There is a nice WC on the ground floor with baby changing facilities. A masterpiece like "Inglourious Basterds" takes a lot of work to get right. He joined the OGs (Operational Groups), specifically Operational Group Germany. Feigning the role of a captured German POW, Fred entered a camp and networked within its gates. The Basel activist was responsible for over 150 campaigns but is best known for his defence of the alpine landscape, in particular . According toIndieWire, in Tara Wood's Tarantino-focused documentary "QT8: The First Eight," Eli Roth recounts the story of one extra who got fired for not developing a backstory for his non-speaking character. (371) 7.4 52min 2012 13+. Hes already seen the movie. Matull gave fake information on Mayer, claiming he was an important general of the American Army. The Gestapo burst in and arrested Mayer and took him to their HQs. Despite being intensely tortured, Mayer never mentioned this to his partners. It was also a waystation for Jews being sent to Auschwitz..The guard that day in 1983 told me that . "KillBill" offered a fun break from the not-quite-ready project and a chance to reunite with "PulpFiction" scene-stealer Uma Thurman. On July 28, 1914, one month after Franz Ferdinand's death, Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia, beginning a chain reaction that would lead to four years of horrific conflict with millions of . Nationality: German (1933-1945, Third Reich) Biography. This was worn by civilians in the employment of the Waffen SS. He radioed the exact locations and dimensions back to HQs. Hofer got Mayer to help him arrange the surrender. After tramping through chest-deep snow, the men literally sledded down the side of the glacier in a Santa Claus-like sleigh. Any intel they can glean here will give the Allies hints about how the German Army intends to fight in the wars endgame, whether it will try to circle the wagons in some sort of Allied redoubt for a last-ditch fight. Inhibition of osteoclast differentiation and bone resorption by N-methylpyrrolidone. The "Inglourious Basterds" screenplay was a particular challenge both to write and to edit down into a workable feature. Finally, Ulmer asked the Jewish-Americans matter-of-factly, Do you appreciate what can happen to you if youre caught?, Mayer responded, staring directly into Omers eyes, This is more our war than yours.. Tarantino would later reedit his movie "The Hateful Eight" into a miniseries for Netflix. In fact, it deserves nothing less than a movie. He and Mayer negotiated the peaceful surrender of Innsbruck, the Tyrolean provincial capital, to the US 7th Army on May 3, 1945. Weber, Franz; Weber, Franz. And in one of the craziest turn of events, the German Army in Austria surrendered to a Jewish sergeant without firing a shot. Bursting through the door and into the room, a dozen Gestapo agents, armed with MP-40 machine pistols, quickly surrounded and apprehended Mayer. During WWII, some Jews really did volunteer to go into Nazi-occupied Europe to engage in espionage and sabotage. Do you want to create your own battlefield tour to sights of wars from the past? As a result, the crew and the three OSS agentsWalter Hass, a refugee from Nazi Germany, Frederick Mayer, a German Jew whose father moved the family to the US before the war, and Franz Weber, who was born and raised in Austria, became a German officer but eventually came to disagree with Hitler's movementworked together closely for five . "We all sat around and everybody had their scripts and lines," Roth said. Reaching the glaciers foot, they holed up for three days at the Amberger hut (their original target) as they went over their plans. Mayer was born in Freiburg, Germany, on Oct. 28, 1921. RecPak is a meal replacement for the outdoors that saves you weight, space and time in the most challenging environments, just add water. Pernass, Manfred Franz Joachim, born on 03-08-1920 in Gollnow, the son of Willli Hermann Pernass and Charlotte Anna Elisabeth Ulrich, was a soldier in the German Army and set up in Operation Greif. A movie that climaxes with a group of Jewish soldiers shooting Hitler in the face isn't particularly concerned with historical accuracy, but "Inglourious Basterds" still draws some inspiration from real history. The third soldier was the Austrian Franz Weber, a Nazi officer who had deserted the army. They didnt embark on any sort of killing spree, but they did succeed in their mission. OSS was the forerunner to both the Special Operations Command of the military, OSS Jedburgh and Operation Groups were the units that became the US Army Special Forces and Navy SEALs owe part of their legacy to OSS Maritime Group operatives, where one of them invented the US version of SCUBA. Once in place, Mayer posed as a German . Wijnberg died shortly afterwards. One of the mainsprings of the group spoke eight different languages, had fought and escaped from the French Legion, and had previously worked as a matre d at the