Villach: 91-year-old remembers the horrors of war!

Villach: 91-year-old remembers the horrors of war!

Villach, Österreich - Helmuth Reisinger, 91 years old and a “founding member” of the Federal Army, lives in Villach and willingly provides insights into his memories from World War II. Born on February 24, 1934 in Ternitz, Lower Austria, he experienced the time intensively despite his young age. The violent bombing raids, which took place during the air war against industry in Linz and Wiener Neustadt, were particularly formative for him. These memories are still very present for him today. Reisinger reports that he often witnessed the capture of the crashed pilots, which aroused a variety of emotions in it.

The air war, in particular through the use of anti -aircraft cannons, played a crucial role in the course of the war. Flak - the abbreviation for aircraft cannon - was initially developed in the First World War and improved significantly over the years. In the 1930s, many countries recognized the need for special aircraft guns. The 8.8 cm flak 18 became one of the most famous guns of the Second World War and was not only used against aircraft, but also against ground troops. In the course of the war, the use of anti -aircraft missiles was increasingly preferred, but the basics of the anti -aircraft stayed well after the war, even in the Bundeswehr until the 1990s.

crashed bomber and their crews

During the air raids, there were increasing crashes of aircraft whose fates are less known. Historian Nicole-Melanie Goll from the House of History Austria explores the fate of around 8,300 occupying members from 1,058 US and British aircraft. This research is part of the "Downed Allied Aircrew Database Austria" project, which is supported by the Austrian Academy of Sciences. A digital map that documents the crash locations offers a deeper insight into the war experiences and the fates of the fallen soldiers.

The brutal fates of the pilots who were abused after their crashes contain failure to help, insults and even lynch murders. According to a decision by the Nazi regime from 1944, this happened, which stimulated the population to act aggressively after enemy aircraft crashes. An example of this is the African -American pilot Walter P. Manning, who was murdered in April 1945. His killing is not an isolated case, but part of a more comprehensive tragedy that affected many other pilots.

summarized it is shown that the air war and the associated events, such as the development of aircraft weapons and the fate of crashed bombers, are anchored deeply in the Austrian memory. Despite the terrible experiences and the lost life, the hope of dealing with and understanding the events at that time remains to draw teaching for the future.