Plaque

This plaque at the Grüner Baum inn in Carlsfeld commemorates a daredevil story from the last days of World War II, when U.S. Platoon Sergeant Thomas L. Stafford of Company L, 347^th Infantry Regiment managed to persuade leaders of a force of about 40,000 combat-ready Wehrmacht personnel, who had retreated to Karlsbad (Karlovy Vary), to surrender in a spectacular operation. Acting far beyond his authority, Stafford was able to avoid a last great bloodshed on both sides.

On 6 May 1945, Company L Commander Captain Richard Kidd ordered 2nd Platoon Leader Sergeant Thomas Stafford and 3rd Platoon Leader T/Sergeant James Scruggs to enter Jägersgrün to secure the area and hinder the demolition of a bridge within the town. There Stafford captured a German Colonel in civilian clothes, finding his uniform hidden in a home, Stafford hinted that the Colonel could be shot as a spy. When the Colonel suggested that he could lead Stafford to his higher headquarters in nearby Czechoslovakia, realizing it would be better to surrender to U.S. forces than to continue resisting and potentially end up in Soviet captivity. Although Stafford told the Colonel to radio ahead to the Division Headquarters, he did not have radio contact, so Stafford decided to drive the Colonel to the headquarters across enemy lines, and told his Platoon messenger to inform his Company Commander if they didnt return in a few hours.

When they arrived at the Colonels division headquarters, the Division Commander refused to accept personal responsibility to surrender, and passed them further onward to meet with XII Army Corps Commanding General Herbert Osterkamp in Karlovy Vary (then Karlsbad). Since Stafford, in unmarked combat uniform, was afraid that a German officer would not negotiate with a Sergeant, he said that he was a Captain acting on Division orders, and eventually convinced Osterkamp to sign a surrender in Carlsfeld, at a road junction about halfway between Karlovy Vary and the general area of U.S. 87^th Infantry Division Headquarters. The German General agreed to surrender under the condition that all personnel under his command would be taken into U.S. captivity, and not be turned over to nearby Soviet forces.

 Stafford, his driver Jones and the captured Colonel drove in a column with a German group in its own staff cars and Wehrmacht motorcycle escorts to an inn in Carlsfeld and signed a capitulation documents in German and English on the only paper available there, ledger sheets which the inn owner provided. The documents recorded, at Staffords insistence, the unconditional surrender of what turned out to be more than 40,000 Wehrmacht troops, including at least twenty German generals. Stafford requested the captured Colonel to accompany him back to U.S. lines, and on return to his unit area informed Captain Kidd on what happened. On taking the surrender documents, Kidd said words to the effect that Stafford was one crazy fool, adding  with a wide grin, that he didnt know whether to courts martial him or recommend him for another medal.

Captain Kidd immediately sent the document to Major Withers, 3rd Battalion Commander who sent it immediately to Division Headquarters. Starting the next day, all German resistance ceased, and German troops surrendered into U.S. captivity into four holding camps in the area.

On April 2010, a private initiative known as the Liberty Convoy retraced the invasion route of the U.S. Army 87th Infantry Division through eastern Germany at the end of World War II to mark the 65^th anniversary of the Allied liberation of the area. On 18 April 2010, the town of Carlsfeld and five surviving U.S. Veterans with their families unveiled this memorial plaque at the Community Center.

Sources of information: wege-der-befreiung.org, 87thinfantry.org, www.mdr.de

Source of photo: wege-der-befreiung.org

Mutige Aktion bewahrte Leben vieler Soldaten am Ende des Zweiten Weltkrieges

Der damalige Gasthof  ''Grüner Baum'' in Carlsfeld war zum Ende des Zweiten Weltkrieges Schauplatz eines denkwürdigen Treffens zwischen amerikanischen und deutschen Soldaten. Im Ergebnis einer ebenso beherzten wie wagemutigen Einzelaktion von Sgt. Tom Stafford, Zugführer des 2. Zuges der L Kompanie des 347. US Infantry Regiments, wurde hier am 6. May 1945 eine Kapitulationserklärung fur Teile der im Raum zwischen Carlsfeld und Karlsbad eingeschlossenen deutschen Verbande unterzeichnet. Tom Stafford und sein Fahrer Jones fuhren am 6. Mai 1945 mit einem gefangen genommenen Oberst der Deutschen Wehrmacht in einem Moment der Waffenruhe über die deutschen Linien zum Hauptquartier dieser Gruppierung. Bei den Verhandlungen mit dem kommandierenden deutschen General erreichte er die vorzeitige Kapitulation unter Zusicherung des Übergangs der deutschen Soldaten in die amerikanische Kriegsgefangenschaft. Durch diese mutige Tat von Tom Stafford konnte für beide Seiten weiteres unnötiges Blutvergießen verhindert werden und rettete vermutlich Tausenden von deutschen und amerikanischen Soldaten das Leben. Am 7. Mai 1945 gingen über 40.000 Wehrmachtsangehorige in Rautenkranz und Jägersgrün in amerikanische Kriegsgefangenschaft.

Gewidmet Sgt. Tom Stafford von den Teilnehmern des Liberty Convoy anlässlich des

65. Jahrestages des Endes des Zweiten Weltkrieges.

8. Mai 2010.

English translation:

Brave action saved the lives of many soldiers at the end of the Second World War

The former inn Grüner Baum in Carlsfeld was the scene of a memorable meeting between American and German soldiers at the end of the Second World War. As a result of a courageous and daring individual action by Sgt. Tom Stafford, platoon leader of the 2nd Platoon of Company L, 347th US Infantry Regiment, a declaration of surrender was signed here on 6 May 1945 for parts of the German forces encircled in the area between Carlsfeld and Karlsbad. On May 6, 1945, Tom Stafford and his driver Jones drove with a captured colonel of the German Wehrmacht across German lines to the headquarters of this group in a moment of ceasefire. During negotiations with the commanding German general, he achieved an early surrender with assurances of the German soldiers transfer to American captivity. This courageous act by Tom Stafford prevented further unnecessary bloodshed for both sides and probably saved the lives of thousands of German and American soldiers. On 7 May 1945, over 40,000 Wehrmacht  personnel were taken prisoner of war by the Americans in Rautenkranz and Jägersgrün.

Dedicated to Sgt. Tom Stafford by the participants of the Liberty Convoy on the occasion of the 65th anniversary of the end of the Second World War.

8 May 2010