Subject: WWII-L Digest - 26 Mar 1995 to 27 Mar 1995

From: Automatic digest processor <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 28 Mar 1995 00:01:44 -0500

There are 34 messages totalling 1428 lines in this issue.

Topics of the day:

  1. Medal of Honor (3)
  2. PROFS Case: List Tracks Federal Electronic Record Issues
  3. INF: USN Chronology 03-27-95
  4. Military airshow sked
  5. THUNDERBOLT (4)
  6. Bataan death march (2)
  7. Command confirmation request (3922A9)OK
  8. Greenland P-38's
  9. MEDIA:Victoria Cross For Sale (3)
 10. MEDIA:Axis Fuel Drum (3)
 11. MEDIA:Portugese WWII Hero
 12. Posters and Prints
 13. Please name that gun (again)
 14. Obersalzberg con't
 15. Where was the queen?
 16. Name that gun, Enfield No4 Mk1 (2)
 17. INF: 50 Years Ago - 27-MAR-1945
 18. MEDAL OF HONOR (2)
 19. BATAAN DEATH MARCH
 20. MEDIA:Victoria Cross For Sale redux (2)
 21. [INF] USAAF 28 MAR 45

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Date:    Sun, 26 Mar 1995 23:36:49 -0600
From:    Bill Smith <[email-masked]>
Subject: Medal of Honor

I have a question that one of our veterans or active service personnel
can answer.  Recently I was in a major city surplus store looking over
the goodies when I noticed something both shocking and disturbing in the
sale case.  Not one, but two, Congressional Medals of Honor.  And, they
weren't replicas.

Maybe this was just taboo rather than law, but I thought that it was
illegal to sell a Medal of Honor.  True or true legend?

I keep thinking about these medals and what circumstances prompted either
the recipients or their heirs to part with them.  I mean, I don't think
you'd pick these up at a garage sale (one would hope) as a dealer for resale.

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 01:23:08 -0500
From:    Eddie Becker <[email-masked]>
Subject: PROFS Case: List Tracks Federal Electronic Record Issues

Please excuse cross-posting
--------------------------------------------------------
    HOW TO GET INFORMATION ABOUT THE
    PROFS NOTES CASE
    The PROFS Notes case has sought to prevent the
    destruction of Federal and Presidential Records and
    to establish management of Electronic records
    consistent with the Federal Records law and Legislative intent.
    You can periodically receive breaking news on the case
    as well as related issues by subscribing to this list.
    Among the current posting that you will receive are:
    1) The Court decision that overturned an
    agreement between the National Archives and George Bush
    that would have allowed the former president to destroy
    electronic Federal and Presidential records on computer tapes.
    2) The Society of American Archivists Position paper
    on electronic records.
    3) Proposed Electronic Record Management
    Standards for the Federal government by the National
    Institute of Standards and Technology
    Send an e-mail message to  [email-masked]
    with the word Join in the subject line.
    In the body of the message put your name and
    your E-Mail address as well as the name of the
    listserv that from which you saw this notice and any
    other comments you wish to make.
    Thank you,    -Eddie Becker-    [email-masked]

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 04:00:20 PST
From:    "Keller, Theron P." <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: USN Chronology 03-27-95

UNITED STATES NAVY CHRONOLOGY
from:
//byrd.mu.wvnet.edu/pub/history/military/wwii/naval_chronology/chr4(4,5).txt

1945
03/27 Tue. Army troops, supported by destroyers and motor torpedo
           boats and air attack, land on Caballo Island near
           Corregidor, Luzon, P. I.
            United States naval vessels damaged, Okinawa area:
             Carrier ESSEX (CV-9), by aircraft operational casualty,
              25 d. 10'N., 132 d. 05'E.
              [The landing was "less than optimal"? LWJ]
             High-speed minesweeper SOUTHARD (DMS-10), by suicide
              plane,
              26 d. 00'N., 127 d. 00'E.
             Light minelayer ADAMS (DM-27), by suicide plane,
              26 d. 17'N., 127 d. 40 E.
            Japanese naval vessel sunk:
             Cable layer ODATE, by submarine TRIGGER (SS-237),
              East China Sea,
              30 d. 40'N., 127 d. 50'E.

Information compiled by U.S. Navy Historians.  For more information,
contact the Naval Historical Center at (202) 433-3940.
Archived by: "Larry W. Jewell" <[email-masked]>
Posted by:
Theron P. Keller
Logicon, Inc.
Dahlgren, VA  22448 USA
[email-masked]

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 07:50:00 EST
From:    mc killop <[email-masked]>
Subject: Military airshow sked

          NORTH AMERICAN MILITARY AEROBATIC TEAM SCHEDULE, 1995
                           ISSUE 6, MARCH 27, 1995

The following is the combined schedules for the North American military
aerobatic teams for the 1995 show season and includes schedules for shows
in Canada and the United States.  All shows held prior to the date shown
above have been removed from the list.

This list is sorted by country and Province and State.  The four teams
covered in this post are:

  Canadian Armed Forces SNOWBIRDS
  U.S. Air Force THUNDERBIRDS
  U.S. Army GOLDEN KNIGHTS
  U.S. Navy BLUE ANGELS

Any additions, corrections, etc. would be appreciated.  Please e-mail them
to me at [email-masked].

REASON FOR REISSUE:  Bart Salisbury ([email-masked]) reports that the
the Blue Angels have cancelled their 25-26 Mar performance at Phoenix/Mesa,
AZ claiming they need more practice time.  The source is an air show person
in the Phoenix area, who says he heard it on the radio.

