JG26 Siegfried Sy

[Polizei]

Hi Guys
In Donald Caldwell's excellent book " JG26 -Top Guns of The Luftwaffe ", he makes reference of a memoir that Lt. Siegfried Sy wrote. I did a search on Abebooks and Bookfinder couldn't find any reference to it. Does anyone know if one was done or how it's listed?

Thanks, Rick.

[WEISNER]

Greetings Rick! I know of no book written by Cy, however wanted to know if you can let us know which page of the book Caldwell mentions this? Most likely a report or such that he refers to? The Sources section of his book makes no mention of the reference, So I wonder if you can point us to the page where it is mentioned?
Horrido!
Kevin

[ChrisS]

Hi Rick

Try bookfinder again:

http://www.bookfinder.com/

put in 'Caldwell D' in the author section and '26' in the title.

Also this title comes up reasonably freqeuntly on eBay, if you're prepared to wait ( a bit )

Chris

[Polizei]

Hi Kevin,
Go to page 372 of JG26 Top Guns of the Luftwaffe. About middle of the page, second paragraph is where there is mention of it. My copy is a 1st edition 1991.

Regards, Rick.

[Don Caldwell]

Siegfried Sy never published his memoir. He wrote it for his family (who didn't care) and gave me a partial copy shortly before he died in the '80s. The original would be worth a fortune to the collector crowd today, but I'm sure it was destroyed by his family.

Horrido!

Don Caldwell

[WEISNER]

Very sad Mr. Caldwell, Sad the memoir will never be seen or read in it's complete form!
The JG 26 books you spent so much time researching, And have shared with us are Top Shelf! Perhaps in a future work you will share the piece of the memoir you have? Thank's for stepping in and solving this for us.
Kevin

[NickM]

Originally Posted by Don Caldwell

Siegfried Sy never published his memoir. He wrote it for his family (who didn't care) and gave me a partial copy shortly before he died in the '80s. The original would be worth a fortune to the collector crowd today, but I'm sure it was destroyed by his family.

Horrido!

Don Caldwell

Don:

Agreed that it stinks that Sy's memoirs will never see the light of day in it's entirety; you say his family 'didn't care' about it---I was wondering if you got the impression they held his work & war experiences in contempt or that they really were indifferent to it;

NM

[Ruy Horta]

Originally Posted by Don Caldwell

Siegfried Sy never published his memoir. He wrote it for his family (who didn't care) and gave me a partial copy shortly before he died in the '80s. The original would be worth a fortune to the collector crowd today, but I'm sure it was destroyed by his family.

Horrido!

Don Caldwell

It may be worthwhile to check in with the family if indeed the notes have been destroyed. Apart from the potential market value (also an incentive if you are not personally interested) any well written memoir is worth the effort to preserve and if possible put in print.

If the familiy did destroy the memoir, than by all means they are not worth the dirt they walk on. Not from the point of respect for family history nor from a more broad historical perspective. They are also too dumb to realize that even when they cut any painful passage, it is still worth MONEY to them.

Sorry Don, but this really makes me angry.

[Griffon]

You gentlemen have a GREAAATTT idea!
I would be buyer #3!

it strikes me as odd that noone has ever thought about such a project..
there is a German series called "Echolot Project" which combines many different diary entries from many Germans covering certain important time periods of WW2;
such a thing, but done with pilot accounts and covering the air war would be just too great!
here is a link to the Echolot series:
http://amazon.de/s/ref=nb_ss_w?__mk_...ywords=echolot

cheers
phil

[Franek Grabowski]

Don
There is always value in a first hand account itself. As to books without pictures, well, most of them are, which is logical considering they are for reading. Personally, I am lacking of any first hand accounts of air war over the Channel 1941-1943, and anything is of a value.
Where Sys are living, perhaps they have changed their mind, and the memoir will miraculously reappear?