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Oldest Nazi concentration camp survivor dies


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The oldest known survivor of the Nazo concentration camps, whose life was documented in the book and film 'Unbroken Will', has died aged 107.

Leopold Engleitner, a conscientious objector, was imprisoned in the Buchenwald, Niederhagen and Ravensbrueck camps between 1939 and 1943.

He refused to renounce his Jehovah's Witness faith to win his freedom but was eventually released, weighing just 62 pounds, on condition that he agree to spend the rest of his life working as a slave agricultural labourer.

http://www.telegraph...s-aged-107.html

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Hopefully he is in a peaceful and happy place. Living until 107 after that, is some achievement.

Edited by Coffey
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Sadly, it wasn't just Jews who were sent to concentration camps. Hope he is at peace now. Wow, 107! :tu:

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Sadly, it wasn't just Jews who were sent to concentration camps. Hope he is at peace now. Wow, 107! :tu:

Yeah the media doesn't like to mention the others for some reason. Always the Jews.

Homosexuals where in the camps as well, they still get treated like *** by a lot of society. Seems it's mostly Jews who play the martyr card. (Not saying all Jews do it but a lot do)

Loads of Soldiers where put in them as well like my Great Grandad. (he was in 2 or 3, escaped twice)

Edited by Coffey
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Yeah the media doesn't like to mention the others for some reason. Always the Jews.

Homosexuals where in the camps as well, they still get treated like *** by a lot of society. Seems it's mostly Jews who play the martyr card. (Not saying all Jews do it but a lot do)

Loads of Soldiers where put in them as well like my Great Grandad. (he was in 2 or 3, escaped twice)

Wow, your Great-Grandad sounds like a bad***! :tu:

He escaped TWICE! That's cool.

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Wow, your Great-Grandad sounds like a bad***! :tu:

He escaped TWICE! That's cool.

Thanks, yeah he was. But when he came home after the last one, my Gran didn't recognize him to start of with he went out there big built and 6ft, he came back skinny to the bone and he had actually lost a few inches in height. He didn't last long once he was back though, he slowly deteriorated because of his mind. Cut my gran to pieces as she was only a little girl.

I also think the 3rd camp was actually a Japanese one. I'm sure my Gran said he was sent out there as well.

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Thanks, yeah he was. But when he came home after the last one, my Gran didn't recognize him to start of with he went out there big built and 6ft, he came back skinny to the bone and he had actually lost a few inches in height. He didn't last long once he was back though, he slowly deteriorated because of his mind. Cut my gran to pieces as she was only a little girl.

I also think the 3rd camp was actually a Japanese one. I'm sure my Gran said he was sent out there as well.

Wow! That really must have been awful. I know my grandfather fought in World War 2, mostly in the Pacific, I believe. He never, ever talked about the war to anyone. I do have his enlistment records, and which company he served in. Not much else though. Most World War 2 records were destroyed in a fire. :(

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Wow! That really must have been awful. I know my grandfather fought in World War 2, mostly in the Pacific, I believe. He never, ever talked about the war to anyone. I do have his enlistment records, and which company he served in. Not much else though. Most World War 2 records were destroyed in a fire. :(

That's a shame, at least you got some records though. I don't think my Gran has any of my Great grandads. I've tried finding stuff on the net but couldn't.

Pacific was horrible, worse than Europe or Africa for Western forces. (D-day landing was really nasty though)

Well my Gran said my Great Grandad didn't talk about it properly either. The family doctor at the time said he might or might not talk about it, but if he does to listen to him as it could help him. Obviously he kept it inside and it must have destroyed him.

Everybody should learn about WW2 though, it disgust me how it's not taught to a lot of people. It disrespects what they fought for. If you watch anything about the D-day landings or the pacific you can see how horrible it was. Very sad to thinkt hose who died in such a tragic way or had to live through that are just forgotten.

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Mine was in the Pacific theater as well. When I asked him about it he wouldn't talk about it and just told me to pray I would never go to war. The funny thing is he was always trying to get me to enlist. Probably just wanted me to get a haircut. I miss that old buzzard!