I. CANADA
---------

ALBERTA
-------
Calgary: Snowbirds, Jul 15 and 16
Grande Prairie: Snowbirds, Aug 7
Red Deer: Snowbirds, Aug 5 and 6
Slave Lake: Snowbirds, Jul 17

BRITISH COLUMBIA
----------------
Abbotsford: Snowbirds, Aug 11 thru 13
Cranbrook: Snowbirds, Jul 27
Kamloops: Snowbirds, Aug 9
Kelowna: Snowbirds, May 13 and 14
Penticton: Snowbirds, May 3
Prince George: Snowbirds, Jul 22 and 23
Prince Rupert: Snowbirds, Jul 19
Victoria: Snowbirds, Jul 29 and 30

MANITOBA
--------
Brandon: Snowbirds, May 5
Grand Beach: Snowbirds, Jul 5
Portage la Prairie: Sep 9 and 10

NEW BRUNSWICK
-------------
St John: Snowbirds, May 30
Shediac: Snowbirds, Jun 29

NEWFOUNDLAND
------------
CFB Gander: Snowbirds, Jun 18
CFB Goose Bay: Snowbirds, Jun 16

NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
---------------------
Hay River: Snowbirds, Apr 27

NOVA SCOTIA
-----------
CFB Shearwater: Snowbirds, Aug 26 and 27
Yarmouth: Snowbirds, Aug 29

ONTARIO
-------
Chapleau: Snowbirds, May 22
CFB Borden: Snowbirds, Jul 2 and 3
Grand Bend: Snowbirds, Jun 8
Hamilton: Thunderbirds, Jun 17 and 18
Leamington: Snowbirds, Jun 10
London: Snowbirds, Jun 3 and 4
Ottawa: Snowbirds, May 7, Jun 24 and 25, and Jul 1
Sault St. Marie: Snowbirds, May 20 and 21
Thunder Bay: Snowbirds, Sep 6
Toronto: Snowbirds, Sep 2 thru 4
Windsor: Snowbirds, Jun 11

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
--------------------
Summerside: Snowbirds, Jun 20

QUEBEC
------
Bromont: Snowbirds, Jun 6
Charlevoix: Snowbirds, Jun 27
La Tuque: Snowbirds, Aug 23
Mirabel: Snowbirds, May 27 and 28
Mont Laurier: Snowbirds, Jun 1
Quebec City: Snowbirds, Aug 19 and 20
Sept-Iles: Snowbirds, Jun 22

SASKATCHEWAN
------------
CFB Moose Jaw:
  Jul 8 and 9: Blue Angels and Snowbirds
  Oct 14: Snowbirds
Lloydminster: Snowbirds, May 11
Prince Albert: Snowbirds, Aug 2

YUKON TERRITORY
---------------
Whitehorse: Snowbirds, Jul 25

II. UNITED STATES
-----------------

ALABAMA
-------
No Shows

ALASKA
------
Juneau: Snowbirds, Apr 29 and 30

ARIZONA
-------
Luke AFB: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Apr 8
MCAS Yuma: Golden Knights, Feb 25
Mesa: Blue Angels, Mar 25 and 26 (unconfirmed cancellation)
Page: Snowbirds, Oct 7 and 8

ARKANSAS
--------
Fort Smith: Blue Angels, May 20 and 21 and Golden Knights, May 20

CALIFORNIA
----------
Fresno: Golden Knights, Sep 23 and 24
March AFB: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Oct 14 and 15
MCAS El Toro: Blue Angels, Apr 28 thru 30
NAS LeMoore: Blue Angels, May 6 and 7
NAS Miramar: Blue Angels, Aug 25 thru 27
NAWS Point Mugu: Snowbirds, Sep 23 and 24
Redding: Blue Angels, Jul 1 and 2
Salinas: Thunderbirds, Sep 30 and Oct 1
San Francisco: Blue Angels, Oct 7 and 8
Travis AFB: Golden Knights, Oct 7
Vandenburg AFB: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Apr 9
Van Nuys: Golden Knights, Jul 15 and 16

COLORADO
--------
Durango: Thunderbirds, Jun 4
Grand Junction: Snowbirds and Golden Knights, Sep 27
Loveland: Thunderbirds, Apr 22 and 23
Peterson AFB: Snowbirds, Sep 20
USAF Academy: Thunderbirds, May 31

CONNECTICUT
-----------
No Shows

DELAWARE
--------
No Shows

FLORIDA
-------
Daytona Beach: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Nov 4 and 5
Eglin AFB; Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Apr 1
Fort Lauderdale: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, May 6 and 7
Homestead AFB: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Nov 11 and 12
MacDill AFB: Blue Angels and Golden Knights, Apr 22 and 23
NAS Cecil Field: Blue Angels and Golden Knights, Nov 4 and 5
NAS Pensacola: Blue Angels, Nov 10 and 11
Patrick AFB: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Apr 2
Pensacola Beach: Blue Angels, Jul 22
Sanford: Blue Angels, Apr 1 and 2

GEORGIA
-------
Athens: Golden Knights, Sep 30

HAWAII
------
NAS Barbers Point: Blue Angels, Sep 2 and 3
Schofield Barracks: Golden Knights, Aug 31 thru Sep 4

IDAHO
-----
No Shows

ILLINOIS
--------
Chicago: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Aug 5 and 6
Scott AFB: Thunderbirds, Jul 29 and 30
Springfield: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Jul 15 and 16

INDIANA
-------
Evansville: Golden Knights, Aug 28
North Webster: Golden Knights, Jun 17 thru 19

IOWA
----
Davenport: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Jun 24 and 25
Dubuque: Blue Angels and Golden Knights, Aug 12 and 13

KANSAS
------
Liberal: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Sep 23 and 24
McConnell AFB: Blue Angels, Jun 24 and 25

KENTUCKY
--------
Louisville: Golden Knights, Sep 2 thru 4

LOUISIANA
---------
Alexandira: Blue Angels, Sep 30 and Oct 1
Barksdale AFB: Golden Knights, Apr 9
Monroe: Golden Knights, Apr 23
NAS New Orleans: Thunderbirds, Oct 28 and 29

MAINE
-----
NAS Brunswick: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Jul 22 and 23

MARYLAND
--------
Andrews AFB: Thunderbirds, May 20 and 21 and Golden Knights, May 19 to 21
Fort Meade: Golden Knights, May 18
Frederick: Thunderbirds, Aug 26 and 27
NAS Patuxent River: Blue Angels and Golden Knights, May 27
US Naval Academny, Anapolis: Blue Angels, May 29 and 31

MASSACHUSETTS
-------------
Andover: Golden Knights, May 29
Hanscom AFB: Thunderbirds, Jun 10 and 11

MICHIGAN
--------
Battle Creek: Thunderbirds, Jul 2 thru 4
Benton Harbor: Golden Knights, May 7
Detroit: Blue Angels and Golden Knights, Jun 3 and 4
Grand Rapids: Golden Knights, Jun 20
Kalmazoo: Golden Knights, Jun 10 and 11

