Weber stayed with his family, his fiances mother took Mayer in, and Wijnberg stayed at a neighbors house. At the Arcadia Conference, held in Washington, DC, from December 24, 1941 to January 14, 1942, the Western Allies agreed to a Germany First policy to govern global strategy, but the question where to engage Germany, and when, remained unsettled. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. However, this historical episode is not the only one. Ulmer asked several pointed questions about their background, and the men revealed that they were Jewish. The governor was about to go on the radio to tell his troops to fight to the last man. THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ , Last week we posted a story on the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) and how after 73 years they were finally recognized as a group and were honored with a Congressional Gold Medal. Not surprising to those who know him, Fred Mayer may not attend the Congressional reception and the screening of the movie chronicling his feats. Franz Carl Weber. They had to walk down the glacier, sometimes waist deep in snow. They traveled by ship to North Africa. The other objective was to identify rail traffic travelling from Innsbruck to Italy through the Brenner Pass. Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. He would later on return to Germany to start over. Moscow Should Prepare For Probable US Nuclear Aggression: Reports Russian Military Journal, Destroying American Monster Abrams: Pro-Russian Group Release A How-To Video, Dr. Mary E. Walker: The First AND Only Female Medal Of Honor Recipient, Bakhmut on the Brink of Falling to Russian Troops, Decorated Navy SEAL Died in HALO Training Accident, Adam Brown: A SEALs Life of Courage and Redemption, Complete List: Ticonderoga-class Missile Cruisers To Retire By 2027, Nuclear Close Calls That Nearly Caused World War III, Russian Sausage Millionaire and Putin Critic Falls to His Death in India, Deadly Russian Rifle Brigade Wiped Out During War in Ukraine. "We all sat around and everybody had their scripts and lines," Roth said. So, though the story is completely fictional, the Basterds are pretty much based on some real-life groups that gave their lives to defeat the Nazis, like Nakam, the Jewish group devoted to killing or, as it's literally translated from Hebrew, "to avenge their people." Once in place, Mayer posed as a German . Franz Weller (5 December 1901 - 14 August 1994) was a highly decorated Oberst in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He introduced himself as Lt. Mayer of the OSS and explained that he was going to take the major with him to accept the German surrender from Hofer. Nazis! Donny Donowitz. In his book about the OSS Tom Moon described the torture. Imagine a Jew helpingNazissurrender peacefully to the Allies. I couldn't stop writing. . Welcome to Franz Weber Inc., and thank you for visiting our website. Mayer became an Army Ranger and went on to join the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) the precursor of todays CIA. We use our own and third-party cookies to personalize and improve the use and experience of our users on our website. He and Mayer negotiated the peaceful surrender of Innsbruck, the Tyrolean provincial capital, to the US 7th Army on May 3, 1945. Tarantino will never tell us the full logic behind misspelling the title, though in various interviews he's offered partial explanations. Franz Weber. Mayer said to him, What do you think we areNazis?. Inform us! The award was presented to him by the Austrian ski resorts for his contributions to the sport of skiing. Hoffer, who had already anticipated the fall of Nazi Germany, met Mayer to discuss the possibility of a German rendition, and naturally, his own protection. Thanks to their intelligence, the Allies were able to bomb over 25 supply trains trying to get into Italy. They tortured him brutally, but he didnt break. In one of the most incredible scenes from World War II, Frederick Mayer approached the American lines and informed the advancing 103rd division that the Germans had surrendered Innsbruck to him, saving potentially thousands of German and American lives in the process. Finally, an intrepid American Air Corps pilot, Lt. John Billings, and his crew stepped forward and volunteered. The Combined Bomber Offensive (CBO) in the European Theater was one of Americas bloodiest campaigns. [Quentin asked], 'How did you feel when he joined the Basterds?' Feigning the role of a captured German POW, Fred entered a camp and networked within its gates. Mayer was then betrayed and captured. Since 2013, Fondation Franz Weber is working closely with the World Heritage Centre to support the conservation and safeguard of natural World Heritage sites.This partnership intends to strengthen the Rapid Response Facility (RRF), a programme jointly managed by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and Fauna & Flora International aimed at protecting natural World Heritage sites in emergency . And when youre done with all of those hundreds of books, you can turn to film. Then they boarded a Gestapo-infested train bound for Innsbruck (a major rail hub) where they were asked for their papers. Theres no doubt that Operation Greenup saved many thousands of lives, Austrian and American, civilian and military. Weber