What's new? 2006

A tribute to Col. (U.S. Army) Harry M. KEMP (+)

The National museum of Military History in Diekirch, Luxembourg, has the sad obligation to notify of the passing of Col. Harry M. Kemp, who died on November 19, 2006 at the age of 87 in San Antonio.

As the executive officer of the 3rd Bn/109th Inf Rgt, (then) Captain Kemp made it possible for the civilian population of Diekirch be evacuated to safety during the night of December 19-20, 1944 just in time before the German troops took the town during the "Battle of the Bulge".

On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Luxembourg, Col. Kemp was decorated with the "Commander of the Order of Merit Cross of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg" and honored with the title of "honorary citizen of Diekirch" in presence of his family.

We will always remember him as a great soldier and friend.

Summer vacation students and temporary volunteers bolster museum's archival projects

The National Museum of Military History's small standard permanent volunteer potential (primarily to maintain the displays) has recently been increased by a number of additional, temporary assets during the summer vacation and even beyond. This is a real blessing that actually pays off, especially when it comes to inventorying, classifying, digitalizing and properly storing thousands of records that up to now had been dormant "ducks" eating up a lot of shelf space.

Aware of the importance of historical WWII – and "Bulge"- related records for future researchers, the museum recently took the initiative to create in the years ahead a reference library and archives that will be available for on-site consultation for interested scholars and students. Over all those years, the museum not only concentrated on military hardware and WWII artifacts, but also collected quantities of records, photos, maps, personal letters, unit journals, oral history reports, newspaper clippings, documents … and so on. Because of lack of proper space and shortages of personnel (the museum's exhibits and dioramas were always a priority so far), all those valuable records could never be exploited up to now.

That will change now! After the 60th anniversary of the "Bulge", it became obvious to many Luxembourg- and international institutions and authorities that "buried" records do not contribute to the nurturing of collective memory of a past we all share and that they should be made publicly available for interested audiences. On the museum's request, the Luxembourg Ministry of Culture, of Higher Education and Research, responded very favorably and generously provided three university students (all majoring in history) to start creating a database system to combine the museum's various available records for later insertion in an overall digitalized retrieval system that is interoperable with other national and international libraries, research institutions, archives and via a special, tailored software for museum use.

Over the past winter months of 2006 already, Amy Bergseth, (22), a young American Student of Miami University European Center, Luxembourg, who for her continued studies in the U.S., needed some practical experience, began to sort out and insert piles of diversified records into a system. This was the starting point for a first retrieval tool that will be later on converted into an interoperable system accessible via the internet.

On June 5, 2006, Tanja Schleich (23), a Luxembourg student of history at the University of Bangor, Wales started working at the museum's office as the first of the three Ministry-of Culture- provided assets.

Tanja Schleich working hard at her desk, typing in key words (locations, dates, names, etc) in a database for easier, more accurate tracking down of records.

For several weeks now, Tanja has been busily scanning U.S. – and German WWII records and inserting them into a filing system in addition of creating an electronic research tool to easily access hundreds of websites that the museum will post on an electronic billboard for interested internet "surfers". Presently not an easy task in the small museum staff office "steaming" from the unusually high temperatures of Luxembourg's almost "tropical" summer!! Tanja's personal interest in history and acquired skills in both research and modern communication means are indeed very beneficial for the museum's project. She will be followed in turn by Jill Guth (21), first year student of archaeology at the University of Cologne, who will continue on the stage set by her predecessor until end of August 2006.

Jill Guth will take over from Tanja Schleich by the end of July completing the databases and also exploiting oral history reports.

