Willy Wenger

Willy Wenger's wartime memoir is published on his 90th birthday

Published by carolyn on Sat, 2016-05-14 17:38

Willy Wenger, WWII combat veteran, holds his just published memoir at a book presentation in Gleichenberg, Austria on May 12th, seven  days after turning 90 years old. His wife Wilma stands at left, Frau Bürgermeisterin Christine Siegl at right.

"BERLIN SPRING 1945" IS A NEW TITLE PUBLISHED BY THE AUSTRIAN CARINA VERLAG. It relates Wenger's experience as a young soldier from the Steiermark, full of ideals and loyalty to his country who, before his pilot training was completed, was placed on the front line at Seelow Heights for the defense of Berlin. With his company, he was forced to retreat back to Berlin, where the Battle of Berlin was raging. How this 19 year-old survived several months of chaotic conditions and a badly wounded foot to find his way back to his hometown of Leoben is a powerful and worthwhile contribution to the history of the the war from the German side.

The book is basically what I have published, translated into English, in the Wenger Family Archive here at CarolynYeager.net, but with some differences, Wenger says. It features a forward by the well-known Brigadier-ret J. Paul Puntigam, Chief of Infantry and Commandant of the Jägerschule. Here is a video of him speaking at the Press Club in Graz in 2013 on the topic “We need reform.”

Category 

World War II

The Final Flight of Poldi Wenger - April 10, 1945

Published by carolyn on Fri, 2015-04-10 11:31

Today is the 70th Anniversary of the death at age 23 of Oberleutnant Leopold Wenger, Jr after over 400 combat missions in the defense of the Reich. At the time of his death, Poldi was Squadron Commander of Schlachtgeschwader 10/Jagd 2 stationed at Markersdorf airfield near St. Pöltan, close to Vienna. In this year of 2015 with so many 70th anniversaries relating to the end of World War II going on, this one should not go unnoticed.

To honor Poldi, I am presenting this report, in a somewhat edited form, written by his younger brother, Willy Wenger, about Willy's search for information on Poldi's last days and the dogfight above Vienna with Russian fighter planes that brought about the belly landing by the seriously wounded pilot and Knight's Cross holder. See here for more background. As fate would have it, April 10 was the birthday of Leopold Wenger Sr., who had an especially close bond with his first-born son.

My Investigation

by Willy Wenger
copyright 2015 Carolyn Yeager

Spring 1997

The winter of this year was particularly long-lasting and a lot of work was waiting for me in the garden. No sooner had I made up my mind to dig up a very extensive root stock than a policeman in uniform came into our garden. He waved his hand when he noticed my puzzled face. I could not explain his appearance. Had I been up to something?

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Willy Wenger

Carolynyeager.net three-year report

Published by carolyn on Sat, 2014-09-27 22:52

We're 3 years old!

393,400 visits

have ben made to this website in the three years since it's inception on September 27, 2011, making a total of 186,400 visits in this past year alone. 

This represents an increase of 70% over the previous year. or 54,000 more visits than in 2013. This compares to an increase of 57% in the 2nd year over the first. Thus, I have grown at a faster rate each year, which is good news!

Category 

Art & Culture