War Photographer's Notebook

Chapter 192 The Tin Box Obtained After the War

Listening to the busy tone on the phone, Wei Ran returned the phone to Ralph on the opposite side, and couldn't help asking, "What does your grandfather, Mr. Noah, do?"

"A not-so-successful painter who is also a successful art dealer."

Ralph said with admiration, "Before he retired, he ran a gallery in Nuremberg, where many precious oil paintings were collected."

"German painters are kind of scary," Wei Ran joked.

Ralph obviously knew what Wei Ran was talking about, and gently gave another explanation, "Don't say that, the Austrian painters are really scary."

A joke shortened the relationship between the two, and Wei Ran asked straightforwardly, "Ralph, can you tell me the story between your grandfather and his father?"

"this."

There was a hint of embarrassment on Ralph's face, and he said frankly, "I'm sorry, I don't understand these things. I'm just a distant grandson of Mr. Noah. If it wasn't for his getting worse and worse, I wouldn't even I didn’t know I had such a wealthy relative.”

"That means he never mentioned it to you?" Wei Ran raised his eyebrows.

"At most, I'm only responsible for helping him manage the gallery, and the main energy is on learning art appraisal and art trading with him." Ralph spread his hands, "After all, I can only inherit his gallery if I meet his requirements. And those paintings in the gallery."

Wei Ran couldn't help laughing, "I'm not used to you being so frank"

Ralph scratched his head, "Instead of waiting for you to arrive in Nuremberg and hear various versions of rumors from those nannies or nursing doctors, it's better for me to tell you the truth in advance."

Wei Ran smiled, and wisely did not take up the topic, but stood up simply, "Ralph, you can arrange the schedule."

"There will be a flight at noon tomorrow." Ralph stood up immediately, "How about I pick you up tomorrow morning?"

Wei Ran simply agreed with the other party's decision. This time the entrustment came in a timely manner. It doesn't matter if the client is a fat sheep who takes money for money. Compared with the main battlefield of Su and Germany, the Nordic battlefield itself is relatively less dangerous. It's big.

And the most important point is that it can replenish the ammunition for the rifle in the metal book. This is related to the story behind Wei Ran's big lift that has been on his mind since the end of the year, so no matter how it is calculated, it is a sure profit.

After seeing off Ralph, Wei Ran locked the shutter door and immediately got into the bathroom and took a comfortable hot bath, dispelling the last trace of chill brought back from the Arctic Circle in his body.

In the next morning, Ralph rushed to the door of the studio early, greeted Wei Ran politely, got into the car and rushed directly to the airport.

After a tiring journey, when Wei Ran dragged his exhausted body to the gate of a large villa in the outskirts of Nuremberg, he saw an old man in a wheelchair in front of the stone building from a distance. Waiting eagerly at the gate.

The old man was wearing a brown vest stained with various paints, and a loose painter's hat on his head. On the blanket on his knees, there was an unfinished oil painting. The content of the oil painting was impressive. Wei Ran photographed the Soviet flag on the Capitol.

"Hello, Mr. Noah, I'm Victor." Wei Ran quickened his pace a little, and held the big hand that was covered with age spots and stained with a lot of paint.

"I'm sure Ralph introduced me to you on the way. But he didn't tell me that your German is so good."

Noah, who was sitting in a wheelchair, said enthusiastically, "Come in and sit down, I'm sorry, my body doesn't allow me to travel long distances by plane, and I can't go to Volgograd to see you in person."

"It is my honor to have the opportunity to visit." Wei Ran greeted with the same humble attitude.

This first meeting between the old and the young gave a good impression to both parties. It was a surprise to Noah that Wei Ran could speak German.And Noah's humility that doesn't match his age also makes Wei Ran feel good.

After Ralph moved Wei Ran's suitcase out of the car, Noah immediately steered the electric wheelchair around in a skillful circle, and led them into a warm room.

Greeting Wei Ran to sit down on the sofa near the fireplace, the old man immediately signaled Ralph to prepare dinner and a bedroom for Wei Ran, while he himself poured a cup of fragrant hot tea for Wei Ran, "This It is the Huaxia tea that a friend of mine gave me a few months ago, I hope you like it."

"It's not easy to drink Chinese green tea in Germany." Wei Ran took a sip politely, followed by a series of free compliments.

After half an hour of pleasantries, Noah finally brought the topic down to business.It's just that the venue for this conversation was changed to a spacious study room with a view of the outside yard.

"Victor, I hope you can help me find my father."

