new Wittmann dvd.

[simon fuller]

New Pen and Sword dvd out Wittmann vs Ekins [ Waterstones ] which is said to confirm it was he who performed the deed.

Have'nt seen it yet but i wonder if its as convincing as the Canadian dvds 'evidence'.

SF.

[simon fuller]

Well, i watched both programmes over the weekend [ battlefield Mysteries and Wittmann vs Ekins].
Its interesting[frustrating]to see that the 'historians' involved cannot even agree on technical details relating to tanks,armour,weapons.
Also [frustratingly]they are both able to conclude whatever they want in order to suit their own desired end result.
Both dvds are very interesting to watch and present the events in different ways. Sadly, whilst all the historical information is good to see ,there is very little substantiated factual data relating to who actually knocked out 007.
Looking at books and tinternet afterwards, the information 'confirming' who did the deed seems to have been discussed for some years, with other 'theories', not included in either film, and all seemingly equally credible. If you want them to be.
The smoke-screen gets ever thicker.
It would be'interesting' to have those in the know, and they are out there i'm sure, actually stop the speculating and confirm the detail whilst some of those involved are still with us. Perhaps National pride precludes this.

Anyway, both very interesting programmes, shame they don't make matters any clearer.
Just my own comments/thoughts on this subject.

SF.

[simon fuller]

Anyone else seen both these dvds and got any opinions ?

I know this subject has been discussed for many years, but it is of interest to me and i would value considered opinion on new dvd content and any factual information.

I think i have all the books on the subject, but it seems as though no new facts have become available.

Does anyone have any new information from any source ? There does seem to be a steady stream of previously unavailable information on many,many subjects. Perhaps this is one of those.

Cheers,
SF.

[Paul Wills]

Hi Simon,

I have seen the Battle Field Mysteries documentary, and I followed it with interest until in the barn he offered up a Tiger AP shell. I have an 88 armour piercing round and an 88 high explosive round and they are twice the size, so after that I lost interest

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFlzvtYf ... re=related



Paul.

[simon fuller]

Hi Paul,

Watching one dvd after the other there is information , i would have thought verifiable, which blatantly contradicts one another.
Forgetting it was Wittmann in one of the tanks and forgetting one dvd is English,the other Canadian, it seems there is no real wish to finally conclude the matter with facts and only facts , but a desire to prolong the conjecture with speculation and mis-information.

The latest ,English release, having taken us on a journey and told us it was JE that fired the fatal shot, concludes by stating we will never know who killed WM.

One comment . This, as i said before , has been discussed around the world for many years now and unless they have new factual information it is a source of frustration that individuals continue to make money from an event in history whilst contributing nothing themselves. ie. new relevant facts.

I know of a case where individuals changed their plans purely as a result of having nothing new and relevant to add.

Someone,somewhere knows what happened and i believe at some point in the future they will share this information, or the facts that will enable the truth to be told. Maybe when the gravy train has run dry.

Cheers,

SF.

[Paul Wills]

Hi Simon,

Facts in that case we will never know

Why is this the case? Reports written after the battles during WWII were done in a hurry, and not in great detail by ether side. The Canadian HQ was if I remember rightly, hit by a stray shell and destroyed, so there is no recorded evidence available from a Canadian point of view. Plus the personal accounts are sketchy, and the people giving them are now in there mid 80's to 90's. I know what it’s like talking to old soldiers, my father tells story's of his war time experiences, and they change every time I hear them

I also know from experience researching Heinrich Schmeermann(http://www.paulstiger1.co.uk/Hauptmann- ... ection.htm) that getting factual information is a nightmare! When I published his biography, I took most of the information from his diary’s, and information from the http://www.militaerhistorisches-museum. ... rtal/a/mhm http://www.bundesarchiv.de/bundesarchiv ... ex.html.en. A part I had written said "Heinrich Schmeermann was held as a POW by the British Army for 144 days in a camp at Melle just outside Osnabruck." However, after I published this I was contacted by the official historian for the town of Melle, Uwe Plass. Uwe informed me that the information was wrong and the archive at Melle had no records of a POW camp! I gave Uwe copies of the diary entry’s, and after some research by Uwe, he came back to me. My information was correct and supported by locals who had lived there at the time, so he added it to the towns archive and sent me photos of the building Heinrich was held in.

So the moral to this is we may never know the true facts, if the archives and the military records are incomplete, then it can only ever be conjecture.

Paul.

[simon fuller]

Hi Paul'
There is always much miss information surrounding retelling of events during armed conflict.
As human beings we are often ashamed of actions,or reactions to events we,or others have been involved in. The same i am sure applies to actions during conflict.
Wether crimes,or 'normal' rules of engagement, we are social beings and to most of us, killing is an undesirable ,even a criminal action usually dictated by others.
Someone,somewhere knows the truth of the matter, just is'nt yet ready to let it be known.
Just my opinion, and i am left handed. Would have been burned at the stake.

SF.

[simon fuller]

Hi there,

Anyone else out there seen these dvd offerings and/or got any opinions.

Cheers,

SF.