On the seacoast of North Norfolk, England, there is a village called Studley Constable. In the cemetery behind the church there is a stone monument, and the inscription in German reads: Here lie German Lieutenant Colonel Kurt Steiner and 13 German paratroopers, date of death November 6, 1943.
For more than 60 years, the villagers of Studley Constable have gone every year on November 6 to pay tribute to these 14 brave men.
In 1943, the Allies landed successfully in Sicily. Under the huge pressure of fighting on home soil, a coup took place in Italy, and the fascist leader Mussolini was also imprisoned, but Hitler sent a commando unit that successfully rescued him. This success went to Hitler's head, and he decided to repeat the trick by capturing Churchill from Britain. Lieutenant Colonel Kurt Steiner was the leader of this operation.
After learning that Churchill would inspect an RAF base near Studley Constable on November 6, and would also visit a factory that evening, Lieutenant Colonel Kurt Steiner led 13 paratroopers in an airborne drop into Studley Constable on the night of November 5. In order not to violate the Geneva Convention rule that forbids the two sides in war from disguising themselves in the enemy's uniform, they wore German uniforms underneath and British uniforms over them, and only put on their German uniforms during the actual operation.
On the morning of November 6, the railing of the old, dilapidated small bridge in Studley Constable suddenly gave way under too much weight, and two children fell into the river, swept by the rushing current toward the mill. The German soldiers in British uniforms ran over under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Kurt Steiner. Two soldiers quickly jumped into the water and swam toward the children. Sergeant Strum, swimming in front, grabbed a little boy and handed him to Sergeant Major Brandt behind him, then struggled with all his might to save the other little girl as well, but he himself was sucked into the huge wheel of the windmill and beaten into a bloody pulp...
Their identity was exposed! The British soldiers who swarmed in wiped them all out.
Afterward, in order to commemorate these 14 kind German officers and soldiers, the villagers of Studley Constable buried their bodies in the cemetery behind the church and engraved the inscription mentioned above.
For the lives of the two children who had fallen into the water, Kurt Steiner and the 13 German paratroopers forgot their mission. Indeed, in uniform they were hateful Nazi soldiers; however, what no one can deny is that when they jumped into the torrent to rescue the drowning children, that respect for and love of life they showed had already gone beyond national borders, beyond belief.
For more than 60 years, the villagers of Studley Constable have gone every year on November 6 to pay tribute to these 14 brave men.
In 1943, the Allies landed successfully in Sicily. Under the huge pressure of fighting on home soil, a coup took place in Italy, and the fascist leader Mussolini was also imprisoned, but Hitler sent a commando unit that successfully rescued him. This success went to Hitler's head, and he decided to repeat the trick by capturing Churchill from Britain. Lieutenant Colonel Kurt Steiner was the leader of this operation.
After learning that Churchill would inspect an RAF base near Studley Constable on November 6, and would also visit a factory that evening, Lieutenant Colonel Kurt Steiner led 13 paratroopers in an airborne drop into Studley Constable on the night of November 5. In order not to violate the Geneva Convention rule that forbids the two sides in war from disguising themselves in the enemy's uniform, they wore German uniforms underneath and British uniforms over them, and only put on their German uniforms during the actual operation.
On the morning of November 6, the railing of the old, dilapidated small bridge in Studley Constable suddenly gave way under too much weight, and two children fell into the river, swept by the rushing current toward the mill. The German soldiers in British uniforms ran over under the leadership of Lieutenant Colonel Kurt Steiner. Two soldiers quickly jumped into the water and swam toward the children. Sergeant Strum, swimming in front, grabbed a little boy and handed him to Sergeant Major Brandt behind him, then struggled with all his might to save the other little girl as well, but he himself was sucked into the huge wheel of the windmill and beaten into a bloody pulp...
Their identity was exposed! The British soldiers who swarmed in wiped them all out.
Afterward, in order to commemorate these 14 kind German officers and soldiers, the villagers of Studley Constable buried their bodies in the cemetery behind the church and engraved the inscription mentioned above.
For the lives of the two children who had fallen into the water, Kurt Steiner and the 13 German paratroopers forgot their mission. Indeed, in uniform they were hateful Nazi soldiers; however, what no one can deny is that when they jumped into the torrent to rescue the drowning children, that respect for and love of life they showed had already gone beyond national borders, beyond belief.