Copacabana nightclub. Tune in for a conversation about the men of X Troop, who were the realInglorious Basterds: a secret commando unit of young Jewish refugees who were trained in counterintelligence and advanced combat to deliver decisive blows against the Nazis. Franz Weber currently works honorary as a teacher at the Clinic for Nephrology , University Hospital Essen. They purloined a Jeep, mutinied from the OGs and arrived at OSSs Secret Intelligence (SI) section, which had been dropping agents deep inside Nazi Germany. With the cash, the group purchased train tickets to an OSS spy base in Algiers. Mayer was put in command of Operation Greenup, with Wijnberg as his radio operator. During WWII, some Jews really did volunteer to go into Nazi-occupied Europe to engage in espionage and sabotage. Their little band soon adds a third member: Franz Weber, a Wehrmachtlieutenant who has belatedly come to his senses about the murderous nature of Adolf Hitlers war. Wijnberg was sent by his parents, along with his twin brother, from the Netherlands in 1939to live with his fathers business partner in the USA in 1939. The Americans will slaughter everyone who did this!. Avoiding roaming German fighters, flak, and forceful Alpine winds and backdrafts, Billings threaded through 9,000-foot high canyon-like mountains and found the drop zone. He would later on return to Germany to start over. A German soldier, Matull had deserted and was caught by the Allies who threw him into a POW camp. His alias was establishedso he then moved into the officers barracks, where he sent information to Wijnberg, the teams radio operator. Feigning the role of a captured German POW, Fred entered a camp and networked within its gates. On May 7, an invitation-only screening of the film will open the GI Film Festival with a Congressional Reception at the U.S. Capitol Building to honor the veterans of the mission, including Mayer. One of the OSS men chosen for this mission was Frederick Mayer. It was a good documentary. Eventually, the man who fingered Mayer was brought in and he knew the ruse was up. Considering how the Gestapo worked, they believed him. As the Germans surrendered, the Gestapo officer who had savagely beaten Mayer was taken to the very cell where he tortured him. Channel 5 in the UK broadcast a documentary called The Nazi Killers on Friday 22 November. All rights reserved 2022 Collective Culture. They traveled by ship to North Africa. The Germans,wanting to surrender to the Americans passed it on. It was hard to find a pilot to volunteer to fly in the difficult winter conditions over the glacier, but eventually, Billings stepped up, saying,If they are crazy enough to jump there, I will be crazy enough to take them there.. His undercover work led to valuable intelligence and a network of informants that helped identify the location and dimensions of Hitlers Fhrerbunker in Berlin, the condition of Nazi war plants and movement of enemy freight and troops through the Brenner Pass. April 1812 in Mannheim) war ein deutscher Musiker, Kapellmeister und Theaterdirektor. Diane Kruger was not the only "Inglourious Basterds" cast member to face potentially dangerous scenarios during the film shoot. Sein Leben war durch eine umfangreiche Reisettigkeit geprgt. The third soldier was the Austrian Franz Weber, a Nazi officer who had deserted the army. World War I, also called First World War or Great War, an international conflict that in 1914-18 embroiled most of the nations of Europe along with Russia, the United States, the Middle East, and other regions. Mayer saved the lives of perhaps thousands of troops on both sides by arranging the surrender of the German troops in Austria. [Quentin asked], 'How did you feel when he joined the Basterds?' In the nomination was written, In constant danger of his life, he exhibited almost unbelievable courage, resourcefulness and enterprise. Mayer received the Legion of Merit and the purple heart, among a number of other awards. An Olympian, six-time consecutive World Speed Skiing Champion - Franz Weber is also a former world record-holder and still holds the North American record, at 129.303 mph/208.092 kph which he set in 1983 in Silverton, Colorado. As much as he packs into these movies, however, their scripts often run even longer. He found and recruited deserter-volunteer, Franz Weber. Exhausted, they finally sledded their way down, something Mayer later claimed was the scariest part of the mission. They recommended him for the Office of Strategic Services, which later became the CIA. He can see the reality of Hitlers plans, which, as Weber puts it, aims to transform the continent into Concentration Camp Europe. Weber deserts to the Allies, makes contact with the OSS, and agrees to join the team. Hoffer, who had already anticipated the fall of Nazi Germany, met Mayer to discuss the possibility of a German rendition, and naturally, his own protection. ADVERTISING. He then worked for Mayer till the Gestapo caught