My father (1897-1970) was in the US 1st Infantry Division in WWI and WWII. He was there, along with my eldest brother (1920-2006) in the same Division. The next-eldest (1922- 2005) was there in the 82nd Airborne Division. The youngest of them (1924-1944) was killed at Bastogne with the 101st Airborne Division in December, 1944. I've walked through the Ardennes a lot, with buddies or alone during times I was stationed in Europe during my own Army career, then again on 2 memorable trips with my surviving brothers. For me it's eerie, like Civil War battlefields are for me. Hallowed Ground.
Thanks for sharing your story! It's a truely remarkable place indeed. I sometimes get this eerie feeling as well, walking there, finding relics and knowing about the history that took place there.
@@mdww2battlegroundsSome of us -- the lucky ones -- can often FEEL past events when in areas like the Ardennes. I got permits and did some detecting in Germany, the UK, France and Belgium in the 1980s. For an American, it's fascinating to find Roman, Medieval, 30 Years War, Napoleonic and WWI/ WWII artifacts in the same area, sometimes within a few meters of one another. Or even in the same holes! But it isn't the artifacts themselves. Even as a Military Archaeologist and Historian, there's still the realization that no one has touched the item since the soldier. Then wondering who he was... did he survive the battle or the war? What was his story? And looking around, envisioning what he saw many years ago.... AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: It is NOT the value of the artifacts that's important. Even with something like a spent cartridge case we should ask ourselves, "Why is this here and what can it tell us?"
Thank you very much for taking the time to produce these videos of famous American battlefields. It means so much to us Americans that are Patriotic and amateur historians. I also happen to be an avid metal detectorist for the last 38 years so I share your enthusiasm for finding a historical relic time accurate to that battle that took place there. Thank you for being sensitive to the significance of certain personal finds that you locate. It means so much to the families that lost dear family members in that battle. You are to be commended for your efforts to that end. Just know that as a frustrated metal detectorist that would love to join you I take great pleasure in viewing your excellently and thoughtful videos. Some day I would love to tell you my connection thru my father in WWII. Be safe and great luck in your journeys.
Ah, yes. The Battle of the Bulge. When American, American, American and American troops fought off a German offensive. >_> I almost thought there were many other countries involved in World W... I mean, the American German War of 1939. Uh, 42, or whenever they finally got involved.
@@randersson3672 If you're white, and not Slavic, you're Germanic. Prior to the 'diversity' push of the 60's to present escalating sharply in the last twenty years I'd say that almost all Americans were Germanic. (Note: Not all Germanic is German, although all German is Germanic, from the North Pole to the med from the British Isles to Russia all the people there were Germanic until about 1600 when the Holy Roman Empire began to bring in Slavs to displace them to stem the spread of Protestantism. This eased around the late 1700's when suddenly bankers too an interest in funding wars against the Germanic people (and between the Germanic people) often backing both sides in every western European conflict since the Prussian War. The Rothschilds for example sent messengers after the Battle of Waterloo to beat the official army messengers and claim the French won. When the French economy boomed and the British economy crashed they liquidated all their French holdings and put it into Britain, so that the next day when the truth was revealed about the lie they lost nothing and gained the Bank of England among many other holdings near entirely. Banking cartels have caused more wars than anything else in history. This is why people like the Nazis saw their main objective to remove themselves from international banking and break their hold over Europe. Winston Churchill even said that 'the greatest crime Germany had committed was removing herself from the international market and thus disabling bankers from being able to extract their dues from her.' Sometimes I wonder if any war has a valid excuse besides banking cartels wanting to profit off of our bloodshed. As they are the only winners. There's also a weird messianic sect within Judaism that wants to see Germanic people destroyed. Qaballists think that they are the 'Tribe of Amalek' (the Jewish Messiah will return when Amalek is on the verge of destruction, as his first job is to genocide what is left of them and force them into extinction), even the holocaust memorial plaque at the Hague unveiled recently reads 'Remember what Amalek has done to you. Never forget.' Not what Germany, or the Nazi's did. What Amalek has done. Interesting choice of words. The Hague is no unimportant location which begs the question; how powerful and influential are the whack jobs that believe this crazy religious conspiracy? The answer lies in the fact that almost all big banker families believe it. Enough that they bankrolled the Hooton Plan and Kalergi Plan and many other plans that believed the only way to 'end war' or anything negative in the world was to extinguish the Germanic spirit by bringing foreigners into her lands, most suggested bringing a hundred million foreign men in and forcing them to breed with Germanic women while taking tens of millions of Germanic men away to breed them out, while others suggest straight up extermination. They also owned the publishing houses that published books like Germany Must Perish, and paid for the advert in the newspaper in 1933 'Judea Declares War on Germany' (google image search it, the headline is still available, for now). Time and time again we have been the unwitting puppets of the power-elite of the world. And time and time again we fail to learn from history and repeat the same mistakes.
@@DesertRat63 this isn't interesting at all, in fact all that Dr. Lex Winter has provided us with is an indication that this person is a far right, anti semitic white supremacist, look up groups like the Aryan Brotherhood. What I suggest you do is Google what you call 'interesting' and you will see the anti semitic picture he paints using pure lies and conjecture. Don't be fooled or drawn in by this hate filled clown!
That pocket knife is an old wooden handled Barlow. My dad carried one for many years. He was a paratrooper and incidentally fought in the Bulge, as one of the original members of the 517th PIR.
Funny my father was in the 507th PIR I got a letter from someone in the Netherlands they found his wallet in a dugout. This was in 2013 he had sadly died a few months before. But he told me about loosing it and what had happened.