Noah handed a piece of A4 paper to Wei Ran, "My father used to be an armored vehicle driver in the Sixth Mountain Division of the Stall Army. He participated in the Lapland Campaign in 1944. Or more precisely, he Tried to come home from that battle, but unfortunately we didn't get him until the end of the whole of World War II."

After Noah finished speaking, he opened the drawer, took out a tin box from it and pushed it to Wei Ran, "These are the only things we waited for, including this biscuit box, which were given to my family long after the end of World War II. of.

But unfortunately, other than being sure that these items belonged to my father, we have no idea what happened at that time, and we have no way of finding the person who mailed these items to us at that time. "

"Can I open it?"

Wei Ran looked at the tin box on the table and asked, the Kremlin print on the tin box had faded a bit, but the edge was shining with a metallic luster. This small detail seemed to imply that it often Was taken out to play with.

After getting Noah's nod and permission, Wei Ran carefully lifted the metal cover of the tin box, and found that besides a P38 pistol, there was also a document of a German soldier in World War II, and a pocket watch with a gold case .

Gently opened the ID, and in the black and white photo pasted on it was a rather handsome German soldier.And in this document, there is also a small card with a mailing address that is so rough that it is impossible to find it - from Leningrad.

But the information that can be seen in this document is only a name. I don’t know if the rest of the information is intentional or unintentional. They are all covered by thick black ink. On the A4 paper provided, there is a relatively accurate military experience of his father.

According to the records on that piece of paper, the soldier named Yannick Muller belonged to the 6th Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion under the Sixth Mountain Division of the Stall Army, and was mainly responsible for driving the quadruple-mounted 20mm anti-aircraft gun armored vehicles. The military rank is First Class Private.

Compared with the detailed service units, his combat experience is only one sentence "in the Battle of Lapland, he provided cover for the withdrawal of the 20th Mountain Army from Finland".

In addition, Yannick Müller has neither received a medal nor has any injury record at all. Even the last sentence about his life is only a very simple sentence "disappeared on the border between Finland and Norway".

"This soldier named Yannick Muller is your father?" Wei Ran confirmed again with his certificate.

Noah nodded, and looked at Wei Ran with some anxiety, "Can you find it?"

"I can only try to investigate"

Wei Ran responded to the other party's expectations as calmly as possible, "First of all, I need to investigate your father's more detailed service experience and what specific battles his troops participated in in the Lapland Campaign. Then I can try to find out where he was What happened in that war? If you can’t investigate these things, then you can only try to find out who sent these things back then.”

"Can I help you with anything?" Noah continued to ask.

"Tell me about Mr. Yannick in your impression first?" Wei Ran asked as he closed the box again.

Noah shook his head regretfully, "I was born in 1943, according to my mother when she was alive, until the end of the war, I only met my father twice, but I have no impression of him at all.

In my mother's memory, my father joined the army in the summer of 1942 and was sent to Norway at the end of that year. Before the end of the war, he came back only two months after I was born and in the spring of 1944. .

Then the war ended, but my father never came back.After the most difficult years of the postwar period, my mother searched for my father all her life, relying on the money she made selling paintings.

Among the answers my mother found, some said that he died on the battlefield, some said that he found a beautiful woman in Finland or Norway to start his life again, and some said that he was sent to a labor camp by the Soviets and died in it. "

"So." Wei Ran looked at the old Noah hesitantly, and there was no doubt that this was another family destroyed by the war.

Noah sighed, "My mother called my father's name until the moment before the end of her life, wondering where he was. That was the regret of my mother's life. I thought I could help her find My father, but look at me now, I am also aging like my mother, but I don't want to take this regret to the graveyard like my mother. So young people, please help me if you can Bar."

Wei Ran hesitated for a moment, finally nodded, and said very seriously, "Mr. Noah, I will do my best to help you investigate your father's whereabouts. Also, can you tell me about this tin box? When did he arrive? From your house?"

"About the winter of '59"

Noah said uncertainly, "I was still in school at the time, and one day when I returned to the door of the gallery run by my mother after school, I saw this tin box. I remember very clearly that there was only such a tin box, but I mother cried all night after opening the box."

"There is only one tin box?" Wei Ran raised his head and looked at the other party, "So, it didn't come from Leningrad in the Soviet Union by mail?"

Noah shook his head, "Of course not, otherwise I might be able to find out who delivered it to the door."

"Mr. Noah"

Wei Ran stood up and said formally, "I will do my best to help you find your father Yannick, but I cannot guarantee that you will find it, and I believe you are also aware that this is not a short-term task, so I might need some time."

