The Great Escape Motorcycle tour (Part 2)

Part 2 of our military history tour taking in some of the most significant highs and lows of WW2 and 1
We visit Colditz castle, Berchtesgaden (Hitlers second seat of power) his teahouse which is fairly unknown, I seek out Martin Bormans escape bunker, we walk in the tunnels of Hitlers bunker, over to Bastogne we visit Bois Jaque the woods where the band of brothers were dug in plus more!!

What is sublime? Now we’re back in Germany. Absolutely fantastic. Yeeha. Turning right shortly. Look at that bloody roads. B15 near I don’t know where I am to be honest with you. Oh, be awesome. Turning right here, Helen. Newat. That’s where we’re heading towards. Newat. Well, it was it was good while it lasted that road. Check out where we are. Called it castle, former second world war prisoner of war camp. We are in where we can get out. Have a look. We are staying here in the uh youth hostel up here. This accommodation they’ve converted it to youth hostel. The very basic rooms um two beds, shower, curtains, window to look out over on the third floor. €150 for the night. That’s for bed, breakfast, and evening meal. But not too bad. Not too bad. So, we’re just going to go on a little bit of a tour now around the museum and take you guys with us. Let’s go and pay. Let’s open that door. And that’s must be the E. Right. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. [Music] Ah wow memorial for the victims of national socialist euthanasia killings in 193839 called this castle yeah this I believe this castle took on many different roles over the years was like mental institute institute and stuff like that was it as well as prisoner war camp yeah Look. Wow. So, we’re just in the attic of Cold’s castle. You’re going to like this. That is a replica of the glider that they built. They never actually used the glider. They said if the SS who guarded Culitz decided to execute the prisoners then they would use it and try and get out of here. They never did because they were liberated by the Americans. And they think the reason the glider was never found was because uh it was used it was dismantled and used or uh fuel for a fire in the winter of 4546. Well, that concludes our fantastic stay at Schllo Culitz last night. Absolutely brilliant. What a great time we had. Stayed in youth hostel. Um, it’s basic. You need to buy purchase towels if you don’t bring any with you. Soap, don’t supply anything like that. Uh evening meal was what? Pizza and a few bits and bobs, was it really? Breakfast was um cereals, hams, cheeses, coffee, apple juice. Uh €150 for the night. Uh great free parking as well in here. Safe, secure parking cuz it’s you lock the gates at nighttime as well. Give you key to get in after 10 p.m. And the museum’s just there. Uh definitely worth going in there. €10 each. with the uh little interactive uh iPad things you go around. We’re in there about what’s been two hours in the museum going around. Definitely worth a visit. And then uh yesterday it was man’s day in Germany. So we went downtown. We stumbled across these drunken Germans and was an expat there, wasn’t there? Guy from Preston, Mark started talking to him. They’re all a bit drunk. Couple of them started fighting, didn’t he? The toilets and then the woman shut the bar. So yeah, a cracking night. Cracking night. So today we’re going to a place called Reagansburg, 215 miles. Uh and then tomorrow, Burch down to uh Bavaria. Oh yeah, what a fantastic stay. Fantastic. Right, where are we going now? We’re going straight up there. Yeah, that’s the way we came in. Was it Helen? Yeah. And again, I’m on the Dunlop trail match rates. Absolutely fantastic tire in the rain, in the dry. Great. Just a little bit soft. Only getting 4,000 to 4 12,000 out of a rear. The front’s got about 7,000 on it now. Think I’ll need a new one cuz we’re off to the peacos in July as well. Right now I’m in the city of Regensburg and today we’re off to uh Burchch Gard. It was Hitler’s second seat of power. There’s quite a lot of history stuff to visit around there. The Eagle’s Nest, the Burkoff itself. There’s the uh the museum. That’s the tunnels and uh Albert Spear’s house. still stands there. We’re going to have a nosey at stuff like that. It’s not a memorial. It’s just um military history. Fascinated by that. But we stayed in Regensburg last night and on our way into town, we came across something and I want to show you cuz I think you might be interested in this. I’ll need to read it from me phone. So turn around and I’ll just uh show you what it is. So these here is what’s called the Schulerstein project initiated by the