F, Machens CK, Borst A: Disentangling the functional consequences of the connectivity between optic-flow processing neurons. U.S. Military. They were joined by Franz Weber, an ex-Wehrmacht officer turned freedom fighter comparable to the Basterds' Hugo Stiglitz. Franz Weber. Franz Weber (30 November 1921 - 28 July 2014 in Mnchen) was a German Obergefreiter in the Wehrmacht during World War II. There they were helped by his family. The team would infiltrate using a blacked out B-24 bomber. Learn More. I made the argument for the medal in my book They Dared Return, and now Sen. John Rockefeller is championing the cause. During WWII, some Jews really did volunteer to go into Nazi-occupied Europe to engage in espionage and sabotage. Despite the agents bullish strength, the SS men brutally manhandled him, shoving him to the floor. Few films could get away with an ending where a character turns to the camera and says, "This might just be my masterpiece," but "Inglourious Basterds" might trulybe QuentinTarantino's masterpiece. Do you have more information about this person? Headquartered in Reno, Nevada, Franz Weber, Inc. is a sports management and consulting company founded in 1984 by Franz Weber and his wife Janett. Busting the Myth Behind Moctezumas Headdress; Did It Really Belong Him? In 1998, he won the National SG Masters Championships, and his Masters record includes winning all but two of the more than The top and bottom have been folded over and stitched together. Reaching the glaciers foot, they holed up for three days at the Amberger hut (their original target) as they went over their plans. In an amazing turnabout, Mayer received an opportunity for revenge. Eventually, the man who fingered Mayer was brought in and he knew the ruse was up. As the company approached along the relatively featureless terrain, it came under violent MG . World War II was a global war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. His family owned a hardware store that was boycotted because they were Jewish once Hitler became chancellor in 1933. On February 25, 1945, Mayer flew from his base in Italy and arrived in the Austrian mountains by parachuting with his team in the dead of night onto the ridge of a glacier. Mayer donned Webers old uniform and took on the cover story of a recovering German officer at the local hospital where Webers sister was a nurse. In February, 1945, an odd trio parachuted onto a vast Austrian glacier and kicked-off one of the most spectacular clandestine missions of World War II. Waltz had only acted in German films before, and "Inglourious Basterds" was a huge breakout for his international career. Hofer was looking for a way to surrender to the Americans and not the Russians and saw this as his chance. And that was after they had tortured him. According to Roth, "[The flames] were spreading so exponentially. In this operation, OSS used former German nationals who were forced to flee for their lives just because they were Jewish. The Gestapo burst in and arrested Mayer and took him to their HQs. Tags:quentin tarantino world war ii world history. Greenup also discovered Hitlers location, as well as that of Mussolini. A Nazi SS general responsible for deporting tens of thousands of Jews to death camps worked for West German intelligence after World War . Do you have more information about this person? Franz Weber. Franz Anton von Weber (* 26. Millard E. Moon, Journal of Strategic Security, Vol. It added in one two-minute scene where the Basterds and Lt. Archie Hicox prepare for the rendezvous in the La Louisiana tavern, as well as a brief joke involving Joseph Goebbels having sex with his translator, while making around a minute's worth of small trims and adjustments for pacing elsewhere in the film. We invite you to share some of Franz Webers career. In 2014, when President Obama had awarded several Medals of Honor to individuals who werent awarded them at the time due to racism or other reasons, was given the name of Mayer by WV Senator Jay Rockefeller. Life as a spy was not short of action. He married Anna Maria Kohl in 1525, in Netstal, Glarus, Switzerland. Fortunately for Webers fiance and her family, Mayer had found other lodgings before being captured. OK His two interrogators discounted the possibility that he might be Jewish, because their anti-Semitism meant that they refused to believe that a Jew could be brave enough to withstand their tortures. A German soldier, Matull had deserted and was caught by the Allies who threw him into a POW camp. Mayer convinced Hofer the war was over. Design, construction and validation of a computer controlled system for functional loading of soft tissue. The trio got off at the town of Oberperfuss near Innsbruck and split up. Being Jewish, the senior Mayers status couldnt protect them, so the family emigrated to the US in 1938. Inside one of World War II's most daring spy missions: The men who made OSS operations possible. It was "The Fifth Element" director Luc Besson who encouraged Tarantino to finish "Inglourious Basterds" as a movie rather than a miniseries. Most of SIs missions had been failures with the operatives either killed or shipped off to concentration camps. The only area to infiltrate was a small lake frozen over in the winter between the mountains. "Say 'What' Again!" During the movie's production, however, there