Moosburg and STALAG VIIA 1945 Then and Now

[@TribeTaz]

You put so much time and research in your videos. Great video.

[@jameslyon3750]

Great work. My father was one of the prisoners liberated here. We visited here as a family in December of 66 and were fortunate to be befriended by an English speaking former German soldier and resident of Moosburg who graciously gave us a tour of the camp ruins. It began a lifelong friendship between our families and numerous cross Atlantic visits that continues to this day despite the passing of my father in 2005 and our dear German friend a few years later. My father had vivid memories of the camp and the liberation including seeing Patton himself.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Amazing you were able to visit Moosburg with your Father! I bet that was quite the experience. It’s nice to see some of the locals there really care about the events that took place there all those years ago.

[@jameslyon3750]

Yes,I was only 12 the time but I was fascinated with the whole experience. I visited there with my son about 8 years ago. As we walked around the pow memorial we noticed they had a museum nearby with a gentleman just locking the door as he exited. We asked when it would reopen and he responded, realizing we were Americans, “for you folks, I will gladly reopen”. He was most gracious and so proud of the museum which featured an amazing replica of the town of Moosburg. @@WW2Wayfinder

[@WW2Wayfinder]

They are a kind people there. And I’ve had a similar experience when I attended the French Fountain and the Red education of the memorial they do each April to commemorate the liberation of the camp. Sadly the town officials don’t take the same view and they never attend the ceremony. Apparently they’d rather forget it ever happened which is extremely sad.

[@ShafiJ1968]

Nice work!!

[@ruthirace4134]

Thank you so much for your video!!! Just stumbled across it. My dad spoke of this camp and its liberation. He described it as a labor camp full of allied soldiers, some wearing turbins, with so many sick and malnourished. He and another soldier went into a building and felt sorry for the sick soldiers inside. They started to give them their rations when an officer yelled at them to stop and to move on. So they did. He was with the 99th ID, Co H, 393rd Regiment.

[@WWII-Skipabeat]

Love the meticulous research and attention to detail that produces these great videos. Also am fascinated to learn of these lesser known (to me) yet pivotal locations in the telling of the narrative of the Allied advance into and through Germany - and the war's drawing to a close. Please keep making them! Look forward to the Stalag one now.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! I’ve a few very late war episodes to come which cover the fighting in this region and it’s quite incredible how brutal it was even days before VE Day!

[@bettylaselli2048]

Wow! Great work. I always learn something new on this channel.

[@PaintBallMoG]

My home town thanks for the amazing video ❤ Sry for my english 😅

[@WW2Wayfinder]

My pleasure! Hope you enjoyed it and I’ve got a couple more from Moosburg on my channel if you have time to watch! And your English is very good!!!

[@jeffhawkins900]

This clips make me feel about how fast life passes us by.. and where these folks ended up and every wonder about these places they walked through during this time

[@bettylaselli2048]

I feel nostalgic! I don't know why 😢

[@bettylaselli2048]

Very interesting! I always learn something new on this channel ❤

[@michaeldean1289]

Hi Jon Fantastic piece of work mate! Very interesting story about a relatively unknown story of the closing stages of WW2. The Sherman tanks in question are 2 M4A3 76(W) VVSS in the foreground and the 3rd M4A3E8 76(W) HVSS. M4A3E2 (Jumbo) have got the heavy 7” thick gun mantlet that makes them stand out a bit in the crowd. Thanks for sharing your great work once again ❤😊

[@WW2Wayfinder]

You’re most welcome! And thank you for the info on the tanks!😃 I haven’t made enough model Sherman’s yet to get to grips with all the flavours of them!!!

[@michaeldean1289]

@@WW2Wayfinder Hi mate You are very welcome Jon Are you going to do a story on Stalag V111-B @ Lamsdorf while you are in Germany by any chance? It was the I’ll fated Hammelburg raid engineered by Patton to save his son-in-law by task force Baum.

[@cyndiebill6631]

I love the before and after photos. It makes everything so real. It’s nice to see that you can still find these places where these photos were taken.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Most are still easy to find but some do require a fair bit of detective work to track them down but it’s all part of the fun and makes the finding of the locations that much more special! Thank you for watching

[@bettylaselli2048]

​@@WW2Wayfindervery interesting! I always learn something new on this channel ❤

[@jasonmaccoul]

In my opinion, the most informative and interesting WW2 history site.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! Very kind of you to say so!

[@the-primered-thumb]

So glad this channel came up on my KZbin feed, quality stuff mate 😉👍

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! And thanks for watching this episode. This time in the war gets such little coverage hopefully it helps bring it to the fore a little!

[@thenoworriesnomad]

As always, another great and informative video… Great work 👍🏻👍🏻

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you!

[@brokendown63]

This is by far my favorite WW2 history channel. There are a few other's out there but this is the only one I anticipate new vids from. Always learn something that's for sure! Thanks!

