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Manfred58sc Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2009 Posts: 3382
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Posted: Sat May 23, 2020 8:12 am Post subject: First Beetle in US , WWII trophy |
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I've been reading Kenneth Roses's "Myth and the Greatest Generation" book on WWII. He mentions a story on page 37 of a GI who sent home a VW during the war ( in various crates and boxes) as a souvenir. This seems like an amazing story, but I could not find more information on it. Anyone else heard this tale?
I know the army had collected various machines during the war, I wonder if any of them made it back to the US and ended up in the grey market. _________________ Fat chick owner/operator |
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finster Samba Member
Joined: May 26, 2012 Posts: 7951 Location: north o' the border
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Posted: Sat May 23, 2020 12:13 pm Post subject: Re: First Beetle in US , WWII trophy |
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perhaps the clue is in the title of the book?
interesting idea though - is that all the info? what year, location etc...of course it could refer to a car sent back for evaluation like the kubel sent to the us army's proving ground in maryland in mid 42. _________________ "we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut
nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect... |
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Joe 20 Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2005 Posts: 655 Location: Ohio
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Posted: Sat May 23, 2020 7:27 pm Post subject: Re: First Beetle in US , WWII trophy |
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Ya, there has always been stories about "a guy's brother's friend" mailed home a jeep piece by piece when he was overseas. When I was young, it was the war surplus jeep in a crate for $25.00. Nobody ever actually saw one though.
I would however think the Army may have sent a couple VW's home for testing like they did that kubel. Probably went to the scrap heap or a museum a long time ago. Does Aberdeen have a museum? If not maybe the Patton museum at Ft. Knox. |
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Bulli Klinik Samba Member
Joined: January 16, 2005 Posts: 2079 Location: Bulli Klinik, Colorado Springs
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2020 8:27 am Post subject: Re: First Beetle in US , WWII trophy |
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Manfred, I've heard this story in the past as well. I think I might have read about it in the book Small Wonder? _________________ I've never met a Bus I didn't like.
Mike K
Bulli Klinik
Colorado Springs |
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Floating VW Samba Member
Joined: April 28, 2015 Posts: 1597 Location: The South Zone
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2020 8:57 am Post subject: Re: First Beetle in US , WWII trophy |
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I can believe it. VW prototype #3806 (one of only three known surviving examples of the 40+ VW38 prototypes made in 1938) was found in a farmer's field in Lithuania a few years ago. It was most likely taken there from Germany as a spoil of war by a Russian soldier on his way back from the front. And this particular car once belonged to Dr. Robert Ley, head of the DAF and one of Hitler's favorite henchmen.
So I would actually be more surprised if a couple of regular old KDF-wagens didn't get sent back to the States by American GIs during the war. I don't know about shipping it back piece by piece, but I can totally see an officer pulling some strings to get it done. _________________ "It's time you started treating people as individuals, rather than mathematically predictable members of an aggregate set, regardless of how well that works." |
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Dave Samba Elder
Joined: July 11, 2002 Posts: 2693 Location: The Forest Moon of Endor, in the Redwoods
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Posted: Sun May 24, 2020 9:37 am Post subject: Re: First Beetle in US , WWII trophy |
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In the book "Small Wonder" by Walter Henry Nelson, there is a photograph of what was supposed to be the oldest Bug in the US, VW had a contest to find it, and it was a 1945.. _________________ 2003 Samba Chummie Winner- Best Story
"Those that matter, don't mind,
and those that mind, don't matter" |
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janerick3 Samba Member
Joined: June 04, 2006 Posts: 1879 Location: Colorado
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2020 6:14 pm Post subject: Re: First Beetle in US , WWII trophy |
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The 1945 VW pictured was actually the last VW produced in calendar year 1945 (1-053814). It was brought over by a GI in the late 1940s and ended up on a Nebraska farm.
Dave Crompton restored it in the mid-1980s for VW and repainted it in the original flat green color. There is a recent thread on the car. _________________ Thanks,
Jan K. |
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Joe 20 Samba Member
Joined: August 27, 2005 Posts: 655 Location: Ohio
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Posted: Mon May 25, 2020 7:25 pm Post subject: Re: First Beetle in US , WWII trophy |
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Then that would make it one of the British beetles post war wouldn't it? |
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Manfred58sc Samba Member
Joined: October 05, 2009 Posts: 3382
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2020 9:52 am Post subject: Re: First Beetle in US , WWII trophy |
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The author suggests that Heller's "Catch 22" environment was closer to the truth than most would like to admit. The souvenir taking by GI's was extreme compared to other troops. Large items were taken and transported under the loose inventory system of the time ( "dead heading" was to be avoided). Check out "class six" procurement..
Outside of the size, the weights involved are not that high if it went as naval freight. The car could be dismantled in a day with a couple friends. The author did include this during the war period , not the post war. _________________ Fat chick owner/operator |
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finster Samba Member
Joined: May 26, 2012 Posts: 7951 Location: north o' the border
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2020 10:03 am Post subject: Re: First Beetle in US , WWII trophy |
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Manfred58sc wrote: |
The souvenir taking by GI's was extreme compared to other troops. |
think the russians would take the trophy for that _________________ "we're here on Earth to fart around" kurt vonnegut
nothing lasts, nothing is finished, and nothing is perfect... |
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modok Samba Member
Joined: October 30, 2009 Posts: 26790 Location: Colorado Springs
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Posted: Wed May 27, 2020 5:29 pm Post subject: Re: First Beetle in US , WWII trophy |
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The army certainly did obtain some VW's, and study them, a field manual was written. You should look that up if you haven't read it.
They were probably used as target practice later on. |
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Tom K. Samba Member
Joined: March 10, 2005 Posts: 1606 Location: Central Pennsylvania
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LeeE Samba Member
Joined: May 25, 2004 Posts: 389 Location: Orlando
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Posted: Wed Jun 03, 2020 12:56 pm Post subject: Re: First Beetle in US , WWII trophy |
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MeadowBrook Concours '86 _________________ 1978 Westfalia stock 2.0 FI
Welcome to the Okeedokee Swamp |
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