MINNESOTA
---------
Duluth: Snowbirds, May 9
Mankato: Snowbirds, May 25

MISSISSIPPI
-----------
Keesler AFB: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Oct 25
NAS Meridian: Blue Angels, May 13 and 14

MISSOURI
--------
Columbia: Golden Knights (May 26 to 28) and Thunderbirds (May 27 and 28)
Kansas City: Blue Angels and Golden Knights, Jul 29 and 30
Whiteman AFB: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Jun 14

MONTANA
-------
Bozeman: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Aug 20
Malmstrom AFB: Golden Knights, Jul 8

NEBRASKA
--------
Offutt AFB: Thunderbirds, Sep 3 and 4

NEVADA
------
NAS Fallon: Blue Angels and Golden Knights, Oct 14
Reno: Snowbirds, Sep 15 thru 17

NEW HAMPSHIRE
-------------
No Shows

NEW JERSEY
----------
No Shows

NEW MEXICO
----------
Holloman AFB: Thunderbirds, Jun 3
Roswell: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Sep 16 and 17

NEW YORK
--------
Niagara Falls: Golden Knights, Jun 24 and 25
White Lake: Golden Knights, Jul 8 thru 10

NORTH CAROLINA
--------------
Ft Bragg: Golden Knights, Jul 4
MCAS Cherry Point: Blue Angels, Apr 8 and 9
Salisbury: Golden Knights, May 13 and 14

NORTH DAKOTA
------------
Fargo: Golden Knights, Aug 12 and 13
Grand Forks AFB: Thunderbirds, Jul 8
Minot AFB: Golden Knights, Jul 30

OHIO
----
Columbus: Blue Angels and Golden Knights, Aug 5 and 6
Dayton: Golden Knights, Jul 22 and 23
Toledo: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Sep 9 and 10

OKLAHOMA
--------
Oklahoma City: Blue Angels, Jun 17 and 18

OREGON
------
Hillsboro: Blue Angels, Jul 15 and 16
Medford: Golden Knights, Aug 26 and 27

PENNSYLVANIA
------------
Reading: Blue Angels and Golden Knights, Aug 19 and 20

RHODE ISLAND
------------
North Kingston: Blue Angels, Jun 10 and 11

SOUTH CAROLINA
--------------
Charleston AFB: Thunderbirds, Oct 8
Myrtle Beach: Golden Knights, Jun 3 and 4

SOUTH DAKOTA
------------
Ellsworth AFB: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Jul 9

TENNESSEE
---------
Gray: Golden Knights, Aug 21 thru 24
Knoxville: Golden Knights, Apr 29 and 30
McGhee Tyson ANGB: Thunderbirds, Apr 29 and 30
Smyrna: Blue Angels, Sep 16 and 17

TEXAS
-----
Bergstrom AFB: Blue Angels, Oct 28 and 29
Dallas: Golden Knights, Sep 16 and 17 and Sep 29 thru Oct 2
El Paso: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Oct 21 and 22
Ft Worth: Golden Knights, Oct 7 and 8
Houston: Blue Angels, Oct 21 and 22
Midland: Snowbirds, Sep 30 and Oct 1
Randolph AFB: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, May 13
Reese AFB: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, May 14
San Angelo: Snowbirds, Oct 3

UTAH
----
Hill AFB: Thunderbirds and Golden Knights, Aug 19

VERMONT
-------
No Shows

VIRGINIA
--------
Ft. Eustis: Golden Knights, Aug 4
Langley AFB: Thunderbirds, Oct 7
Manassas: Golden Knights, May 23
NAS Oceana: Blue Angels, Sep 23 and 24

WASHINGTON
----------
NAS Whidbey Island: Blue Angels and Golden Knights, Sep 9 and 10

WEST VIRGINIA
-------------
No Shows

WISCONSIN
---------
No Shows

WYOMING
-------
Cheyenne: Thunderbirds, Jul 26

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 05:05:32 -0800
From:    Ed Kettler <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: THUNDERBOLT

You wrote:

>
>Well, it's official. I'm tasked with doing a manuscript for a P-47
photo
>book. I'm looking for good sources of the design and development of the
P-47.
>Also - I'd like (LOVE) to talk with anyone who flew, operated,
maintained, or
>built any of these big birds.
>
>
Robert Johnson, one of the leading Thunderbolt aces, is still alive and
should be considered a primary source.  He was a vice president at
Republic, and could open many doors for you.  Try contacting Republic to
see if they can set you up.

The Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) hosted a P-47 reunion at
Oshkosh, WI within the last two years, and would be a good source
of names and addresses for contacts.  Ask for the Warbirds group when
you call.

I was just at the Air Force Armaments Museum at Eglin AFB, FL, and they
have a P-47 at the museum.

HTH, Ed Kettler
[email-masked]

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 08:08:28 EST
From:    Alan Wild <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Medal of Honor

Bill Smith said:

>I keep thinking about these medals and what circumstances prompted either
>the recipients or their heirs to part with them.  I mean, I don't think
>you'd pick these up at a garage sale (one would hope) as a dealer for resale.

I know how you feel; I picked up _The Old Breed_, a history of the 1st Marine
Division in WWII,... at a yard sale. An inscription in the cover quotes,
"to my son, we did it for you." I have tried to find the son but have not
had any success. The book is sort of a "year book" but covers a much greater
span of time. There are many interviews in the book, and photos of the kind
of Hell that they all went through. (Our own Ben Frank is from the 1st - he
mentioned that he recalls the name written in the book, Sgt. James C. Wilbur)

'Regards, Alan

Alan Wild, Sr. Prog/Analyst
ACC - Lippitt - URI
Kingston, RI  02881

American Legion, Post 102
I am the NRA.

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 08:39:35 EST
From:    Roger Coon <[email-masked]>
Subject: Bataan death march

Recent posts have led me to wonder, how soon after the event did the
Bataan death march become known to outsiders?
As always, thanks in advance,
Brad Coon

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 07:18:48 -0700
From:    Jacob Allen Hargenrader <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Command confirmation request (3922A9)OK

  WWII IS A WONDERFUL SUBJ. IS THERE ONE FOR WWI?