@@mvdb8110 i went to a site and it showed they found it in forest battle of the bolge . He was a POW and escaped the camp he also jumped on the Rhine. I will see if I can find the site the man sent me to and link it. With a map. His wallet had his Oregon drivers license in it.
Great video. My uncle was in the battle of the bulge. I didn't know much about his war time service since he didn't talk about it. But at his funeral a few months ago I found out he was a combat medic at the battle of the bulge in addition to other battles. They are the greatest generation that has ever lived.
I'm not sure about you but it brought me alot of pain when my grandfather had passed and I knew there were stories I'd never hear and never hear again I'm sorry for your loss
How can anyone dislike this video? This stuff is so surreal, so calm and quite now. Many years ago it was the exact opposite. So many lost their lives to be forgotten in history
You guys are so incredibly respectful. Thank you for sharing this with us! My father fought at the Battle of the Bulge with Patton's third Army. He didn't talk a lot about it, mostly about how cold, hungry and tired they always were. I still have some of his stuff. Dog tags, one of his jackets, his 45 sidearm. And he also brought back his M1.
That's really amazing to still have those relics. They have witnessed all of the fierce fighting. Thanks to people like your father, we are enjoying freedom in Europe right now.
@@mdww2battlegrounds Yeah, my dad was always very proud of the fact that they were liberators and not conquerors. That's one thing that he always fiercely impressed upon me. I think the work that you guys are doing is just fantastic and it's essential to keep this history alive.
Hey folks, very well done. I have been collecting american civil war artifacts for 40 years and have watched many You Tube videos of guys relic hunting here in the states. My favorite is Aquachigger. You should check out his videos as he does some very unique relic hunting. I had two ancestors who fought in the civil war and that is part of what got me interested in history and then collecting american civil war. I also had four uncles who fought in WW2. One was KIA and another was WIA. The other two returned home in one piece. Your video just grabbed me and naturally I started thinking about my uncles. My one uncle was WIA during the Battle of the Bulge. He had nothing good to say about being there other than it was a terrible place to be. Maybe it was the music combined with your footage of what was unearthed that brought me back to him in my mind. He passed some years ago. I thank you for that. I also wish you all peace and hope you are all safe during our current world wide disaster. Be well!
I am American and the Battle of the Bulge (among many others) makes me weep at the slaughter on both sides. I wept when Germany was reunited and am so glad we are all nations that live in peace now.
My history teacher and best friend ever, John T was at the bulge a 101 paratrooper, lost his legs and was a walking history book. Miss him still! Thanks for your efforts, wish I could be with you.
I hope they are geotagging and labeling everything. This could possibly yield a pattern of troop movements on both sides if combined with what is already known.
Incredible video guys ,thanks for sharing,and to all the soldiers that lost there lives on the battlefield you will never ever be forgotten of the ultimate sacrifice you gave .
When you found the canteen and all the utensils, that probably was a soldiers foxhole where he ate his food, Possibly abandoned during an attack or when the squad needed to move out.
One of the men who made me a man landed on bloody Omaha Beach in the second wave and talked through the war. He always talked about how damn cold it was in Belgium. He hated the Germans until the day he died.
My Grandfather Isadore H. Wenning was there in that Battle. He past away when I was 13. Is so nice to see one of the places that he never wanted to talk about. Thanks for making this video. I can now see what my Grandfather saw to a point. It doesn't answer all the questions that I never got to ask Grandpa but it sure does help to see where he was. Thanks again.
How I envy the opportunity you have to discover history from that era, My father and all 3 of my uncles served in Europe and I love that time that the alies served and kinda saved the world. They are truly the greatest generation. Two uncles on buried in Normandy and my father and 1 uncle made it home.
The US soldier who left his canteen and mess kit didn't do it on purpose. He was either killed or was interrupted during a meal. I really appreciate the way you handle yourselves while digging in hallowed ground.
One of my relatives, Paul Carter, was in a tank destroying company. He was in Tec 5 Company B 702 Tank Destroying Battalion. He was in the Battle of the Bulge.
UA-cam has a strange algorithm lol, started the night watching gaming videos, progressed to building your own garden planters out of recycled pallets and ended up on this amazingly haunting video. The music is perfect and the finds were fascinating, I also loved the old footage of the troops in between each find. In fact loved it so much I subscribed, thanks guys.
Finding the complete mess kit, knives and canteen in one spot like that means that the owner was most likely either wounded or killed there. Especially since the mess kit was open like it was. He was most probably eating when it happened and his kit was just left there when he was evacuated.
My dad was in Bastogne during the battle of the bulge. I think it is wonderful you guys are doing this. Please be safe with ever you dig up . I still have my dads mess kit and canteen .lol
I would be hyper ventilating if I saw those US canteens and knives! Wow. History 3 feet under your feet. My heart is racing just watching can’t imagine being there. Thank you
Love the close ups and real footage! You put a lot of time and care into this video. My grandpa was here in the 368th Engineering General Service Regiment. He didn't see battle probably, but I'm sure saw the horrific aftermath and suffering.
My father served in the US Army in WW2, and his platoon fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He was 1 of only a few survivors. He never talked to me much about it, but he talked to my husband.
Was your husband a Veteran as well? Sometimes it's easier for a Vet to talk "War Stories" to another Vet. Other Vets understand. Being a Vet myself, I know this first hand!
