The Wolff of the Ardennes

I first met Father Paul Wolff at Mass when I was stationed in SHAPE Belgium. After Mass I approached Father Paul and spoke with him and I found out that not only was he a priest but at one time he was also a soldier during WWII.  He joined the Belgium resistance while he was a seminarian and was preparing for the priesthood. Here is part of his story.

The Wolff of the Ardennes

The Ardennes is a region of extensive forests, rough terrain, rolling hills, and ridges primarily located in Belgium and Luxembourg, but it also extends into Germany and France. It's often referred to as the Ardennes Forest or the Forest of Ardennes. 

Geologically, the Ardennes is a western extension of the Eifel range and was formed during the Devonian period, around 382.7 to 387.7 million years ago. The region is known for its scenic beauty and has a rich history, having been a battleground for European powers during both World Wars.

en.wikipedia.org

Men are frequently blinded by fear and as a result often harmed themselves. The grace of God gives confidence to see the right and to stand when called.  Such a man was but a boy of 14 or 15 born in a small town in Belgium famous now for it was the site of the now famous Battle of the Bulge during world war II. 

Paul Wolff knew he must stand and stand he did after the NAZI's took over his country. Paul was to become General Patton’s guide during the “Battle of the Bulge” while he was still a teen. Paul Wolff was 15 years old when he first joined the Belgium resistance during the years of the Nazi occupation of World War II. He was the youngest member of the Belgium resistance. Unfortunately, he and other members of his group were captured and at 17 he was tortured, condemned to death and imprison in the Nazi Prison in Liege, Belgium. 

There he languished yet his faith would not allow him to lose all hope and the resistance still worked to get him and the others (256) out. Part of the plan was to get a radio to the prisoners. To do this the resistance secreted small parts of a crystal radio inside bars of soap. Interestingly these were “Lever” brother bars of soap and were large about the size of a brick. Father Paul related that during the Nazi occupation not all Jews were in German prisons if they were of use to the Nazi’s. In this case the soap bars were made by the Lever Jews and the radio parts were easily hidden inside the soap bars. Father Paul stated that when they received the soap they then washed their hands raw in wearing away the soap to get to the radio part. Then after several bars they constructed the radio which was the Morse code type. Father Paul typed in code in English which he spoke along with German and French the words over and over “SOS SOS 256 prisoners in Liege prison condemned to death SOS SOS.” They hoped someone would get the message and somehow, they would be rescued. All they had was hope.

 

Father also related that it drove the Nazi’s crazy because they intercepted the message but never suspected it was coming from the prison. Father Paul said that in the cell they were in there was only one barred window, but it was so high that to look out it required a person to stand on the shoulders of a fellow prisoner. He further relayed that they when they would see women that were friendly with the guards coming and going, they would call them the nastiest things they could think of calling them. Yet one day during an air raid while the guards were hiding as deep as they could go; one of these young women (secret agent) came and taking the heel of her shoe wrote on the pavement that during the air raid they are going to be rescued by commandoes and they were. Father Paul stated neither he nor the others ever lost hope.

A raid like this was most like conducted in Belgium.

After his escape he went underground. He was a friend of King Leopold III. He served as General Patton's Belgian guide during the battle of the bulge.

December 24, 1944

Father Paul communicated to me the tale about the battle of the bulge that has not been recorded in history. 

During WWII the US Army was segregated and black men were not mixed with white men. Black men mostly served in support roles such as transportation and as cooks, etc. 

During the course of the Battle of the Bulge’ Hitler sent in a special operations team to confuse and destroy the American Army. It was composed of American NAZI’s and German’s, who spoke perfect American slang, knew the culture, baseball stuff, etc. These Spec Ops were equipped with American Uniforms and equipment that was captured by Gen. Rommel from North Africa. 

Paul Wolff was at a meeting with Gen. Patton, Bradley, Eisenhower and the English Gen. Montgomery in Luxembourg City on the evening of Dec. 24th, 1944. The Generals were very excited and afraid because of the effect these NAZI spec ops were having in the warzone and due to the fact that they had murdered many men. They did not know what to do. Patton who was a visionary, suddenly stood up and said, I know exactly what to do. From this time forward nothing in the American Army will move without a black American in the group. Patton knew there were no black NAZI’s. As a result, black units were moved forward and integrated and as far as I know this was the first time in American History since the Civil War. As a result, the NAZI spec ops team was neutralized.

The Relief of Bastogne 

Father Paul relayed that during the relief of Bastogne, and as General Patton's guide he was on the first tank that entered the city. He said the Nazi's did not completely encircle the town of Bastogne and had left one road open to enter the town. Yet that did not make it easy to enter Bastogne for the Nazi's had machine's guns, tanks and artilleries; on the left and on the right of both side's of the road. 

How did they enter? First as they progressed American planes dropped aerial bombs and napalm making a corridor of explosions and flames 50 feet high driving the enemy back and unable to see them as they rushed in. He stated that the flames were so hot that it was like an oven in the tank and that if you touched it you got burnt. I said, Father do you think that this was foreshadowing of how later when you became a priest you would lead soul's to heaven via the flames. He didn't say anything but I think his eyes shed a tear or two.  

Father Paul Wolff as it was, he who introduced me to St. Hubert. 

St. Hubert

Late in the eighth century, so runs the story, a hunter named Hubert, neither better nor worse than he should have been, was tracking a stag through the forest of the Ardennes. As he readied himself to shoot the animal with his arrow, he was startled when the stag turned suddenly in its flight, and he saw between its antlers a luminous cross. This experience caused Hubert to change his way of life, and he never hunted again. Yet only a few centuries later he was known as the patron of hunters, and is a saint greatly honored in France and Belgium.

Saint Hubert lived a full life. He became bishop of Tongres and traveled through his huge diocese on horseback and by boat, preaching and building churches to the glory of God. He was the friend of the great of his day — Pepin of Heristal and Charles Martel among them — and also of the poor. In particular his heart went out to prisoners, and he would secretly place food for them before their dungeon windows. As he died, he said to those about him, "Stretch the pallium over my mouth for I am now going to give back to God the soul I received from Him."

In parts of France and Belgium there has long been a custom of holding stag hunts on Saint Hubert's Day, and the hunters gather before the chase for Mass and the blessing of men and horses and dogs. After the hunt is over, those taking part gather for a bountiful breakfast consisting of fish, meat, salad, cheese, and dessert. Naturally the meat is venison of some sort, and the salad may well be one of dandelion greens.

Excerpted from Feast Day Cookbook

Patron: Archers; dog bite; dogs; forest workers; furriers; hunters; hunting; huntsmen; hydrophobia; liege, Belgium; machinists; mad dogs; mathematicians; metal workers; precision instrument makers; rabies; smelters; trappers.

Things to Do:

·       Have roast venison in honor of St. Hubert, patron of hunters.

·       Have some Jagermeister

Please pray for the soul of a great priest and friend of mine