounted together(US and German medals)?

I am surprised that he served in Europe(with a Commission no less) during the actual hostilities. Did the Balloon Observers have badges?

[Gunner 1]

His German medals were on a German style medal bar and the US BSM and campaign medals were separate and in their issue boxes when I last saw them. There was also a set of officers' shoulder straps with an artillery shell and if remember correctly some type of "wings" on them. Gunner 1

[Naxos]

There was also a set of officers' shoulder straps with an artillery shell and if remember correctly some type of "wings" on them.

Fliegerabwehr (FLAK)

[Viribus Unitis]

As far as I know there were polish who fought in WWI in the Austro-hungarian Army and later on fought under the British. The most prominent was General Stanisław Sosabowski.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanis%C5%82aw_Sosabowski

http://www.sosabowski.com/generalcv.html

http://js2031.y0.pl/sosabowski.html

[Paul R]

It is interesting that it is mentioned that General Stanisław Sosabowski won just about every Austrian award available to an NCO, but there is not a listing of them. He also does not wear any of them on his WW2 uniform. Did he get the Prussian EK2? The one photo on the last link has him only wearing the Austrian medals.

Regards

Paul

[Viribus Unitis]

I don't think he got the EK 2 because he was an NCO. The EK2 was only awarded to Officers, the NCO got the Allgemeines Ehrenzeichen. BUt on the picture you see him wearing either the Golden or the Big Silver Bravery Medal, the small silver and the bronze one. Which if you add the KTK and probably the Wounded Medal is close to what a NCO could get as awards.

Edited December 26, 2008 by Viribus Unitis

[peter monahan]

Are there any groupings or evidence that suggests any German WW1 Vets that fought as Americans in WW2? If there is any evidence of this(I would be surprised if there were not), lets see it here!

Again, not exactly what you asked, but there was at least one serving officer of the Canadian Army in the 1950's-1970's who had come to Canada just post-WWII and was in fact entitled to an Iron Cross earned in the last year of the war. The speculation revolved around whether he could legally have worn it on his Cdn Forces uniform, though I can't recall now whether he ever did. I suspect not.

Edited December 28, 2008 by peter monahan

[Paul R]

Again, not exactly what you asked, but there was at least one serving officer of the Canadian Army in the 1950's-1970's who had come to Canada just post-WWII and was in fact entitled to an Iron Cross earned in the last year of the war. The speculation revolved around whether he could legally have worn it on his Cdn Forces uniform, though I can't recall now whether he ever did. I suspect not.

Great stuff guys. Yes Peter, this is relevant. I will change the title to Replying to German WW1 Vets that Fight in WW2 as Allies.

[Ed_Haynes]

Again, not exactly what you asked, but there was at least one serving officer of the Canadian Army in the 1950's-1970's who had come to Canada just post-WWII and was in fact entitled to an Iron Cross earned in the last year of the war. The speculation revolved around whether he could legally have worn it on his Cdn Forces uniform, though I can't recall now whether he ever did. I suspect not.

If a Canadian national, and therefore a Crown Subject, he couldn't wear this Iron Cross without permission of The Queen. Somehow, I doubt she would grant this permission, especially for an enemy award.