him. Nonetheless, this story has made some people uncomfortable. His current life is fairly peacefulhe still chops wood nearly every day and volunteers with Meals on Wheels. They were the parents of at least 5 sons and 1 daughter. However, Tarantino based his film on an actual operation codenamed, Greenup. Once the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, Mayer enlisted in the U.S. Army. U.S. Military. are western hognose snakes legal in the uk risk assessment for cleaning pigeon droppings Franz Weber (30 November 1921 - 28 July 2014 in Mnchen) was a German Obergefreiter in the Wehrmacht during World War II. Webers sister was a nurse who helped Mayer disguise himself as a German officer in uniform and bandaged up from a head wound. However, using his own guile, wit, and a fortunate set of circumstances, Mayer turned the tables on his captors. The campaign in North Africa began with a daring Anglo-American commando raid code-named Operation RESERVIST. ADVERTISING. Franz Carl Weber is a lovely toy store spread across four large floors. Tags:quentin tarantino world war ii world history. He penetrated a secret underground factory producing jet engines for the Third Reich. Finally, an intrepid American Air Corps pilot, Lt. John Billings, and his crew stepped forward and volunteered. Mayer was then betrayed and captured. The Gestapo agent that had mercilessly beaten him was taken to the very cell where he had tortured Mayer. So Matull hadnt entirely lied. It was the perfect opportunity to kill Nazis, which was the reason many Jewish boys joined. During World War II, the OSS twice nominated Fred Mayer for the Medal of Honor. We use our own and third-party cookies to personalize and improve the use and experience of our users on our website. However, Inglorious Basterds highlights the work of one group specifically: "Operation Greenup, a real American battalion in charge of a similar mission. Quentin Tarantino's 2009 war film was partly based on a real story. Franz did Research in the Field of Nephrology and Hypertension. Tom Moon, author of This Grim and Savage Game: OSS and the Beginning of U.S. Covert Operations in World War II, wrote, The Germany Army in that area had in effect surrendered to an OSS Jewish Sergeant.. You had to go on and on and on about your backstory. The top and bottom have been folded over and stitched together. On November 26, 2007, Franz was the recipient of the prestigious Schneekristall award (providing him with lifelong free skiing privileges in Austria). His work was to get as much information as possible from the Germans, from plans for troop displacement, to attacks, and where they stored supplies, so him and his partners could sabotage them. As many as half a million civilians remained in Stalingrad when the Germans approached in the late summer of 1942. He infiltrated it by obtaining work as an electrician, using a French translation of his own name,discovering that supply problems with parts meant that no aircraft were being completed. While Tarantino's films have featured many strong female characters, the director's treatment of women in real life has been the subject of controversy. Weber stayed with his family, his fiances mother took Mayer in, and Wijnberg stayed at a neighbors house. See Photos. Uncoiling a rawhide whip, the tall one put his full weight behind each swing, mercilessly thrashing the agents body like a side of beef. The story of Operational Greenup deserves greater attention than it has received. Kruger went on to earn aSAG Awards nomination for Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role for the performance. Shahan Russell is one of the authors writing for WAR HISTORY ONLINE. The U-boat War in World War Two (Kriegsmarine, 1939-1945) and World War One (Kaiserliche Marine, 1914-1918) and the Allied efforts to counter the threat. Colombo, V; Correro, M R; Riener, R; Weber, Franz E; Gallo, L M (2011). They all spoke German, and many were Jewish refugees who wanted vengeance for their families suffering. Heinrich Weber (1799-1848) married Susanna Fritz (1807-aft 1861) a. Franz Weber (this Franz Weber) b. Anna Maria Miller c. Elizabeth Herrman Provided by Trecil. 8001 Zrich. October 28th, 1944. Rahn offered to send a message to OSS HQs in Bern, Switzerland headed up by Allen Dulles who later became the head of the CIA. A real world spy story fit for the silver screen. Looking for reliable information or news facts about WW2? His carelessness in preparing for a car stunt in "Kill Bill Vol. The threewere to be dropped byparachutednear Innsbruckin February 1945. Franz Ferdinand was born in Graz, Austria, on December 18, 1863, the oldest son of Archduke Karl Ludwig, who was the younger brother of Austro-Hungarian Emperor Franz Joseph. Works at Arbeitete bei der Stadt Luzern. As reported in The New York Times, Tarantino had intended his follow-up to "Jackie Brown" to be a World War II epic then titled "Inglorious Bastards" (with proper spelling). They