My friend was a ball turret gunner in a B-17. He was shot down over Austria in 1944. He lost his flying boots in the bail out and landed in the snowy mountains. He was forced to march barefooted in the dead of winter for many days, at the start of the march a German soldier gave him a pair of boots, thus saving his life.
You brought a tear to my eye. But all the people who lived through the war had similar experiences from their enemy. Because they were humans on all sides.
This just shows again that war is nothing but bitter geriatrics sacrificing their youth for the sake of their egos. When I was about 7, I met a WW 2 vet at a airshow. South Africa had to serve with England back then so off he went to fly Spitfires. On one sortie over occupied France, he got lost. Coincidentally there was a Messerschmidt who got lost as well. Long story short they both shot each other down and bailed, no injuries, landed in the same field. Emptied their service pistols at each other but due to adrenaline or shock neither of them hit squat so they fisticuffs for a bit until it became dark. So they set off in opposite directions and that night a storm broke out. They must have stumbled bout in a circle but ended up finding this dilapidated bridge, first the vet I spoke with and then the German. The German recognized him and said in English "not you again", our Vet answered him back with "don't follow me home, I don't need a pet". They sat glaring at each other till cold and hunger drove them to get their rations out, they shared, swapped cigarettes. The Vet shared that he's an Afrikaner and didn't want to fight for the English but conscription is conscription. The German remarked that God can damn the war and he'd rather be working with his father on their small farm in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, fighting was the better alternative than telling the "Fuhrer" no. Next morning the Vet woke to find the German's Luger next to him and a hand drawn map with their approx location and the closest crossing point into Vichy France. I didn't believe him until he showed me a box with his memorabilia, the hand drawn map with distances between towns and the Luger.
I was born on a small farm in the North of England in 1944, when I was six years old I took a stick and hit a horse on its rear end and it kicked me in the head, my mother and father were out but we had a German POW called Heinz working for us. Heinz found me and carried me for two miles to the local cottage hospital, I had a cracked skull, fortunately, I survived but never saw Heinz again as he was repatriated back home to Germany. In 1990 my son Edward was living in Germany on secondment, my lady friend and I visited Edward and during the day whilst he was at work we would walk the countryside. One very hot day we came to a very small village that seemed empty, only the door to a small bar was open, we went inside to cool down and get a drink, a gentleman came from the back and asked what we wanted to drink, we said any small beer as neither spoke German, when the owner came back he asked where we were from and we told him England. As we drank our beer he disappeared and came back holding a small buff-colored postcard which he handed to me, it was obviously a British Government issue, he then translated the message on the back, it was from his father who was then a POW in England, this card was of great sentimental importance to the son. Through a great deal of effort, I told the owner my story of Heinz and we both teared up it was so emotional, we hugged as we left with the promise if we ever came back to Germany we would visit him again.
There are many "woke" youtubers who comment on my videos about how horrible all the Germans were and how their missing soldiers do not deserve to be found, etc. Your experience, just as that of numerous others who actually lived through that troubled period, says another story. Do you perhaps have any written documents on which Heinz's name may be written?
@@CrocodileTear Unfortunately not, though I did ask on numerous occasions. During Heinz's time at the farm, my father purchased a new machine for cutting the hay made by an English company called Bamfords of Uttoxeter after unpacking they had to remove the gearbox cover to fill it with oil. Mr. Stephenson Heinz called out, "In Germany if I was to cut such gears I would be shot".
Mr. Freeman did a wonderful act of reconciliation. I was so touched by the words in the letter from the children of the German solider: "Our father was in 1945 just 30 years old, when he came back at home. No father, no mother, no wife and at last no job. He started a new life... illness on his body and soul." He managed to put a life together, raised a family and has descendents. I hope that we can all remember that when our politicians decide for war, they are killing people with the same hopes, dreams, needs and worries as we have.
From returning a long lost watch to finding the remains of long lost soldiers. You are a incredible man Jean, may God Bless you for the great work you do.
Vielen Dank für diese großartige Tat. Eine tolle und berührende Geschichte. Nach vielen Jahren wurde ein Kreis geschlossen und die Uhr kehrte heim. Schade, das der Besitzer sie nicht mehr selbst in Empfang nehmen konnte. Sehr ehrenhaft!
Once again you astound me and I'm sure everyone that follows your videos. What a touching letter the German lady sent to the Freemans. I agree with you, this is a healing of very bad time in history.
What this story perfectly demonstrates is that, no matter what evils men embroiled in hateful acts of bloody conflict in foreign parts have endured. There remains elements of human decency and concern for others that are retained beyond those times when hating your enemy was the norm. Whilst we’ll never know just how Mayer’s rather, undistinguished watch came into Freeman’s possession, only later to be taken half way round the world and then be cherished in his family enough to warrant the costs of repair. It took all this effort and happy coincidence to reveal its secrets and emerge to be an actual example of shared concern for others across the nations by the surviving descendants of their relatives who one time bitter enemies. A case of ‘Omnia Vincit Amor’ if ever there was one. Thanks for sharing this uplifting story.
It's too bad that the people can't force their leaders to fight instead of the other way around. If it were so, war would be a far more infrequent affair than it is today.
