The Bricked Door Story

Foreword: From an e-mail that was sent to this site by the author of this story, Ron Van Rijt (who probably knows more about the Huertgen Forest battles than any one else living today), we have come up with an unusual story. It's not a happy one but it's part of the history of this part of the country.

It was end of November 1944 when the American troops of the Big Red One and German Paratroopers stood against one other at the small village of Jüngersdorf at the northern edge of the Hürtgen Forest. The village of Duren could be seen a few miles away hidden behind a few open fields and a railroad track with some small villages in between. Here Johann Weiler and his comrades from the 10th Company, Fallschirmjäger Regt 5 were ordered to counterattack the village of Jüngersdorf in an attempt to block the road to Düren.

As luck would have it, this happened to be Johann Weiler's hometown. Johann's commander was aware of this, so so he thought that Johann would be the best person to send in to determine the situation in this badly destroyed village. Johann, with a small group of soldiers, entered the village encountering little resistance from the Americans. Back in his hometown after years of being away, he was undoubtedly anxious to see the house of his parents where he had been born and raised.

Johann was happy to find the house was intact and with little damage. Of course his parents had long ago been evacuated. He and the other soldiers left the main road and entered the home from the back door. As the soldiers tried to make themselves a little comfortable for the moment, Johann went to the front door to check outside. As he opened the door and looked outside, a single shot was heard was heard and Johann dropped into the doorway and died.

When Johann's parents returned home to Jüngersdorf after the war ended and found what had happened to their son, Johann's father bricked the front door shut. Today, this house still can only be entered by the backdoor, the front door is still bricked shut. Johann is buried at the German war-cemetery at Lommel, Belgium.

Here is the e-mail fro Ron Van Rijt that was the inspiration for this entry.

Yo Liberators

Aha, glad you Vets found each other, that will make things a lot easier. You can't write down Ray's experiences at the Hürtgen Forest in a few lines Ern; - as far as I know, you can't find a more detailed account about the battle for Schmidt. ... read the books. You are right Ern, sometimes simple personal stories tell more about a battle than "the big picture".

I think this is what makes my work interesting, Fritz tells me his story about his 3 weeks in a Sherman at the Kall-Trail, and I also know the story of the 707 Tk/Bn; ....... it all fits together !!!! So when Ray visited the Hürtgen Forest, I introduced him to Fritz; -- "Look Ray, this is Fritz who slept 3 weeks in one of your tanks".. former enemies, eye to eye, shaking hands after 6 decades, .... isn't this something ?

You should have seen when Ray met August Gövert; - August asked me to tell Ray that he thanked Ray for killing his Mark IV tank at Kommerscheidt right before August would have turned his turret at 6 o clock, because as a driver, August wouldn't have been able to get out of his tank anymore when the turret would have been at 6 o clock.

"But don't thank him for firing his bowgun at me when I got out of my burning tank" !!!! Ray's answer; .... "It was nothing personal" !!!! We all had a great laugh about it.

I can't explain how it feels for me from the post war generation to be there with these men, right on the spot where the battle took place 60 years ago. .... stuff like this really makes my job worthwhile. It's better to drink a few beer together than to try to kill each other, no ? Ron