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 09:34:28 EST
From:    Mike Fetters <[email-masked]>
Subject: THUNDERBOLT

In response to the inquiry about Thunderbolt pilots, we had a very nice
display here at the National Air and Space Museum about three years ago.
It was the first aircraft in our "Air Power in World War II" series. I
recall that we had a number of folks from the P-47 association here for
the opening. About a month later, we had about two dozen gentlemen from
the East Coast chapter of the Tuskegee Airmen, Inc. I can try to dig up
addresses/phone number if you'd like!

Mike Fetters, Office of Public Affairs, National Air and Space Museum

e-mail: [email-masked]

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 09:14:57 EST
From:    SKIP WILDER <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: THUNDERBOLT

        The Confederate Air Force in Midland, Texas flies a restored P-47
Thunderbolt.  Perhaps they could put you in touch with the pilot of this
huge bird.
        Regards,
 -----------------------------------------------------------
 |    Skip Wilder              |                           |
 |    [email-masked]      |"The road to hell is paved |
 |    FAX (703)528-2103        | with good intentions."    |
 |    McLean, Virginia, U.S.A. |                           |
 -----------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 17:43:06 +0200
From:    Emmanuel Gustin <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Greenland P-38's

On Fri, 24 Mar 1995, Jeff Dingbaum wrote:

> The P38 restoration gifs are located on my server and are available
> via ftp and www.  Steve scanned them and was good enough to send them

I also put a (different) set on the WWW. The index page
is "http://www.vestnett.no/vulcan/pics/p-38.html". I added the comments
that Dennis put on the back of the photographs.

Emmanuel Gustin

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 10:56:21 -0500
From:    James E Irwin <[email-masked]>
Subject: MEDIA:Victoria Cross For Sale

>From the DoD Newswire 27 March 1995

:DESERT FOX MEDAL FOR SALE IN LONDON

    LONDON, March 26 - A Victoria Cross, Britain's highest
military medal for gallantry, won in a commando raid to capture German
Field Marshal Erwin Rommel during World War Two will go under the
hammer on Tuesday.
     Medallists Spink and Son said on Sunday they will auction the
medal in London and interest from collectors and museums was intense
although they gave no estimate of how much it might fetch.
     The decoration was awarded to Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey Keyes,
24, who died leading the failed mission to capture Rommel on the eve
of the Battle of El Alamein, in which British troops defeated
Germany's Afrika Corps in North Africa.
     The raid was dramatised in the film "The Desert Fox," with James
Mason playing the German commander.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
paa5137 sends (James Irwin)...

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 10:53:36 -0500
From:    James E Irwin <[email-masked]>
Subject: MEDIA:Axis Fuel Drum

>From the DoD Newswire 27 March 1995
======

:ISRAEL FINDS WWII FUEL BARREL

   JERUSALEM -- A barrel of airplane fuel from Nazi Germany has
surfaced intact on a beach in northern Israel.
   The 53-gallon metal container was discovered rolling in the surf
Saturday by a man strolling the beach in Akhziv, a resort near the
Lebanese border. It was stamped with the date 1942 and the word
Wehrmacht, Germany's World War II army.
   Scientists on Sunday found it still contained jet fuel and it was
deposited in a nearby landfill, said Haim Shenhar, a local
Environment Ministry official.
   "It was completely whole after more than 50 years in the sea,"
Shenhar said. "This is the first time we have found such a
phenomenon."
   Environment Ministry spokesman Iftah Kramer said the barrel was
probably carried over by currents from Italy or other Mediterranean
countries.

=====

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
paa5137 sends (James Irwin)...

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 10:59:06 -0500
From:    James E Irwin <[email-masked]>
Subject: MEDIA:Portugese WWII Hero

>From the DoD Newswire 27 March 1995

:PORTUGAL HONORS WWII HERO

   LISBON, Portugal -- Nazi troops were three days from Paris
when Portugal's dictator delivered a stern command to his diplomatic
corps: "Issue no visas to persons of impure blood, or to opponents of
the Nazi government."
   Defying the order, Aristides Sousa Mendes threw himself into a
frantic, 72-hour visa-writing blitz as hordes of refugees banged on
his consulate door.
   On Friday, Portugal rewarded his defiance with a plaque to its
"greatest hero of World War II" -- 55 years after Sousa Mendes was
tossed from the Foreign Ministry and his 13 children had to flee into
exile and poverty.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
paa5137 sends (James Irwin)...

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 11:28:28 EST
From:    Alan Wild <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Medal of Honor

UPDATE
------

>Bill Smith said:
>
>>I keep thinking about these medals and what circumstances prompted either
>>the recipients or their heirs to part with them.  I mean, I don't think
>>you'd pick these up at a garage sale (one would hope) as a dealer for resale.
>
>I know how you feel; I picked up _The Old Breed_, a history of the 1st Marine
>Division in WWII,... at a yard sale. An inscription in the cover quotes,
>"to my son, we did it for you." I have tried to find the son but have not
>had any success. The book is sort of a "year book" but covers a much greater
>span of time. There are many interviews in the book, and photos of the kind
>of Hell that they all went through. (Our own Ben Frank is from the 1st - he
>mentioned that he recalls the name written in the book, Sgt. James C. Wilbur)

I now have a lead! A previously unreachable Wilbur has been, or will be
contacted. I hope to pass the book to a daughter of the Jim Sr. ... The
son who has not been traceable is in Greece, presumably in the service.

'Regards, Alan

Alan Wild, Sr. Prog/Analyst
ACC - Lippitt - URI
Kingston, RI  02881

American Legion, Post 102
I am the NRA.

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 11:39:21 EST
From:    Alan Wild <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Bataan death march

>From:         Roger Coon <[email-masked]>
>
>Recent posts have led me to wonder, how soon after the event did the
>Bataan death march become known to outsiders?
>As always, thanks in advance,
>Brad Coon

I just want to have my say here, Brad, 'hope you'll forgive, but IMHO and
to put the death march into perspective, President Andrew Jackson overroad
the Supreeme Court when the court declared it unconstitutional to move
all native americans out of Florida, etc to the west. He ordered the army
to carry out the march, called the "trail of tears" on which something
like 20,000 indians died. This wasn't even a war.

The blame for the thousands of lost men should go to MacArthur who, knowing
the chances, should have decided to resist. Any way of dying seems to me
would have been preferable to getting bayonneted in the back if you fell from
exhaustion. I have a low regard for MacArthur and can not figure why he
was regarded so highly, other than he was good at politics.