Yes. It is a pity the man himself wasn't alive to see his watch again and to tell how he was parted from it? (probably when he had his hands up as he was taken prisoner-of-war) But it is the creation of the computer & Internet that makes international communication so easy. I think you mightn't have accomplished this is the 1970s-1980s!! 👍
Crocodiletear , thank you for content like this, it restores my faith in humanity. Your work probably resonates with me as I have seen too much war and far too much suffering; I come to your channel for stories just like this one. I’m very grateful. LTC Downey US Army(Ret)
Prononciation of "Quirin" is quite correct. Yes indeed, that name is very, very rare. Keep up the good work. The stories of our ancestors fighting in WW2 are always touching my heart for my grandfather a Feldwebel (Sergeant) fell in 1942, so I never got to know him. Greetings from a former Sergeant of the Bundeswehr 🤝🏻
It seems that that GI wasn't only be a war hero but also a thief, ripping of a german he captured. This happen't often. There was a saying 'that Germany was fighting for territory, England for the sea, France for patriotism, and Americans for souvenirs'. Edit: a french saying
My Dad (Australian) made friends with an American soldier (G A Williams) from Georgia USA, I discovered his dog tag when going through my Dads kit bag that he brought back from the war. I did my very best to try and track down any remaining family members related to this man but sadly, I was told that there were no known members left alive. This was a very sad moment for me as I would have loved to send this item back to them in memory of his service. I shall keep this dog tag in my possession and protect it.
Thank you Jean-Loup for this story and thanks to Mr Freeman for wanting to return the watch to the family. It's probably not worth much, but it is the sentiment that counts and is immeasurable.
This has quickly become my favorite channel on youtube! Your videos really humanize the soldiers in the war, and it is fascinating to see these crossing stories after decades. Thank you for this research!
@@CrocodileTearunfortunately not everyone shares this attitude…. Thank you SO much for your effort and all the little details that bring back humanity to that dark part of our history. Mercy beaucoup, Jean!!
As a German, I can give a hint about the name. Surnames and first names vary greatly from region to region. While in southern Germany, children were often given the names of saints and martyrs, children from northern Germany were given more Nordic and Germanic names. Although the name Meier is very common in the German-speaking world, there are regional differences in the spelling, with the pronunciation being almost the same. While the spellings with "e" are more common in the north (Meier, Meyer), the "a" variants are more common in the south (Maier, Mayer), even in the Alps (Mair, Mayr). The name Quirin may be very unusual today (perfect pronunciation, by the way), but it was more common back then in the foothills of the Alps. However, the name Quirin went out of fashion in the 1920s. Even today, the name still appears occasionally, albeit regionally. I think that our Quirin "inherited" his name from his father or grandfather. For me, our Quirin Mayer is a typical example of how names are linked to the region they come from. But I would have guessed its origin 100km further south.
I stumbled upon this Utube channel recently and I have been enjoying it ever since . People don’t think about fighting in the French Riviera but it was truly a sleepy back water for lucky Germans until it wasn’t !
This was once again mightily interesting, it’s so exhilarating and interesting to see these old strands of history traced through the void of time….and what a touching end to this one. That letter was so sincere and deep.
Another great story Jean-Loup, one with a happy ending. A video that shows the goodness in humanity and of course the hard work you put in, all the very best to you 😊😊😊
How wonderful that the watch found its way back into the care of the family of the original owner family. It must mean a great deal to the family to have something so special to remember their father.
What a very moving story. I watch your channel from time to time, its very interesting but at the same time quite sad and depressing. To think of the countless thousands of soldiers from both World Wars (and previous wars) who are listed as missing is tragic. The good folk who go looking for these lost souls deserve a medal for sure.
Just a note how things in life can be relative! My father was a Royal Yugoslav Navy officer i.e. a POW in Oflag 64. Towards the end of the war, Oflag 64 was moved in long marches across Poland towards eastern Germany. During this march the prisoners hunger was getting worse, my father gave his watch to a guard for a loaf of bread!
A great grandfather on my inlaws side was 107 SQ and was shot down by Oblt gerhard framm in 1940 during a bombing raid on maaastritch bridges , he was a pow stalag 357 in Poland and part of a long march when they moved stalag 357, somewhere near saxonyHe was raf but 600yrs before his family came to England from saxony and settled in Hampshire and isle of wight a very long line of mariners all who served in navy or merchant navy or were trinity Harbour pilots , hes the only one to have gone into raf , so he ended up near where his ancestors had come from all those centuries ago. He lived till 2006 and Oblt gerhard Framm I know was still alive in 1991, the night he shot down our great grandfather he took down his blenheim plus another blenheim and a hurricane .
Soldiers would also forcibly take watches and other stuff from prisoners , not much you could do about it ! A Croat guard tried to take my old mans watch when they were coming through the gates of his new home Stalag XV-111A . The Germans treated them very well > down to the very last letter of the Geneva convention, they even ate the same food as the guards. klagenfurtpow.blogspot.com/2015/12/photo-gallery.html
@@sheepsfoot2 Your website about Stalag XVIIIA is very interesting, I always wanted to find more information about the lives of non-Jewish and Russian prisoners, the good treatment within what was possible is clear.
