Josef Veltjens

[Nick Veltjens]

I am Josef Veltjens' son and live in Australia. I came accross this forum when searching Google.
Fairlop's reply is correct, and his words are very similar to those I had written a few years ago to another website, to correct their information.
My father was buried with military honours in Piacenza, but a few years after the war my mother had his sealed aluminium coffin moved to Travemünde, near Lübeck in northern Germany. She also moved my brother's body, Gerhard, to the same family grave. He was a fighter pilot, and was killed 8 April 1944 when his plane crashed when he tried to land it with a motor revving uncontrollably and far too fast.
I have often wondered whether the message the piulot got in Milan regarding the threat of allied fighters looking out for him. I have the unconfirmed suspicion that this was a lie, as the SS had been after him and the gold. In the end, I believe they did get the gold, according to a newspaper article I read when I had visited Germany a few years ago.