Pictures and memories of: Don Winship, 73rd AAA AW SP Battalion, assistant S-4 supply sergeant, 1954-57
The "back gate" as so many refer to was between building No. 6 and No. 7. One of the S-4 twins, Terry, standing at the gate. In the fifties we just called it the gate and it was the one most used by our end of the kaserne as it took us into Kneliegen and our favorite gasthause or to the trolly to go to downtown Karlsruhe.
The front gate was too inconvenient unless one was driving. Anyway, only military personnell were to use the side gate. If you had a nonmilitary guest you had to use the front gate to sign the person in.
Front Gate Guard Shoots a G.I.
One eveing I had battalion CQ in battalion headquarters in building No. 7 and at about 7:30 P.M. I heard a shot fired and ran to the end of the building (second floor) to see what had happened. Apparently a G.I. brought his frauline through the gate and the guard demanded he halt and use the front gate. The soldier ignored him and continued into the Kaserne. After three repeated "halts" the guard shot the man in the leg with his carbine. It certainly helped to pass the time watching the MP's, medics. and ambulance. I didn't know the weapons were loaded at the gates but apparently so during that particular time. Also, I believe the guards were a special detachment as I never knew of anyone who was stationed at a gate.
You will notice there was no barbed wire on top to the stone wall at that time. Many of the barrack residents, not having a pass would go over the wall and between midnight and revelie would come back over it.
The photos (three) of the horse drawn wagon was taken my first October, 1954, out of my room window (building No. 8) about four or five rooms down from the back end, third floor. There was a lot of early snow that year and the reverlers in the wagon were celebrating Oktoberfest. Notice the lack of houses in comparison to today's photos. On the back road it was virtually deserted of housing.
I would suspect the eagle and swastika on the back side of the building had had the swastika taken off the eagle's claws when the army first moved into the kaserne. As some suggest the swastika may have once been above the eagle, which I doubt. In all my studies and photographs in books having the swastika on the bottom was the norm.
A correction: In building No. 7, 73rd's battalion headquartes was on the top (2nd floor) and the enlisted mens' club was on the first floor.
As concerns the missing quanset (S-4) between building No. 12, our messhall, and No. 13, our motor pool, does anyione know when the quanset hut was removed?
Don's pictures as described below are the ones listed for the 1950s.
Pictures: 1, 2 3) The three pictures of the revelers in the horse-drawn wagons, Oktoberfest.
4) The side gate wtih my S-4 buddy who worked in the ammo section with his twin brother.
The soldier behind him was the guard.
5) The twins standing at the side exit of the mess hall (building No. 12)
6) I'm standing in front (or back) of the tank (chassis) which held the twin 40 MM gun mounts. This is located at motor pool building No. 13.
7). One of the S-4 twins standing at the entrance to Headquarters building (No. 8).
8) The twins standing at the entrance to the S-4 Quanset Hut.
9) I'm kneeling in front of our battalion sign. The building seen on the left is headquarters
(No. 9) and the building seen on the right is No. 9) which house the line companys B & C.
10) Another picture of the declawed eagle. Notice the swastika was gone in 1954. It was probably removed the day the American troops moved in.
11) I'm standing with my frauline at the Karlsruhe scholss, downton Karlsruhe. She is, as you can see, much taller than I. By-the-way, while I was there the castle was still bombed out. I don't know if it has been rebuilt but would suspect so.
12) My young and lovely wife (American bred and born) waiting for the strassebahn in front of our apartment on Kaiserstrasse.
Remembering Ronald Justice
I arrived at Gerszewski in September, 1954, just a snot-nosed kid of eighteen. I took my basic at Camp Chaffee and then went to Ammo School in aberdeen, Maryland. Then on to Germany and Gerszewski. I was very fortunate to be taken under wing by the S-4 Sergeant, Ronald Justice and in the next few ensuing
years we became very close friends. He sent me to Supply Sergeant's school at Garmisch and helped me with my promotions, recommending me for E-5 after two and half years. He had extended his tour twice and served six years at the Kaserne, and, sadly, on being shipped back to the states in early 1957, he became extremely ill and died shortly after in Phoenix, Arizona, leaving behind a wife and new baby.