Wonderful conclusion to the efforts of Mr. Freeman and yourself. It amazing how that watch preserved and told a story that had been lost with the passage with time. Thank you for all you do.
Thankyou for this story, great outcome. My late husband came from Breslau, such family fractures.. His father was Air Mechanic.. Those who survived had long term trauma. Respect 🙏 ❤️🇦🇺
I always enjoy watching your channel. Thank you for your dedication and extraordinary research capabilities which you are willing to share with so many people.
🙏 Thank You So Much for taking the time & effort for returning this watch of many memories back to their rightful families ... Hated these selfish ego maniac dictators whom started conflicts & wars that lead to so many men , women & children to suffered , injured & died ... May the innocents be blessed to a better world & realm ... Let's the Gods & Goddesses of Universal Justice & Punishment do Their work to bring those war criminals to justice! 🕯🌎🕊
Found your channel not too long ago, and enjoyed all of your videos where you identified missing soldiers. I am also very into horology so i really like the mix with both watches and you researching who it belonged to. 😃
You did fantastic work in research. I am impressed by your effort over many years of your work on many cases. This history feels far more relatable than what we learn in school or textbooks. I feel sad that this information for research is primarily available only in Europe and America. I have family members fighting in China during the war, and they told me that most families would never know what had happened to their beloved ones during the chaos.
Usually, the more oppressive a government is, the more precise its archives are. But the next question is of course to know if those archives are made public... Before 2019 the German archives were a black hole.
Those research stories always are intersting, Thank You. With the research tool of the Kriegsgräberfürsorge I researched the fate of two of my great uncles. While it did not bring up any new findings, it was mentioned, that one of them was carved into a memorial site in Russia. I found a Video on UA-cam of someone walking that side and managed to pause it, to actually read his name on one stone. I showed this to my father and even though my father never got to know them, it triggered a quite delighted response from him, which shows me what a deep impact the loss of his brothers made in the upbringing in my grand fathers family.
@@CrocodileTear Nope, it was a different one. Also the video was made by a Russian. One often recalled story was that my grandfather and my great uncles had a heated debate about how to act as catholics being conscripted for a bad cause. My Great uncles argued, to become officers for being able to change even a little, while my grandfather argued, that officers also have to follow orders and he'd do the bare minimum demanded from him.
Very well done, sir! Having lost 3/4 of my ancestors during WW2 and doing research for over 25 years, there's always a new missing link to be found. The Volksbund is doing a great job to support these findings...
Croc you are the best! There has never been an upload you've done that has not been absolutely fascinating, occasionally funny, sometimes sad &, with this one, 12mins.35 seconds that pull at the heart strings. May our amazing European nations never go to war again & long may America be our great friend & ally! Love to all from his Britannic Majesty's UK.
Thanks a lot. It sounds like your dad kept a "cut off" German eagle. It it is rigid, then it is for the army. If it looks like an actualy flying eagle, it is for the air force.
@@CrocodileTear Cheers mate! 👍 It is rigid so army which would correlate with him encountering ground forces on the push up through France. He never really talked about the war at all save for a funny story relating to someone not having a mess tin. I think he had a relatively "easy war" if such a thing could be imagined.
Thank you for your assistance at world peace in another generation. We are after all from the same planet and should seek to help one another survive as best we can.
Simple stories like this speak to the beauty and heart of humanity. So many these days think humans are without redemption. We can be great to one another. We just have to make the effort and feed the right wolf.
Another wonderful wartime artefact search. Thanks for all the work that you do. You teach us of the horrors of war and that all war is a dreadful waste of lives and the world. Keep up you research efforts. I look forward to your next video. Greetings from the sunny Caribbean.
You should have way more than 71.7K subscribers, you've been around for quite awhile now.I'm disappointed. Its a one of a kind, very interesting channel, that puzzles me.the word about this channel needs to get out there more.Anybody that's into WW2 history would love your channel, I sure do,👍
Wonderful story! I like to imagine Quirin's anger at having his watch (presumably) taken from him was slightly meliorated by the knowledge that its rightful owner might one day be revealed.
Came here by the YT Recommendation and this was a really lovely story until I heard "Hechingen" (close to where I live). It even got worse as I read "Wessingen" (where I lived couple years ago) and in the end "Bisingen" (where I live currently). You always hear all those storys and, at least me, think "it all seems so far away and completly distant" but in the end this whole planet is just a bigger neighborhood.
The sentiment expressed in this letter, though short and in what little english the writer could probably muster, is a very common one in germany. Understandably, none of our grandfathers ever wanted to talk about the war, what led to it or how it ended for them. And even if they did, they would only talk about the bits they could bear remembering. Because even though this was not understood back then, most of them suffered from PTSD - but worse than that, they had to carry the shame of knowledge that came with the liberating armies. To this day I don't know what _exactly_ my grandfather knew about the camps and the atrocities committed by the SS, but having been witness to his tears whenever he was forced to remember his service (which he weas pressed into as a young man, because he was a land surveyor by trade and was found to be exellent at directing fire for artillery because of that training) I simply can't believe that he knew the full truth before the US soldiers showed him during captivity. Still, most germans know more about the war from history classes in school than from their relatives who are contemporary witnesses. And most of us are unsure weather we ever _want_ to know...