'My opinion, Alan

Alan Wild, Sr. Prog/Analyst
ACC - Lippitt - URI
Kingston, RI  02881

American Legion, Post 102
I am the NRA.

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 12:52:31 EST
From:    Mary Hricko <[email-masked]>
Subject: Posters and Prints

Hello everyone!
   I just received a Posters and Prints catalog from the GPO and for
those of you who might be interested, here's a listing of prints related
to WWII:

  WWII Commerative Print Sets:
  Set 1: The Early Years - includes reproductions of these paintings:
  Enemy Air Attack, Arawe; West Coast Dock, San Francisco both by Barse
  Miller; Bringing in the Ammo, Rendova; Assault Groups Take Cover,
  Rendova, both by Aaron Bohrod; Hill 609, Tunisia, by Fletcher Martin;
  Loading of Vultee Vengeance Planes, New York Harbor, by Julien Binford;
  Shell Factory, Detroit, by Paul Sample; Kiske Raid, Aleutians, by Edward
  Laning; Coast Artillary, Trinidad, by James Turnball; and Burial at Sea
  South Pacific by Sidney Simon. Also includes an explanation sheet.
  10 posters 16x21 in; flat and sheet. D 114.13:Ea 7/2  = $10.00
  008-029-00246-9
  Set 2: The Tide Turns - Includes these reproductions: Explaining the
  Problem, England; Convoy to the Marshalling Area, England; Road Block,
  France, all by Olin Dows; China Life Line, China by Howard Baer; Night
  Shift, Italy by Cassino, Italy by Edward Reep, Omaha Beach, France by
  Gary Sheahan; Destruction to Liuchow, China, by Samuel Smith; and Queen
  Elizabeth (ship) Comes up to the Clyde, England, by Byron Thomas. same
  format as above. D 114.13:T 43
  008-029-00247-7

  Set 3: The Final Stages - Includes: Train Crossing the Moselle, France
  by A. Brockie Stevenson; Skidloads and Conveyors, France, by David Lax
  Signal to the Russians, Germany by Olin Dows; salvage Roses, Italy by
  Edward Reep; Ferry Crossing at La Paz, Philippine Islands, by Barse
  Miller; Night Duty, South Pacific, by Franklin Boggs; All Aboard for
  Home, England by Joseph Hirsch; Tanks in the Huertgen Forest, Germany
  by Ogden Pleissner; US Army Engineer Base Yard, Saipan, by Hans
  Mangelsdorf; and A Cold Watch, France, by Kutchko. 10 posters, 17x22
  D 114.13:F 49  008-029-00254-0  $9.50

  In addition to these prints there are other WWII Lithographs and
  various posters associated with the specific forces. To order or
  inquire information about these prints, you can write to the following
  address:
                   Superintendent of Documents
                   US Government Printing Office
                   P.O. Box 371954
                   Pittsburgh, PA 15250-7954

  If there are any questions about these prints or other details, please
  contact me at [email-masked]

                                       Regards, Mary

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 12:57:38 GMT-6
From:    "Robert T. Moore" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Please name that gun (again)

Hello, Erik!

To answer your question. Yes. The Thor did exist.

It was the most powerful siege mortar of pre-atomic man.

One shell could level a city block. I have the info on this weapon,
if you want it. Please let me know.

All the best.

Terry

 Unfortunately the gun was shw only for very short times, but I
> also remember that it had THOR written on it in (pseudo-)runic letters.
> Sorry I can not give more infos, but has anybody heard of such a gun, or
> at least a book where I can look? Any help is appreciated, thanx a lot in
> advance.
>
>                                                 So long
>
>                                                         Erik
>

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 13:07:23 GMT-6
From:    "Robert T. Moore" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Obersalzberg con't

Hello, Ira!

This may have already been answered, but will add my two cents' to it.

>   I've heard of something called the "Wolfschanze" (Wolf's Lair).
> Is that at Obersalzberg or is it in East Prussia?  Can it be visited?
> What did Hitler do there?

    Yes.  This HQ is probably the most famous, because it was the
site of the bomb plot to kill Hitler carried out on 20 Jul 1944 by
Colonel Claus Graf von Staffenberg who was Chief of Staff of the
Replacement Army at the time.

    This HQ contained three rings of security fortifications and was
heavily manned.

    This site is now a museum, in fact, one of the most frequently
visited in what used to be East Germany. It is located at Rastenburg,
East Prussia which is located near a rail junction that connects
Rastenburg with Cracow, Poland, a major German control center for
that portion of the war in the East. There was also an airfield
nearby to facilitate comings and goings from Berlin.

    Hitler built this HQ in the East, besides the one at Vinnitsa, to
maintain better contact and thus control or direction of his forces
fighting in the East.

    Hope this helps.

    Terry

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 15:11:18 AST
From:    MAESTRO <[email-masked]>
Subject: Where was the queen?

Just a simple question?

Does anybody know where the Queen of England was residing during World War
II?

Thanks Alot!

Steven Lima

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 14:57:55 EST
From:    Alan Wild <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Name that gun, Enfield No4 Mk1

The rear sight to the No.4, Mark I rocks front and back to produce 2 sight
pictures: one short and one long range. They are marked 300 & 600. Does
anyone know if that is yards or feet. It might sound like a dumb question,
but many weapons have trajectories that travel through the line of sight
twice, and it seems absurd that the first pass should be up through the
line of sight at 300 YARDS. :-/

Anyone,... Sidney?

Alan Wild, Sr. Prog/Analyst
ACC - Lippitt - URI
Kingston, RI  02881

American Legion, Post 102
I am the NRA.

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 22:48:00 +0200
From:    Emmanuel Gustin <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: THUNDERBOLT

On Sun, 26 Mar 1995, Paul C. Perkins, M.D. wrote:

> Well, it's official. I'm tasked with doing a manuscript for a P-47 photo
> book. I'm looking for good sources of the design and development of the P-47.

"Thunderbolt -- A documentary history of the P-47" by Roger A. Freeman.
Arms and Armour Press, 1978/1982. 149 pages. Development history, combat
history, a detailled listing of all subtypes, and a list of units that
used it.