Thank you guys for a great video, be careful handling the ammo that you find and don't take any unnecessary chances. The knife was more than likely a Barlow brand from what was known as a K-29 set consisting of a pocket knife and a pair of side cutter pliers that would have been carried in a leather 2 pocket belt scabbard. The 2 tools were never issued separately and always issued with the scabbard, usually to a member of the Signal Corp.
it was a standard issue Cammilus general purpose knife. It was issued to all United States Army soldiers hence the USA on it. It has a knife blade, a thin punch/awl blade, a short bottle opener with flat screwdriver tip and a pointed can opener.
The Barbasol box shown with the "Overseas Special" when opened and unfolded could be used to write a short letter on the cardboard and sent like a postcard with the postage already paid (in most cases).
As was my dad, and he never told us anything except it was my job. I brought home a book named the Battle of the Bulge while I was in 4th grade. I showed it to my dad, he took it, read it all that night. I could see his eyes tear up a few times. He passed the next year at 50 yrs old. He was shot/wounded March 14, 1945 while crossing the Rhine River. He never would talk about that either. He never got his medals or ribbons, I got them in 1990 and put them in a shadow box. I’m so thankful he was my dad. Love you dad.
Best regards from Brazil. God bless your job there! My grandpa was there (Europe) in 40´s with Brazil´s "Expedicionaire Force" and lost some friends in battle field there. I´m a formed officer from army and as an officer I just can tell you guys, thank you, than you, thank you so much for these records.
The soil seems to own everything, doesn’t it? Lay something directly on the ground and the earth will slowly but surely swallow it and claim it as it’s own. Seems there’s something poignant about that especially when dealing with war artifacts Great work guys. Just subbed
Thank you for the video and preserving history. My uncle was set up in the field outside the Ardennes forest with his group.They were a US 101st Airborne Glider Field Artillery Battalion with six 155 mm howitzers in their placement. They provided artillery support for the 101st ABN 501st and 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiments. Their position was straffed by a Luftwaffe plane the following day after set up, killing one of the soldiers in his crew.
Knew a man that was there. He lost a small toe to frost bite. He said dry socks were cherished more than anything. He also said cigarettes were plentiful and all you could or wanted to carry. He was a heavy 30 machine gunner. Everybody referred to him as Doctor but I always called him heavy 30.
You have to be very careful when you start finding UXO. Though the chances are fairly low that they would explode, the possibility still exists. It is better to just leave it in place. 20:44 it is a shell, not a 'head'.
i found a dog tag in 2004 from a mr k g macknight who was in e502 company in a place called chadelsworth in England in a field while looking for roman coins a friend of mine was able to actually contact the family from the information on the dog tag his grand daughter who was still living in the family home and Mr mac knight was still alive god bless he was 84 from the information i was given by his family i was able to piece together why the dog tag ended up in the field i was detecting in and i had the pleasure of receiving a picture with mr mac knight holding his long lost dog tag sadly he passed away a few years later rest in peace mr mac knight I'm overwhelmed still to this day that i was able to make you happy by returning the dog tab and i will forever hold the memory of the day i found it and i was able to return it to you
Unlike several negative comments about the music I found it hauntingly beautiful and appropriate. Would you please share the information about the selection? Thank you. And a huge thank you for preserving and sharing the relics from all who gave the ultimate sacrifice no matter which country they fought for.
GI's called the lemonade mix 'battery acid' because it would turn your mouth inside out which is why K-rations had lots of sugar in them. It was the primary source of Vitamin C in the 'Breakfast, Dinner, and Supper' K-rations.
I wish to thank you for your production & sharing of this video. Excellent work combining your Field Work & Research alongside footage of the Conflict in WW2. Best wishes.
Great video... with a lot of AMAZING finds!! :-D Wow, always love that stainless steel! So many interesting and personal finds.. fantastic! It's always sooo exciting to dig out dump holes.. you just never know what you will find in there! Just a great video, and a lot of nice historical items saved! You have a new subscriber! :-) Thanks for sharing! GL - HH Gr Nick
it is amazing that some soils are less destructive on steel and other metals, some soils in Russia turn up relics that are in perfect condition, clay seems to be kind to metal once the objects have been covered
How I stumbled across this video is anyones guess but I sure am glad I did. Only WW2 from my family was Iwo-jima. I think we are doing our children a disservice by not educating them on what has happened and the sacrifices others made to make their lives so problem free and easy. The millenials I know think WW2 was just another Dessert Storm type war. Our current college age kids think stress is not getting the new app to load on their iphone while back then 17-19 year olds were flying bombing missions with B-17 over Berlin. Makes me worry.
Hi Mark, thanks for sharing your story! I'm trying to do my part in educating about ww2 history. I hope it will not go unnoticed. Lately a kid told me that they used my footage in history class for educational purposes. That was very nice to hear!
Selected music was appropriate for this video. Sadness in seeing these relics revealed after so many decades. I was fascinated though and appreciate seeing where the historical battles took place.
My uncle fought in this battle and was one of very few who survived. His initials were W.B.J and went by Boyd Johnson. First thing I thought of when I saw that found canteen could it have possibly belonged to him. Fought 3 tours in WW II.
When you consider the quality of the workmanship in the finds of mess kits and so on and compare them to the junk one might buy "made in China" nowadays, you then might wonder "what happened to the manufacturing sector in North America and the West in general ?"
These young people are performing an important and serious task. Every belt buckle, button, cap badge, or personal artifact they find is saved, to remember the soldiers on all sides that fought and died.....Without their work.....Everything would just rot in the ground, and be lost to history.......
