Sorry For the Silence

Well,
Excuse the delay in updating the news of the wandering gypsy, but some intermittent internet connections and a busy schedule have kept me away from my postings.

After finishing up in Bastogne I made it back to Eindhoven and then went up to the Island to visit some good friends. Spent the day digging around the positions of the 907th FA BN outside Hemmen, where I found boccu evidence of British and German shelling-a few more rusty bits for the shelf-and then went to pay my respects to Bob Bowen, an old, and dear friend who fought on the island.

Much to my surprise, the next morning it was up at 4 a.m. to drive back to St. Vith. Spent the day in the woods. Outside Bliealf found an absolutely massive German bunker complex-one of the biggest I've ever seen. Found lots of German and American ammo, pieces of poncho and other assorted bits and pieces. From there it was to the hillside outside Champs where we did some digging in the positions of the 401st Glider INfantry. Had a wonderful moment when we began digging up the hole of my dear friend Carmen Gisi and while we were scrounging actually called Carmen on the phone and told him what we were doing-really great. Then, back to Eindhoven and a dinner with Steph's family and mother in law-who remembers the day here liberators arrived very well.

Spent Sunday packing, and then on Monday headed east towards Poland. Got to Seelow the first day. The town was the focul point of the final big battle of the Eastern Front. Spent the day checking out the German and Russian positions. Among the most interesting was the town of Kienitz, where the Russians first got a toe hold on the west bank of the Oder and the command post of Soviet Marshall Georgi Shukov. It was absolutely fascinating. German and RUssian trenches and bunkers EVERYWHERE and much evidence of the fighting. Really felt like I was travelling back in time. Most of the houses show clear evidence of the war-bullet marks, buildings still in rubble, etc., etc. It was also pretty cool travelling along the original roads-complete with cobblestones. Driving around it was very hard to believe that I was walking over a battlefield that was five times the sive of the Normandy landings.

Up tuesday morning early and started with the Seelow Heights battle museum, which is fantastic. Super film, maps and artifacts. Then it was on to Kustrin-scene of another huge battle-and then the border with Poland. Even though it is still in the EU, you still need to go through a border crossing-even got the stamp. Then on to the fortress of Kustrin-much evidence of the fighting, and drive in the direction of Poznan. Along the way stopped at a bunker complex of the Ost Wall. Equivalent to the Siegfried Line, the Ost Wall runs along the old German border an is enourmous-best of all, the bunkers are intact and were not destroyed after the war. Then it was on to Gdansk. Even though the wall has fallen, and Poland is part of the EU, it still feels very much like the old days. Houses in all the villages show the evidence of the war and there are trenches everywhere. It was a really long drive because the road from Poznan to Gdansk was only two lanes-even though it was the main road. I'm now in a hotel in Gdansk listening to Volsdeutsch sing the "old songs" which is a little strange. Tomorrow it is off to Gdansk to see the site of the Post Office Battle and Westerplatte, where the war first started. Then to Tannenberg. Another full day, but Poland has been incredible. There is so much to see it is hard to describe it all. Best to see it for yourself.
Chris