Ron, many thanks for the reply. Out of interest, do you remember if there was an official restrictions or orders preventing troops from collecting German leaflets or listening to the their propaganda broadcasts? I'm sure it wasn't encouraged, but was it just ignored as an irrelevance or was it forcibly forbidden, do you remember?
Germans troops and the civilian population were forbidden to read Allied leaflets or listen to radio broadcasts. If a soldier found a leaflet he had to write across it "Fiendpropaganda" (Enemy propaganda) and hand it in to an NCO. Civilians were given prison sentences for keeping leaflets or for spreading them around. Also Goebbels' propaganda ministry went to lengths to counter Allied propaganda and German soldiers were regularly lectured on the dangers of Britain's "dirty propaganda tricks".
But despite all that Allied leaflets were still collected and broadcasts listened to by the German Volk. The most popular radio station apparently was the British clandestine station called "Atlantik", later to become Soldatensender West. It had a lot of appeal because of the Jazz music and German marching songs (played by the Royal Marines band!). The news programme was mostly accurate but there was a lot of fabricated content, especially about the Nazi "Bonzen" - the corrupt high-ups of the Nazi Party - who were always knocked for getting out of military service, receiving extra "diplomatic" food rations, war-profiteering, not allowing air raid evacuees onto their large estates, etc.
I don't suppose there are any German veterans on here, but it would be interesting to chat with any German veterans who listened to Allied clandestine broadcasts.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ron Goldstein  Lee
I should have known that you would have a copy and that you would recommend it 
With regards to;
"Ron, out of interest, did you ever listen to the "Jerry Front" radio station when you were in Italy? It was often advertised on the German leaflets and was wondering what it was like and if there was much tuning-in by Allied soldiers. For instance was there a lot of contemporary music or was it mainly the Lord Haw-haw type of drivel?"
I'm afraid I was a young prim & proper wireless-op in those days who would never dream of going "off-net" to search for Jerry stations so I therefore can't speak with first hand experience.
When we were in the line the set would be manned right round the clock and the two frequencies that our 19 set used would be locked on permanently via the two large black dials shown below. That's not my old set but one that has been lovingly restored by a modern radio buff.
Once out of the line the 19 set would stay fixed in the back of the truck, still ready for use whenever required. |