VIP Biography - Fred K. Treiber

Gebirgsjäger Veteran

4.Gebirgs-Division “Enzian”

Caucasus Mountains, 1942

(Oberjäger)

Fred Treiber was born in Bremerhaven, Germany on February 17, 1922. His father, an opera singer, emigrated to New York in 1925, joined the following year by his wife and young son. Fred grew up in New York City, attending public school through high school. Intending to follow in his father’s footsteps as an opera singer, Fred competed and was accepted on full scholarship to the Berlin Conservatory of Music in Berlin, Germany. In September 1941, the German government – now at war on several fronts – shut down all non-essential schools of higher learning in order to increase troops for the Eastern Front. As a German citizen by birth and studying under a German passport, Treiber was barred from returning to New York and subsequently conscripted into the German Army.

Mr. Treiber began his Gebirgsjäger training on October 3, 1941 with the 139th Gebirgsjäger Regiment (3.Gebirgs-Division “Narvik”) in Villach, in what is now Austria. In early 1942, he was posted to a new brigade being formed in Salzburg, and eventually arrived in the Crimea in March attached to the 4.Gebirgs-Division “Enzian”. With the fall of the Crimean Peninsula, his unit crossed the Strait of Kerch, moving east through Maikop along the northern side of the Caucasus and joined the main force in its attempt to take the Caucasus mountain passes to the Black Sea.

During this period, Mr. Treiber received a field promotion to the rank of Oberjäger (Sergeant) and was awarded both the Iron Cross 2nd class and Iron Cross 1st Class for actions in combat. Additionally, he was awarded the Close Combat Clasp in Bronze, the Infantry Assault Badge, and the Wound Badge in Black. After being wounded in Naltschik, Treiber returned to Villach and became a drill sergeant.

By a somewhat circuitous and unique turn of events (which you’ll hear more about at Dragon Expo), Mr. Treiber was later transferred to the Kriegsmarine (German Navy), and ended the war off the coast of France as a French prisoner of war. Escaping from the POW camp, he made his way to Spain -- and was incarcerated once more. He made one more escape from Campo Miranda de Ebro, south of Bilbao, and successfully returned to Germany in May 1946. Mr. Treiber’s adventures in (and out of) the POW camps are the subject of his 2001 book, ESCAPE: OR HOW I TOOK FRENCH LEAVE (Lightning Source Publishing, ISBN 0-7596-3217-0).

Mr. Treiber was among the first German immigrants permitted to enter the U.S. after the war, and returned to his family -- with wife and child -- in May of 1949. He established himself as an entrepreneur and businessman, and today at 84 years of age is still active as a real estate consultant/agent in St. Petersburg, Florida. Most recently, Mr. Treiber is completing his memoirs, covering both his childhood growing up in Depression-era New York City as well as his wartime experiences as a German Gebirgsjäger in World War II, soon to be published under the title THERE’S A LONELY CROSS IN RUSSIA.

In addition to being our VIP guest at Dragon Expo ’06 and sharing tales of his amazing life and career, Mr. Treiber will be available at the show to sign his exclusive action figure and has also consented to sign any copies of his book which attendees choose to bring for autograph.