Emmanuel Gustin

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 16:11:11 -0600
From:    "William L. Huber - SAA" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MEDIA:Victoria Cross For Sale

> :DESERT FOX MEDAL FOR SALE IN LONDON
>
>     LONDON, March 26 - A Victoria Cross, Britain's highest
> military medal for gallantry, won in a commando raid to capture German
> Field Marshal Erwin Rommel during World War Two will go under the
> hammer on Tuesday.
>      Medallists Spink and Son said on Sunday they will auction the
> medal in London and interest from collectors and museums was intense
> although they gave no estimate of how much it might fetch.

I bet it will bring more than $12,000.00 maybe as much as $20K.
Anybody on the list get Spink & Son's auction?  I'd like to know what
the realized price is.  We never did hear how much Monty's PJs brought
did we?

Cheers, Bill Huber / [email-masked]

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 17:29:06 EST
From:    John Davis <[email-masked]>
Subject: INF: 50 Years Ago - 27-MAR-1945

On 27-MAR-1945, the following occurred -

World War II - The Battlefronts
-------------------------------
Western Front - In the British 2nd Army sector, the 51st Division reaches
the river Ijssel. The XVIII Airborne Corps advances 10 miles across the
Wesel forest. In the U.S. 9th Army sector, the 79th Division advances from
the south towards the Ruhr area. In the 3rd Army sector, the VIII Corps
widens and reinforces its bridgehead across the Rhine in the area of
Wisbaden. The French 1st Army regroups in preparation for an attack across
the Rhine.

Eastern Front - The Russian 46th Army surround a large German force west of
Esztergom. The 2nd Ukraine Front advances towards the river Raba. The 2nd
White Russian Front enters Danzig and Gdynia. The 1st Ukraine Front takes
Strehlen and Rybnik; while the 4th Ukraine Front takes Zary and Wodzislaw.

Philippines - In the I Corps area, the 32nd Division begins the offensive
to capture Salacsac Pass No. 2 on the Villa Verde track. In the 8th Army
sector, the Cebu invasion force breaks through weak resistance and takes
Cebu City.

Ryukyu Islands - The occupation of the Kerama Islands continues in
preparation for the invasion of Okinawa. Kamikazes continue to attack
American ships, damaging the carrier Essex.

=============================================================================

Sources: "United States Army in World War II, Chronology 1941-1945" compiled
by Mary H. Williams, Office of the Chief of Military History, Department of
the Army, "2194 Days of War" by Cesare Salmaggi and Alfredo Pallavisimi,
"Facts On File Yearbook 1945, Person's Index Of World Events" edited by R.L.
Lapica.

Copyright 1995 by John B Davis, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Previous articles are archived at ftp.webcom.com in directory /pub/jbd/www
and can be accessed via the WWW by URL: http://www.webcom.com/~jbd/ww2.html.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
John Davis                           |                      [email-masked]
Cary, North Carolina                 |            http://www.webcom.com/~jbd/
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 17:56:09 -0600
From:    "Louis R. Coatney" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MEDIA:Victoria Cross For Sale

There is something profoundly obscene about auctioning
  a Victoria Cross ... or a Congressional Medal of Honor ...
  or ...?

It should be earned by service and/or revered as a
  remembrance -- never bought and sold.

Lou Coatney, [email-masked]

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 19:04:41 -0500
From:    Ben Frank <[email-masked]>
Subject: MEDAL OF HONOR

Insofar as I know, the sale of Medals of Honor is forbidden by Federal law. Ben
Frank

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 19:09:26 -0500
From:    Ben Frank <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MEDAL OF HONOR

"The Old Breed," by my late friend, George McMillan, is considered to have been
the finest WWII unit histories written. It certainly conveys why the 1st MarDiv
is called The Old Breed. If you picked it up at a flea market for less that
$125, you got yourself a bargain. One of the men in my outfit was James C.
Wilbur. I never knew what happened to him after the war. Cherish the book; it
deserves it. Ben Frank

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 19:09:32 -0500
From:    Ben Frank <[email-masked]>
Subject: BATAAN DEATH MARCH

I don't know how soon after the event the death march was known. The government
was between Scylla and Charibdis, if I may use a classic, and perhaps misspelt
names. I think that it feared that the POWs would be treated worse, if
possible, than they were should it appear that it knew about the event. In any
case, for an outstanding work on the death march, I suggest you read Stanley
Falk's book of the same name--The Bataan Death March. Ben Frank

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 16:21:12 -0800
From:    Jim Benn <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MEDIA:Axis Fuel Drum

JET fuel in a 1942 container?  In the Med?  Does this sound funny?

Jim Benn.

On Mon, 27 Mar 1995, James E Irwin wrote:

> From the DoD Newswire 27 March 1995
> ======
>
> :ISRAEL FINDS WWII FUEL BARREL
>
>    JERUSALEM -- A barrel of airplane fuel from Nazi Germany has
> surfaced intact on a beach in northern Israel.
>    The 53-gallon metal container was discovered rolling in the surf
> Saturday by a man strolling the beach in Akhziv, a resort near the
> Lebanese border. It was stamped with the date 1942 and the word
> Wehrmacht, Germany's World War II army.
>    Scientists on Sunday found it still contained jet fuel and it was
> deposited in a nearby landfill, said Haim Shenhar, a local
> Environment Ministry official.
>    "It was completely whole after more than 50 years in the sea,"
> Shenhar said. "This is the first time we have found such a
> phenomenon."
>    Environment Ministry spokesman Iftah Kramer said the barrel was
> probably carried over by currents from Italy or other Mediterranean
> countries.
>
> =====
>
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> paa5137 sends (James Irwin)...
>

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 19:30:51 -0500
From:    Carlos R Rivera <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MEDIA:Victoria Cross For Sale redux

> There is something profoundly obscene about auctioning
>   a Victoria Cross ... or a Congressional Medal of Honor ...
>   or ...?
>
> It should be earned by service and/or revered as a
>   remembrance -- never bought and sold.

