1945

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by Rick Lee

I wonder how there was anything left for an American to find after the Russkies were done with the place. IIRC, the US, UK and France occupied everything west of the Elbe, but later traded what became East Germany west of the Elbe for an allied sector of Berlin. But I don't think that happened for a few mos. after the fall of Berlin, which was around May 8th. Hitler's charred remains supposedly turned up in Magdeburg years after the war. And from what I've read Hitler was so far gone by the last days of the war, that he'd have had trouble signing his own name to anything.

Very good friend of mine flies the medivac helo in Berlin, has for the last 20 years. We flew together years ago doing medivac there.

He is a big WW2 history buff and he has seen into parts of Hitlers bunker, and got down into the entrance at one time but was not allowed to enter. The guys who went down into the bunker, people who worked for the German govt doing stuff like this, brought back paperwork that was STILL down there, and this happened in the late 1990's. It was closed in by the East Germans trying to cover it up, but they did not do the job right, so when the Berlin Wall fell, the West Govt wanted to make sure that no one could get inside and sent a team to close it in. This was when my friend Gary was invited to take a look back into history.

One thing that everyone needs to know is that for the most part the Russian army who took Berlin were not really Russians. The Russians are not stupid and knew that the casualities were going to be heavy, so they put their Mongol conscripts in the front lines. These were the troops who took Berlin, pushed along by the normal Russian army.

My ex-wife's Mother was there and lived through the hell that followed. She said that these troops were absolute savages and that rings true with what I have read and been told. One example is that she laughed (which happened rarely when talking about these times) when she said that they did not even know how to use a toilet, that they used the toilet bowl to wash their potatos before cooking and that they crapped out in the open in slit trenches.

These troops were not rocket scientists, and took what looked valuable from what I have heard. Lots of things were left lying around that were found by the front line Russians who came behind and then the Americans, Brits and French when the Ruskies allowed them into the capital.

[Rick Lee]

IIRC, the bunker was located underneath what was part of the death strip in the Berlin Wall, which, prior to that was and currently, is part of Potsdamer Platz. I remember reading about the East Germans trying more than once to blow the whole thing up and seal it off. Anyone here see the movie Downfall? It's a must-see.

And there are plenty of elderly East Germans still around who are bitter at the US for having traded what they occupied west of the Elbe to the Russkies for a slice of Berlin. Lots of folks who fled west thought they were gonna be in good hands when the Americans arrived, only to learn they were being abandoned to the Russkies.

[Joeaksa]

Considering what happened during the Cold War and what a pivotal point Berlin was, glad that the "Four Powers" were there. Otherwise Russia would have run roughshod over the whole area.

Without the Americans, Berlin would have fallen and all of Germany might have become a "workers paradise" so to speak. You know more about that than most I believe. Sorry to hear about those in the Elbe areas but there are as well a lot of Berliners who feel very happy that we were there and kept the city alive during the Berlin Airlift, while at the same time keeping the Russians out.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by Dottore

So Tabs - I have a pristine, perfect, original signature of the Fuehrer on an award document with all the Third Reich whistles and bells. Any idea what this might go for?

More information is needed as to what the document is? It certainily has the value of a Hitler autograph. I would say a Hitler autograph is worth 1k to 2k anyway, but I could be very wrong. What probably keeps the value down is the fact that Hitler is not the most liked guy in History.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by tabs

What probably keeps the value down is the fact that Hitler is not the most liked guy in History.

enough neonazi nutjobs who still worship the somb!tch
i'de feel weird selling any hardcore nazi artifact, knowing that if somebody does bid crazy, it might be one of those nutjobs... not all of them have the typical whitepower bald head tatoo look going on ...

[tabs]

[QUOTE=Joeaksa;3447909]



when she said that they did not even know how to use a toilet, that they used the toilet bowl to wash their potatos before cooking and that they crapped out in the open in slit trenches.
QUOTE]


This is an old story, one that Cornielus Ryan told in his book "The Last Battle" which was about the Battle for Berlin in 1945.

He said some Russian troops used the toliette to wash the potatoes and then flushed them down the toliette by mistake. They then yelled sabotage and shot the Germans who were nearby.

[tabs]

Originally Posted by svandamme

enough neonazi nutjobs who still worship the somb!tch
i'de feel weird selling any hardcore nazi artifact, knowing that if somebody does bid crazy, it might be one of those nutjobs... not all of them have the typical whitepower bald head tatoo look going on ...

I don't collect Nazi era stuff...Regalia etc. I wouldn't mind having a coupla the medals or badges though..A Rittercreuz for example.

If I were to collect German Regalia it would be Imperial German and WW1 stuff. Especially the Fliegerkorps stuff. Would love to have one of Richtoffens 60 Sterling victory cups. Last one sold for $15K.

As a matter of fact I don't collect any Regalia, not enough money to do everything. Spoons are enough to keep me broke.

Here in LV I attend the Civil War Roundtable which is the renactors club, which meets every month. One of the members is an attorney who has what is described as the BEST collection of Civil War uniforms and equipment west of the Missippi. He is going to open his house to show members his collection in November. I do want to see that.

[Rot 911]

Even if the bunker was still accessible at the end of WWII, no Americans ever had the opportunity to go into it. I suspect these items were obtained elsewhere.

[svandamme]

Originally Posted by tabs

I don't collect Nazi era stuff...Regalia etc. I wouldn't mind having a coupla the medals or badges though..A Rittercreuz for example.

If I were to collect German Regalia it would be Imperial German and WW1 stuff. Especially the Fliegerkorps stuff. Would love to have one of Richtoffens 60 Sterling victory cups. Last one sold for $15K.

As a matter of fact I don't collect any Regalia, not enough money to do everything. Spoons are enough to keep me broke.

Here in LV I attend the Civil War Roundtable which is the renactors club, which meets every month. One of the members is an attorney who has what is described as the BEST collection of Civil War uniforms and equipment west of the Missippi. He is going to open his house to show members his collection in November. I do want to see that.

wasn't referring to you Tabs
was just pointing out that those folks do exist, and perhaps might pay big bucks for a signature of Adolf...

[ianc]

Even if the bunker was still accessible at the end of WWII, no Americans ever had the opportunity to go into it.

Not true. Read 'The Bunker' by James P. O'Donnell.

ianc