From mid-August on, there will also be a third student – Victoria Mouton (23), 3^rd year history student at the University Paul Valéry of Montpellier/France

As the last of the 3 university students, Victoria Mouton will finalize this summer’s cycle, leaving it up the museums own permanent volunteer team to continue supplementing the students’ groundwork.

teaming up with Jill to continue digitalizing and filing hard-copy records, sketches, map overlays and personal accounts until mid September 2006. The museum curator Roland Gaul estimates that by the end of summer, the three students have explored and classified about 10-15% of the present museum's resources – not bad for a beginning. Gaul rates the summer vacation work by the students as very beneficial and hopes for ongoing similar- or even enhanced support by the Luxembourg authorities in the years ahead. Again, all those efforts are meant to better serve interested scholars and researchers in the future in the interest of preserving history and collective memory. On the other hand, the museum's archive may thus "hook up" with other international archives of record and thus contribute to a worldwide effort.

The city of Diekirch also supports the growing museum by providing a summer student to assist with maintenance and preservations works of the collections and displays. Tom Sauber (16), who intends to become an NCO of the Luxembourg army,

Tom Sauber ironing out 62-year old wrinkles of WWII military maps that had been “sleeping” for all those years in a footlocker.  Some of them contain annotations or other valuable information to matching official records .

is presently the museum's "fix everything man". His activities range from sweeping the floors, ensuring the supply of pamphlets, assisting with all kind of maintenance works, helping at the reception booth and be handy to the curator wherever needed. Tom was very helpful recently when it came to hot-ironing and smoothening hundreds of wrinkled WWII military maps and records.

To conclude the series of portraits of the museum's new personnel assets, Katalin (Kate) Hala'sz, a Hungarian citizen living in Diekirch has volunteered since May 2006 to work in the museum's archive at the rate of twice a week.

Another new asset to the museum’s overall archival initiative is Kate Hala’sz , who has taken up the effort to scan, format and digitalize hundreds of WWII photographs for the museum’s still Photo- and audiovisual library.

Kate, who is an engineer by profession and currently without employment, was looking to an intellectual occupation and had registered with the Luxembourg "agency for volunteers". Kate's request came just about the right time when the museum had its new staff office fixed and immediately started working there as an archivist. Having completed one filing system for various records, Kate is presently scanning and classifying hundreds of 1940-1945 photos of the war years in Luxembourg, so that they will be available as digital copies in a database. Her occupation, too is a very important one, especially as the museum gets tons of requests for copyright-exempted photos by researchers and authors. Kate will continue after the summer students have finished their jobs.

All in all, the museum is very fortunate to have this additional dynamic potential and is confident that THANKS to this contribution it will continue to grow in the future.

Donated VW-166 " Schwimmwagen" (German amphibious car)

The National Museum of Military History is now enriched by an original 1944-built German VW-166 "Schwimmwagen" (amphibious staff car), as the worldwide database on remaining VW “Schwimmwagens” on www.vw166.com  is enlarged by one unit.

It was two years after the official initial opening of the museum in 1986 that a heavily-wrecked (but still recognizable) VW-166 was found in a barn in the Luxembourg Ardennes, long-forgotten for many years.  The vehicle had been scrapped, painted red with many graffiti and had apparently served as a funny point of attraction in a 1948-held Carnival parade.  Further research revealed that the actual vehicle was abandoned most likely for mechanical breakdown at the outskirts of Diekirch in late January 1945 by the retreating German troops, where a farmer had “salvaged” the vehicle and later on sold it to an individual.

VW-166 scrap: The vehicle stored for many years at the museum's depot in the condition as found in 1986.

Decades later, the museum volunteers acquired the remains of the VW-166 and stored it pending proper restoration and procurement of rarer spare parts. It was thanks to the kind assistance of the German military attaché’s office of the German Embassy in Luxembourg that contact was established by the former SIZ 860 (mechanical repair shop) of the German army in St. Wendel, Germany.

This large maintenance unit – now a civilian institution – has an apprentice school for future mechanics and car repair specialists. The management SIZ 860 agreed to put the old warrior up to snuff again and accepted the wrecked vehicle with a batch of newly-made spare parts. Under the expert guidance and supervision of masters Mr. Bommer, Mr. Mosmann, and Mr. Schneider, some 50 young German trainees worked countless hours during a 3-year period to fix the “Schwimmwagen”. The “wreck” was completely taken apart, sandblasted, primed, and step-by-step reassembled with numerous larger missing parts being made at SIZ 860. The result was amazing: the phoenix re-emerged from the ashes, as a fully functional cross-country staff car.