---in the same vein, is it not equally profoundly obscene about the failure of
any government to keep its promise to veterans, even those who can't afford
the luxury of selling their well deserved medals.  Has anyone checked lately on
the health status of veterans and objected to the waste of healthcare for them.
If a veteran, not all of them of course, has to sell his medals to sustain some
standard of living, including his health, the shame and dishonor should fall to
the nation, not the individual
my dos (devalued) centavos
CRivera

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 16:36:43 -0800
From:    Jim Benn <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: Name that gun, Enfield No4 Mk1

I understand that what you are talking about is an earlier version of the
Lee-Enfield No. 4 Mark I, that was changed after reports from the field
that the sights were inadequate.  I remember reading somewhere that it
was a production short-cut.
I checked my Lee-Enfield (gift from my sons this Christmas) and it has a
dual sight with what I believe is called a "battlefield" sight for
shortranges and a flip-up sight which can be set for up to 1200 yards.
This Lee-Enfield was made at the U.S. Springfield armory, and is marked
US Property.  It's also stamped "5 No. 4 Mk I*".  I read that many
Lee-Enfield were produced in the US by contract for use by British
troops.  I read somewhere that the US-made Lee-Enfields were made to
higher production standards than British-made models, and were favored by
British troops.  Does anyone know if this is true?
Finally, just a comment that the bolt action of this rifle is remarkable.
It's smooth and fast, and allows for much more accurate timed fire that
the German Kar 98, in my opinion.  Any other opinions on how the
Lee-Enfield stacks up against other WWII bolt-action rifles?
Thanks,

Jim Benn.

On Mon, 27 Mar 1995, Alan Wild wrote:

> The rear sight to the No.4, Mark I rocks front and back to produce 2 sight
> pictures: one short and one long range. They are marked 300 & 600. Does
> anyone know if that is yards or feet. It might sound like a dumb question,
> but many weapons have trajectories that travel through the line of sight
> twice, and it seems absurd that the first pass should be up through the
> line of sight at 300 YARDS. :-/
>
> Anyone,... Sidney?
>
> Alan Wild, Sr. Prog/Analyst
> ACC - Lippitt - URI
> Kingston, RI  02881
>
> American Legion, Post 102
> I am the NRA.
>

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 19:48:00 EST
From:    mc killop <[email-masked]>
Subject: [INF] USAAF 28 MAR 45

COMBAT CHRONOLOGY OF THE US ARMY AIR FORCES
WEDNESDAY, 28 MARCH 1945
FTP SITES
  1. ftp.rutgers.edu in directory pub/wwii/usaf
  2. byrd.mu.wvnet.edu (129.71.32.152) in pub/history/military/airforce/
     wwii_chronology

AIRCRAFT MENTIONED IN THIS REPORT:
  A-20, Douglas Havoc
  A-26, Douglas Invader
  B-17, Boeing Flying Fortress
  B-24, Consolidated Liberator
  B-25, North American Mitchell
  B-26, Martin Marauder
  B-29, Boeing Superfortress
  C-47, Douglas Skytrain
  F-5, Lockheed Lightning
  L-1, Stinson Vigilant
  L-5, Stinson Sentinel
  P-40, Curtiss
  P-47, Republic Thunderbolt
  P-51, North American Mustang

NOTE: A number in parenthesis after a target name indicates the number of
bombers attacking.

CHINA-BURMA-INDIA THEATER

  CHINA THEATER (Fourteenth Air Force): 6 B-24s bomb Haiphong and Hanoi docks
in French Indochina and the Bakli Bay barracks on Hainan Island. In China, 9
B-25s and 8 P-40s hit rivercraft and other targets from Yanglowtung to
Sienning; 9 other B-25s hit junks, storage, and targets of opportunity in the
Lushan area and 7 bomb Chingmen; 14 B-25s, operating in groups of 1 to 4
aircraft, hit rivercraft and scattered targets of opportunity at several
other points in S and E China; 120+ fighter-bombers over French Indochina and
S and E China continue to pound numerous targets of opportunity, mainly
river, road, and rail traffic and troop concentrations; rivercraft and
airfields in areas around Kai Tek Airfield in Hong Kong and Canton, Hankow,
and Wuchang, China are severely hit. In China, the 11th Bombardment Squadron
(Medium), 341st Bombardment Group (Medium), based at Yangkai sends a
detachment to operate from Chihkiang with B-25s; the 19th Liaison Squadron,
69th Composite Wing, moves from Kunming to Chengkung with L-1s and L-5s.

  HQ AAF (Twentieth Air Force): 3 mining missions are flown during the night
of 28/29 Mar without loss:
  Mission 46: 10 of 10 B-29s mine the mouth of the Hwangpoo River and the S
channel of the Yangtze River at Shanghai, China.
  Mission 47: 17 of 18 B-29s mine the waters at Saigon and Camranh Bay,
French Indochina.
  Mission 48: 32 of 33 B-29s mine the Singapore, Malayan States area.

  INDIA-BURMA THEATER (Tenth Air Force): 30+ fighter-bombers operating over
and behind the battlelines in C Burma attack troop concentrations, supply
areas, elephant transport, and general targets of opportunity at or near Wan
Hong, Ho-na, Kyu-sawk, Nawnghkio, and Na-ti; 642 air supply sorties are flown
to advanced bases and over the frontlines, where supplies are dropped,
throughout the day.

EUROPEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (ETO)

  AIRBORNE OPERATIONS (IX Troop Carrier Command): The 29th Troop Carrier
Squadron, 313th Troop Carrier Group, moves from Folkingham, England to
Achiet, France with C-47s.

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Eighth Air Force): Mission 917: 965 B-17s and 390
P-51s are dispatched to hit industrial targets in Berlin and Hannover; 10/10
cloud cover forces the B-17s to bomb using H2X radar; 2 B-17s are lost:
  1. 446 B-17s are dispatched to hit the Spandau tank factory (318) and
Falkensee armament plant (65) in Berlin; 6 hit Stendal, the secondary;
targets of opportunity are Hannover (1) and other (21); 2 B-17s are lost, 5
damaged beyond repair and 133 damaged; 1 airman is KIA, 8 WIA and 19 MIA.
Escorting are 245 of 272 P-51s.
  2. 519 B-17s are sent to hit the Hanomag tank factory at Hannover (34); 431
hit the secondary, the marshalling yard at Hannover; targets of opportunity
are Minden (10) and other (5); 66 B-17s are damaged; 3 airmen are WIA. 86 of
99 P-51s escort.
  3. 8 of 9 P-51s escort 3 F-5s on photo reconnaissance missions over
Germany.
  4. 6 of 10 P-51s fly scouting missions.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Ninth Air Force): In Germany, 215 A-20s, A-26s and
B-26s hit the Neuenheerse and Erbach oil storage depots and 11 targets of
opportunity; fighters escort the bombers, fly armed reconnaissance and area
cover over wide expanses of German territory, and support the US XII Corps in
breakout attacks across the Main River in the Dornigheim area and the 2d and
8th Armored Divisions in the Dorsten area. HQ 36th Fighter Group and the 22d
and 23d Fighter Squadrons move from Le Culot, Belgium to Aachen, Germany with
P-47s; and the 31st Photographic Reconnaissance Squadron, 10th Photographic
Group (Reconnaissance), moves from Jarny, France to Euren, Germany with
F-5s.

