As he neared the headquarters of the fourth armored division his jeep was strafed by an american plane and he was forced to seek protection in a ditch. Woodring was certain that the event was an accident. General george s patton car accident crash pictures. Patton was left paralyzed and died of a heart attack or embolism on december 21, 1945 at the military hospital in heidelberg. Perhaps the original jeep enthusiast, francis jeep sanzathe mechanic who drove general george s. Beside him, lying in a big chair was willie, the bull terrier.
Patton is said to have predicted his own death to both his daughters, ruth. The patton papers, 194045 recently published by houghton mifflin company in boston, gives ample reasons for the murder of general patton. On december 9, 1945, patton was returning from a pheasant hunt with his chief of staff, major general hobart hap gay. The remarkable life and mysterious death of general patton, we tried to uncover the truth. We believe he was poisoned in the hospital by the russian secret service, oreilly says. General george patton died of a pulmonary embolism 12 days later in heidelberg hospital in germany on december 21, 1945. An upcoming documentary from director robert orlando and nexus media titled, silence patton. First victim of the cold war, raises new questions surrounding patton. Why general patton was murdered from the trenches world. Most thinking people believed that pattons death was no accident. Allen patton staff officer born 1900 ky died 1981 washington dc gunshot suicide cancer said hunting decision was made previous night columnist soviet agent per skubik fred ayer jr.
He was the sort of honest, straightforward, fearless man who has always been hated and feared by the devious conspirators behind the scenes of power politics. Thompson, the driver of the vehicle that collided with general george s. The death of george patton has stirred new interest with a new book, killing patton. Pattons death was not just a tragic accident continue to persist. It is said that he had suffered a broken neck in the accident but was reported to have recovered and was to be flown to the us on december 22, 1945. Thompson, was not authorized to drive the vehicle, and had two mysterious passengers with him in violation of rules, according to former intelligence agent ladislas farago, a us intelligence officer and author, and one of only a few who ever investigated pattons death. General pattons death, attributed to an embolism, was announced on december 21, 1945. Our investigation uncovered very few records from the accident. Francis jeep sanza, general pattons driver during world. On december 9, 1945, patton was severely injured in a car accident. More than 70 years after the end of the second world war, conspiracy theories suggesting general george s.
An investigator would have patton partly at fault for creating a distraction, his driver partly at fault for becoming distracted, but mostly the truck driver for making an unsafe left turn in the. On december 12, 1945, general patton died from these injuries at the us army hospital at heidelberg. Schumacher was subsequently replaced, and was not the driver involved in the generals fatal vehicle. General pattons accident site, mannheim, germany flickr. General george smith patton, the toughest and most successful commander in the u. Star to his driver of more than four years, master sergeant john mims. Francis jeep sanzathe mechanic who drove general george s. Francis jeep sanza, pattons driver in world war ii.
This picture of willie, pattons dog, was taken a few days after the generals death as preparations were made to send home his effects. It was a wet day, and the ceremony was held, rather inappropriately, inside a gymnasium. Babalas that he find neither driver at fault as it was an accident i suspect he directedordered his driver to drive that fast and felt somewhat responsible for causing the accident. The cadillac crashed into the truck throwing patton violently forward. The book, which caused a huge controversy, said that patton had been assassinated on orders from highranking american military leaders.
Woodring was the driver of the cadillac limousine taking patton and general hobart r. Who was general pattons driver in world war 2 answers. In an exclusive extract from his latest book, stephen bayley examines the events that led to the controversial death of general george s patton at the end of world war two when his cadillac 75 crashed. Their driver was private first class horace woodring. General patton and his dodge command cars pattons third. Woody, as he was known by all, was born september 30, 1926, as the youngest of four boys on a farm in kentucky. New documentary investigates death of general patton.
At the chaffee gate, all adults must present a valid photo id, such as a drivers license. Naturally, winston churchill saw the mysterious death of the general as a unique opportunity to ignite the cold war. Patton was vocally antisoviet at a time when the u. The death of general patton in december 1945, is one of the enduring mysteries of the war era.
On the morning of december 9, 1945, general george s. On december 9, 1945, major general hobart gay convinced patton to go on a hunting trip with him near mannstein in order the lighten patton up. General george patton standing in the jeep prepares to depart from ohrdruf after an official tour of the newly liberated camp, 1945. It was classified as an accident and neither driver was blamed. The simple answer is that he was injured in a road accident.