German artist Gun Demnig in 1992 and it aims to commemorate persons at the last place they chose freely to reside, work or study before they fell into the victim to the Nazi terror. So what it says here is uh Matilda New House and Mina Mayor born 1869 and one 1870 and they were deported through theian stat concentration camp and basically murdered on the 26th of the 1st 1943 and the other one was on the 15th of the 10th 1942. And these were placed outside the last known residence here. And there’s about 90,000 of these all around Europe. So if you’re ever in your travels, have a look at them. Have a look for them. There’s some more down the road there as well. And there’s some more a little bit closer to the hotel. Yeah. Stalpenstein. stumbling blocks or stumbling stones. Yeah, quite interesting. Right, going to go and pack up the bikes now. And as I say, uh it’s about 165 miles to Burchch Garden and we got a day off the bikes as well to go exploring. Ready? I go. You all clear? Yeah. Come on. You go. I’ll follow you. Oh wow. This has well exceeded my expectations. This is absolutely stunning. Whoa. The temperature change now might now have to come back up. Oh, I don’t want to interrupt the flow of the ride. I just don’t. There’s a car coming towards you. This is amazing. What a great 6 spend that was. Nice if we knew the road better, but I don’t know. He’s down to our hotel somewhere 2.8 miles away. All right. [Music] We are here. This is it. This is a hotel for a couple of nights. What can help motorcycle behind me? Yeah, that’s it there. Yeah, there. Yeah, it’s I think it’s car. Oh, just uh come down from where we staying in the uh in the hotel. I had some uh scranhoff, is that right? Train station. And that train station was built for Hitler. Look at the views though. Anyway, but I want to show you something. Follow me. When Herman Gorin realized that wasn’t very favorable for the Nazis, he decided he needed to move his stolen art. And he decided he needs to come down to Burch’s garden. So it came down from the north, a lot of it. There’s probably more. And it came down in three or four train carriages. and was hidden in there. And when the Americans came into Birch Garden, they found three or four train carriages in here with all of his stolen not all of it with his stolen art. This tunnel was meant to go to I think it was place in Austria Saltsburg, but I don’t think it ever happened. But this is where they ended up the train carriages. in here. Uh, they’re not there anymore. There we go. Anyway, another bit useless piece of information, right? Let’s go to the pub. Day off the bikes today in Burchch Garden. So, we’re going having a nosy around the bunkers that was under Hitler’s Burgoff as they found out that they weren’t too far away from Allied bombers. So, they needed to protect themselves. Let’s go and have a look. unfinished obviously. So these tunnels went under Hitler’s Burgoff under the hotels and Turken Martin Borman’s place I think Goring had his own tunnels diesel fuel tanks Here generator hall. Two generators stood in this hall to supply emergency power. Two crosses of lane have been scratched onto the wall. Between the two there is the date the 5th of May 1945. On this day AGPS and DA enter the bunker. Although we only do have their initials to go on. The abbreviation right at the top tells us they belong to the second division blind. Second French armor division. That’s easier. This was one of the allied units that reached Burgess Garden on the evening of the 4th of May 1945. Kitchen and store room document archive. It was the hole was a exploding grenade. Party chancellory office. That was a safe that gas lock. That’s what it was before. Toilet. This shaft leads not up to the surface but deeper underground that is where it is called a blind shaft. It connected the bunker of the whole Gul guest house with the Burkoff bunker located 35 m down. Originally there was a makeshift wooden staircase here but has rotted away over the decades. Don’t drop the camera. Fascinating. It’s nice and cool in here. And back out again. Hope you enjoyed that little tour. Central ventilation station. Wow. Still a bit more yet debris tunnel. A lot of the walls are scorched and that because at the end of the war they started burning all the documents and stuff. Excellent. I am impressed. Go and get a coffee. Well, what a beautiful day for a walk. I wonder what we’re going to come across today. Very fascinating that museum just been to. But what’s what’s this here in front of me? This looks interesting. I wonder what it could be. Let me show you. Yeah, it’s just trees in it. What about that