Robert Frettlöhr

	This page: paratrooper training.
	Monte Cassino and POW.

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Robert Frettlöhr

Robert Frettlöhr was born in March 1924 in Duisburg. His father was the manager of the telephone section of Thyssen, a large steel company and when Robert was fourteen he began an apprenticeship there.

Robert joined the Hitler Youth.

The reason why everybody joined it, particularly me, was because I was interested in gliding and there was no better opportunity than to learn to glide with the Hitler Youth... gliding and building models of gliders etc.

Duisburg had a very small Jewish community but a local store was boycotted because of its Jewish ownership and later its windows were smashed. Robert, as a young man, did not question this.

We didn't even question or we weren't old enough to question things. We weren't allowed to question things as we do now.

In the Hitler Youth around 1935

Situated near the Dutch border, Duisberg provided billets for many servicemen as the build up began for the invasion of Holland.

As a boy, you admired soldiers a bit - like every lad does. They used to talk to you and, of course, they went and did their battle and came back and they were victorious, and I suppose we shouted "hurrah, you did a good job."

At the age of 17, Robert received his call up papers.

I went to the medical and I wasn't a small boy then, I was pretty well developed. They looked at me and said, "heavy artillery," and I said, "I am sorry, Sir, but I volunteered for the Air Force."

He immediately approached the Luftwaffe recruiting office next door and volunteered. He was given some leaflets and a consent form to be completed by his father.

In April 1942, Robert began his training in Münster, with the German Air Force.

... we learned how to use the Morse Code and things like that. I was trying to be a wireless operator but it seemed to me that the instructors we had, they were slightly barmy [although] they were excellent teachers, yes, but I thought I don't like this really so from there I volunteered for the radar section and learned ... the whole secret of the radar equipment.

Christmas 1942 at an Air Force base in Germany. I am in the centre with a pipe.

His training continued at several different locations within Germany. In Dresden whilst instructing others to use the radar equipment, he attended the showing of a film about Paratroopers. Afterwards he volunteered to join, much to the annoyance of his Commanding Officer, who drew his attention to the amount of time and money his radar training had cost.

Robert had a very thorough medical examination and was posted to a Para school northeast of Berlin, at Wittstock. Most of his training was intensive physical exercise and combat training. The basic training consisted of six jumps to acquire Paratrooper Wings. The first two jumps were from an old Dornier, the next two from a Heinkel Bomber 111, through the bomb hole. The final two jumps were then from a Junkers 52.

On the Heinkel, you jumped out through the bomb hole. It was like a little opening. You had to go down a couple of steps and you jumped through there like a bomb... the Junkers 52 were a three engined workhorse of the German Air Force. They were a very, very slow flying machine.

Berlin, March or April 1943.

In the late summer of 1943, he was posted to the 1st Paratroop Division Pioneers, 4th Regiment, and to a small village on the Adriatic called Tollo.

We lived in the village and then we used to go by truck with all the Teller mines - they were anti-tank mines. At other times we also laid anti-personnel mines. We used to go to the frontline, lay the mines in No Man's Land and then go back to the village. That was pioneer work.

	This page: paratrooper training.
	Monte Cassino and POW.