"I am sure you will bring me good news"

Noah steered the wheelchair and slowly walked towards the door, "During this period, if you need us to do anything, please feel free to talk to Ralph directly. Now let's have dinner together. I believe you all Already starving."

"It's my honor." Wei Ran picked up the tin box on the table and the half-folded A4 paper, followed the other's wheelchair and left the study.

Anyway, he did need a good meal and a good rest before starting his investigation.After all, he had been on a plane for two full days from the abandoned military base at the eastern foot of the Ural Mountains to this big house on the outskirts of Nuremberg.

Before that, not only had he been tortured for a week at the Hongqi Forest Farm, but he had also wandered around in the ice and snow with Jima for quite a while.

In the spacious restaurant, ignoring the 50-year-old nanny, although there were only three people dining, the table was full of all kinds of German delicacies, and even Ralph, under Noah's instruction, took out A bottle of Chinese spirits.

It's a pity that the cheap green glass bottle and iron cover obviously don't match the high-end description of this wine in Noah's mouth.There is no need to guess, this humble old man was probably fooled by someone, and even Wei Ran suspected that the smart ghost who gave this old man green tea bags and Erguotou is very likely to be the same person.

Fortunately, Wei Ran is not stupid, he naturally would not tell the other party the status of this wine in China, but planted a tree along the hole dug by the predecessors, holding back his badness and followed by a compliment, making it clear that he wanted to see the next one and What kind of horrified expression will this old man's compatriots have when they hear the story that this wine was dug out with the terracotta warriors and horses.

While Wei Ran maintained a tacit understanding with the previous compatriot who had never met, the three people at the table also maintained another kind of tacit understanding.

Ralph never asked about Noah's father, and Noah didn't seem to want his distant grandson Ralph to know these things.As for Wei Ran, who is good at observing words and expressions, naturally he would not take the initiative to bring up related topics in front of Ralph.

After a sumptuous dinner, the guests and the host enjoyed themselves, Wei Ran excused himself to organize his thoughts, and got into the bedroom that Ralph had prepared for him early.After unhurriedly taking a hot bath, he reopened the tin box he brought in and carefully checked everything inside.

The first thing he picked up was naturally the pocket watch with a gold case. The case of this pocket watch was embossed with a pattern resembling a windmill.On top of this pattern, there is also a floral "M" inlaid with dozens of rice grain-sized rubies.

This pocket watch is not only made of extravagant materials for the shell, but also has four small dials distributed in a cross shape on the main dial that is so complex that it can be called luxurious.Obviously, this pocket watch that is more fancy than practical is definitely expensive, and I am afraid that it is not an ordinary person who is willing to carry such a pocket watch on the battlefield.

In addition to the pocket watch, it goes without saying that the P38 pistol in the tin box, the standard German equipment of World War II, although it may not be able to be equipped with the hands of the top privates, but it can be used by the "suspected rich second generation" of the high-end pocket watch , It is not too difficult to get such a pistol.It's just a pity that this pistol has nothing special except for its good appearance.

After thinking about it for a moment, Wei Ran simply put it aside, then took out his tablet computer, and began to inquire about various details about the Lapland campaign, trying to find out the combat experience of the 6th Anti-aircraft Artillery Battalion to which Yannick Muller belonged.

Speaking of the Battle of Lapland, although the war lasted for more than half a year, in fact, the number of soldiers killed by the two warring parties, whether Finns or Germans, was actually not too many.

If compared with the tragic battle of Stalingrad, I am afraid that the sum of the number of soldiers killed on both sides may not be comparable to the former fraction.

The reason is that after putting aside the position of the mole and the nature of the war itself, if we simply look at the war, the soldiers of the two countries on opposite sides of the war are not as endless as the Soviets and Germany. Even in Lapland Before the battle started, the two sides could be called comrades-in-arms or friends.

Perhaps because of these many reasons, after seven months of fighting, only about three thousand people were killed on both sides.

But even so, want to confirm that Yannick Muller is among the [-] people who died in battle, or find the missing Yannick Muller from the more than [-] people, no matter which one is actually not what an easy thing.

Putting down the tablet in his hand, Wei Ran stroked the tattoo on the tiger's mouth on his left hand, but in his mind he was recalling everything he experienced in the Suomusalmi battle last time, and how he and Jima wandered in the Arctic Circle two days ago detail.

After a long time, Wei Ran secretly made up his mind that before using the metal notebook this time, he had to purchase some important items that can be used in winter in advance.Whether these things can be brought back depends entirely on the food box obtained after the Teng County Defense War.

　The update is unstable when people are in other places, please forgive me, there is only one update today, I am very sorry.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)