Product Description
Wolfgang’s Bratty Wagon
When the British Army of the Rhine ran training exercises in the Soltau-Lüneburg Training Area throughout the ‘70s, ‘80s and into the early '90s, a familiar sight was a blue Mercedes van from which a man named Wolfgang would sell bratwursts, hot chips, burgers and cold beer.
It seems as though every British serviceman who went through training in Germany has a story about Wolfgang, ‘the Legend of Soltau’ and his food truck appearing like magic through the smoke of a mock battle, eliciting angry shouts from many an NCO as soldiers ran off to buy hot chips, bratwursts, burgers and cold beer.
Wolfgang had a semi-mythical ability to manoeuvre his van across seemingly impassible terrain to bring his wares to hungry armour crews (who were then often obliged to tow the van out when it got stuck). His knowledge of exercise plans and the local terrain was also legendary, and he often knew where units were headed before they even received their movement orders – some observed that if he wasn’t an East German spy, he should have been.