jumped in on February 26, 1945. His cover wasnt holding water, and so the tall one stripped him from head to toe. Over 40.000 pages on the officers, the boats, technology and the Allied efforts to counter the U-boat threat. When expanded it provides a list of search options that will switch the search inputs to match the current selection. The rectangular shaped obverse reads: "Waffen-SS" in black ink on a yellow backing. Sign Up. He was shown a picture of Mayer and was asked if he knew him. But at the radio station, Mayer persuaded the Nazi to declare Innsbruck an open city, and place himself under his arrest, effectively surrendering the city and his forces to Mayer. Edit Search New Search Jump to Filters. Operation Greenup: Frederick Mayer and Hans Wynberg were Jewish refugees of Nazi Germany and Holland respectively. Do you want to create your own battlefield tour to sights of wars from the past? In the summer of 1944 after extensive training, the OGs received the call to duty. In the dark room, the Gestapo officers slapped and punched the spy in the face. There was only one problemthey got dropped off at the wrong port. Fred Raskin, Menke's assistant editor on "KillBill," would become Tarantino's go-to editor following her death, starting with "Django Unchained" in 2012. In 2014, when President Obama had awarded several Medals of Honor to individuals who werent awarded them at the time due to racism or other reasons, was given the name of Mayer by WV Senator Jay Rockefeller. Cross) Chemistry: The Central Science (Theodore E. Brown; H. Eugene H LeMay; Bruce E. Bursten; Catherine Murphy; Patrick Woodward) Anna was a Tyrolean hotelier who gave the team shelter, support, and protection from the Nazis at the risk of her own life, and who once cried out, both in despair and defiance, If Hitler wins the war, then I dont believe in God anymore. A film on Greenup would have it all: a righteous cause, victims fighting back, nail-biting chase scenesit couldnt help but score big at the box office. But unlike other refugees, Mayer decided to return to German-occupied Europe to strike back at the very individuals who imprisoned some of his family members in concentration camps. By then it was April of 1945 and the Germans knew they were done. Or are you interested in war medals and their recipients? Mayer was put in for the Medal of Honor twice and it was downgraded to the Legion of Merit. General William Donovan the creator of OSS and a WWI Medal of Honor winner wanted PHDs who can win a bar fight but he also called them Glorious Amateurs as they learned as they went. 2" caused serious injuries to Uma Thurman (Thurman has forgiven Tarantino). He had Mayer brought to him. With a man on each side of the rifle, they lifted his naked, rolled-up body and suspended the human ball between two tables, like a piece of meat on a skewer. A long-time resident of Lake Tahoe, Weber and his wife, Janet, founded Franz Weber Inc., a Reno-based sports management and consulting company, in 1984.Today, the company represents world-class . Air Force, The only area to infiltrate was a small lake frozen over in the winter between the mountains. Hofer was later judged in absentia and sentenced to death in Austria in 1949. Webers sister, Louise, was a nurse who gave Mayer the uniform and documents of a recently-deceased German officer. He was finally arrested when a black marketeer was caught by Nazi authorities and fingered Mayer as a spy. And that was after they had tortured him. I dont stay up late anymore.. So how did the title of Tarantino's WWII revenge flick go from "Inglorious Bastards" to "Inglourious Basterds"? When the American 103rd Infantry Division of the Seventh Army closed in on Innsbruck on the morning of 3 May 1945, they were met by a car sporting a white bedsheet. one of four skiers who broke a world record by skiing sixteen Colorado ski resorts in one day. Christoph Waltz's performance as the erudite, sociopathic "Jew Hunter" Hans Landa was the most widely praised part of "Inglourious Basterds." That guy was an extra. A former German commando and officer, Weber had fought on the Eastern Front but now was convinced that it was his duty to defeat the Third Reich for the sake of his country, Austria. It brought profound and permanent social, governmental and cultural changes in the United States, and has had a great impact on how Americans regard themselves and . The team needed somebody with local knowledge, and Franz Weber, an anti-Nazi local who had deserted from the German Army to the Allies, volunteered to join it. The scene was filmed on a controlled "fire stage" set, but the flames ended up burning far hotter than anyone anticipated. The German officer in charge was one Franz Hofer. At one point, the writer-director feared it would be too long for a movie and that the epic story would be better suited for a TV miniseries. Historical records matching Franz Weber Franz Weber in GenealogieOnline Family Tree Index view all Immediate