there? All this uh concrete. tell you what that was or it is. This is the rear retaining wall for Hitler’s Burgoff the house. I’m stood I don’t know maybe in the kitchen. I think Helen’s near the front room. Yeah. So, this is the actual site of the Burkhoff. They kept the rear retaining wall because of the hill down here. If you dug all that up, there’s an entrance into the tunnels that we’ve just been through. Let’s have a look. See if we can find any more remains around here. There was something, wasn’t there? On the wall. Yeah, that was it. That was my corner there. I think that’s a road there. I used to They used to come in on some steps up here somewhere. Part of the road there. There’s e an emergency exit for the uh one of the bunkers down there. I’m going to go and find that in a second. I didn’t know that was there until recently. And there’s more remains here. Yeah, they got rid of this in 1952 cuz too many of those idiot neo-Nazis and stuff were, you know, making as a bit of a shrine and what have you. So they said, “No, get rid of it.” But tourism is massive up here. You know, the over Saltsburg area, you know, cuz it is a beautiful area. It really is a nice area. Look down here. This see maybe part of the driveway. Yeah, there you go. the Burgoff. Uh we’re going to have a wander down now past the golf course to another place which was called the Muslana cop the tea house. He used to do a daily walk down there talking about his murderous plans and stuff he’s got for the you know operation barbarasa the holocaust and god knows what. The Holocaust. The absence of presence. Presence of absence. Let’s go for a walk. Not too shabby, eh? Not too shabby. We are now walking down a path. which that murderous scumbag used to walk down in the 1940s when he was at his residence behind us, the Burkoff, down to his Ruth Lana Cop tea house, which has also been demolished, but it’s got a nice view. And this is his bloody steep there. I’m dreading walking back up. Finally made it a mile and a half downhill to a place called Muslana. It was a place where uh Hitler came with his henchmen each day and uh had tea and uh apple pie. Um the tea house was just Let me turn it around. T was behind me here on the hill and then the views. I don’t know. And this is where he came with his henchmen. Yeah. Used to sit on that bench. Well, a different bench. Look at the view though. That view. Yeah, our old campsite down the bottom there a couple years ago and hellish walk into town down there. Vatsman Mountains. Beautiful. Now the walk back. I am blowing out my backside. Not the watch. You know that. I’ve been trying to find some uh Martin Borman’s underground bunker and I found it. Let’s go. I have been watching so many YouTube videos. This was his bunker. Loads of midgetes. Hello. You in there, Martin? Yeah. Bar Stewart Martin Borman’s escape bunker, guys. That was difficult to find. Right from back here, I’ve got the torch as well. Should have gone in. It’s back there with Ellen. So, I’m not going back up there to come back down again. Right, move on to the next bit. If any of you are interested in that boner, the Capinsky Hotel and the rear retaining wall is just up here just through these trees. But it’s quite steep getting down there. You’re probably better off coming in from the path down the bottom end or this path. In fact, trying to follow this path back. It’s easier than climbing up there. It’s coming down from the uh over Saltsburg area, the documentation station and what have you. And I mentioned about Albert Spear’s house, and that was his house there. And that’s his studio, the red. We need to go up, don’t we? There’s nothing behind us. Let’s go up. Let’s go and see where Sher’s house was. Another horrible bar stewward. Yeah. Bloody steep. This and League of Fry. I think that means No motor vehicles. Yeah, I’ll have to turn around here. Can’t go there. Private. Yeah. Go on then. Jump off. Yeah, that’s that’s spear house in front of us though. You’re all right, Ellen. Jump off. Yeah. On by a uh Whoops. This is where I fall off. Yeah. It’s on a bit of a slope here. Yeah. Shouldn’t have come up here, but bleed ignorance. Don’t know what League of F is. Yeah, that’s his studio there. I jump back on. Oh, bloody hell. I’m not used to carrying pillions. I’m not used to carrying pillions. We should said we go down on on one bike. So, he’s not bothered anyway. That bloke there. Yeah. So, that was uh Shia Studio on the house and a little bit of comedy in the middle. That’s all I can afford around here. I think that little hook there. Right. What I’m going to do, I’m going to go into the golf club up there