were also serious risks and conflicts that could have (and probably should have) been avoided. Praesidus brings homage to the military watch tradition. A movie that climaxes with a group of Jewish soldiers shooting Hitler in the face isn't particularly concerned with historical accuracy, but "Inglourious Basterds" still draws some inspiration from real history. Sally Menke edited every one of QuentinTarantino's movies from "Reservoir Dogs" in 1992 all the way up until "Inglourious Basterds" in 2009. The OG group shared a unique bond. He was 94 years old. A former German commando and officer, Weber had fought on the Eastern Front but now was convinced that it was his duty to defeat the Third Reich for the sake of his country, Austria. They didnt embark on any sort of killing spree, but they did succeed in their mission. Mollis,Glarus,,Switzerland . As you can see, there are some similarities with Tarantino's film. RecPak is a meal replacement for the outdoors that saves you weight, space and time in the most challenging environments, just add water. While promoting her 2022 action movie "The 355," Diane Kruger appeared on the podcast "Reign with Josh Smith" and answered questions about how she got the role of German actress and spy Bridget Von Hammersmark in "Inglourious Basterds." In fact, Mayer was taken to Hofers home, met Hofers wife, and ate with them. Over 40.000 pages on the officers, the boats, technology and the Allied efforts to counter the U-boat threat. The third soldier was the Austrian Franz Weber, a Nazi officer who had deserted the army. Allies suspected the Germans were plotting to make their final stand in the war there. I don't want you to be bad at the script reading, but I want you to hold a lot back. There was also Franz Weber - a Catholic Austrian Wehrmacht officer and POW, who felt loyal to . Eventually, they transferred to Italy and once again continued to sit out the war. They recommended him for the Office of Strategic Services, which later became the CIA. When Georg Weber was born about 1506, in Mollis, Glarus, Switzerland, his father, Franz Weber, was 33 and his mother, Weber, was 33. Working alongside Mr Mayer were Hans Wynberg, a Dutch-born Jew whose family had been deported to Auschwitz, and Franz Weber, an Austrian officer whose patriotism had led him to defect from the . ORCID provides an identifier for individuals to use with their name as they engage in research, scholarship, and innovation activities. In an article about the film in The Guardian, Tarantino is quoted as refusing to explain the "u" in "Inglourious" but does explain the "e" in "Basterds": "That's just the way you say it: basterds.". Both men joined the US Army, and were then approached to join the OSS, the US intelligence service,because of their language skills. An Olympian, six-time consecutive World Speed Skiing Champion and former world record-holder, Franz Weber still holds the North American record, at 129.303 mph/208.092 kph which he set in 1983 in Silverton, Colorado. October 28th, 1944. Kessler (TV Mini Series 1981) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Considering how the Gestapo worked, they believed him. Colombo, V; Correro, M R; Riener, R; Weber, Franz E; Gallo, L M (2011). Sein Leben war durch eine umfangreiche Reisettigkeit geprgt. Posing as a recovering German officer, Mayer befriended an Engineer Officer who worked on the Fuhrer Bunker in Berlin. They therefore had to walk in deep snowto Oberperfuss, Webers home village. In fact, it deserves nothing less than a movie. The OGs were the Special Forces of WWII, theyd support resistance groups and train for guerrilla warfare. This man was Hermann Matull, who was also working as a spy in the region. The largest of the ghettos where Eastern European Jews were first confined and, later, deported to extermination camps by the Nazis was set up in Warsaw, Poland. info@nationalww2museum.org Their most daring operation, however, involved finding the Alpine Redoubt in Austria a fortress where the German government could supposedly retreat to in the event of defeat. World War II Military Records. Their mission wasto gather intelligence in the Tirol region of Austria. From 0-99, there is something for the child in all of us. The trio had supplies packages dropped with them, but unfortunately were unable to locate the packet containing their skis. Frederick Mayer was a man described by some as fearless. Channel 5 in the UK broadcast a documentary called The Nazi Killers on Friday 22 November. Bahnhofplatz 9. The Life of Fridolin. As the Germans surrendered, the Gestapo officer who had savagely beaten Mayer was taken to the very cell where he tortured him. One, an engineer, had worked on the German Fuhrers bunker in Berlin. So Matull hadnt entirely lied. Mayer, who is Jewish, and his family fled Germany at the onset of the war, barely escaping the holocaust. Over 16.5 million men and women served in the armed forces during World War II, of whom 291,557 died in battle, 113,842 died from other causes, and 670,846 were wounded. IndieWire reported that Tarantino wanted the movie edited on a much tighter schedule that his previous productions, both as a reaction to spending too much time "overfiddling" with "Death Proof" and so the film would be ready to screen at Cannes. He says Waltz was also instructed to not show up to rehearsals with any of his co-stars, with the one exception ofDenis Mnochet (who played the dairy farmer Perrier LaPadite and shares the film's suspenseful opening scene with Waltz). Download the TracesOfWar app directly on, Australia (1901-present, Federal Monarchy), Belgium (1830-present, Constitutional Monarchy), Canada (1931-present, Constitutional Monarchy), Soviet Union (1922-1991, People's Republic), FELLGIEBEL, W.P., Elite of theThird Reich, Helion & Company Limited, Solihull, 2003, HU, JRGEN & SONDERMANN, HEINZ-WERNER, Ritterkreuztrger im Mannschaftsstand 1941-1945, VDM Heinz Nickel, Zweibrcken, 2009, Privacy statement, cookies, disclaimer and copyright. 