The "Schwimmwagen" handing over ceremonys.

On July 13, 2006 during a small ceremony, the vehicle was officially turned over to the museum in presence of the German military attaché, Lt. Col. Metz, the mayor of Diekirch, the museum volunteers and of course, the masters and some 40 apprentices of SIZ 860. The vehicle was jointly unveiled by a group of trainees and volunteers of the museum and an outdoor barbecue in honor of SIZ-860 was offered to all attendees.

A moment after the official joint unveiling.

The restored "Schwimmwagen" is tested by museum volunteer, Marion Schaaf.

VW-166 "Schwimmwagen" MEETING" in the "Seitert" woods north of Diekirch. The other superbly-restored vehicle belongs to well-known Luxembourg collector, Jean Ziger.

The restored vehicle will now be “camouflaged” and correctly stencilled by the museum staff with several accoutrements added (MG 34 and MG 42) to be put on permanent display towards the end of the year. 

NB: Presently there are 3 VW-166 “Schwimmwagen”s in Luxembourg.

AMBA promotes its members at Spangdahlem Air Force Base "Explore the Eifel" Fair

Assisted by Mike Boehler, staff member of the Diekirch National Museum of Military History, AMBA President Roland Gaul  represented AMBA an the June 30, 2006 "Explore the Eifel" tourist fair, organized by the community relations office of the U.S. Air Force base at Spangdahlem, Germany www.spangdahlem.af.mil.

AMBA President Roland Gaul greeting visitors.

Mike Boehler at AMBA's information booth.

Two interested visitors collecting information pamphlets.

One of the many young "explorers".

The fair is meant to inform American military families of the tourist attractions in the larger region of Belgium, Germany and Luxembourg.  As such, Americans are interested in discovering the history of the "Battle of the Bulge" by visiting the AMBA museums, numerous WWII-related memorials and military cemeteries and by taking terrain walks and special tours.  Together with some of its German partners, AMBA thus advertised a range of options related to 1944-45 history.  Althogether, several thousand visitors passed by AMBA's info stand, collecting pamphlets and receiving detailed information.

Dangerous "Bulge-relic"

As repeatedly referred, it is truly amazing that 61 years after the "Bulge", rusty relics still turn up sporadically, as the Diekirch museum keeps investigating former battlegrounds based on veterans' personal oral history accounts.

On January 29, 2006 battlefield digger Mike Boehler of the museum's staff, while re-walking the former U.S. positions at the "Hoesdorf plateau" overlooking the Sauer river valley, discovered an American M15 White Phosphorus (WP) hand grenade lying on the ground, partially covered with withered foliage. The grenade which obviously had been thrown to result in a "dud", was itself in poor condition. Sections of the steel body were badly corroded. But the real reason making this discovery so dangerous, was the fact that it was an "uxo", meaning "unexploded ordnance."

An E.O.D. expert handling the unearthed M15 White Phosphorus hand grenade prior to destruction.

Pushing the time machine's button to go back in time for 61 years, the following is perhaps the historical context of the "uxo" discovery …

...... Having recovered from the stunning shock of the German 05:30 a.m. artillery barrage on December 16, 1944 (with not too many casualties), soldiers of "I" company, 109^th Regimrent/28^th U.S. Infantry Division were able to ward off the German infantry attacks by units of GR 914 in the "Niederberg" /Bettendorf sector. During the night of December 17, however, things got worse, when German troops had infiltrated the American defensive lines by using a number of natural cuts in the terrain, so that the rifle platoons of "I" company were soon surrounded and received fire in the back. One platoon was lost later. On December 18, 1944, after a solid bridge had been constructed by the German engineers near Gentingen on the Our river, a strong infantry attack supported by one assault gun, led by Oberfeldwebel (senior NCO) Wilhelm Berkenbusch was able to crush the American resistance in this sector and was preparing to take the "Niederberghof," known to the Germans as an American advanced company command post….. (Excerpted from "The Battle of the Bulge in Luxembourg - The Southern Flank, Volume II (the Americans), by Roland Gaul; Schiffer Publications, Atglen, PA 19310-9717).