Family. ), Austrian football player Franz Weber (soldier) (1921-2014), German soldier Franz Weber (activist) (1927-2019), Swiss environmentalist and animal welfare activist Franz Weber (skier) (born 1956), Austrian skier A pilot called Billings volunteered to drop them on a glacier. They had to walk down the glacier, sometimes waist deep in snow. Part of the reason Tarantino decided to make "Kill Bill" first was due to the fact the story for his epic was growing so large in scale that he was having trouble cutting it down. Mayer originally volunteered for the U.S. Army, but they rejected him as an enemy alien. However, the OSS, the forerunner to the CIA, saw Mayers potential and recruited him to join its ranks. *Lighting a path to truth* Former Navy JAG Worldwide U.S. Military Defense. Inside one of World War II's most daring spy missions: The men who made OSS operations possible. This is a horrible place where the Nazis tortured and killed members of the Belgium resistance. Eastern Prussian Provinces, Germany [Poland], Selected Civil Vitals, 1874-1945. That didnt stop the intrepid OGs. All three landed safely with most of their equipment, but the canister containing their skis was lost. Their mission: to compile reports on German rail traffic over the Brenner Pass between Italy and Austria. For UK viewers it is available on the 5 Demand online catch up service until 22 December. Franz Weber. During World War II, he led one of the greatest missions of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS). - Narrative histories highlighting organization, combat experiences, and casualties of each division - Lists of constituent units and division commanders - Sources for further reading on each division This is the first of 3 definitive volumes that cover the German ground forces that swept across Europe with such ruthless efficiency in 1939 and 1940 and battled the Allies around the globe until . Hollywood tried to capture an actual OSS operation in a highly fictionalized film called Inglorious Basterds by Quentin Tarantino. The trio had supplies packages dropped with them, but unfortunately were unable to locate the packet containing their skis. In mid-April, a black marketer whom Mayer dealt with was caught up in a Gestapo dragnet. He was replaced with director Eli Roth. According the filmmakers website, it has been shown inother countries atvarious film festivals and on the Discovery and History channels under the title The Real Inglorious Bastards. How bizarre? Eighty years ago, the Red Army managed to stop, contain, and ultimately defeat the largest German army on the Eastern Front. Hans Wynberg, a Dutch-born Jew whose family was sent to Auschwitz, and Franz Weber, an Austrian officer who had defected from the German army, worked with Mayer. Mayer parachuted onto an Alpine glacier, infiltrated enemy lines, and posed as a German officer to ascertain crucial intelligence. It was nominated for eight Academy Awards including Best Picture, and won Best Supporting Actor for Christoph Waltz, who played the villain Hans Landa. Then he posed as a French electrician to infiltrate a Messerschmitt factory. His family owned a hardware store that was boycotted because they were Jewish once Hitler became chancellor in 1933. A secondary mission was to monitor all of the rail traffic from Innsbruck traveling thru the Brenner Pass into Italy. Frederick Mayer was a man described by some as fearless. According to The Washington Post, Tarantino thought Christoph Waltz couldn't perform the scene convincingly enough and choked actress Diane Kruger himself. Since 2013, Fondation Franz Weber is working closely with the World Heritage Centre to support the conservation and safeguard of natural World Heritage sites.This partnership intends to strengthen the Rapid Response Facility (RRF), a programme jointly managed by the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and Fauna & Flora International aimed at protecting natural World Heritage sites in emergency . Privacy statement, cookies, disclaimer and copyright, On a journey of discovery to historical sites? Few films could get away with an ending where a character turns to the camera and says, "This might just be my masterpiece," but "Inglourious Basterds" might trulybe QuentinTarantino's masterpiece. This function has been disabled for WW2 Gravestone. There was also the issue of competition: other great directors were also doing World War II epics in the late '90s, notably Steven Spielberg with "Saving Private Ryan" and Terrence Malick with "The Thin Red Line." Quentin Tarantinos 2009 warfilmwas partly based on a real story. In 1944, the Office of Strategic Services (OSS) of the United States Army trained three soldiers: Frederick Mayer, Hans Wynberg, and Franz Webe. Service on a half-dozen fronts, including the bloody struggle against Marshal Titos partisans in occupied Yugoslavia, has opened Webers eyes. Read Next: OSS Finally Recognized More Than 70 Years Later By Congress. They had to walk down the glacier, sometimes waist deep in snow. Tarantino will never tell us the full logic behind misspelling the title, though in various interviews he's offered partial explanations. In fact, I think I have an idea for a film. They Dared Return: The True Story of Jewish Spies Behind the Lines in Nazi Germany, Dog Company: The Boys of Pointe du Hoc: Rangers Who Accomplished D-Days Toughest Mission and Led the Way Across Europe. Not wanting to mess with a Wehrmacht officer, the inspector moved on. