German Trapped in Bunker for six years

Anyone know any more about this odd story from 1951?

St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search

Eugene Register-Guard - Google News Archive Search

 

No, but I would like to

 

I remember reading this before as I believe it has been posted here in the past.


As I have stated in the past, while unfortunate, its definitely one way of escaping Soviet POW camps...

 

OMG what a poor guy, imagine how boring it would have been, i wonder how he tried to entertain himself? maybe he went crazy?

 

As World War II wound down, the retreating Nazis blew up one of their compounds, trapping several German soldiers. While his comrades died or committed suicide after this cruel entombment, one Nazi soldier lived for 6 years off rainwater and the food stored in the compound. When he was discovered in June 1951, he was weak and blind. Several weeks later, he died of scurvy,according to jim moorheads blog..

 

I think I've read somewhere that this article was a duck. When I have some time I'll check it.

 

I would of tried to get out some how...jeez.

 

They did but without the proper tools they couldn't do anything according to the report.

Amazing find though, any word on who this guy was, his platoon, etc?

 

I find this hard to believe and wonder whether it could be a scam

 

hmmm, SIX (!!!) years worth of food?

and disposal of same (GIGO theory)?

and then, THEN, dies of scurvy?

All you have to do is read acounts of the days of sail when, before the days of stored antiscorbutics (vitamin C), large percentages of crews were disabled and even died of scurvy in a matter of months; symptoms usually appear within four months and it can start killing within six months, though usually a person starting healthy might last as long as eight months. Take a look at the loss rates for the voyage of Magellan or even Anson from scurvy.

Scurvy was long the limiting factor on how long a sailing ship, or strategically, a blockade squadron could remain at sea without re-provisioning.

SIX years?

I'll be skeptical for now.

Rich

 

Anythings possible, but I don't believe this particular story. Now, Partisans fighting against the Russians into the 1950s DID happen. For reasons like that one, is the only reason why IMO-i'd say that this story is posssible but doubtful of being true.

 

ah, that's gotta be tough to be trapped for 6 years ... I heard that they found him with Wilson.





Wilson, from castaway

(it's only funny if you saw the movie)

On a serious note.. I hope those men rest in peace for having to endur that kind of misery for 6 years... That is to say that this is a true story.


Suzie

 

If he survived for several weeks after being found he wouldn't have died of scurvy as the treatment for this illness (with doses of vitamin C) would have had a rapid effect.

Scurvy is a very dangerous illness, but it is easily cured

 

heres another report...taken with a pinch of salt!!!

Google Translate

 

'tis an odd 'un. I must admit I'd have thought if it were true it'd be better known than it is, and I'd not heard of it until the other night.

...not that I'm any type of authority

 

WWWIIIIILLLSSSOOOOONNNNNN!

 

Hi Suzie, thanks for the great laugh at Wilsons expense ;-))

 

Yeah, Im inclined to say that story is rubbish on instinct. And thanks to the links, it sounds like Im right.

Anyone read the one about the new take on the myth? Its translated, via Google, from German, so its a bit stilted literal, and Im not sure I entirely understand it. Is it a film about a similar story? Any ideas?

 

I think it either says news reports were used to make a film or a film which might have said something like "based on a true story" (like almost every horror film does now) which spawned rumors?

This story is a great reminder of how out of hand things were before the internet where someone was able to fact check something you post within hours. New idea for a site, a site that debunks fake news stories!

One thing though, if you were kept from sunlight for this long, wouldn't you be completely blind by the time you are pulled out since your eyes would be so used to darkness by then?

 

I recall reading about this incident in a German "Illustrierte Zeitung" sometimes around 1951. The soldiers were trapped when the entrance was destroyed with dynamite. There were candles among the provisions to sustain them for quite a while. The candle supply ran out first and they lived in the dark. As members of the group died, they were buried under flour. The freed survivor was crippled and blinded as he exited. He could not adjust to freedom and died in a hospital.

I hope someone will be able to locate the original publication.
Juergen