Posted on 11/30/2014 6:54:32 PM PST by robowombat
21 November 2014 Last updated at 13:11 ET
A former soldier has revealed how a Nazi general spared him from the firing squad in World War Two.
Roy Wooldridge, 95, from Hendy, Carmarthenshire, .....
Mr Wooldridge, who was twice awarded the Military Cross, was sent a telegram ordering him to report to his unit just three days after his wedding in 1944.
The lieutenant, who was later promoted to captain, was sent to the French beaches with a colleague to ensure there were no mines which could blow up the boats during the D-Day landings.
Due to the secretive nature of the mission, he was not wearing a uniform or carrying identification.
The duo were captured
He was then blindfolded and taken to a chateau where he was ordered up a flight of stairs.
"I opened the door... and there standing behind the desk was Field Marshall Rommel, so I gave him the courtesy of standing to attention.
....... After his request to the general, he was taken to the mess hall where a stein of beer, a packet of cigarettes and a meal of meatballs, potatoes and sauerkraut were waiting.
....... After his meeting with Rommel, he was taken to Paris.
He said: "When I got to the Prisoner of War camp, a German guard who spoke English said 'you're a very lucky man, if you hadn't been to see Rommel you would have been shot as a saboteur.'"
(Excerpt) Read more at bbc.com ...
Got it. Thanks
CC
Got it. Thanks
CC
He most certainly was a Nazi, just lacking some of the malignant psychology of the leadership. Rommel wanted to rule the world as much as any of them.
“He most certainly was a Nazi”
Other than demonstrating that you know very little about Rommel what’s your point? Rommel was a never a member of the Nazi party and he had been part of the plot to kill Hitler.
“”His devotion to the profession of arms was in the best tradition of the gentleman. In a total war fought savagely and brutally, he inspired admiration for his treatment of prisoners. He was not tainted by Nazism....”
“Rommel agrees with Stuelpnagel that Hitler has long since lost touch with reality and must be forced to concede or else be removed from power. But he declares himself morally opposed to assassination. He wants Hitler arrested and tried by a German court for his crimes. Rommel tells Stuelpnagel he will give Hitler one last chance by sending the fuehrer a “blitz” telegram outlining the war in the starkest possible terms and urging Hitler to take immediate action on the diplomatic front or cut Germany’s losses and authorize the Werhmacht to evacuate France and fall back to Germany’s borders. Rommel however is certain his warning will be ignored, in which case he declares himself prepared to support a coup. He also agrees that Guenther von Kluge may be more of a liability than an asset to the conspirators. He then gives Stuelpnagel his word of honor that even if Kluge refuses to stand up and be counted, he will act “openly and unconditionally” with the conspirators. (Lamb, 406).
On July 16, 1944, Rommel wrote his blitz message to Hitler and asked Kluge to have it delivered immediately. The next day RAF fighters strafed Rommel’s motorcade along a French country road, killing his driver. Rommel’s car spuns out of control and the field marshal was hurtled into a ditch with severe head injuries. Rommel can be of no help to the conspirators when Stauffenberg plants his bomb three days later at Hitler’s headquarters.”
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/biography/Rommel.html
“Rommel is regarded as having been a humane and professional officer. His Afrika Korps was never accused of war crimes, and soldiers captured during his Africa campaign were reported to have been treated humanely. Orders to kill Jewish soldiers, civilians and captured commandos were ignored. Late in the war, Rommel was linked to the conspiracy to assassinate Adolf Hitler”
“Rommel defied Hitler’s order to execute captured commandos. After the capture of commandos Lt. Roy Wooldridge and Lt. George Lane following Operation Fortitude, he placed them in a POW camp. When British Lieutenant-Colonel Geoffrey Keyes was killed during a failed commando raid to kill or capture Rommel behind German lines, Rommel ordered him buried with full military honours.
During Rommel’s time in France, Hitler ordered him to deport the country’s Jewish population; Rommel disobeyed. Several times he wrote letters protesting against the treatment of the Jews. He also refused to comply with Hitler’s order to execute Jewish POWs. At his 17 June 1944 meeting with Hitler at Margival, he protested against the atrocity committed by the 2nd SS Panzer division Das Reich, which in retribution had massacred the citizens of the French town of Oradour-sur-Glane. Rommel asked to be allowed to punish the division. While he implemented the construction of the many obstacles to strengthen the Atlantic Wall, Rommel directed that French workers were to be paid for their labour, and were not to be used as slave labourers.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erwin_Rommel
I love how people on this forum love to call people ignorant just because they disagree.
Rommel did Hitlers bidding, he may not have been a member if their party but be carried out their orders. That’s enough for me. You cannot state he didn’t know of atrocities under his command. He had SS troops under his command. Stick the head back into the sand.
Thanks for that good clarification, Pelham.
I’m glad you enjoy it. It’s easy to do in your case because you demonstrate that quality for all of us to see.
The first link that I posted which says that Rommel “was not tainted by Nazism” is from the Jewish Virtual Library.
I guess in the World of Ignorance it’s assumed that Jews are in the habit of covering for Nazis. Apparently you do anyway. Go figure.
Did you read the whole article?
Your historical ignorance is not something to be proud of.
I guess neither of you had a relative killed by Rommel. So you dispute the fact that Rommel took orders directly from Hitler, a man he despised? Fought for a man he despised? The man you worship was he ignorant of all the crimes he ran interference for? At least he was probably a little slower than some to jump to conclusions.
Who is the ignorant revisionist pseudo intellectual mama’s boys?
“The man you worship”
“Who is the ignorant revisionist pseudo intellectual mama’s boys?”
Time for you to stop digging the hole you’re in. You began by insisting that Rommel was a Nazi which you’ve had to abandon. Now you’re resorting to insulting the rest of us for pointing out that you’re an ignoramus with an attitude.
What we “worship” is intellectual honesty. In contrast you put emotion first because you blame Rommel for the death of some relative and you think that entitles you to rewrite history.
You are ignorant. You can stop proving it now.
Sounds like a broken record. Best argument you got? Worshipping Hitler’s favorite general, one of Evil’s best tool. Who is the tool here?
Unfortunately, it happens. Unless there is a clear link of complicity (such a command to commit a given crime), or a steady consistency of a given crime (systematic rape for example), you can't really hold a general responsible for isolated actions by certain troops under his command.
Most assuredly crimes occurred on both sides, but battle field retaliation by emotionally drained, exhausted combat troops is just a little different from a policy of extermination.
Germany and Japan were the primary instigators and committed massive atrocities eclipsed only by Stalin. Nothing else even comes close. I’ve never seen nor heard any evidence we were involved in anything like that. Someone may consider the bombing of cities an atrocity but as bad as the results were they were nothing in comparison.
Any top General absolutely must have information sources at every level throughout their nations forces. Surprise is the enemy. Rommel can only claim a degree of deniability.
You’ve really got to peel back the onion to see what was happening back then.
Yeah, call me a Nazi. That’s about your speed. Hitler’s favorite general? Hitler had Rommel kill himself to save his family, dumbass.
He was Hitler’s favorite general all through the war. Sorry if you didn’t know that. I’ve been studying this for 20 years.
Hitler publicized him for a PR campaign. That doesn’t mean he was Hitler’s favorite. You need to study for another 20 years.
Yea Right.
No doubt a fine military mind but he knew what Hitler was like and served his Nazi masters until near the end.
Nobody to worship.
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