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you that’s very kind of you to say that! I’m working on an episode about the 4th Fighter Group and their time operating the P-47 Thunderbolt along with another all about early King Tiger tanks in France, just not sure which will be ready first at the moment!

[@bettylaselli2048]

I agree! Is The best History channel about WW2! ❤

[@daviddigital6887]

Thanks for your hard work on these videos. It's really cool to see these actual locations.

[@firstcitytraveler]

Another excellent then and now video. Can't wait for the next one. Thanks.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! I’m busy working on an episode all about the 4th Fighter Group so should be something a little different!

[@greggriffin1]

Thank you never miss your great vids, always so much history.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! I’ve got a few more lined up from this region of Bavaria that will focus on the very late war fighting that took place around there!

[@davidwillis4839]

Very enjoyable episode. Thanks for doing the legwork and research that helps take us back in time to visualize the events of WWII. I was fortunate to visit Marmion Farm last month.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you for watching! Glad you’ve been able to visit Marmion. It’s a wonderful location and one of my favourite in that part of Normandy!

[@richardgolger5808]

In that photo showing the three generals passing the MP Jeep and the Sherman tanks, the Tank seen to the left of the head of the left officer, i.e. behind them - is a Sherman M4A3E8, as can be seen by the different bogey arrangement. There are double wheels and horizontal volute springs clarly visible in the Image.all the other tanks seem to have the oder VVS bogeys and are therefore more likely M4A3's.

[@johnelliott0101]

I was US Air Force in then West Germany 1985 and had a friend living in Moosburg. Your video brought back memories.

[@leesherman100]

Excellent video as usual. I eagerly await the next one. Five stars! ***** 😎

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! I really like Moosburg and the very late war stories as they get such little coverage! Also it’s really quite something to be stood where Patton was all those years ago!

[@troykauffman3963]

Another excellent video, first I’ve heard and learned about STALAG VIIA. Looking forward to learn more in next video. Thank you. 🫡

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! STALAG VIIA is an odd place to visit knowing some elements of the camp remain but the rest are modern houses. Fortunately there is a local group of volunteers dedicated to preserving the history of the camp and those imprisoned there.

[@keithrayeski6417]

One of my most favorite channels! Outstanding effort and content!!

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! I just hope it goes some way to keep the memory alive of this generation for any would be future historians out there!

[@igotplasteredstan2008]

Appreciate all the time and effort you put into your productions, excellent stuff.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! Takes a fair few hours but all worth it I hope!

[@polksie]

Again another superb job. Your knowledge and ability to present it are excellent I can’t help but wonder if you are a history professor. Look forward to your next video. Thanks.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Just a very enthusiastic amateur (my degrees are in engineering which bores the heck out of me!) Thank you for watching!

[@33rdusa]

Amazing how you can root out small out of the way spots that have a connection with history. Really looking forward to the Stalag video. It's amazing that some of it is left standing. Finding the actual buildings makes it real.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! STALAG VIIA is a fascinating story and it’s quite odd walking the ground in 2023 with so many modern houses there knowing what happened in the 40’s there!

[@DutchDaveModels]

Awesome footage and history once again 😊

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you!

[@brucecourchene8090]

Great info and details, really enjoy your channel, thank you!

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Glad you enjoyed it! It’s quite obscure but it’s definitely an interesting period of the war and to see Patton there is very cool!

[@JackRice-u9h]

My Father was 3rd Infantry under Patton in North Africa, Sicily and Italy. I'm find any WWII history fascinating. Thank you for these videos.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

You’re most welcome!

[@Amicalementvotre4807]

Thank very much , Always incredible 👍🥲👍

[@WW2Wayfinder]

You’re most welcome 😃

[@dnldcow]

I enjay your video's all way's learn a lot I didn't know about location's I haven't heard much about keep them coming.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you for taking the time to watch! I’ve got a few more lined up from this area looking at the really late war battles

[@ww2recon]

Amazing mate, you're an inspiration

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thanks bud!

[@eamo106]

Brilliant work , keep it up !

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you!

[@eamo106]

@@WW2Wayfinder Unique and so interesting, you spend so many hours in research ! Wish I had done this starting in 1981 post university or before !

[@lappin6482]

Amazing work John especially the last photo that would have been difficult to find 👏👏👏

[@WW2Wayfinder]

It’s took a fair bit of head scratching and scrolling of google earth to get it but after a good hour or so I was 99% certain it was the same spot and fortunately it was!

[@brianthompson2079]

I love your channel…you do an amazing job bringing WW2 back to life, thank you!

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! Hopefully it helps keeps the memory of these men alive for future generations especially these units that will never be featured in a tv show or movie

[@clewis5917]

Thank you sir. You allow me to visit places I probably won’t ever see in my lifetime and to reclaim some wonderful history.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

You’re most welcome! Thank you for taking the time to watch! I have some future episodes lined up that will cover more of the camp and other fighting around the Moosburg area in the near future!

