family members on the "wrong" side

[Jabos]

This story about Werner G. fascinates me. This is off Wiklipedia:

Werner Goering was born and raised in Salt Lake City. The young Goering spoke fluent German. After an extensive background check, he was assigned to the 303rd Bombardment Group -- Hell's Angels -- of the 8th Air Force, based at Molesworth, England.[1] This fact was kept secret by the USAAF during the time that young Goering flew missions against Nazi Germany. However, the AAF still assigned him a "uniquely qualified" co-pilot—First Lt. Jack P. Rencher. Rencher was given orders to shoot him if he ever tried to land in Germany. According to Rencher, however, the only time young Göring wasn't eager to rain destruction on Nazi Germany was when he had to bomb Cologne, where his grandmother lived. "He was neat, clean, a sharp dresser and in every sense military minded", Rencher said. "While I served with him he and I got along well together and I believe made an excellent team. I know of no one I would rather serve as copilot with".

This is a letter to and a response from his copilot Jack Rencher:

Jack,
I am asking you these questions thru the list because I think other members might be interested in your answers. I searched the 303rd site, but did not find what I was looking for, so now I ask you.

I discovered the other day that your pilot was Werner Goering, nephew of Herman Goering. What a curious thing. Can you tell me about him? I find it interesting that he was 'allowed' to serve with a family connection like that. Do you know the story behind that? Did the military resist his entry to the service?

Was he not at great risk if he were shotdown? Did he ever talk about his family connection? Obviously it did not bother him that he was attacking his native land or did it? Was he more driven because of this? Was he accepted as just another GI doing his job? Did the press follow him around?

Sorry for the list of questions, but this is really a unique situation and I find it very curious.

Thanks Jack!!

REPLY:

Dave,
You have asked me 10 questions, some of which I know the answers and
some I do not. On those I do not know I may express an opinion so be aware I could be mistaken. I am not humble. I am quite conceited, self confident and on most subjects very opinionated. When I had 10-15 missions behind me I believe I was one of the two best darn 4-engine combat pilots in the 8th Air Force.

Question # 1. Can you tell me about him? Yes, #2. You found it
interesting he was "allowed" to serve, etc., # 3. Do you know the story behind that? Yes, but maybe not all the story. # 4. Did the military resist his entry into the service? Yes, some. # 5. Was he at great risk if he was shot down? Yes, were not all of us? If you meant was he at a greater or lessor risk than the rest of us? I've thought about that a lot but have no opinion. I do not know. # 6. Did he ever talk about his family connection? Yes, to me, but not to others. # 7. Did it bother him that he was attacking his native land? Yes, when we had Cologne as a target. His Grandmother lived there. # 8. Was he more driven because of this? I don't know but I would doubt it # 9. Was he accepted as just another GI doing his job? No # 10. Did the press follow him around? No.

Werner G. Goering like all of us had some strength's and some
weaknesses. He was a skillful formation pilot and did not show fear. I personally thought he had poor judgment typical of youth as he took unnecessary risks when there was no reason nor benefit to do so. He was neat, clean, a sharp dresser and in every sense military minded. He did not smoke, drink, swear, or chase women. He was very much a loaner and while I served with him I knew of no one other than maybe me who was his close friend or buddy. He and I got along well together and I believe made an excellent team. I know of no one I would rather serve as copilot with other than maybe Robert J. Lynch...

Werner was a native born American, born and raised in Salt Lake City
Utah. He was German and spoke German fluently. One of my Grandmothers was German. We had many German Americans in our 8th A.F. including some Sqdn and group COs and lead pilots.

Werner and I were both were held up a bit and investigated before we
were assigned on a crew. I was told who he was and asked to and did volunteer to fly with him before I ever met him. I have no regrets. I might very well be dead had I gone into fighters as I had requested and was trained to do in pilot training. I learned to love B17s and still do. I also feel fortunate to have served with the 303rd BG and the outstanding people therein.

As I approach the end of life I feel I have been very fortunate to have
lived in and served this, the greatest country that ever existed and very
likely the best time that shall ever exist for us ordinary people.
Best Wishes,
Jack Rencher

 

[Kopf-Jaeger]

Prien

Prien an interesting sidenote, My one Uncle who was in the Luftwaffe started out in the Kriegsmarine prior to the war! He served on the Cruiser Koln as well as the Linienschiff Schlesien. He entered the Naval air service and when that was taken over by the Luftwaffe he transfered to them. Uncle Werner started out the war on Destroyers and then ended the war on a U-Boats. I'm not sure which one at this time but I do know he surrendered to the British forces in harbor. I do know that two Canadian Army officers saved him from a French mine clearing detail when he was a POW and so he left Germany after the war and became a Canadian citizen living in Toronto. I was given my one Uncle's hat ribbons as well as his uniform shoulder boards from both the Kreigsmarine and Luftwaffe.