The death of general patton in december 1945, is one of the. He led a series of wildly successful offensive operations in europe during world war ii, but his controversial and erratic behaviour off the battlefield damaged his reputation and hampered his own career advancement. Francis jeep sanza, a beer truck driver and milkman who got his work experience driving for gen. His original driver had enough points to go home driven him through thr. Death the legacy and leadership of general george s. He was general pattons tank driver, passmore recalls. Patton got out of his seat and climbed into the rear with general gay. The strange death of world war iis most audacious general, by fox tv personality bill oreilly and martin dugard. General patton was left paralyzed from neck down after his cadillac collided with a parked military truck at slow speed, he died in the hospital 12 days later. Pattons head hit a metal partition between the front and back seats resulting in severe injuries. Why general patton was murdered, by eustace mullins.
While driving through mannheim, general pattons vehicle collided with a us army truck and he sustained serious, lifethreatening injuries in the accident. The driver of the truck was whisked away to london before he could be. The authors delve into the many conspiracy theories surrounding the death of general patton, giving special attention to the possible culprits. Army during world war ii, learned the truth about that war and tried to warn america. Hap gay, were on a one day trip to hunt pheasants in the country outside mannheim general patton was leaving on the next day to fly home on vacation and was considering either resigning or. Pattons colorful image, harddriving personality and success. Patton the murder of patton is known for a fact, known for the very simple reason that an agent of the wellknown oss office of strategic services, an american military spy named douglas bazata, a jew of lebanese origin, announced it in front of 450 invited guests, nearly all highranking exmembers of the oss at the. World war ii veteran shares memories of driving gen. Truscott, one his most trusted divisional commanders. It is important to note that sanza was not the driver in the accident that ended pattons life. Sergeant mims, his regular driver, was in the hospital, and a substitute was at the wheel. Francis jeep sanza, general pattons driver during world war ii.
Patton through the german countryside when it crashed and caused the injuries that resulted in pattons death, died last sunday at a. General pattons original driver in wwii was warren george schumacher of richland center, wi. His original driver had enough points to go home driven him through three years of warno proble. Visitor tips and news about patton museum and death car. Pattons third army living historians heidelberg trip. Patton was asked by major general gay to accompany him on an excursion for a few hours the day before he was to return to america. Army general who was arguably the allies most gifted tank commander. Eisenhower during his period as supreme commander allied expeditionary force in command of the allied forces in north west europe. Although he had suffered serious injuries in a car. Severely injured in an auto accident, he died in germany twelve days later, on december 21, 1945. The 12 ton dodge command car had a flaw in the design as all of the wc 12 ton did. Patton started out on a pheasant hunting trip in the vicinity of mannheim, germany. Patton was a threat to eisenhower and his future presidency the newly unearthed diaries of a colorful assassin for the wartime office of strategic services oss, the forerunner of the cia, reveal that american spy chiefs wanted patton dead because he was threatening to expose allied collusion with the russians that cost american lives.
Naturally, the russians were blamed for the death of general patton. Woodring and patton had an interesting relationship, in which both seemed to have clicked. A person connected to the mountain democrat offers a different, insiders perspective on the traffic accident that led to pattons death, disputing the controversy. When general patton took over fifteenth army from general gerow, he also inherited gerows driver, pfc horace lynn woodring. Pattons distracted driver could not react fast enough to avoid a collision and tboned into the truck. I will probably be down voted as a conspiracy theorist but there was a lot of questions surrounding his death, driver of the us army truck that hit pattona vehicle wasnt supposed to be in that truck or on the road that day and his sudden turn directly in front of pattons vehicle bore scrutiny. He was out to go hunting in his cadillac with the gunsdogs pulled by a jeep behind. Pattons driver, woody woodring, was interviewed about the accident many times, and even took part in a publicity tour for the movie brass target. A few months before he was killed, his driver for five years, master sergeant john l. General patton was fond of the dodge command cars and used a 12 ton command reconnaissance car in the dessert training in 1942 before going overseas in november 1942. Patton handed over command of his beloved third army to another cavalryman, general lucian truscott, on october 7, 1945. Pattons limousine when the car crashed in 1945, causing injuries that ultimately killed the. The death of the general patton 1945 history forum. In 2008, author robert wilcox wrote a sensational book on the circumstances surrounding the accident and later death of patton called target patton.
125 1178 475 166 832 631 1034 304 587 861 524 1001 98 635 801 85 147 1091 1385 415 545 238 754 295 1457 145 1149