[@clewis5917]

God bless. You are doing a great service.

[@cameron3815]

Great information on the then and nows.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! These are some of my favourites as they’re so distinct. The final one is my favourite of them all on reflection!

[@joemabry9643]

Thank you.

[@jamestregler1584]

Excellent ! As a student of history and meany family and friends that fought in the war , thanks 😎

[@ex_scout6292]

Just found your Channel & Viedeo about The Stalag in Moosburg - i'm living 10min from there away ✌

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Oh cool! I’ve filmed there a few times now looking at different aspects of the camp. The local museum is worth a visit if you have time, and there’s a great bakery just near the old camp buildings too that I can recommend!

[@ex_scout6292]

@@WW2Wayfinder thx for the Info, i already visited the museum & know the owner very well - I'm a local collector as well, and its always interesting to see some more information about the citys nearby. Great Viedeo & research btw! :)

[@ex_scout6292]

@@WW2Wayfinder thx for the Info, i already visited the museum & know the owner very well - I'm a local collector as well, and its always interesting to see some more information about the citys nearby. Great Viedeo & research btw! :)

[@jamesross1799]

Looking forward to the episode on the camp mate.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Should be good. Some of the stores from the camp are harrowing and the number of prisoners there was insane.

[@areaman7725]

Excellent. Some of your best work yet. The before and after photos were compelling. Two thumbs up! At some point, you may want to consider doing a piece on the US Pershing tank. It was only in the war for a short period (final 2 - 3 months I think) but was more powerful than the standard Sherman tank. See the book "Spearhead" by Adam Makos for more information.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! I’m in touch with Adam so may have to add it to the list!😃

[@josefgrassl-linseis6047]

Hi, great video! I was wondering if you had some talks with the local museum, they also have some stuff about the Stalag VII A.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you. I have spoken with the team that maintain the museum there. They are a great group of people for the work they do preserving the memory of the camp

[@bugs5644]

such great info. i learn much with these videos. thanks again.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you for watching! I’ve got a few more lined up from this area covering the really late war fighting that took place there

[@dougkruse1301]

Thanks , love what you are doing, really interesting.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Very kind of you to say so! Moosburg is a really interesting place and quite something knowing Patton was at that very spot!

[@littlenemo14]

Fascinating as always.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you!

[@ronin667]

Amazing video! I live some 200m from the memorial site with the French fountain, and every time I walk past it, I think of what those men must have been through. Especially the Russian POWs were treated pretty badly and many of them didn't survive their imprisonment. There is a separate memorial site for them just outside the town.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

The museum in Moosburg is worth a visit too if you can. It’s open on a Friday afternoon and has some great artefacts there!

[@Bernie_747]

Great video - interesting story about the fountain …. 👍

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you! There’s a great group of volunteers who had the boards put up to enable people to learn about what the site once was. The local however sadly care very little about it!

[@RobJones262]

I could look at then and now's forever. Don't know if this will get through. KZbin annoyingly keep deleting my comments.. GRR! Many Thanks for these ;)

[@WW2Wayfinder]

I know what you mean, something about being able to ‘time travel’ through a photo!

[@stephenbrunner2543]

🇺🇸 Thanks, that was great !

[@WW2Wayfinder]

My pleasure! Glad you enjoyed 😃

[@georgeallen4495]

Excellent presentation. You really know you're business and you're research is top notch. One question, did SS troops man POW camps as they did the concentration camps? The reason I ask is until your're (this) video I had really never thought about who manned the POW camps. Thank you for all you do.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Glad you enjoyed it! The camp at STALAG VIIA was manned by troops from the Heer (army). They were likely those troops deemed unfit for frontline service but still capable of standing guard in a benign camp environment.

[@georgeallen4495]

@@WW2Wayfinder That makes sense, guess they had to do something with them. Thank you.

[@TI4438]

The tank seen from left rear behind the jeep definitely has the E8 suspension. Same as the Sherman behind Patton.

[@richardgolger5808]

The Image with Gen. Patron in front of the tank also shows a M4A3E8 which can be determi ed by the HVSS bogeys and the wider T 66 tracks.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thank you!

[@blitzi9631]

Crazy how you are in my hometown landshut and even moosburg its just a small village and i drive there every day to work lol so insane

[@WW2Wayfinder]

A couple of towns with some incredible wartime history! I've filmed there a few times now and always enjoy visiting. Landshut especially as theres some great places to eat there! Freising is a nice town too!

