[Milsurplus] ( slightly OT ) the postwar armored series

[Hubert Miller]

You only find short mentions of the recovery harvest work.
I have a "Military Modeler" magazine that shows a diorama someone built up, of a KO Panzer in some Eastern field, this 1947. As these hobby aficionados are
sticklers for authenticity, i assume that date date is realistic. I read in one National Geographic, dated shortly postwar, that once the active front had moved 
thru an area, this in Europe, that civilians quickly appeared and stripped the KO'd vehicles of everything that they could. That no doubt accounts for a good part of
the vehicle items that ended up on the militaria markets later. Removing the complete vehicles, particularly heavy and immobile AFVs, of course would have
to wait for the availability of powerful tractors. 
I saw a photo once of a 'disassembly' plant in U.S.S.R. - or maybe Poland - don't recall. I would have loved to have the original, but.  It showed a 2 column 
lineup of hundreds of German vehicles, scout cars, armored cars, personnel carriers, lined up going into a metal recycling plant. These were not majorly
damaged vehicles, they could still be towed or even driven maybe. I thought, "The stories they could tell."

In the Pacific area, i think i have it pretty sure that it was the  1950s before the Japanese metal traders were in a position where they could take this on.
It appears in most areas they didn't venture far inland, probably too difficult and unremunerative for the effort, rather collected some wrecked vehicles
shore side and of course, numerous beached vessels. My guess-understanding of the Aleutians situation is that the islands were processed to some
extent. I think there is at least one midget submarine ashore and a wrecked broken maru on the rocks still, that couldn't be pulled off. 

Repatriation of servicemen's remains is another little known topic, altho i saw at least one article in the military history magazines. It stated that in the
years there were cargo ships returning to the states, only with thousands of coffins loaded. That would surely have been a somber ocean crossing for the
ships' crews.

When i was living in WA state, ca. 1976, there was a liberty ship troop carrier, U.S.S. General Meigs, that was being towed from reserve fleet near
Olympia ( I think ) to California for scrapping. As the tow was rounding the area of the cape near Neah Bay in a storm, the towline parted and General Meigs
went up on the rocks, and finally was on its side also. I have a pretty nice photo taken from the cliffs above viewing it. Altho the rough waters around the
ship look absolutely terrifying, some local civilians made it onboard and managed to make away with some ship collectibles. The Navy finally decided the
ship was a 'dangerous nuisance' and went out and loaded the ship with explosives. That did the job and today i think all that's viewable after a hike thru
the forest to the beach, is a car-sized portion of the superstructure that landed on the beach.
-Hue