 

[Hepville]

I have both sides in my family.
My grandfather on mothers side (silesian/german) was an active communist. Shortly before the nazis wanted to pick him up he commited suicide by blasting himself up in the mine he worked in.
My grandfather on fathers side (hungarian) was a nazi and later fought in the Waffen SS.
My father was involved in the failed revolt of ´56 and left the country after it.

 

[Hereward]

My late father-in-law was with Rommel and captured at Tobruk. He spent most of the war in South Carolina eating decent food and playing tennis. His brother went to Narvik with an ak-ak group and lost quite a few toes. The fortunes of war.

 

[The Lonely Navigator]

Prien an interesting sidenote, My one Uncle who was in the Luftwaffe started out in the Kriegsmarine prior to the war! He served on the Cruiser Koln as well as the Linienschiff Schlesien. He entered the Naval air service and when that was taken over by the Luftwaffe he transfered to them. Uncle Werner started out the war on Destroyers and then ended the war on a U-Boats. I'm not sure which one at this time but I do know he surrendered to the British forces in harbor. I do know that two Canadian Army officers saved him from a French mine clearing detail when he was a POW and so he left Germany after the war and became a Canadian citizen living in Toronto. I was given my one Uncle's hat ribbons as well as his uniform shoulder boards from both the Kreigsmarine and Luftwaffe.

I've actually read about transfers into the U-Boat arm (as that I've been studying/researching since 2004 too.) Oh yeah - Goering wanted everything that flew. I was once asked by another reenactor (he did allied) about aircraft carriers in the Kriegsmarine. There were some that were being built, but due to Goering's 'aircraft greed' - the Kriegsmarine wasn't able to have a fully functional naval air arm, like the US had.

Many of the U-Boat crewmen who fought did eventually move to either the US, Canada, the UK, or Australia - although some did stay in Germany.

Since you're in DE - maybe you'd be interested in Ft. Miles where the U 858 surrendered. They're restoring the fort, and I was last down there back in '07 (I wound up getting volunteered to play the role of the surrendering commander Bode)...but you may already know of all the stuff down there concerning it.

 

[Phantomfixer]

Prien,
I have been going to Cape Henlopen/Ft Miles since I was a kid, mid 1970s.
The Fort and battery 519 is coming along nicely due to all the volunteers and a few paid staff. We have a few uboat reenactors visit during the summer. My son actually was recruited to reenact the surrender of the uboat. Go to

http://www.cr-imagery.com/fortmiles/aug09.html

second kid back is my son.
If you went in 07 the I might have ran into you. I was the only Air Corps guy there driving around the Ft CC in a jeep escorting the crew to the "stockade" as it were.
Did you make the brass hat pin, and give one to my son?

 

[The Lonely Navigator]

Re Phantom.

Sorry for the late reply (don't have direct access) -

First - it's great they found a new commander to do the reenactment of the surrender of the U 858. I didn't know about this, and am happy to see that they have one! I felt bad for not being able to make the other events to get volunteered again to be the surrendering commander.

I didn't make any brass hat pins at all. So I don't know who would have made it and gave it to him. I had met another wonderful U-Boat crewman down there - Dana, and hope that he's still around and to see him at Reading.

I don't know if the U 858 crew would be interested, but they are more than welcome to join the U-Boat Society's forum. If you know any personally, PM me and I will give you the info. to give to them - as I'd be happy to try to get as many U-Boat crewman reenactors as I can in touch with that forum.

 

[Edward]

Fascinated to read about Goering Junior.... In one way it surprises me that he was permitted to serve - bearing in mind especially the mass internment policy with respect to Japanese-Americans, many third generation, I would have expected him to be treated very differently. The other tack they could have taken, I suppose, was to use him as a great propaganda tool - "even Goering's own nephew recognises the evil of the Third Reich!" - but then perhaps having a nephew / family would have been considered to humanise to too great an extent someone whom the war effort needed to display in a different light...

Can't have been fun thinking he might be bombing his granny, mind you I don't envy anyone doing a bomber run on either side.

 

[Phantomfixer]

Prien,

Here is a link to Ft Miles. You can email th CC with any info. He has has contact info on the U-boat crew

http://www.fortmiles.org/

 

[The Lonely Navigator]

Hello,

Thanks! I always have trouble finding the right link to the place (as there's some others I've come across that are on it - but they aren't the living history - reenacting ones).

I spoke with the American CO when I was there and we had a wonderful discussion.

 

[The Lonely Navigator]

To Kopf-Jaeger:

You may be able to find out what U-Boat your relative was on in this site:

ubootwaffe.net

They have crew lists of U-Boats (both WWI and II) - I don't know how complete it all is (how many U-Boats and the crew names)...but it's worth a try.