Forgotten Soldier (Guy Sajer) controversy

[Sheikh Al Stranghi]

We all know that some controversy surrounds this book, but here are the details. An interesting read.

http://members.shaw.ca/grossdeutschland/sajer.htm

[Hans Gowert]

the controversy is just BS, people having nothing better to do. Great book written by a great man about his experience.

[sparky]

thats a great read it really takes you there

[Sean]

Bah read that ages ago. Rubbish.

[rednas]

Don't know what is true about the following quote, but I heard that Sajer made a lot of errors about the Großdeutschland division in his book and that he said the cufftitle was on his left (SS style) arm instead of on the right arm. Maybe someone else knows more about this?

- Guy Sajer (still alive), he said he was forced to engage in the GrossDeutschland but it might be false, i heard from good sources he was engaged in the Charlemagne. He wrote a very book "le dernier soldat" (= the last soldier)

http://forum.axishistory.com/viewtopic. ... 5&start=15

[Hans Gowert]

speak to max of the fusilier regiment, grossdeutschland . He is the best person to speak to regarding sajer. Dont forget , Guy sajer wrote the book in french , so it could be all down to the editor of the book making the mistakes .

[superjay]

I first read this book more than thirty years ago and have read it several times since, a very informative book on the day to day hardships and sufferings of a bottom of the food chain soldier, not a factual reference book.
My father says he can't remember exact dates and locations where he was stationed or where exactly he was captured, he does however remember the suffering and hunger and loss of comrades.
I think the book is a true account of personal memories.

[Peiper]

There are some strange things written in it which makes you scratch your head though???

Such as apparantly Guy says he belonged to a strange unit attatched to G-D which were a
type of supply/motorized group, (the description was vague in the book aswell??) i did read
somewhere that this was a fictious Unit? various other things ring untrue in the book also,??
as if he has heard the information second hand from someone and written it down, similar
to the "Hassel" books!!

Pipes

[Hans Gowert]

christ,
my dad (49, former marine ) calls a 12.7mm .50cal machine gun a '20 cal' and was adamant about it untill he lost a bottle of port to it.

[Mikkel]

A veteran i knew couldn't recognize the MG 34, and he had been an MG gunner (although the '42 he easily recognized and told lots about).

An author I got lots more against is Sven Hassel. A shame the world outside Denmark never really have understood what person he is..

[Peiper]

.
An author I got lots more against is Sven Hassel. A shame the world outside Denmark never really have understood what person he is..

Why's that Mikkel??

I remember one quote from his book which has some sense to it:
"Never volunteer to be a hero because you will be unhappy with the result"

Pipes

[Mikkel]

Sorry for going OT.

He was a traitor to everyone and everything. In the 30s he tried to become a members of the danish national socialist organization, by presenting them with stolen bicycles. They found out that the bicycles were stolen and excluded him.
Later he tried the German army, but deserted. To have his sentence reduced, he agreed to work for the Germans, in Denmark spying on civilians. he also several times had been in prison, disguising himself as a resistance fighter, to get information from real resistance fighters to use against them. When the war ended, he ratted the Germans and helped the new government find persons who had also worked for the Germans, thus saving his life and reducing his sentence. After he had done his time, he changed his name and begun to write fictional novels under his new name. He was found out around 10 years later when a journalist began to dig in his past. it made quite a controversy here in Denmark, and it was only forgotten because of the assassination on JFK. Hassel is basically persona non grata in Denmark, and moved to Spain because he would never get the accept of the danish population.

[Peiper]

Thanks for the heads up on Mr Hassel , i always thought he was a "good-guy"
going from his novels, admittedly they are fiction but i read that they were
based loosely on his exploits

Pipes

[Mikkel]

No, he never went anywhere. Except possibly a short period in a penal battalion, picking up mines and other ordnance. His 'experiences' where gathered in the prison where he served with actual eastern front veterans of the danish volunteers.

[Hoffman Grink]

Maybe this FB page will interest you then
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Offic ... 191?ref=ts
Even "his family" get it wrong - but Porta's yellow top hat is there so it must be true!!!!