While hearing the stories from the people that lived through such experiences are fascinating it can be extremely painful for the person to tell their story. (As you experienced with your grandfather) My grandfather served in the Pacific Theater. My father said my grandfather absolutely had PTSD. (I never knew my grandfather as he passed when I was an infant) In 2004 I went overseas. After I came home my mother would tell my father "He is different. He has changed. What happened to him?". My father has never asked anything about my time overseas. He doesn't need too. He has already lived with someone that has experienced war and how it affected them. All he could tell my mother is "Yes, he has changed and who we have now may get better in the future but he will never be the person he was before he went overseas". My mother passed away in 2017 still never fully understanding why I was not the son she knew before war. I could never tell her either. There are things a mother does not need to hear. My wife and children don't know much either. It is not for them to know.
Thank you and everyone involved in finding and returning the watch to the family of this German soldier. It closes the circle for many on both sides of this terrible but fading conflict.
Just found your channel thank you. Yes wonderful stories like the watch gives me good goosebumps,I to keep looking for information about my dad who was in the German army,got wounded,recovered to join the war again and came home. Living in Australia is a long way from Berlin but I keep trying. Thank you cheers from Australia.
Great story. A quick technical note: unteroffizier is not a commissioned rank. In the Luftwaffe it was equivalent to corporal. The rank is still in use: a few years ago, as an RAF corporal I took part in an exchange with the Luftwaffe, and was referred to as stabsunteroffizier, which is between corporal and sergeant. Both unteroffizier and stabsunteroffizier are NCO ranks.
My friend was a ball turret gunner in a B-17. He was shot down over Austria in 1944. He lost his flying boots in the bail out and landed in the snowy mountains. He was forced to march barefooted in the dead of winter for many days, at the start of the march a German soldier gave him a pair of boots, thus saving his life.
You brought a tear to my eye.
But all the people who lived through the war had similar experiences from their enemy. Because they were humans on all sides.
This just shows again that war is nothing but bitter geriatrics sacrificing their youth for the sake of their egos.
When I was about 7, I met a WW 2 vet at a airshow. South Africa had to serve with England back then so off he went to fly Spitfires. On one sortie over occupied France, he got lost. Coincidentally there was a Messerschmidt who got lost as well. Long story short they both shot each other down and bailed, no injuries, landed in the same field. Emptied their service pistols at each other but due to adrenaline or shock neither of them hit squat so they fisticuffs for a bit until it became dark. So they set off in opposite directions and that night a storm broke out. They must have stumbled bout in a circle but ended up finding this dilapidated bridge, first the vet I spoke with and then the German. The German recognized him and said in English "not you again", our Vet answered him back with "don't follow me home, I don't need a pet". They sat glaring at each other till cold and hunger drove them to get their rations out, they shared, swapped cigarettes. The Vet shared that he's an Afrikaner and didn't want to fight for the English but conscription is conscription. The German remarked that God can damn the war and he'd rather be working with his father on their small farm in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, fighting was the better alternative than telling the "Fuhrer" no. Next morning the Vet woke to find the German's Luger next to him and a hand drawn map with their approx location and the closest crossing point into Vichy France. I didn't believe him until he showed me a box with his memorabilia, the hand drawn map with distances between towns and the Luger.
I was born on a small farm in the North of England in 1944, when I was six years old I took a stick and hit a horse on its rear end and it kicked me in the head, my mother and father were out but we had a German POW called Heinz working for us. Heinz found me and carried me for two miles to the local cottage hospital, I had a cracked skull, fortunately, I survived but never saw Heinz again as he was repatriated back home to Germany. In 1990 my son Edward was living in Germany on secondment, my lady friend and I visited Edward and during the day whilst he was at work we would walk the countryside. One very hot day we came to a very small village that seemed empty, only the door to a small bar was open, we went inside to cool down and get a drink, a gentleman came from the back and asked what we wanted to drink, we said any small beer as neither spoke German, when the owner came back he asked where we were from and we told him England. As we drank our beer he disappeared and came back holding a small buff-colored postcard which he handed to me, it was obviously a British Government issue, he then translated the message on the back, it was from his father who was then a POW in England, this card was of great sentimental importance to the son. Through a great deal of effort, I told the owner my story of Heinz and we both teared up it was so emotional, we hugged as we left with the promise if we ever came back to Germany we would visit him again.
There are many "woke" youtubers who comment on my videos about how horrible all the Germans were and how their missing soldiers do not deserve to be found, etc. Your experience, just as that of numerous others who actually lived through that troubled period, says another story.
Do you perhaps have any written documents on which Heinz's name may be written?
@@CrocodileTear the winners write the history books...The Gwere the good guys
@@CrocodileTear Unfortunately not, though I did ask on numerous occasions. During Heinz's time at the farm, my father purchased a new machine for cutting the hay made by an English company called Bamfords of Uttoxeter after unpacking they had to remove the gearbox cover to fill it with oil. Mr. Stephenson Heinz called out, "In Germany if I was to cut such gears I would be shot".