This is exactly our ideology. We are glad we are able to share this forgotten WW2 history with the world and that there are many people who understand and appreciate this, like yourself! Cheers.
Love this guys videos ..especially the adding of old clips from the war ...people like him assure that time will not consume history in its relentless March ..
18:25-I still think it's bizarre that we expected soldiers to shave....even while in combat... crazy- time better spent doing something else. like keeping your face warm in the Ardennes in the middle of winter...
This is truly absolutely amazing work you do, I would dream of doing something like this, I'm a big history buff and absolutely fascinated with world war one and two, well done to the care that you give to the bodies you find the fallen soldiers, and hope you may bring satisfaction to some of their families, well done team keep it up 👍
Unfortunately war is a very ugly nasty things..now all these things you find tells you and show you so much that went on there at that time. you guys are fortunate that you live there and are able to dig it up relics of that era.. Not everybody is fortunate.
What I find fascinating about these digs is that the items found were last touched by a human hand 70+ years ago. Why would the personal mess kits of US servicemen be discarded in a hole in the Ardennes forest 6 months before the end of the war? Most likely as the men they were issued to no longer needed them as they were KIA or so badly wounded they were evacuated immediately without their field kits. Each item tells a story about the soldier it was issued to.
GS: I can imagine soldier "JW" getting out his mess kit and canteen in preparation for dinner and then suddenly being under attack or having to flee, never to return.
My grandfather was there, a medic, 3rd Army. His buddy was hit and died right next to him in their foxhole. He made it back home, and lived to the age of 89.
I believe that canteen may belong to Captain William G Joe, he was the only US soldier that I could find in my research from the 101st airborne with the initials W J. Please let me know if anyone else has any other details
I think those large cannons were likely Flak 88’s, one of the principal German field guns. And usually the casings from big guns are brass ,not iron or copper.
they wanted to cooking but everything was wetted,then take out gun powder from painapple to make fire. this is story that my fathre said and did it in his war time
At 14:00 I'm pretty sure those are steak knives or food knives that came with ever meal kit handed to every soldier. Sucks you didn't find the fork or spoon.
In this case, you're more likely to be struck by lighting while digging it up than anything out there going off. Any ordnance left is mostly disintegrated rust
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So did they bury all thease items, or did the government cover it with dirt?
My father (1897-1970) was in the US 1st Infantry Division in WWI and WWII. He was there, along with my eldest brother (1920-2006) in the same Division. The next-eldest (1922- 2005) was there in the 82nd Airborne Division. The youngest of them (1924-1944) was killed at Bastogne with the 101st Airborne Division in December, 1944. I've walked through the Ardennes a lot, with buddies or alone during times I was stationed in Europe during my own Army career, then again on 2 memorable trips with my surviving brothers. For me it's eerie, like Civil War battlefields are for me. Hallowed Ground.
Thanks for sharing your story! It's a truely remarkable place indeed. I sometimes get this eerie feeling as well, walking there, finding relics and knowing about the history that took place there.
@@mdww2battlegroundsSome of us -- the lucky ones -- can often FEEL past events when in areas like the Ardennes. I got permits and did some detecting in Germany, the UK, France and Belgium in the 1980s. For an American, it's fascinating to find Roman, Medieval, 30 Years War, Napoleonic and WWI/ WWII artifacts in the same area, sometimes within a few meters of one another. Or even in the same holes! But it isn't the artifacts themselves. Even as a Military Archaeologist and Historian, there's still the realization that no one has touched the item since the soldier. Then wondering who he was... did he survive the battle or the war? What was his story? And looking around, envisioning what he saw many years ago.... AND MOST IMPORTANTLY: It is NOT the value of the artifacts that's important. Even with something like a spent cartridge case we should ask ourselves, "Why is this here and what can it tell us?"
Thank you very much for taking the time to produce these videos of famous American battlefields. It means so much to us Americans that are Patriotic and amateur historians. I also happen to be an avid metal detectorist for the last 38 years so I share your enthusiasm for finding a historical relic time accurate to that battle that took place there. Thank you for being sensitive to the significance of certain personal finds that you locate. It means so much to the families that lost dear family members in that battle. You are to be commended for your efforts to that end. Just know that as a frustrated metal detectorist that would love to join you I take great pleasure in viewing your excellently and thoughtful videos. Some day I would love to tell you my connection thru my father in WWII. Be safe and great luck in your journeys.
Leaves a lump in my throat for these lost soldiers and their items. RIP, be you American or German. Salute and Respect. You are remembered
Yes, don't forget many, many american soldiers had..german heritage.
Only one winner in that war, all others lost.
Ah, yes. The Battle of the Bulge. When American, American, American and American troops fought off a German offensive. >_> I almost thought there were many other countries involved in World W... I mean, the American German War of 1939. Uh, 42, or whenever they finally got involved.
@@randersson3672 If you're white, and not Slavic, you're Germanic. Prior to the 'diversity' push of the 60's to present escalating sharply in the last twenty years I'd say that almost all Americans were Germanic. (Note: Not all Germanic is German, although all German is Germanic, from the North Pole to the med from the British Isles to Russia all the people there were Germanic until about 1600 when the Holy Roman Empire began to bring in Slavs to displace them to stem the spread of Protestantism. This eased around the late 1700's when suddenly bankers too an interest in funding wars against the Germanic people (and between the Germanic people) often backing both sides in every western European conflict since the Prussian War.
