Franz Carl Weber. 2023 The SOFREP Media Group. Or are you interested in war medals and their recipients? As much as he packs into these movies, however, their scripts often run even longer. A Nazi SS general responsible for deporting tens of thousands of Jews to death camps worked for West German intelligence after World War . Welcome to Franz Weber Inc., and thank you for visiting our website. One of the closest comparisons is to Operation Greenup, a spy mission which the National WWII Museum in New Orleans has called "The REAL Inglourious Basterds.". Over 40.000 pages on the officers, the boats, technology and the Allied efforts to counter the U-boat threat. By now, those of you have seen Tarantinos film should be thinking Inglourious Basterds. Mayer, Wijnberg, and Weber are the real thing, the actual basterds, and indeed, Mayer himself is once supposed to have said that the three of them just wanted to kill Nazis.. He was finally arrested when a black marketeer was caught by Nazi authorities and fingered Mayer as a spy. The team would infiltrate using a blacked out B-24 bomber. It was the perfect opportunity to kill Nazis, which was the reason many Jewish boys joined. He was finally arrested when a black marketeer was caught by Nazi authorities and fingered Mayer as a, OSS Finally Recognized More Than 70 Years Later By Congress, PO Box 1077 MURFREESBORO, Tennessee 37133 United States, P.O. His captors, including Franz Hofer, the governor of the Alpine Redoubt and an immensely powerful man within Hitlers inner Circle, faced war crimes prosecution. Quentin Tarantinos Inglorious Basterds tells the story of a special battalion posted in France in charge of sabotaging German military activities and, most importantly, killing Nazis. It was April 1945, and Germany was finished. However, things took a turn for the worse when a member of Mayers spy network betrayed him. Tarantino will never tell us the full logic behind misspelling the title, though in various interviews he's offered partial explanations. Mayer was born in Freiburg, Germany, on Oct. 28, 1921. 1501 1501. Many historians have written about the famous Buffalo Soldiers of the all-Black 92nd Infantry Division, who fought with distinction during World War II. It wasn;t until they brought in the informant that Mayer finally admitted he was an American agent, but insisted that he worked alone. Mayer saved the lives of perhaps thousands of troops on both sides by arranging the surrender of the German troops in Austria. Webers sister was a nurse who helped Mayer disguise himself as a German officer in uniform and bandaged up from a head wound. I made the argument for the medal in my book They Dared Return, and now Sen. John Rockefeller is championing the cause. Nationality: German (1933-1945, Third Reich) Biography. Not surprising to those who know him, Fred Mayer may not attend the Congressional reception and the screening of the movie chronicling his feats. I do not want them to think that they are getting a glimpse of who you are really going to be.'" This button displays the currently selected search type. Fortunately for Webers fiance and her family, Mayer had found other lodgings before being captured. Franz did Research in the Field of Nephrology and Hypertension. view all Franz Weber's Timeline. The story of Operational Greenup deserves greater attention than it has received. Colombo, V; Correro, M R; Riener, R; Weber, Franz E; Gallo, L M (2011). He parachuted into the Third Reich, where he impersonated a German officer, blew up trains, sent back intelligence on Hitlers bunker, and even accepted the surrender of Innsbruck, Austria. However, using his own guile, wit, and a fortunate set of circumstances, Mayer turned the tables on his captors. He dominated the sport of speed skiing from 1980 to 1985, winning over eighty percent of the races he entered. One of the most popular genres of WWII literature is espionage, the spy novel, the thriller. Books abound on the topic, dealing with undercover operatives, double agents, and breathless derring-do. Looking for reliable information or news facts about WW2? And although he was circumcised, the Gestapo thought nothing of it since many non-Jews also practiced circumcision. Just dont hurt my family., Mayer was disgusted, What the hell do you think we are? His carelessness in preparing for a car stunt in "Kill Bill Vol. So how did the title of Tarantino's WWII revenge flick go from "Inglorious Bastards" to "Inglourious Basterds"? Frederick Mayer, right, with Franz Weber, left, and Hans Wijnberg, in an undated photograph, took part in the Greenup operation, parachuting into Austria in 1945 to spy on Nazi troop activity. The Life Summary of Georg. Dulles cabled OSS HQs in Italy, Fred Mayer reports he is in Gestapo hands but cabled Dont worry about me, Im really not bad off a remarkable message considering that it was coming from a Jew. Waffen-SS Armband. Jason Dawsey, PhD. This is a horrible place where the Nazis tortured and killed members of the Belgium resistance. Download the TracesOfWar app directly on, Australia (1901-present, Federal Monarchy), Belgium (1830-present, Constitutional Monarchy), Canada (1931-present, Constitutional Monarchy), Soviet Union (1922-1991, People's Republic), Privacy statement, cookies, disclaimer and copyright, - Die Ordenstrger der Deutschen Wehrmacht. Their little band soon adds a third member: Franz Weber, a Wehrmacht lieutenant who has belatedly come to his senses about the murderous nature of Adolf Hitler's war. Eventually, the man who fingered Mayer was brought in and he knew the ruse was up. The team found a German POW named Franz Weber. It was the scariest part of the entire mission.. Bis current project is . People Projects Discussions Surnames Not wanting to mess with a Wehrmacht officer, the inspector moved on. Cuffing his hands in front of him and pulling his arms over his bent knees, they forced him into a constricting fetal position, then shoved the barrel of a long rifle into the tiny gap behind his knees and his cuffed hands. Top. Works at Arbeitete bei der Stadt Luzern. There was also Franz Weber a Catholic Austrian Wehrmacht officer and POW, who felt loyal to Austria, not to Nazi Germany. ?, The GIs were not so merciful with the Gestapo, however, especially as some them were Jews. They Dared Return: The True Story of Jewish Spies Behind the Lines by Patrick K. ODonnell. All three landed safely with most of their equipment, but the canister containing their skis was lost. The governor was about to go on the radio to tell his troops to fight to the last man. It was a good documentary. His books that capture Mayers story are They Dared Return and The Brenner Assignment. Speaking in an interview(via Screenrant) with fellow filmmaker Robert Rodriguez for an episode of "Director's Chair" on El Rey Network, Tarantino said, "People thought I was going through writer's block, you know, I was going through the opposite. They Dared Return: The True Story of Jewish Spies Behind the Lines in Nazi Germany, Dog Company: The Boys of Pointe du Hoc: Rangers Who Accomplished D-Days Toughest Mission and Led the Way Across Europe. Thanks to their intelligence, the Allies were able to bomb over 25 supply trains trying to get into Italy. They traveled by ship to North Africa. Franz Weber. He was replaced with director Eli Roth. His undercover work led to valuable intelligence and a network of informants that helped identify the location and dimensions of Hitlers Fhrerbunker in Berlin, the condition of Nazi war plants and movement of enemy freight and troops through the Brenner Pass. Do you want to create your own battlefield tour to sights of wars from the past? He penetrated a secret underground factory producing jet engines for the Third Reich. His parents and younger brotherwere all murdered in the Holocaust. He found and recruited deserter-volunteer, Franz Weber. Does anyone out there have Quentin Tarantinos cell? The award was presented to him by the Austrian ski resorts for his contributions to the sport of skiing. Uncoiling a rawhide whip, the tall one put his full weight behind each swing, mercilessly thrashing the agents body like a side of beef. Zrich Airport. Tarantino's movies, "Inglourious Basterds" included, generally have such excellent casting that it's often weird to read about who almost played their iconic characters instead. Data gleaned from these reports helped US intelligence officers explode the myth that the Germans were concentrating men and weapons in the south for the Alpine redoubt. Despite being captured by the Gestapo and nearly tortured to death, Mayer was able to make contact with a number of local officials, including Franz Hofer, the Nazi Gauleiter(district leader) of Tyrol. This was worn by civilians in the employment of the Waffen SS. Mayer was motivated by a powerful combination of hate and lovehate toward the Nazis and love for America. Shahan Russell is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE. They eventually made contact with Webers family. In 2014, when President Obama had awarded several Medals of Honor to individuals who werent awarded them at the time due to racism or other reasons, was given the name of Mayer by WV Senator Jay Rockefeller. Franz Ferdinand was born in Graz, Austria, on December 18, 1863, the oldest son of Archduke Karl Ludwig, who was the younger brother of Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph. He responded, Who do you think we are, Nazis?. Webers sister, a fervent anti-Nazi, managed to steal a German uniform that Weber himself wore on several occasions to attend informal events with some of the Nazi officers appointed in the region. As the company approached along the relatively featureless terrain, it came under violent MG . Though it turned out to be a myth created by fanatical Nazis, the Allies couldnt have known that at the time. His captors whipped him, doused him with water and suspended him from a rifle, but he only admitted he was an Americanofficer when the man who had betrayed him was brought in and identified him. The other objective was to identify rail traffic travelling from Innsbruck to