@@africadreamin It is probable that the presence of a POW left a paper trail somewhere: town hall archives, police archives, etc.
lovely. being in a bad situation or making some bad choices, can be outweighed by better choices and good deeds.
Mr. Freeman did a wonderful act of reconciliation.
I was so touched by the words in the letter from the children of the German solider: "Our father was in 1945 just 30 years old, when he came back at home. No father, no mother, no wife and at last no job. He started a new life... illness on his body and soul."
He managed to put a life together, raised a family and has descendents. I hope that we can all remember that when our politicians decide for war, they are killing people with the same hopes, dreams, needs and worries as we have.
From returning a long lost watch to finding the remains of long lost soldiers.
You are a incredible man Jean, may God Bless you for the great work you do.
You do incredible work. I salute you for all that you do for people you've never met, who lived in a different era. Thank you on their behalf.
Vielen Dank für diese großartige Tat. Eine tolle und berührende Geschichte. Nach vielen Jahren wurde ein Kreis geschlossen und die Uhr kehrte heim. Schade, das der Besitzer sie nicht mehr selbst in Empfang nehmen konnte. Sehr ehrenhaft!
Once again you astound me and I'm sure everyone that follows your videos. What a touching letter the German lady sent to the
Freemans. I agree with you, this is a healing of very bad time in history.
So touching. My grandpa is still missing in russia. Keep on your great work. I appreciate!
I hope your Grandfather is found one day soon.RIP.👍✌
So sorry. I pray one day someone will find out something. Keep the faith. ❤
My grand Uncle also 😔 he is missed in Stalingrad
🌵❤️🌵
Peace to him Hajo.
☹️😢🇺🇸
What a beautiful story! It must warm your heart to be able to help these families, Jean Loup!
Indeed it does.
Brother. Keep up the good work. These videos are absolutely the highlight of my day when you upload. Cheers.
What this story perfectly demonstrates is that, no matter what evils men embroiled in hateful acts of bloody conflict in foreign parts have endured. There remains elements of human decency and concern for others that are retained beyond those times when hating your enemy was the norm. Whilst we’ll never know just how Mayer’s rather, undistinguished watch came into Freeman’s possession, only later to be taken half way round the world and then be cherished in his family enough to warrant the costs of repair. It took all this effort and happy coincidence to reveal its secrets and emerge to be an actual example of shared concern for others across the nations by the surviving descendants of their relatives who one time bitter enemies. A case of ‘Omnia Vincit Amor’ if ever there was one. Thanks for sharing this uplifting story.
It's too bad that the people can't force their leaders to fight instead of the other way around. If it were so, war would be a far more infrequent affair than it is today.
Love listening to these videos with all the history behind it. Great work!
Your a hero for doing this. Thank you.
Thank you for the work you do, Jean. Mr Freeman's letters were lovely, but the families letter at the end brought me to tears.
Ah…yes…me too.
Indeed, me as well.
Yes. It is a pity the man himself wasn't alive to see his watch again and to tell how he was parted from it? (probably when he had his hands up as he was taken prisoner-of-war)
But it is the creation of the computer & Internet that makes international communication so easy. I think you mightn't have accomplished this is the 1970s-1980s!! 👍
Crocodiletear , thank you for content like this, it restores my faith in humanity. Your work probably resonates with me as I have seen too much war and far too much suffering; I come to your channel for stories just like this one. I’m very grateful. LTC Downey US Army(Ret)
Thank you Sir!
Prononciation of "Quirin" is quite correct. Yes indeed, that name is very, very rare.
Keep up the good work. The stories of our ancestors fighting in WW2 are always touching my heart for my grandfather a Feldwebel (Sergeant) fell in 1942, so I never got to know him.
Greetings from a former Sergeant of the Bundeswehr 🤝🏻
Great story. The details of how the watch exchanged hands in 1945 are most certainly best left to only those involved.
It seems that that GI wasn't only be a war hero but also a thief, ripping of a german he captured. This happen't often. There was a saying 'that Germany was fighting for territory, England for the sea, France for patriotism, and Americans for souvenirs'.
Edit: a french saying
My father, aged 17 at the end of WWII, reported that American soldiers sometimes had several watches at their wrist. Guess where they got them.
And your proof?@@m.r.3912
@@m.r.3912the watch could have been sold or traded. Why are you immediately assuming the worst?
@@carolblair5514Because it’s an American soldier in question so they will automatically assume the worst regardless of the circumstances.
My Dad (Australian) made friends with an American soldier (G A Williams) from Georgia USA, I discovered his dog tag when going through my Dads kit bag that he brought back from the war. I did my very best to try and track down any remaining family members related to this man but sadly, I was told that there were no known members left alive. This was a very sad moment for me as I would have loved to send this item back to them in memory of his service.
I shall keep this dog tag in my possession and protect it.
Who did the checking for you?
I would be interested to look into this if you can mail me a photo of the ID tag, or of its inscriptions.