3 (Fall 2010), pp. Diane Kruger was not the only "Inglourious Basterds" cast member to face potentially dangerous scenarios during the film shoot. Contributor. Unlike the strange and often idiotic Tarantinos movie, however, the truth was far more bizarre. He was finally arrested when a black marketeer was caught by Nazi authorities and fingered Mayer as a, OSS Finally Recognized More Than 70 Years Later By Congress, PO Box 1077 MURFREESBORO, Tennessee 37133 United States, P.O. Then good fortune stepped in. They approached speeds of 60 mph or more as the craft careened down the mountain. Speaking German, he admitted to being an American but said he was working alone. According toIndieWire, in Tara Wood's Tarantino-focused documentary "QT8: The First Eight," Eli Roth recounts the story of one extra who got fired for not developing a backstory for his non-speaking character. Top. Hofer was later judged in absentia and sentenced to death in Austria in 1949. Patrick K. ODonnell is a bestselling author and combat historian who has conducted over 5,000 oral history interviews with heroes like Frederick Mayer. With a good categorising system, you will easily find whatever you are looking for, as well as much you were not. While Mayer was being tortured in a Nazi prison, another American agent was being interrogated by the Gestapo. After three months, Mayer changed his cover to that of a French electrician who was fleeing the Soviets. Privacy statement, cookies, disclaimer and copyright, On a journey of discovery to historical sites? By this time Hofer, like many Nazis, realised that the war was lost and was interested only in surrendering to the Western Allies rather than the Soviets. ?, The GIs were not so merciful with the Gestapo, however, especially as some them were Jews. 3, No. are western hognose snakes legal in the uk risk assessment for cleaning pigeon droppings In the dead of winter, 1945, German-born Fred Mayer, Dutch-born Hans Wijnberg and former Wehrmacht officer Franz Weber parachuted into the Austrian Alps. When telling this story to The Los Angeles Times in 2009, Roth also noted that the part where the giant swastika falls in the theater was an accident, resulting from the unexpectedly powerful fires burning the steel cables holding it up. He can see the reality of Hitlers plans, which, as Weber puts it, aims to transform the continent into Concentration Camp Europe. Weber deserts to the Allies, makes contact with the OSS, and agrees to join the team. He parachuted into the Third Reich, where he impersonated a German officer, blew up trains, sent back intelligence on Hitlers bunker, and even accepted the surrender of Innsbruck, Austria. But he wasnt so honored. By Tom Linder West Hawaii Today tlinder@westhawaiitoday.com | Wednesday, May 6, 2020, 12:05 a.m. Franz Weber, a longtime Kona resident, started Paying it Forward, which serves as a bridge between . A couple of excellent books on the subject are : This Grim And Savage Game: The Oss And U.s. Covert Operations In World War II by Tom Moon and. OSS ran many fantastic operations and had an eclectic group of operatives. I dont stay up late anymore.. He was finally arrested when a black marketeer was caught by Nazi authorities and fingered Mayer as a spy. Zrich Airport. Rahn offered to send a message to OSS HQs in Bern, Switzerland headed up by Allen Dulles who later became the head of the CIA. He infiltrated it by obtaining work as an electrician, using a French translation of his own name,discovering that supply problems with parts meant that no aircraft were being completed. During these discussions, it was agreed that the Germans under Hofer should surrender to Mayer, as the representative of the US military. He is a two-time overall winner of the Tournament of Champions and four-time Rolex Legends Series Champion. It was difficult to find a suitable drop point, as the obvious places were all occupied by the enemy. One of the guards saw him, reported him to the authorities, and he was arrested. But Tarantino smartly decided that the multilingual role was best suited for a native German speaker and ultimately cast Christoph Waltz in the part that would eventually win him an Oscar. This was worn by civilians in the employment of the Waffen SS. Mayer was assigned to the German Operational Group before heading out. Thanks to the work of these three man, many Allied troops accomplished several effective bombings, destroying Nazi supplies and, naturally, messing with their plans. Nationality: German (1933-1945, Third Reich) Biography. Tarantino would later reedit his movie "The Hateful Eight" into a miniseries for Netflix.

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