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 286 (27):24458-24466. Claiming to be on the run from the advancing Soviets, he got a job at the facility. The only area to infiltrate was a small lake frozen over in the winter between the mountains. Franz Weber. They didn't end up killing Hitler, but they were able to negotiate the surrender of the German Army in Austria. This button displays the currently selected search type. Friedrich Fred Mayers father was a decorated war veteran for his distinguished service to the German Empire in WWI. In an interview, Mr. Mayer stated that he had a good combination of hatred and love: a hatred of the Nazis and a love for America. His father fought valiantly in World War I, and Mayer had seen his family forced from their homeland by an evil regime that later murdered 6 million European Jews in the Holocaust. Inform us! Franz E. Weber N, N-Dimethylacetamide is an FDA approved solvent widely used in pharmaceutical industry to facilitate the solubility of lipophilic, high molecular weight drugs with poor water . It could be a way to distinguish the film from Enzo G. Castellari's 1979 film "The Inglorious Bastards," which Tarantino's film is loosely inspired by but is decidedly not a remake of. Find your friends on Facebook. Both programmetitles are somewhat misleading, since the members of Operation Greenup were tasked withgathering intelligence rather than directly killing Nazis, and the only connection with the filmInglorious Basterds is that they were American Jews operating behind enemy lines. See Photos. Then the Nazis came to power. The Life of Fridolin. info@nationalww2museum.org Franz Weller was captured in May 1945 by . Just dont hurt my family., Mayer was disgusted, What the hell do you think we are? Their most daring operation, however, involved finding the Alpine Redoubt in Austria a fortress where the German government could supposedly retreat to in the event of defeat. Mr. Mayer died at his home in Charles Town, West Virginia, on April 15 this year. For three days and nights, Mayer was savagely beaten, but he kept up his cover speaking only in French. Besides, its too late, he says of the event. Mayer was assigned to the German Operational Group before heading out. You think they're gonna be one way and then they're not at all.". I'd have a 100-page script and no end in sight. A Nazi SS general responsible for deporting tens of thousands of Jews to death camps worked for West German intelligence after World War . He says Waltz was also instructed to not show up to rehearsals with any of his co-stars, with the one exception ofDenis Mnochet (who played the dairy farmer Perrier LaPadite and shares the film's suspenseful opening scene with Waltz). THANK YOU FOR SUPPORTING VETERAN JOURNALISM - JOIN SOFREP+ , Last week we posted a story on the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) and how after 73 years they were finally recognized as a group and were honored with a Congressional Gold Medal. Service on a half-dozen fronts, including the bloody struggle against Marshal Tito's partisans in occupied Yugoslavia, has opened Weber's eyes. It was "The Fifth Element" director Luc Besson who encouraged Tarantino to finish "Inglourious Basterds" as a movie rather than a miniseries. He was a German Jew whose family emigrated from their home on the Western edge of the Black Forest in 1938 to make a new life in the United States. But this ninety-somethings life hasnt always been so simple. Many historians have written about the famous Buffalo Soldiers of the all-Black 92nd Infantry Division, who fought with distinction during World War II. Their mission wasto gather intelligence in the Tirol region of Austria. This man was Hermann Matull, who was also working as a spy in the region. Patrick K. ODonnell is a bestselling author and combat historian who has conducted over 5,000 oral history interviews with heroes like Frederick Mayer. Early on May 3, 1945, the American 103rd Infantry Division of the Seventh Army was ordered to take Innsbruck. He found and recruited deserter-volunteer, Franz Weber. Frederick Mayer (28 October 1921, Freiburg im Breisgau, Baden, Germany - 15 April 2016, Charles Town, Jefferson County, West Virginia) was a German-born Jew who became an American spy as an OSS agent for the United States during World War II.He negotiated the surrender of the German Army in Innsbruck, Austria, in 1945 after he was captured in "Operation Greenup".