Thank you Jean-Loup for this story and thanks to Mr Freeman for wanting to return the watch to the family. It's probably not worth much, but it is the sentiment that counts and is immeasurable.
I looked it up, it was a very good brand and now runs in the hundreds to over a thousand. Condition is everything though.
The condition is not so important when there is a verified history attached. Collectors prefer this to condition sometimes.
Another touching story , thank you for your efforts , we all grow for the best with your work.
I study at Wuppertal and work in Düsseldorf, it was fascinating to see a part of history so close to my home.
This has quickly become my favorite channel on youtube! Your videos really humanize the soldiers in the war, and it is fascinating to see these crossing stories after decades. Thank you for this research!
Soldiers dont need to be humanized as they are all humans .
@@CrocodileTearunfortunately not everyone shares this attitude…. Thank you SO much for your effort and all the little details that bring back humanity to that dark part of our history. Mercy beaucoup, Jean!!
That's how you spell Beaucoup.
Thanks a lot
Mercy beaucoup
As a German, I can give a hint about the name. Surnames and first names vary greatly from region to region. While in southern Germany, children were often given the names of saints and martyrs, children from northern Germany were given more Nordic and Germanic names.
Although the name Meier is very common in the German-speaking world, there are regional differences in the spelling, with the pronunciation being almost the same. While the spellings with "e" are more common in the north (Meier, Meyer), the "a" variants are more common in the south (Maier, Mayer), even in the Alps (Mair, Mayr).
The name Quirin may be very unusual today (perfect pronunciation, by the way), but it was more common back then in the foothills of the Alps. However, the name Quirin went out of fashion in the 1920s. Even today, the name still appears occasionally, albeit regionally.
I think that our Quirin "inherited" his name from his father or grandfather.
For me, our Quirin Mayer is a typical example of how names are linked to the region they come from. But I would have guessed its origin 100km further south.
I stumbled upon this Utube channel recently and I have been enjoying it ever since . People don’t think about fighting in the French Riviera but it was truly a sleepy back water for lucky Germans until it wasn’t !
Thank you for the work you do. Those people who lived, and often died, to make a better future for all of us deserve to be remembered
This was once again mightily interesting, it’s so exhilarating and interesting to see these old strands of history traced through the void of time….and what a touching end to this one. That letter was so sincere and deep.
Another great story Jean-Loup, one with a happy ending. A video that shows the goodness in humanity and of course the hard work you put in, all the very best to you 😊😊😊
Touched my heart...thank you for this upload...peace to all...
How wonderful that the watch found its way back into the care of the family of the original owner family. It must mean a great deal to the family to have something so special to remember their father.
That’s why you always put your name on stuff.
Outstanding outcome in a touching story. Well done sir
Thank you for posting this....and for your good efforts to bring peace to families still nursing open wounds from that terrible war. God bless.
What a very moving story. I watch your channel from time to time, its very interesting but at the same time quite sad and depressing. To think of the countless thousands of soldiers from both World Wars (and previous wars) who are listed as missing is tragic. The good folk who go looking for these lost souls deserve a medal for sure.
Just a note how things in life can be relative! My father was a Royal Yugoslav Navy officer i.e. a POW in Oflag 64. Towards the end of the war, Oflag 64 was moved in long marches across Poland towards eastern Germany. During this march the prisoners hunger was getting worse, my father gave his watch to a guard for a loaf of bread!
A great grandfather on my inlaws side was 107 SQ and was shot down by Oblt gerhard framm in 1940 during a bombing raid on maaastritch bridges , he was a pow stalag 357 in Poland and part of a long march when they moved stalag 357, somewhere near saxonyHe was raf but 600yrs before his family came to England from saxony and settled in Hampshire and isle of wight a very long line of mariners all who served in navy or merchant navy or were trinity Harbour pilots , hes the only one to have gone into raf , so he ended up near where his ancestors had come from all those centuries ago. He lived till 2006 and Oblt gerhard Framm I know was still alive in 1991, the night he shot down our great grandfather he took down his blenheim plus another blenheim and a hurricane .
Soldiers would also forcibly take watches and other stuff from prisoners , not much you could do about it !
A Croat guard tried to take my old mans watch when they were coming through the gates of his new home Stalag XV-111A .
The Germans treated them very well > down to the very last letter of the Geneva convention, they even ate the same food as the guards.
klagenfurtpow.blogspot.com/2015/12/photo-gallery.html
@@sheepsfoot2 Very interessant! War is very variable experience.
@@sheepsfoot2 Your website about Stalag XVIIIA is very interesting, I always wanted to find more information about the lives of non-Jewish and Russian prisoners, the good treatment within what was possible is clear.
Incredible work, the story just touched my heart. I don't know why your channel is underrated you are doing a work. Love and respect ❤️
Great research job. Well done ! History comes back to live. Greetings from Germany.
Wonderful conclusion to the efforts of Mr. Freeman and yourself. It amazing how that watch preserved and told a story that had been lost with the passage with time. Thank you for all you do.