cuz it’s be difficult turning left here. Yeah. And spin around in the uh In fact, I’m going to go in the golf club because this was Martin Borman’s farm. They wanted to grow vegetables and all sorts here and this that and the other and blah blah blah. There was another building around here somewhere. I’m sure there was. Maybe to the right. Um but now it’s a well, as you can see, golf plats. Oh, yeah. There you go. Ski lift. Right, we’re off to Koig Zeno to chill out for a bit. Like a bloody hurricane this morning. What we’ve been doing walking around here then walking up that bloody hill. Criy hill can’t see much. We’re all right. Right. There we go. Just arrived at Koigzi for a boat trip down this stunning lake. Kings, is it King’s Lake? Kig King’s Lake. Something like that. Yeah. Absolutely hammered the car park. But it’s just got straight in the queue and straight in the boat. So happy days. About 35 minutes I believe for us where we going St. Thomu or something like that. Lovely little place. Right, let’s get going. Got off the boat now and just having a nosy around the first stop. You can carry on if you want to. Another 20 minutes. We We’ve stopped off at St. Bartholomew, I think it’s called. You may have seen these before. This church, you may not have done. It’s very, very busy. Beautiful, though. The water’s freezing. Yeah, I’ve already put me hand in there. Mountains behind us called the Vatsman Mountains. It’s a big range that that goes back to Burchch Garden. Just a lot of people here. That queue’s massive to get the boat back. Beautiful place. Well worth a visit. Another one. Corning. So the lady there in front of us, we were just talking to her, she can’t speak much English. I can’t speak much German, but he said that that house there, the second house with the roof, the big roof on it, that was Hitler’s cinema. And all of these buildings belong to him. And the hotel that we’re actually staying in now where I’m sat, this was his hotel, too. And that just came out of nowhere. She just started talking about that to us. It was like criy. All of this was his estate, too. This is the mountain road that comes from uh the over Saltsburg area, and it’s a cracking road, but generally it’s full of traffic. I think this time of the morning, it shouldn’t be too bad. It’s a belting road. Hey there, Helen. Golf course ski lift. This is This is nearly as good as uh uh the uh Rossfeld Panorama Straza. Yeah. Spears Albert Spear Studio and Albert Spears House Golf Club. That’s how you get up there. But does say no vehicles when you go up there. A quick look yesterday. What a stunning place, guys. I definitely recommend it. If you’re on bikes, coming here, it’s not just a beautiful town, but you know, Kate’s in the history. And if you’re interested, this is what’s known as the German Alpine Strazza. Uh you can tell you’re on it because you’ll see on the signs like a yellow um anal vice on it. Used to say German u miles wrong here used to say on a German alpine st but they’ve changed it now last time I was here. It’s got the little white flower with the adal vice cracking road. That’s when you got 4 million cars in front of you. So, if you’ve ever watched the film Mary Eagle’s Dare, Richard Burton, Clint Eastwood, and Liz Taylor, there’s a scene where they go inside a pub and it’s full of Germans. Everyone’s drinking and what have you. I think they she comes and sits on one of the knees and what have you, but it was filmed outside this this place here as a little plaque as well. Bit of a reflection on there, but uh yeah, film there. What year? 1968. Cracking film. There we go. Today’s point of interest, beautiful town called Loafer in Austria. Oh, what you buying now? [Music] Right now I’m outside Lansburg prison and in 1923 this place housed a very infamous inmate. His name was Adolf Hitler and the reason he was sent to prison is because he tried to overthrow the government in what was known as the beer hole pch. He failed miserably and quite a few people were killed in that. He was sentenced to 5 years. But of the 5 years, he only served 11 months of good behavior. After the war, the Americans took control of this prison. And inside then, it took on a different role. It housed Nazi war criminals. And a lot of those Nazi war criminals were executed in the prison here, mostly by hanging, but a few were shot. and they are buried in the cemetery behind the prison in what you could say is the world’s most evil cemetery. Let’s go and take a look at it. [Music] [Music] [Music] 275 to 300 here, Nazi war criminals. Now, you might be thinking, why is there no plaques on the on the crosses? And the reason