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Mine was in the Pacific theater as well. When I asked him about it he wouldn't talk about it and just told me to pray I would never go to war. The funny thing is he was always trying to get me to enlist. Probably just wanted me to get a haircut. I miss that old buzzard!

Really? That's pretty cool.

In my quest in my family genealogy, I got a Ancestry subscription 2 years ago. Anyway, this was how I was able to find my information. Another good site is: http://www.fold3.com/

Fold3 is historical MILITARY records. It's a really cool site. Another good one is: https://familysearch.org/

FindAGrave.com is really good too.

Anyways, I hope this information helps anyone.

My grandpa served in the 112th Cavalry in the Pacific. Well, it kinda HAS to be 112th Cavalry because it says on his enlistment that he was in the Cavalry. And the 112th is the only Calvary unit from Texas so that's why I'm assuming this. Just wish I could find something to back this up. He never talked about his experiences to ANYONE, even when asked, but he DID mention things a few times, and so I know he saw action in the Pacific, which is where the 112th Calvary was at. Anyways, sorry for the lengthy post!

Edited by Kowalski
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Mine was in the Pacific theater as well. When I asked him about it he wouldn't talk about it and just told me to pray I would never go to war. The funny thing is he was always trying to get me to enlist. Probably just wanted me to get a haircut. I miss that old buzzard!

When someone gets shot or maimed death only comes instantly if the brain or heart or the connection between the two are destroyed.

Everyone else gets the joy of bleeding out while their suffer agony and get to observe their entrails splattered everywhere. Thats why vets dont talk about it. That and having to personally gut a member of the opposition with a bayonnet.

Edited by Giant Killer B
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112th.Cav - known as the 'Little Giant of the Pacific' - Texas National Guard regiment.

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112th.Cav - known as the 'Little Giant of the Pacific' - Texas National Guard regiment.

Yep, that's the one! I didn't know they were called that!

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Yep, that's the one! I didn't know they were called that!

And just as a matter of interest (or not) - the cloth shoulder-patch for the 112th. is reckoned by collectors to be the rarest of the armoured badges.

Motto...."Rarin' to Go!"

Ealdwita snippet alert...... The 112th. were actually a real Cavalry regiment at first. They were mounted on Australian Whaler horses and acted as a mounted guard unit in New Caledonia, until the first monsoons struck and the Top Brass realised that horses weren't really suited to paddling about in two feet of mud!

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My grandfather on my mothers side was too old for WWII - but served in WWI... I'm not sure which unit, but he was Infantry... My dad's dad also served in WWI...

All but one of my Uncles (on both sides) served during WWII, all but 1 in the Infantry... The one who wasn't a 'grunt' served as a waist gunner in B-17's...

One of my Uncles was in a unit that liberated a concentration camp... He never talked about it much except to say that it must be what Hell would be like...

My dad was too young for WWII but served during the Korean War (Infantry - seems to be a family thing with us)... He served in the 5th Regimental Combat Team (5 RCT)... I (and many of my cousins) served in VietNam, and I also served in Iraq

So I guess you could say we just don't get along with people much!

Edited by Taun
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My grandad on my mothers side was a wireless operator airgunner in wellington bombers with bomber command, RAF. Flew sub-hunting missions over the med based in gibralter from memory. I have all of his records etc, he had a blisteringly high accuracy rating on his live fire tests for being an air-gunner, in excess of 90% hit rates across all ranges.

My grandad on my dads side was a field gunner with the royal artillery in the north africa campagin, working with 25pdr guns (finest field gun ever made). He never saw direct action as he lied about his age and signed on at 15, he reckons the sergant knew and kept him from the battle to spare him, every time a deployment came he was re-assigned to go on a course etc. had some cool stories, said than when warmed up and well drilled they managed a rate of fire on thier 25pdr guns of 10-14 shells a minuite, and thats roughly the same as somone using a bolt action rifle!

My great grandad on my fathers side was a drummer boy in the first world war, he was 13 or 14 in one of the colonial indian regiments. They got hit with mustard gas on thier way to front and he was never eally the same, blisters the lungs permenantly, Suffered with it for the rest of his life.

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