Why an English Village Remembered This German Airman for Nearly 86 Years

Comments · 827

• VO

  @volksbundtv · 1 month ago · pinned

  Many thanks to everyone

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• KE

  @kenattwood8060 · 1 month ago

  As a British Army veteran veteran I would like to thank the people of Porlock for looking after a fallen soldier and for keeping his memory alive.

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• GO

  @gosuc7340 · 1 month ago (edited)

  As a German, I take my hat off to the people of Porlock. What they did was by no way &nbsp;selfunderstood. Every side had their aversions (or not) , but those who overcame them are the greatest, regardless of their country. My uncle was a prisoner in Britain. Unbelievable but true, he and 2 other comrades were invited by a British family for christmas, based on religuous conviction. This family had a 15 year old daughter, my uncle was 19 at that time. What was not planed, they fell in love with each other. Of course nothing more happened, for my my uncle knew he owned a great deal of gratitude to that family. But after the war, that girl came to Berlin &nbsp;to visit my uncle . They decided to get married in Britain. That was in 1953. The first years were not easy at work, but in time his collegues knew his &nbsp;mindset better and after some time he was not the hunn anymore. In time, he adopted &nbsp;more and more the British mentality and became a respected member in his comunity in Seaton, Devon. When he died, many people of his comunity &nbsp;were at his funeral. Apart from that, &nbsp;he gave a bench as a present to the comunity of Seaton. This bench is at the beachway of Seaton, with a metal plate showing his name &nbsp;as a gift from him to the comunity of Seaton. If you are in Seaton and walk the beach way where the coloured sheds are, you will find this bench , mentioning his name on a plate &quot; Gerhard Suchomski to the comunity of Seaton&quot;.<br>When I was in the German Airforce, I told my friends about my uncle. No one would believe me until I showed them the the wedding pictures of my uncle. That made them think.

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• MO

  @mortifinkenbein9559 · 1 month ago

  German here. I&apos;m filled with great respect for the amazing people from Porlock who in a time of horrible war treated a fallen enemy with dignity. As long as there are decent people like you, our world will always have hope even in dire times. ❤

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• BO

  @bordersw1239 · 1 month ago

  There is a golf course not far from me in Wales where part of the course is called ‘Yanto’s Meadow’. Yanto was a German POW sent to work as a farm labourer, the Welsh farmer and his wife offered him a job rather than return to Germany, he accepted and become like a son to them. When they died they left him the entire farm which he stayed on until his death. After his death the golf course bought part of his farm &nbsp;and forever named his field after him. Yanto is a Welsh name which I suspect they nicknamed him. He was well respected and accepted by the entire community.

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• C3

  @c3LeVr4 · 1 month ago

  Many thanks to all the lovely people from Germany❤<br>A wonderful reminder that we are brothers and sisters, and not enemies.

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• MI

  @michaelmoeller8963 · 1 month ago (edited)

  Thank You for letting us know this wonderful piece of friendship. Best regards from Cologne, Germany

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• TA

  @tancreddehauteville764 · 1 month ago

  So many young men from many nations died in that terrible conflict. &nbsp;A huge tragedy that will hopefully never be repeated.

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• DR

  @drau331 · 1 month ago (edited)

  In times when politicians divide countries it is important that the people stay together.<br>My honor from Oranienburg near Berlin.

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• CH

  @christian8527 · 1 month ago

  I have photos from my great-uncle, serving as a Luftwaffe-Major in Belgium (Diest) in 1940/41 as an airfield-commander, showing &nbsp;how the garrison marched in formation to a funeral of a british air-crew, whose bomber was shot down, and then shooting salute to honor these men. &nbsp;Wreaths were also put on the graves.

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• BL

  @blondkatze3547 · 1 month ago

  What a wonderful story. The village of Porlock deserves the utmost respect for the friendship shown to the young German airman who was killed, and care of his grave.Thank You - warm regards from East Frisia, Northern Germany.💞🙏

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• PI

  @Pipermillen · 1 month ago

  Beautiful story, a young German lad just doing his duty &nbsp;just like all the men of that time, rest in peace Wilhelm.

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