MEDITERRANEAN THEATER OF OPERATIONS (MTO)

  STRATEGIC OPERATIONS (Fifteenth Air Force): Unfavorable weather restricts
operations to reconnaissance flights by 5 F-5s.

  TACTICAL OPERATIONS (Twelfth Air Force): In Italy, bad weather grounds
the medium and light bombers; fighters and fighter-bombers are limited to
weather reconnaissance and some armed reconnaissance in the Milan area where
they harass communications.

PACIFIC OCEAN AREA (POA)

  AAFPOA
    Seventh Air Force: 10 Guam Island-based B-24s bomb Truk Atoll in the
Caroline Islands and, flying separate snooper strikes, 5 hit Susaki Airfield
on Chichi Jima during the night of 28/29 Mar.
    VII Fighter Command: On Chichi Jima Island, 15 P-51s from Iwo Jima Island
hit airfields and defenses.

SOUTHWEST PACIFIC AREA [SWPA, Far East Air Force (FEAF)]: On Luzon Island,
B-24s and fighter-bombers hit Balete Pass tracts and ridges, installations at
Santa Fe, and ground support targets N of Laguna de Bay and in Cavite and
Batangas Provinces and B-25s and A-20s attack troop concentrations at Baguio
and Ilagan. Bombers hit the Cebu City area on Cebu Island and pound airfields
on Negros Island. B-24s bomb Likanan Airfield on Mindanao Island. Other B-24s
hit Takao and Tainan, Formosa while B-25s hit shore targets along the French
Indochina coast. The 39th Troop Carrier Squadron, 317th Troop Carrier Group,
moves from Leyte Island to Clark Field, Luzon with C-47s.

SOURCES:
AIR FORCE COMBAT UNITS OF WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force History,
  Headquarters USAF, 1961, ISBN 0-912799-02-1
COMBAT SQUADRONS OF THE AIR FORCE, WORLD WAR II, Office of Air Force
  History, Headquarters USAF 1982
THE ARMY AIR FORCES IN WORLD WAR II: COMBAT CHRONOLOGY, 1941-1945 by the
  Office of Air Force History, Headquarters USAF, 1973
THE MIGHTY EIGHTH WAR DIARY by Roger A. Freeman, ISBN 1-85409-071-2

Jack McKillop
USAF (Airways and Air Communications Service)
1955-59

-------------------------------------------------------------------
|  Jack McKillop         |  Those who have long enjoyed such      |
|  Bellcore              |  privileges as we enjoy forget in      |
|  Piscataway, NJ USA    |  time that men have died to win them.  |
|  [email-masked]  |                       FDR              |
-------------------------------------------------------------------

28/0047Z MAR

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 19:43:39 -0600
From:    "Robert J. Granvin" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MEDIA:Axis Fuel Drum

In message <[email-masked]> World War II Discussion
List writes:
> JET fuel in a 1942 container?  In the Med?  Does this sound funny?

I read the article to a friend of mine, and the first thing he said was:
"Jet fuel in a 1942 barrel, legibly stenciled Wehrmacht (and not Luftwaffe)
floating in the Med still completely intact... I shoulda put money on that
in Vegas."

(Of course, an intact barrel isn't terribly hard to justify -- a container,
aircraft or ship sunk in 1942 breaks up for whatever reason and releases the
contents of a water tight and/or otherwise protected compartment and one
item ends up on shore.  Next, is the 1942 stamp the date of manufacture or
the date the container was filled..?  Wehrmacht is a little odd, but maybe
not...)

>
> Jim Benn.
>
> On Mon, 27 Mar 1995, James E Irwin wrote:
>
> > From the DoD Newswire 27 March 1995
> > ======
> >
> > :ISRAEL FINDS WWII FUEL BARREL
> >
> >    JERUSALEM -- A barrel of airplane fuel from Nazi Germany has
> > surfaced intact on a beach in northern Israel.
> >    The 53-gallon metal container was discovered rolling in the surf
> > Saturday by a man strolling the beach in Akhziv, a resort near the
> > Lebanese border. It was stamped with the date 1942 and the word
> > Wehrmacht, Germany's World War II army.
> >    Scientists on Sunday found it still contained jet fuel and it was
> > deposited in a nearby landfill, said Haim Shenhar, a local
> > Environment Ministry official.
> >    "It was completely whole after more than 50 years in the sea,"
> > Shenhar said. "This is the first time we have found such a
> > phenomenon."
> >    Environment Ministry spokesman Iftah Kramer said the barrel was
> > probably carried over by currents from Italy or other Mediterranean
> > countries.

--
Robert J. Granvin
Southern Minnesota Wing Confederate Air Force

------------------------------

Date:    Mon, 27 Mar 1995 19:48:51 -0600
From:    "Robert J. Granvin" <[email-masked]>
Subject: Re: MEDIA:Victoria Cross For Sale redux

> > There is something profoundly obscene about auctioning
> >   a Victoria Cross ... or a Congressional Medal of Honor ...
> >   or ...?
> >
> > It should be earned by service and/or revered as a
> >   remembrance -- never bought and sold.

These medals, when no longer of value to a family (or perhaps no family to
pass them on to) should find their way to museums.

But $12-$20K?  How many museums can really put out that kind of money for a
single medal?  That money is raised through very hard work and good management
and I hate to say it, but for nearly every museum, that kind of investment is
beyond fiscal responsibility.

If up for sale, it more often that not finds its way to a private collector,
taking the artifact out of sight and mind of the public.  When it finds its
way back into public display, the story of the owner may have been lost.

These are awards.  They should never become commodities.

--
Robert J. Granvin
Southern Minnesota Wing Confederate Air Force

------------------------------

End of WWII-L Digest - 26 Mar 1995 to 27 Mar 1995
*************************************************