is because neo-Nazis were coming in and making shrines of them, you know. So they decided to take all the plaques off. We’ll give you an example of one of the Nazis who was in here. Otto Olandorf. He was part of Einat’s group and D responsible for the execution of 90,000 Jews. He was hung in 1951. Paul Global Einat’s group and sea commander uh massacre of Babby 33,000 Jews near Kiev in total he was personally responsible for 60,000 Jews he was hung in the prison in 1951 when you to cast your mind back to when I was at Stalag Love 3, The Great Escape Camp. And one of the names on there was Roger Bushell. He was the mastermind behind The Great Escape. And if you remember the film, uh, Richard Atenburgh and Gordon Jackson who played Macdonald, he was the um, what do you call intelligence type guy or something like that. Uh, and as they were getting onto the bus, the Gestapo officer said to them, “Good luck.” Yeah, remember it now? Well, Roger Bushell was executed, but Matt McDonald, if you look at the 50, he wasn’t. So, I don’t know what he ended up going back to one of the camps and that, but Roger Bushell was captured near Zarbrooken train station, and there’s a memorial. We are right by Rammstein Air Base and it was here on this spot. On March the 29th, 1944, the Gestabo executed two airmen who took part in the great escape. They were squadron leader Roger Bushel of 92 Squadron Royal Air Force and Seuss Lieutenant Bernard Shidhau of 131 Squadron 3 French Air Force. They had escaped from Stella 3 in Zagen in present day Poland on the night of March 24th 25th but have been recaptured at Zarbrook and Railway Station. They were being transported by car along this road which was then the Autoban to Manheim. These blocks of stone are the remains of the bridge that once crossed the road at this location. And the car stopped behind the bridge at which point the two men were told under pretet to get out and they were shot. Yeah. Yeah. Sad. Turning right. Oh, what’s that? here. Bloody hell. Oh my god. Look at this. Well, that car just came out, so And it says a 20s. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Bloody hell. What a place. My god, look at it. Steve Sherlock was right. So it’s bloody nice. So it’s lovely here. Craig he’s not. So the hotel is just under half a mile away. Going to change mode. I’m put it to road mode cuz my suspension’s I think I’m just going to stop motor bike, mate, and give you a few quid. 130 yards to go. I feel a little bit wrong riding up here. No way. down there somewhere, I think. Uh, yeah. Left. Bloody hell. Just keep going down and see if we can find the hotel. Ah, Eisenhut. Here it is. This is it up here. Could have done without the road works. Who’s this here? No, this woman. Oh, she works at the hotel. Hello, Ice and Hut. There we go. That’s it. Let’s u just put the bikes down here. Ellen, get the gear off. We are here. Ooh, little town called Vilts. [Music] Sherman tank. Let’s have a look at this. Blood and guts. Let’s have a quick nosy. Oh, clear way. Nine for the six. It’s all right. It might only be here for a minute or two. What’s it vilts? I read up on this place, but I can’t remember what it was. December the 19th. As the pressure from the German troops on the encircle town of Vilt became too strong, Lieutenant Colonel RW Ripple’s tank had retreated from its position at the Cafe Halt to Vilt. While looking for a good firing position, it crashed backwards into the Cleles’s house and bar gables. These collapsed and the tank continued towards Kerschel’s house then ran into the dung pit where it sank. In spite of all efforts, it bogged down in the Morris repeatedly and became stuck. The crew had no other choice but to abandon the vehicle. However, minutes later, the Germans captured the colonel with his crew who spent the rest of the wars as prisoners of war in a prison camp in Germany. pictures of the tank there. Oh wow. So this is Colonel Ripple when he came back 1994 restored his tank. Well, fabulous. [Music] That’s great. It’s not got really any damage to it either, has it? Can’t see any damage on it. H very lucky crew then. Well, that was a fantastic trip in the Baston Bastion War Museum. Uh absolutely brilliant. €27 we paid because we’re going to go to the boyjack. Uh that’s fenced off now. So you need a ticket to get in there. The Bastoin War Museum and the Basin War rooms as well. Um we’re going to go and take a quick look at the Madison Memorial. There’s a big um fivestar shaped thing just over there. And I’ll go and have a look at that and show. But well worth it. Really really um excellent museum. A bit busy though. Just a bit busy. I