[@blitzi9631]

@@WW2Wayfinder i also lived in freising for a couple of years 😂

[@BUIKPAN]

My uncle was shot down on his 23rd mission and spent 18mos in Moosburg. Later in life, he was a banker and a deer hunter. He hunted with another banker friend for 15yrs. A local newspaper published some of the details of my uncle’s POW status one year and his hunting and banking buddy saw the article. So he calls my uncle. You never told me you were a prisoner in Mossburg. I dont talk much abouit. I was in the infantry that rolled thru there and freed your ass, he said.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Oh wow! That’s amazing! Thank you for sharing that. Do you know which Group your Uncle flew with?

[@matthewwilkes8054]

29th april.... Hitler last day.... Where do you find your pictures are they hard to research? Great job 👍

[@WW2Wayfinder]

The photos are with kind permission of the 14th Armored Division website and the US National Archives. The last image took a long time on Google Earth to locate but like any puzzle it’s a case of piecing together what you know and looking for trends or similarities and I got lucky with that one!

[@gregcodner4342]

Great job you are doing My dad Oscar Myles Codner Australia 6th decision AIF was at mooseburg and told me how he was liberated by the Americans

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Oh wow!! Thank you so much for sharing that. You’re the first person that’s commented that had a family member held at Moosburg as a POW. If you’d like more photos of the camp as it stands today please email me and I’ll happily send them over.

[@gregcodner4342]

@@WW2Wayfinder I have a photo of my dad as a prisoner of war at Moosburg pow camp I would love to send it to you

[@jamesross1799]

It can't have been easy to erect a pontoon with the flow. It's quite powerful by the look of it.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

It’s definitely fast enough to carry you down stream if you tried to swim across it I think. And they were under fire at the time or at least initially as some of the engineers were killed during its construction from enemy fire!

[@DanielMulloy-bg6gw]

The tank was a Sherman firefly..... adapted by the British

[@paulwalton3391]

Still find incredibly strange how such a great General like Patton met his demise sadly he was spot on when it came ta Russia albeit 80 years later!

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Definitely not wrong about the Russian Government!

[@paulwalton3391]

@@WW2Wayfinder Aye sadly your spot on when it comes to the Russian 'government' same as the Iranian 'government' buts it's up to the vast majority of good right thinking populations to stop the 'putins' and hitlers of our world from dragging us constantly into the abyss of war!

[@dipseavet]

Which camp was Patton's son-in-law in? I guess it wasn't Moosburg.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

He was detained in OFLAG XIII-B and it was Task Force Baum that was sent to liberate the camp there.

[@Сослан-р6в]

Некоторые люди, стали забывать, что без Совецкого Союза (Совецких людей) не было бы и нас! Увы враги этого не хотят вспоминать.. Напомню. Дания - 6 часов; Люксембург - 1 день; Голландия - 5 дней; Югославия - 11 дней; Бельгия - 18 дней; Греция - 24 дня; Польша - 27 дней; Франция - 1 месяц и 12 дней; Норвегия - 2 месяца и 1 день. Ровно столько хваленая Европа продержалась против нацистской Германии. Дом Павлова в Сталинграде держался 58 дней. При обороне дома Павлова защитники положили больше немцев чем те потеряли при взятии Парижа.

[@steveb5341]

Great vid mate! Can’t beat the then & now’s so much history even under the tree growth! 👏🏻🪖

[@WW2Wayfinder]

Thanks Steve! There’s definitely a lot still left to find and I love it! Something very special about standing on those spots knowing what happened there all those years ago, especially known if Patton was there!

[@diba4645]

Were I live

[@64maxpower]

Do you have an opinion youd share on Pattons death? The dude stormed across Europe dodging angered Germans and he dies in a car crash? I think someone wanted to shut his big pie hole.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

If he was going to have been assassinated I think it would have been more akin to the fate suffered by JFK rather than getting t-boned in a car by an army truck driven by a Pvt who was no doubt tired, or just not concentrating. The conspiracy theory is nonsense if you ask me. While I can’t disprove/prove it either way I think the theories were written by hacks to sell cheap books. Yes he was out spoken against the Soviets but so we’re lots of people then. And ultimately he was only human and as prone to injury and death as anyone else

[@wombatwilly1002]

​@@WW2WayfinderAgree.These conspiracy nuts are just that,nuts.

[@jimbo7577]

That wasn't the first attempt on his life and no one else in the car, including the driver, was injured. Patton was murdered.

[@64maxpower]

@@jimbo7577 it's strange that it's not talked of today. Or back then

[@robertlong7033]

It's my understanding the Germans don't like to talk much about WWII They'll gladly take every WWII tourist dollar they can get but talking openly and frankly about it not something they do much of.

[@WW2Wayfinder]

There’s no tourist money to be made from WW2 in Germany, not compared to France (Normandy) or Belgium (Bastogne).

[@Lecknye1961]

My father was with Patton’s third army, and he put pontoon bridges across the rivers, dog tags, HOWARD O NYE 38067610-T41-45 AB