The Rothschilds for example sent messengers after the Battle of Waterloo to beat the official army messengers and claim the French won. When the French economy boomed and the British economy crashed they liquidated all their French holdings and put it into Britain, so that the next day when the truth was revealed about the lie they lost nothing and gained the Bank of England among many other holdings near entirely. Banking cartels have caused more wars than anything else in history. This is why people like the Nazis saw their main objective to remove themselves from international banking and break their hold over Europe. Winston Churchill even said that 'the greatest crime Germany had committed was removing herself from the international market and thus disabling bankers from being able to extract their dues from her.'
Sometimes I wonder if any war has a valid excuse besides banking cartels wanting to profit off of our bloodshed. As they are the only winners. There's also a weird messianic sect within Judaism that wants to see Germanic people destroyed. Qaballists think that they are the 'Tribe of Amalek' (the Jewish Messiah will return when Amalek is on the verge of destruction, as his first job is to genocide what is left of them and force them into extinction), even the holocaust memorial plaque at the Hague unveiled recently reads 'Remember what Amalek has done to you. Never forget.' Not what Germany, or the Nazi's did. What Amalek has done. Interesting choice of words. The Hague is no unimportant location which begs the question; how powerful and influential are the whack jobs that believe this crazy religious conspiracy?
The answer lies in the fact that almost all big banker families believe it. Enough that they bankrolled the Hooton Plan and Kalergi Plan and many other plans that believed the only way to 'end war' or anything negative in the world was to extinguish the Germanic spirit by bringing foreigners into her lands, most suggested bringing a hundred million foreign men in and forcing them to breed with Germanic women while taking tens of millions of Germanic men away to breed them out, while others suggest straight up extermination. They also owned the publishing houses that published books like Germany Must Perish, and paid for the advert in the newspaper in 1933 'Judea Declares War on Germany' (google image search it, the headline is still available, for now).
Time and time again we have been the unwitting puppets of the power-elite of the world. And time and time again we fail to learn from history and repeat the same mistakes.
@@dr.lexwinter8604 very interesting...
@@DesertRat63 this isn't interesting at all, in fact all that Dr. Lex Winter has provided us with is an indication that this person is a far right, anti semitic white supremacist, look up groups like the Aryan Brotherhood. What I suggest you do is Google what you call 'interesting' and you will see the anti semitic picture he paints using pure lies and conjecture. Don't be fooled or drawn in by this hate filled clown!
My father participated in the Battle of the Bulge-he was one of only a few survivors. So proud of him, and thank you for showing me the area.
Aj Hines he good man
There were a ton of survivors from the Battle of the Bulge....
@@hheythered His father must have been a German...
That pocket knife is an old wooden handled Barlow. My dad carried one for many years. He was a paratrooper and incidentally fought in the Bulge, as one of the original members of the 517th PIR.
Funny my father was in the 507th PIR I got a letter from someone in the Netherlands they found his wallet in a dugout. This was in 2013 he had sadly died a few months before. But he told me about loosing it and what had happened.
@@girlwithclap thats interesting, I live in the Netherlands. Where was it?
@@mvdb8110 i went to a site and it showed they found it in forest battle of the bolge . He was a POW and escaped the camp he also jumped on the Rhine. I will see if I can find the site the man sent me to and link it. With a map. His wallet had his Oregon drivers license in it.
@@girlwithclap thats awesome. Imagine finding a wallet from a US soldier. How personal is that.
God bless him
The wars should never be forgotten.... Thank you for keeping them remembered...
Great video. My uncle was in the battle of the bulge. I didn't know much about his war time service since he didn't talk about it. But at his funeral a few months ago I found out he was a combat medic at the battle of the bulge in addition to other battles. They are the greatest generation that has ever lived.
I'm not sure about you but it brought me alot of pain when my grandfather had passed and I knew there were stories I'd never hear and never hear again I'm sorry for your loss
@@Lawrie_2.0 i am sorry for your loss also. He was a great man and his loss is felt greatly..
How can anyone dislike this video? This stuff is so surreal, so calm and quite now. Many years ago it was the exact opposite. So many lost their lives to be forgotten in history
Beautiful video. My dad was there. Said the ground was shaking, insanely loud all the time and the coldest winter he ever spent.
You guys are so incredibly respectful. Thank you for sharing this with us! My father fought at the Battle of the Bulge with Patton's third Army. He didn't talk a lot about it, mostly about how cold, hungry and tired they always were. I still have some of his stuff. Dog tags, one of his jackets, his 45 sidearm. And he also brought back his M1.
That's really amazing to still have those relics. They have witnessed all of the fierce fighting. Thanks to people like your father, we are enjoying freedom in Europe right now.
@@mdww2battlegrounds Yeah, my dad was always very proud of the fact that they were liberators and not conquerors. That's one thing that he always fiercely impressed upon me. I think the work that you guys are doing is just fantastic and it's essential to keep this history alive.
Hey folks, very well done. I have been collecting american civil war artifacts for 40 years and have watched many You Tube videos of guys relic hunting here in the states. My favorite is Aquachigger. You should check out his videos as he does some very unique relic hunting. I had two ancestors who fought in the civil war and that is part of what got me interested in history and then collecting american civil war. I also had four uncles who fought in WW2. One was KIA and another was WIA. The other two returned home in one piece. Your video just grabbed me and naturally I started thinking about my uncles. My one uncle was WIA during the Battle of the Bulge. He had nothing good to say about being there other than it was a terrible place to be. Maybe it was the music combined with your footage of what was unearthed that brought me back to him in my mind. He passed some years ago. I thank you for that. I also wish you all peace and hope you are all safe during our current world wide disaster. Be well!