Italy through the Brenner Pass. It was difficult to find a suitable drop point, as the obvious places were all occupied by the enemy. Box 378 Red Hook, New York 12571 United States. The members of Operation Greenup ended up helping the Allies get their victory and were later on decorated for their heroic services during the war. Mayer, Wijnberg, and Weber were parachuted with their supplies into Austria on 26 February 1945 in total darkness which was why they ended up on the crest of the Sulztaler glacier some 9,000 feet up a mountain. For three days and nights, Mayer was savagely beaten, but he kept up his cover speaking only in French. Feeling he had achieved his speed skiing goals, Franz permanently retired from the sport following the 1992 Olympics. However, that doesn't mean the provocative auteur was taking a break from work; he was keeping busy writing scripts. In 1998, he won the National SG Masters Championships, and his Masters record includes winning all but two of the more than He continued to work with producer Harvey Weinstein even though, he admitted to The New York Times, "I knew enough to do more than I did" about Weinstein's serious sexual misconduct. Do you have more information about this person? With robust designs and vintage classic style, discover the heritage of military timepieces today! Tarantino's movies tend to be on the longer side, with many of them running close to three hours. one of four skiers who broke a world record by skiing sixteen Colorado ski resorts in one day. Patrick K. ODonnell is a bestselling author and combat historian who has conducted over 5,000 oral history interviews with heroes like Frederick Mayer. Undeterred by the units previous record, Mayer and his friends approached the units commander, Lt. Alfred Ulmer, and begged to sign up. He was an actor, known for The Marriage of Figaro (1949), Pillars of Society (1935) and So ein Flegel (1934). His family owned a hardware store that was boycotted because they were Jewish once Hitler became chancellor in 1933. His father didnt want to leave Germany. The Methodology of the Social Sciences (Max Weber) Give Me Liberty! STIWOT, 1999-2023. There is a nice WC on the ground floor with baby changing facilities. In fact, it deserves nothing less than a movie. This fact caught the attention of Franz Hofer, a member of the Reichsgau, a Nazi administrative subdivision based on occupied territories. According to Roth, "[The flames] were spreading so exponentially. Mayer obtained a German uniform and impersonated a wounded officer. In the dark room, the Gestapo officers slapped and punched the spy in the face. In an 2015 interview with HuffPost Live, Eli Roth claimed that he and other actors nearly burned to death during the movie's climax, in which a theater filled with Nazis burns to the ground. Finally, Ulmer asked the Jewish-Americans matter-of-factly, Do you appreciate what can happen to you if youre caught?, Mayer responded, staring directly into Omers eyes, This is more our war than yours.. "Quentin said to close our scripts and asked us who we were. Inform us! They found that Germans were using movable bridges on the Brenner railway that they hid in tunnels by day and used only at night. His mother, however, demanded that the family flee to the U.S. Young Fitz (Mayers nickname) was captivated by cowboy stories of the American West, and so looked forward to the journey. Being Jewish, the senior Mayers status couldnt protect them, so the family emigrated to the US in 1938. Franz Weller was captured in May 1945 by . The Nazi governor wined and dined his Jewish captive, then explained that he wanted to surrender but not to the Soviets. In the dead of winter, 1945, German-born Fred Mayer, Dutch-born Hans Wijnberg and former Wehrmacht officer Franz Weber parachuted into the Austrian Alps. A native Austrian, Weber fought on the Eastern Front but was convinced that Austria needed to be free of Hitler and the Nazis. info@nationalww2museum.org As the troops approached the city, they saw a car with a large white bed sheet attached to a pole racing toward them. The German officer in charge was one Franz Hofer. OSS was the forerunner to both the Special Operations Command of the military, OSS Jedburgh and Operation Groups were the units that became the US Army Special Forces and Navy SEALs owe part of their legacy to OSS Maritime Group operatives, where one of them invented the US version of SCUBA. Considering how the Gestapo worked, they believed him. A native Austrian, Weber fought on the Eastern Front but was convinced that Austria needed to be free of Hitler and the Nazis. She was only 56 years old when she passed away. He is a two-time overall winner of the Tournament of Champions and four-time Rolex Legends Series Champion. The tables turned, the Gestapo man shaking, told Mayer to do with him as he would, but to please leave his family alone. Frederick Mayer was a man described by some as fearless. Rising to power in an unstable Germany, Adolf Hitler and his National Socialist (Nazi Party) rearmed the nation and signed treaties .