WWII Scrapbook and a Surprise!

His service paved the way for us all. I can’t imagine what he had to go through over there, and then at home.

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Doesn’t appear to be a glider, must be jet powered, incredible photos you have

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komet
image

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He lost his hearing and has severe heart problems from Malaria. He had to have a heart surgery a few years back too. Also heard from one of my cousins that he has shoulder and back problems from falling out of a truck out in the jungle. Also, my aunt went through hell, supposedly she thought he was dead for awhile. Kind of fucked up, if that is true. He did not support any of his kids joining the military either.

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WTF is that a Jetsons plane?

Is that a prop or air speed gauge?

No wonder its on the ground

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-n_jvDBxB0
The Messerschmitt Me 163 Komet, designed by Alexander Lippisch, was a German rocket-powered fighter aircraft. It is the only rocket-powered fighter aircraft ever to have been operational. Its design was revolutionary, and the Me 163 was capable of performance unrivaled at the time. German test pilot Heini Dittmar in early July 1944 reached 1,130 km/h (700 mph), not broken in terms of absolute speed until November 1947. Over 300 aircraft were built; however, the Komet proved ineffective as a fighter, having been responsible for the destruction of only about nine Allied aircraft (16 air victories for 10 losses, according to other sources). check update vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK_t6b… 'Messerschmitt Me-163 flying

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AAwesome!

But run on what …butane? Look at that tiny intake/exhaust…

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Wow! That is amazing! Thank you for sharing the photos. To me, that would be worth more than gold itself…talk about finding treasure!

I am just some anonymous guy typing to another anonymous guy, but your story made my day. Thank you :slight_smile:

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wee prop on the front drove the generator to provide electrical power

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She may have been a Jew and was forced to do that to “save her family” or someone might have had a gun pointed at her head if she didn’t. They did use those type of tactics.

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Wow! That is a treasure.

Put it somewhere safe. When we were moving my Mom to a senior-living center someone kicked in the front door of her house between trips and grabbed a microwave, box of old college textbooks of mine that were in the attic until then, and a box of all the old family photos - including Civil War daguerreotypes and Grandpa’s WWI photos.

What a loss to our family and for little value to anyone else.

Happily I had just previously scanned a few, but not any of the old cased tin-types.

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Thanks everyone for the awesome feedback and for identifying that plane! I’m glad I’m not the only one who finds this kind of thing fascinating!

Edit:
Here are some pictures and postcards taken from the Germans


Also a German grave

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that hurts, sorry.

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Those old family photos… I hope there’s a special spot in heck for people like that.

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California?

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They’d fit right in.

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@CliffD You’re welcome Sir.

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The ME-163 ran on a fuel based on Hydrogen Peroxide. I read once about a refueling accident where the ground crew member was literally melted from that stuff.

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Now that makes sense, of course I can see spilling it at the pump would be bad :scream:

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