I am American and the Battle of the Bulge (among many others) makes me weep at the slaughter on both sides. I wept when Germany was reunited and am so glad we are all nations that live in peace now.
My uncle was there, during WW-2. So proud of you Uncle Lanson, from Ranger, West Virginia. 99th Division, I think.
I can see you've put so much effort into this video. Deserves a lot of views
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My history teacher and best friend ever, John T was at the bulge a 101 paratrooper, lost his legs and was a walking history book. Miss him still! Thanks for your efforts, wish I could be with you.
I hope they are geotagging and labeling everything. This could possibly yield a pattern of troop movements on both sides if combined with what is already known.
I still have my fathers mess kit and canteen from WW2 along with his dog tags.
Incredible video guys ,thanks for sharing,and to all the soldiers that lost there lives on the battlefield you will never ever be forgotten of the ultimate sacrifice you gave .
When you found the canteen and all the utensils, that probably was a soldiers foxhole where he ate his food, Possibly abandoned during an attack or when the squad needed to move out.
He was probably holding his canteen cup. It wasn't there.
My grandfather fought there he would not talk about it just said it was cold. Thanks to all are military people past and present.
One of the men who made me a man landed on bloody Omaha Beach in the second wave and talked through the war. He always talked about how damn cold it was in Belgium. He hated the Germans until the day he died.
Gotta admit, the solemn sound track really adds to the feeling of the video in a way I can't quite express
My Grandfather Isadore H. Wenning was there in that Battle. He past away when I was 13. Is so nice to see one of the places that he never wanted to talk about. Thanks for making this video. I can now see what my Grandfather saw to a point. It doesn't answer all the questions that I never got to ask Grandpa but it sure does help to see where he was. Thanks again.
It's my pleasure. I'm glad you found some comfort in watching these videos! May your Grandfather rest in peace. He will not be forgotten!
Search for my comment (use Find) you may find it interesting
How I envy the opportunity you have to discover history from that era, My father and all 3 of my uncles served in Europe and I love that time that the alies served and kinda saved the world. They are truly the greatest generation. Two uncles on buried in Normandy and my father and 1 uncle made it home.
The US soldier who left his canteen and mess kit didn't do it on purpose. He was either killed or was interrupted during a meal. I really appreciate the way you handle yourselves while digging in hallowed ground.
My dad, was there in WWII, Battle of the Bulge..he never talked about it..he passed away in 1997 at the age of 81
That canteen and cookware were in remarkable shape
Very good my friend and always a pleasure to watch Your videos. Thanks and have a great summer hunting.Greetings from WW2HistoryHunter
WW2HistoryHunter
Thanks man! You too. I hope to see some good footage. Greetings from the Metal Detecting WW2 Battlegrounds team.
One of my relatives, Paul Carter, was in a tank destroying company. He was in Tec 5 Company B 702 Tank Destroying Battalion. He was in the Battle of the Bulge.
UA-cam has a strange algorithm lol, started the night watching gaming videos, progressed to building your own garden planters out of recycled pallets and ended up on this amazingly haunting video. The music is perfect and the finds were fascinating, I also loved the old footage of the troops in between each find. In fact loved it so much I subscribed, thanks guys.
I can confirm it's strange sometimes! Good to have you here. Thanks for the support!
Finding the complete mess kit, knives and canteen in one spot like that means that the owner was most likely either wounded or killed there. Especially since the mess kit was open like it was. He was most probably eating when it happened and his kit was just left there when he was evacuated.
Great video... no annoying voice commentary or selfie sticks, and music appropriate for the solemnity of the task.
My grandfather said that they would take the pineapples apart to use the powder to start a fire to keep from freezing to death.
This is history and should be taught in School.
This is getting taught in school. At least, in the Netherlands, this is discussed, talked about and remembered extensively.
My dad was in Bastogne during the battle of the bulge. I think it is wonderful you guys are doing this. Please be safe with ever you dig up . I still have my dads mess kit and canteen .lol
I'd be more than a little tense digging up and handling unexploded ordinance.
Especially the way they go about it. A school example how NOT to handle unexploded Ordnance.
I would be hyper ventilating if I saw those US canteens and knives! Wow. History 3 feet under your feet. My heart is racing just watching can’t imagine being there. Thank you
It was very exciting indeed! Thanks for watching.
Love the close ups and real footage! You put a lot of time and care into this video. My grandpa was here in the 368th Engineering General Service Regiment. He didn't see battle probably, but I'm sure saw the horrific aftermath and suffering.
My father served in the US Army in WW2, and his platoon fought in the Battle of the Bulge. He was 1 of only a few survivors. He never talked to me much about it, but he talked to my husband.
Was your husband a Veteran as well? Sometimes it's easier for a Vet to talk "War Stories" to another Vet. Other Vets understand. Being a Vet myself, I know this first hand!
Watching these videos is like taking a walk through history. Thanks for the great finds.
Thank you guys for a great video, be careful handling the ammo that you find and don't take any unnecessary chances. The knife was more than likely a Barlow brand from what was known as a K-29 set consisting of a pocket knife and a pair of side cutter pliers that would have been carried in a leather 2 pocket belt scabbard. The 2 tools were never issued separately and always issued with the scabbard, usually to a member of the Signal Corp.
it was a standard issue Cammilus general purpose knife. It was issued to all United States Army soldiers hence the USA on it. It has a knife blade, a thin punch/awl blade, a short bottle opener with flat screwdriver tip and a pointed can opener.