Thankyou for this story, great outcome. My late husband came from Breslau, such family fractures.. His father was Air Mechanic.. Those who survived had long term trauma. Respect 🙏 ❤️🇦🇺
Thank you for this very touching story. You really walked the extra mile with this watch. That is admirable.
This was a really cool thing to do. Good for you and him to have brought this piece of their family history back to them!
This is a beautiful story. Thank you for sharing it.
Another great story. Thanks for doing this.
Fascinating story!
I always enjoy watching your channel. Thank you for your dedication and extraordinary research capabilities which you are willing to share with so many people.
🙏 Thank You So Much for taking the time & effort for returning this watch of many memories back to their rightful families ... Hated these selfish ego maniac dictators whom started conflicts & wars that lead to so many men , women & children to suffered , injured & died ... May the innocents be blessed to a better world & realm ... Let's the Gods & Goddesses of Universal Justice & Punishment do Their work to bring those war criminals to justice! 🕯🌎🕊
Another amazing story snatched from the hands of old man time. Love your channel.
ALWAYS GREAT STORIES FROM YOU.THANK YOU
Found your channel not too long ago, and enjoyed all of your videos where you identified missing soldiers. I am also very into horology so i really like the mix with both watches and you researching who it belonged to. 😃
This is the absolute best ww2 channel. By far. Time to binge and watch every single video.
Great story and thank you for sharing it!
An intriguing story and touching letter - thanks for enabling this exchange.
Outstanding. Stellar! I mean, just wow! Thank you for this video.
You did fantastic work in research. I am impressed by your effort over many years of your work on many cases. This history feels far more relatable than what we learn in school or textbooks. I feel sad that this information for research is primarily available only in Europe and America. I have family members fighting in China during the war, and they told me that most families would never know what had happened to their beloved ones during the chaos.
Usually, the more oppressive a government is, the more precise its archives are. But the next question is of course to know if those archives are made public... Before 2019 the German archives were a black hole.
@@CrocodileTear "Before 2019 the German archives were a black hole".
Seriously? Was it due to EU or German privacy laws or some other reason?
@@slavabtomat It was German privacy laws.
Those research stories always are intersting, Thank You. With the research tool of the Kriegsgräberfürsorge I researched the fate of two of my great uncles. While it did not bring up any new findings, it was mentioned, that one of them was carved into a memorial site in Russia. I found a Video on UA-cam of someone walking that side and managed to pause it, to actually read his name on one stone. I showed this to my father and even though my father never got to know them, it triggered a quite delighted response from him, which shows me what a deep impact the loss of his brothers made in the upbringing in my grand fathers family.
Was one of your uncles buried at Rossoschka cemetery? Because I made a video walking around that whole monument.
@@CrocodileTear Nope, it was a different one. Also the video was made by a Russian. One often recalled story was that my grandfather and my great uncles had a heated debate about how to act as catholics being conscripted for a bad cause. My Great uncles argued, to become officers for being able to change even a little, while my grandfather argued, that officers also have to follow orders and he'd do the bare minimum demanded from him.
Absolutely brillant effort & result again 👌
Job bloody well done, mate..
Excellent work! Thank you for all your efforts!
I'm touched. God bless you!
Great story. Thank you for sharing.
That's just absolutely amazing & so glad it's posted, thanks!😃🇺🇸
A very touching story. My compliments to all of you!
Very well done, sir! Having lost 3/4 of my ancestors during WW2 and doing research for over 25 years, there's always a new missing link to be found. The Volksbund is doing a great job to support these findings...
The Volksbund archives are not open to the public, I think that gives a good idea in their interest to support researchers.
How wonderful is that! And such a beautiful letter at the end!
Thank you for humanizing the personal sacrifices made by ordinary people during a cataclysmic event such as the war in Europe
Youre an amazing bloke for doing this.
Thank you. I really enjoy these stories.
Croc you are the best!
There has never been an upload you've done that has not been absolutely fascinating, occasionally funny, sometimes sad &, with this one, 12mins.35 seconds that pull at the heart strings.
May our amazing European nations never go to war again & long may America be our great friend & ally!
Love to all from his Britannic Majesty's UK.
Thanks a lot. It sounds like your dad kept a "cut off" German eagle. It it is rigid, then it is for the army. If it looks like an actualy flying eagle, it is for the air force.
@@CrocodileTear
Cheers mate! 👍
It is rigid so army which would correlate with him encountering ground forces on the push up through France.
He never really talked about the war at all save for a funny story relating to someone not having a mess tin.
I think he had a relatively "easy war" if such a thing could be imagined.
I just visited friedns yesterday in Wessingen/Bisingen.... Great, touching story. Thank you for that and thanks to Mr. Freeman.
Thank you for your assistance at world peace in another generation. We are after all from the same planet and should seek to help one another survive as best we can.
Thank you for another great video, and for all the good work you do!
Simple stories like this speak to the beauty and heart of humanity. So many these days think humans are without redemption. We can be great to one another. We just have to make the effort and feed the right wolf.
Another wonderful wartime artefact search. Thanks for all the work that you do. You teach us of the horrors of war and that all war is a dreadful waste of lives and the world. Keep up you research efforts. I look forward to your next video. Greetings from the sunny Caribbean.
