Hi all
I remember my father telling me about this thought you might like to hear the story.
During the fighting in Germany my Dad and his section were moving up to attack a well defended German position,they were being supported by some Canadian Tanks my in front my father saw a german break cover and attempt to fire a panzerfrust at one of the tanks,my dad said he was as clear as day and had a soft officers cap on turned backwords, as he was about to fire a burst of fire hit him and he toppled over back wards.
As the engagement progressed my dads section moved over and my father foun himself in a slit trench at the one end lay the body of the the german he had seen killed a short time before.
The fighting subdued as other sections leapfroged through and they were told to remain there.
My dad was not sure how long they were to be in this slit my dad decided to search the german he had a leather map case he was a Lt called Kaller a para my dad found his german party book and a small photo of him,To this day my dad say he does not know why he kept the picture and the party book.My dad and his mate then decided to pull part of the slit trench down over him in a rough attempt to bury him.
When latter they had to move on they marked the area with some German kit and the cap that Lt kALLER had been wearing.
The war came to an end and my dad went home still with the party book and the small photo.He never really showed anyone but in 1946 he looked in the book and saw an address in Hamburg he placed them in an envolope with a letter explaining what had happened and why he wanted to return the items.
About 6 months later my father recived a letter from Germany much to his surprise,it was naturally in German which my father could not read buy this time my father had jioned the Police and part of his job was to check on Germans who had been POWs and had elected to stay in the uk, it was translated by a former POW.
It was the from Lt Kallers wife and she explained that my fathers letter was the only confirmation of his death that she had had although he was classed as missing in action,she explained that he had a son that he had never seen, and that his brother had been killed on the Eastern front, she thanked my father for taking the time to return the items.
They stayed in contact for quite a while an she asked my father to discribe the area where her husband had been killedmy she informrd him later that some shallow graves had been found in tha area and had been exhumed and she wanted to know if her husband had had a steel helmet on after much thought he decided to tell her that he did.
He told me he did that as he wanted her to be able to focuss on some thing and bring the events to some sort of closeure and as he said who ever it was they were someones son , father. brother after about 6 years the letters stopped and both their lives moved on he at least hopes hers has .
He still has the letters and one day at the right time i will explain and let my sons read them really are one hell of a read.
Regards Tango Chris

Good of your father to give that family closure. I'm sure they were happy to know he died bravely as well.

Im sorry but I am confused. Did your father kill that german?

Hi there
No my dad did not kill him he thinks it was a burst of machine gun fire from one of the supporting tanks he said it was all very close and a lot going on,he was only 19,then again he might have only he knows.
Cheers tango 20 chris

Yes, very much true. War is a very confusing situation...I went to the D-Day event for paintballing in california last summer. I have paintballed alot. This event though was crazy. They had tanks, turrets, grenade launchers, bunkers you name it. I was scared, walking in the forest with my unit. You never knew who was advancing on you.