This has to be one of the best detecting videos I've seen informative and totally relaxing. Scotland sends its regards
The Barbasol box shown with the "Overseas Special" when opened and unfolded could be used to write a short letter on the cardboard and sent like a postcard with the postage already paid (in most cases).
my father fought in these battles with patton he never talked about them. we found this out after he passed away
My Uncle was there with Patton`s 3rd Army .
He was an Artillery Man .
As was my dad, and he never told us anything except it was my job. I brought home a book named the Battle of the Bulge while I was in 4th grade. I showed it to my dad, he took it, read it all that night. I could see his eyes tear up a few times. He passed the next year at 50 yrs old. He was shot/wounded March 14, 1945 while crossing the Rhine River. He never would talk about that either. He never got his medals or ribbons, I got them in 1990 and put them in a shadow box. I’m so thankful he was my dad. Love you dad.
@@SirBelvedere333 For his courage and services to this wonderful country, I love him too.
God bless your dad and thank you for his service. Do you know why he never spoke about it?
Antonio Acevedo I do not. Thank you for all the kind words.
Best regards from Brazil. God bless your job there! My grandpa was there (Europe) in 40´s with Brazil´s "Expedicionaire Force" and lost some friends in battle field there. I´m a formed officer from army and as an officer I just can tell you guys, thank you, than you, thank you so much for these records.
The soil seems to own everything, doesn’t it?
Lay something directly on the ground and the earth will slowly but surely swallow it and claim it as it’s own.
Seems there’s something poignant about that especially when dealing with war artifacts
Great work guys. Just subbed
Thank you for the video and preserving history. My uncle was set up in the field outside the Ardennes forest with his group.They were a US 101st Airborne Glider Field Artillery Battalion with six 155 mm howitzers in their placement. They provided artillery support for the 101st ABN 501st and 502nd Parachute Infantry Regiments. Their position was straffed by a Luftwaffe plane the following day after set up, killing one of the soldiers in his crew.
Thanks for sharing the story of your uncle. It must have been a hell of an experience! Glad he made it out.
Knew a man that was there. He lost a small toe to frost bite. He said dry socks were cherished more than anything. He also said cigarettes were plentiful and all you could or wanted to carry. He was a heavy 30 machine gunner. Everybody referred to him as Doctor but I always called him heavy 30.
You have to be very careful when you start finding UXO. Though the chances are fairly low that they would explode, the possibility still exists. It is better to just leave it in place.
20:44 it is a shell, not a 'head'.
i found a dog tag in 2004 from a mr k g macknight who was in e502 company in a place called chadelsworth in England in a field while looking for roman coins a friend of mine was able to actually contact the family from the information on the dog tag his grand daughter who was still living in the family home and Mr mac knight was still alive god bless he was 84 from the information i was given by his family i was able to piece together why the dog tag ended up in the field i was detecting in and i had the pleasure of receiving a picture with mr mac knight holding his long lost dog tag sadly he passed away a few years later rest in peace mr mac knight I'm overwhelmed still to this day that i was able to make you happy by returning the dog tab and i will forever hold the memory of the day i found it and i was able to return it to you
The pin is a merovingian brooch VI - VII century. Well done !
The rods in the shells are Cordite. It’s a type of smokeless gun powder.
That poor forest waited years to tell it's story of the atrocities that happened. And now it can rest in peace
Unlike several negative comments about the music I found it hauntingly beautiful and appropriate. Would you please share the information about the selection? Thank you. And a huge thank you for preserving and sharing the relics from all who gave the ultimate sacrifice no matter which country they fought for.
It blows my mind how well the condition of the mess kit still is.
Stainless steel
Aluminum not stainless
@U.S. REPUBLIC they are aluminum in the late years of the war.
stainless steel...……..…...lasts a long time...………..
That is my thought too. I've been on Okinawa, also walking the battle areas, and was still finding items from the fighting in May and June 45.
Just discovered your channel. Very well done. I love the content. Well paced, no fluff and to the point.
My Dad was a Field Surgeon in the Battle of the Bulge in the 924 Field Artillery of the 99th Div
GI's called the lemonade mix 'battery acid' because it would turn your mouth inside out which is why K-rations had lots of sugar in them. It was the primary source of Vitamin C in the 'Breakfast, Dinner, and Supper' K-rations.
WAR doesn't decide who is right, only who is left! - Herb
I still use Barbasol to this day.
I use mug soap with a brush...………...
LOL...me too! Spent 12 years with the U.S. Army (since I was 17) and began shaving with Barbasol!
Won't use anything but Barbasol. It's the best.
I wish to thank you for your production & sharing of this video. Excellent work combining your Field Work & Research alongside footage of the Conflict in WW2.
Best wishes.
Great video... with a lot of AMAZING finds!! :-D
Wow, always love that stainless steel!
So many interesting and personal finds.. fantastic!
It's always sooo exciting to dig out dump holes.. you just never know what you will find in there!
Just a great video, and a lot of nice historical items saved!
You have a new subscriber! :-)
Thanks for sharing!
GL - HH
Gr Nick
Thank you for your nice comment and for subscribing! New video coming up soon.
It was aluminum
it is amazing that some soils are less destructive on steel and other metals, some soils in Russia turn up relics that are in perfect condition, clay seems to be kind to metal once the objects have been covered
Very interesting - well done. Just be careful when you look straight down the unexploded ordnance! 🧨✨
How I stumbled across this video is anyones guess but I sure am glad I did. Only WW2 from my family was Iwo-jima. I think we are doing our children a disservice by not educating them on what has happened and the sacrifices others made to make their lives so problem free and easy. The millenials I know think WW2 was just another Dessert Storm type war. Our current college age kids think stress is not getting the new app to load on their iphone while back then 17-19 year olds were flying bombing missions with B-17 over Berlin. Makes me worry.