Amazing story, amazing job done! Thank you for sharing.
what an important work you´re doing here, Monsieur Gassend! Best regards and good luck from Germany
Such a great story with a happy ending thank you sir.
A lovely story, thanks again for your videos.
You should have way more than 71.7K subscribers, you've been around for quite awhile now.I'm disappointed. Its a one of a kind, very interesting channel, that puzzles me.the word about this channel needs to get out there more.Anybody that's into WW2 history would love your channel, I sure do,👍
Thanks mate. I have only been making videos seriously for a year.
Wonderful story thank you for sharing!
What a beautiful history..thank you for your awesome work,touch heart and soul..great
Again man what a great story you're a wonderful person
As always, a very interesting video. Thank you!
My compliments - great work!
After viewing in our living room, there is mot a dry eye here. Thank you, and thank you for what you do.
Thank you, and please watch my masterpiece video: m.ua-cam.com/video/rz6ISDEJ9EA/v-deo.html&pp=ygUYdGltZSB0cmF2ZWwgYmFjayB0byAxOTQ0
Such a wonderful story...God rest the souls of both men...
Greetings from Los Angeles, California, USA, My Friends!! Great Story!!
That is a good story and appreciate these efforts.
Just touching... always great work.
Wonderful story! I like to imagine Quirin's anger at having his watch (presumably) taken from him was slightly meliorated by the knowledge that its rightful owner might one day be revealed.
What a great story.
Unbelieveable that you found his daughter ♥
Came here by the YT Recommendation and this was a really lovely story until I heard "Hechingen" (close to where I live). It even got worse as I read "Wessingen" (where I lived couple years ago) and in the end "Bisingen" (where I live currently). You always hear all those storys and, at least me, think "it all seems so far away and completly distant" but in the end this whole planet is just a bigger neighborhood.
Wonderful story and very touching outcome. Well done.
Thank you for another great story!
The sentiment expressed in this letter, though short and in what little english the writer could probably muster, is a very common one in germany. Understandably, none of our grandfathers ever wanted to talk about the war, what led to it or how it ended for them. And even if they did, they would only talk about the bits they could bear remembering. Because even though this was not understood back then, most of them suffered from PTSD - but worse than that, they had to carry the shame of knowledge that came with the liberating armies. To this day I don't know what _exactly_ my grandfather knew about the camps and the atrocities committed by the SS, but having been witness to his tears whenever he was forced to remember his service (which he weas pressed into as a young man, because he was a land surveyor by trade and was found to be exellent at directing fire for artillery because of that training) I simply can't believe that he knew the full truth before the US soldiers showed him during captivity. Still, most germans know more about the war from history classes in school than from their relatives who are contemporary witnesses. And most of us are unsure weather we ever _want_ to know...
While hearing the stories from the people that lived through such experiences are fascinating it can be extremely painful for the person to tell their story. (As you experienced with your grandfather) My grandfather served in the Pacific Theater. My father said my grandfather absolutely had PTSD. (I never knew my grandfather as he passed when I was an infant) In 2004 I went overseas. After I came home my mother would tell my father "He is different. He has changed. What happened to him?". My father has never asked anything about my time overseas. He doesn't need too. He has already lived with someone that has experienced war and how it affected them. All he could tell my mother is "Yes, he has changed and who we have now may get better in the future but he will never be the person he was before he went overseas". My mother passed away in 2017 still never fully understanding why I was not the son she knew before war. I could never tell her either. There are things a mother does not need to hear. My wife and children don't know much either. It is not for them to know.
A very heartwarming story.
Superb, Jean-Loup. Your posts are always engaging, but also a wonderful source of information on how to progress with research. Humanity at its best.
I try to give out a little lesson in research methods or resources in each video.
Thank You Sir,
for all you do.
Vidéo toujours aussi intéressante et émouvante. Merci de partager ces histoires.
This is great story. Many thanks for persevering to unravel and sharing the story behind a German POW watch, finishing up in the USA. GRL Sydney
Thank you and everyone involved in finding and returning the watch to the family of this German soldier. It closes the circle for many on both sides of this terrible but fading conflict.
Just found your channel thank you. Yes wonderful stories like the watch gives me good goosebumps,I to keep looking for information about my dad who was in the German army,got wounded,recovered to join the war again and came home. Living in Australia is a long way from Berlin but I keep trying. Thank you cheers from Australia.
Do you have a copy of his file from the Bundesarchiv Abteilung PA?
I was not expecting an answer, thank you very much. I will gather the information and get back to you. Cheers
Great story, thanks for your important work my guy. What a coincidence that Mr Mayer was mentioned in that one article that was found online
Great story. A quick technical note: unteroffizier is not a commissioned rank. In the Luftwaffe it was equivalent to corporal. The rank is still in use: a few years ago, as an RAF corporal I took part in an exchange with the Luftwaffe, and was referred to as stabsunteroffizier, which is between corporal and sergeant. Both unteroffizier and stabsunteroffizier are NCO ranks.
Did I say "commissioned" in the video? I meant to say "promoted". As the name Unteroffizier (underofficer) indicates, it is an NCO rank indeed.