mean if you look at the car park now it’s rammed already. We got here about 10:00 and uh it was quite uh slow progress but not a problem like you know I mean walking around with the oldies and that and you got some quite good interactive stuff as well but definitely worth a visit. Cafe is not too bad either. It’s like €650 for soup and bread, you know. Um so yeah. Yeah. Good. Good. It was really really enjoyable. Better than I expected. Helen enjoyed it as well. So let’s go have a look. Unfortunately, we can’t go to the top of the memorial. It’s all gated off. No way through. Never mind. Never mind. Maybe just for special occasions or something like that. Uh, look at it. Anyway, we’re going to go to the boy Jack now. The woods where the um band of brothers were dug in uh through December 44 where they had uh quite heavy casualties as well. I think I saw the Germans. That’s included in the price ticket. As I said before, it’s fenced off now. You can’t just go walking in like you used to be able to a couple of years ago. So, uh yeah, we have a look there now. Right guys, I’ve got another belt for you. I am now in what’s known as the boy jack and it’s the woods where easy company of the 506 parachute infantry regiment dug in. More commonly known as the band of brothers. Yeah, remember malarkey and all them. Yeah. Let’s go and have a look at some of the foxholes. Tell you a little story about one of them. This one here, one of the guys was looking for his binoculars and that’s a town of Foy down there and about it was about 2 km away. He noticed he said that tree wasn’t there yesterday. There’s something not right. He’s looking for his binoculars and noticed that there was a German gun position being formed. Um so he got onto his observer, artillery observer, and he said to him, “Come and have a look through these binoles. What do you think that is?” And he said, “Yep, that’s correct. It’s an artillery gun position being um built, whatever you call it, and um I’ll go and get our guns now and uh neutralize them.” So we got the 105 mm guns and neutralize them 2 km away there. Yeah. True story. You like that? Stick with me, guys. I’m good. See that building there? And this one with a diamond on. Yeah. Check that out. The diamond. That roof there. First aid. horse soldiers. This corner here, one jeep was parked in the between those two buildings there. Now the church, three windows, bikes parked here. Uh [Music] or if that’s that house across the road there. Not sure yet. Five windows. Yeah, five windows. [Music] Yeah, it’s just up where where that car is now. Foy in Belgium just outside Baston or Baston. Right, next one. Just another Friday in Belgium. What should you do? What I forgot? Hope I found you this time. Check this out. Panther tank. [Applause] Pretty cool, eh? Stick with me, boys and girls. Stick with me. So, we left Bastin yesterday up to just to have a a nose around here. Uh, ready to catch the ferry back home. End of tour. Soon past that two weeks, but I just wanted to bring you somewhere before we left. Last little bit. Hope the bike stays upright in this wind. Uh, to this place, Lone Tree Crater. In the spring of 1915, the British already made plans to recapture the ridge and straight the curve mazine siant. British and Canadian miners known as Clay Cook has dug a tunnel into the flanks of the hill measuring 521 meters long and 26 meters deep at the end of the tunnel. Directly beneath the German positions on the hilltop lay a chamber filled with 41 tons of ammonal in the heavy clay. General Plumemer’s plan, executed by a second British army, involved detonating no fewer than 26 mine charges simultaneously between Hill 60 in the north and Plug Street in the south. From June the 7th, 1917, at 10 3 British Time, the ridge trembled as 19 mines went off one after the other. The largest explosion ever created by humans became a reality. For the first time, the Catholic 16th Irish division and the Protestant 36 North Northern Irish ultra division fought side by side in this sector with new weapons such as tanks and carefully thought out tactics. They succeeded in capturing the hills around wish can’t pronounce that a lone tree was the only recognized landmark that was left. This immediately lent its name to the crater, bone tree, crater. But it’s also known as the pool of peace. Pool of peace. This is one of the 19 places that erupted on that June morning. Well, head back for the ferry now. Hope you’ve enjoyed following us along on our tour. Any questions, feel free give us a like, subscribe. Thanks very much. Been great having you with us. I’ll see you on the next one. Is that care?