Hi Mark, thanks for sharing your story! I'm trying to do my part in educating about ww2 history. I hope it will not go unnoticed. Lately a kid told me that they used my footage in history class for educational purposes. That was very nice to hear!
A lot of History, thanks for sharing 👍! I had a brother killed in that war! He was 19 years old!
Selected music was appropriate for this video.
Sadness in seeing these relics revealed after so many decades. I was fascinated though and appreciate seeing where the historical battles took place.
My Dad fought with the 1st Saskatchewan Regiment in the Battle of the Bulge. Always wanted to see that area...
My uncle fought in this battle and was one of very few who survived. His initials were W.B.J and went by Boyd Johnson. First thing I thought of when I saw that found canteen could it have possibly belonged to him. Fought 3 tours in WW II.
Knife at min 6:01 is a Camillus US Army knife.
When you consider the quality of the workmanship in the finds of mess kits and so on and compare them to the junk one might buy "made in China" nowadays, you then might wonder "what happened to the manufacturing sector in North America and the West in general ?"
Yann Schonfeld liberals
Turns out Chinese labor is cheaper than American labor...not to mention the lack of regulations.
Capitalism happened. You get a better return on your capital manufacturing abroad.
@@elwoodzo Then COVID happened....and many companies will come home to wherever that is..
The object at 3.48 looks mid Medieval, a fitting for a saddle strap, circa 1200 to 1350.
These young people are performing an important and serious task. Every belt buckle, button, cap badge, or personal artifact they find is saved, to remember the soldiers on all sides that fought and died.....Without their work.....Everything would just rot in the ground, and be lost to history.......
This is exactly our ideology. We are glad we are able to share this forgotten WW2 history with the world and that there are many people who understand and appreciate this, like yourself! Cheers.
Fantastic video and it’s so awesome to dig up history for all to see,may you all that fell on this battlefield continue to Rest In Peace
Love this guys videos ..especially the adding of old clips from the war ...people like him assure that time will not consume history in its relentless March ..
So much pain and death in that forrest , can't help try imagine what they went through. Thanks really enjoyed ✌️
09:56 This left me speechless and blew my mind ! Made me wonder what happened to the last soldiers who held them ?
Very interesting finds! God bless the Allied Forces and their sacrifices.
Thank you I really enjoy these videos. my dad faught over there he never talked bout it keep posting theses videos thanks again
18:25-I still think it's bizarre that we expected soldiers to shave....even while in combat... crazy- time better spent doing something else. like keeping your face warm in the Ardennes in the middle of winter...
This is truly absolutely amazing work you do, I would dream of doing something like this, I'm a big history buff and absolutely fascinated with world war one and two, well done to the care that you give to the bodies you find the fallen soldiers, and hope you may bring satisfaction to some of their families, well done team keep it up 👍
Thanks for the support!!
Unfortunately war is a very ugly nasty things..now all these things you find tells you and show you so much that went on there at that time. you guys are fortunate that you live there and are able to dig it up relics of that era.. Not everybody is fortunate.
What I find fascinating about these digs is that the items found were last touched by a human hand 70+ years ago. Why would the personal mess kits of US servicemen be discarded in a hole in the Ardennes forest 6 months before the end of the war? Most likely as the men they were issued to no longer needed them as they were KIA or so badly wounded they were evacuated immediately without their field kits. Each item tells a story about the soldier it was issued to.
GS: I can imagine soldier "JW" getting out his mess kit and canteen in preparation for dinner and then suddenly being under attack or having to flee, never to return.
My grandfather was there, a medic, 3rd Army. His buddy was hit and died right next to him in their foxhole.
He made it back home, and lived to the age of 89.
God bless.
We were at the location of the 101st airborne foxholes on June 12, 2019 on our Beyond Band of Brothers D-day 75 tour of Normandy, Bastogne and Germany
I believe that canteen may belong to Captain William G Joe, he was the only US soldier that I could find in my research from the 101st airborne with the initials W J. Please let me know if anyone else has any other details
So, the letter was an M not a W. The one thing missing was the canteen cup. It also had a folding handle.
Excellent work. Impressive finds and beautifully presented. One of your best ones yet. You boys are making me jealous. 👍😉
I think those large cannons were likely Flak 88’s, one of the principal German field guns. And usually the casings from big guns are brass ,not iron or copper.
I really enjoy finding pieces of history. Well done.
they wanted to cooking but everything was wetted,then take out gun powder from painapple to make fire. this is story that my fathre said and did it in his war time
Really enjoy your video here in USA, thank You for sharing
Thanks guys that was awesome incredible finds
At 14:00 I'm pretty sure those are steak knives or food knives that came with ever meal kit handed to every soldier. Sucks you didn't find the fork or spoon.
Also you should return the aluminum canteen to the possible alive or fallen soldiers family
That thing that you have in the palm of your hand at 3.52 is what we call a Fibula, dated around 900 - 1100 AD
When you dig up live ordinance, it may be the last thing you ever do.
In this case, you're more likely to be struck by lighting while digging it up than anything out there going off. Any ordnance left is mostly disintegrated rust
@R W 99.999%
Watch out for unexploded ordinance!!! Just because it is old does not mean that it cannot go boom.
Great work guys, so much history, I loved how you explained the finds and the pictures that you attached. well done (Australia)
beautiful presentation. Thank you.