Most likely, the M15 WP hand grenade was used by a GI during the intensive fighting around the "Niederberg" farm. It failed to function!

White phosphorus is extremely dangerous, as it will start burning when in contact with oxygen. Moreover, the grenade's body consisting of thin sheet metal was in an advanced status of corrosion!

The “uxo” is sandwiched between two small TNT demolition charges and primed with an electric blasting cap.

After the explosion: still smoking debris!

Mike Boehler did the right thing and called the Luxembourg army E.O.D service. After the experts had carefully removed the relic, they rated that it was too hazardous to transport and consequently had to be destroyed in place. A TNT demolition charge was thus placed on the M15 body… and a few minutes later a loud bang could be heard dashing over the usually quiet Sauer river valley. One less "uxo" to worry about that – if improperly handled" – could still have caused casualties 61years after the end of the "Bulge".

Thanks to Mike and the EOD experts for their awareness, sense of responsibility and professionalism!

January 2006 museum discoveries

The 60^th anniversary is over - but commitment to remembrance goes on! This is a cause the National Museum of Military History in Diekirch is dedicated to. People in Luxembourg do remember and support the museum, as it continues to portray the memory of the "Battle of the Bulge 44/45" in a living way.

One more (of the many in previous years....) token of popular support of the museum in the overall awareness and interest to preserving history thru descriptive artifacts, was a recent call the curator received from a farmer from the small village of Eppeldorf, Luxembourg. It turned out that the owner of the farm - during transformations of adjacent stables - found a number of remarkably well-preserved American and German artifacts after ... all those 61 years. So he called the museum and offered the discovery!

The latter one consisted of 16 wooden packing crates for 105 mm howitzer HE ammunition (originally holding two semi-fixed complete rounds: fuzed shell, cartridge case with Nos 1-7 increment charges), some 30 rounds of .50 caliber machine gun ammunition (ball, armor-piercing, tracer), a U.S. water canteen, a German binocular leather case and a German packing crate for 3 rounds of 7,5cm l.IG 18 Infantry gun ammunition.

.50 caliber shells (stamped FA 43) and a U.S. canteen in “their” German packing crate for 7,5 cm l.IG ammunition with neatly preserved shippig tickets, dated Nov 1944.

Hidden under a haystack for 61 years: one of the (16) 105 mm ammunition packing crates with perfectly-preserved stenciling of markings.

Pending transportation to the museum, the farmer’s guard dog keeps a watchful eye on the historical goodies.

Again, the condition of the finds was very good, so that only a little touch up will be needed to preserve the artifacts for future museum exhibitions. Checking the artifacts against available records, the U.S. ammunition crates may have belonged to 19^th and/or 50^th Field artillery battalions, which were part of the 5^th U.S. Infantry "Red diamond" division. Both battalions' batteries had firing positions north of Eppeldorf in support of the January 18, 1945 "Sauer river crossing" near Diekirch and Bettendorf. As for the German packing crate, it is believed that it was part of the 13^th company (infantry guns) of the 986^th "Grenadierregiment" of the 276^th "Volksgrenadierdivision", which during the first days of the "Bulge" (December 16-20, 1944) had made it up to the outskirts of Eppeldorf.

The .50 cal ammunition, though a bit corroded but still life, will be properly deactivated by EOD personnel to be integrated in suitable displays.

Always on the lookout for additional artifacts to preserve history, the museum is grateful for all kind of leftover artifacts, otherwise doomed to disappear.

Thank you.