To Rob Banks, have you not read any of the stories on either this website or on facebook or even on Midlands Today last night, he lived this way because he wanted to this was his way, he was offered housing by the council many times and didn’t want to live in a house due to (possibly)something that affected him in the war. He was very well looked after in his way with local people leaving food, clothing and even new tents from time to time and he had medical help as and when he needed it.
So for anybody else who wants to point the finger about why he was treated this way and why nobody helped read the stories before you comment.
I would say most of Wolverhampton’s residents remember Fred with very kind thoughts and happy memories he was an icon in this City and everybody had a great respect for him.
i was brought up in wolverhampton, fred was a real character, he will be sadly missed. i wonder though what sort of funeral he will get. lets bury him with some dignity
I wonder what Josef had gone through in that Russian prison camp- living outside on the ring road must have been his sanctuary- i hope he has found his inner peace now- i am glad he was allowed to live there- good people.
There was a feature on ‘Fred’ just a few months ago and I believe, if I remember rightly, that it is suspected that he was co-opted into the German Army as many Poles were at the time. Maybe they will run the feature again. I agree with those who feel that a memorial of some kind should be erected.I remember seeing Fred about as long as I have memories of Wolverhampton, and actually admire Wolverhampton City Council for allowing him to stay in his tent, and even helping look after him. If this situation arose afresh these days I am sure that there would be far too many reasons found to not leave well alone, health & safety et. etc. etc. RIP Fred
Fred probably did what many of the “Polish” refugees from WW2 did. They did it to survive. What would we do in similar circumstances?
Fred was an example that the personal effects of the wars are far from over.
May he now find peace.
Fred probably did what many of the “Polish” refugees from WW2 did. They did it to survive. What would we do in similar circumstances?
Fred was an example that the personal effects of the wars are far from over.
May he now find peace.
Fred probably did what many of the “Polish” refugees from WW2 did. They did it to survive. What would we do in similar circumstances?
Fred was an example that the personal effects of the wars are far from over.
May he now find peace.
If it is established he was part of the SS i do not feel there should be any memorial. If this isn’t established then like anybody else he deserves to be buried with dignety. I will hold back on any other comments until the full story is known as i feel it woulld have a great bearing on how he is to be to looked upon.
Looking for Fred’s tent, and …even more thrilling …a rare sighting of the man himself was a must for our small daughter Anna on visits from Kent over the years. She’s now 20, and sad to hear he has died.
It was good that he was allowed to stay in his chosen spot for so many years without the health and safety zealots moving him on.
Hi Jools,
What do you mean “what a way to live”.The nicely dressed people from posh houses dropped all the crap on the streets that Fred had in his tent.
Out of sight, out of mind, eh?
Awwww its so sad I loved the tramp my dad used to drive past his tent so i could see him and the once we drove past about 7 times because he was out sweeping the roads :)! I want to go to his funeral! x
i think some children as school reps should be aloud to go to the funeral. a plack should be put up for him. no 1 can keep the ring road clean like him. bless.
I really hope Fred has a good funeral, as he never did anyone any harm and just lived his life the way he wishes. Can’t believe some of the comments about him, he was obviously more popular than these bitter people will ever be. Rest in peace FRED.
I am From America and just seen Fred on October 28th raking leaves. I was saddened to hear about this when i returned home. God Bless Fred in his new found home.
Having read all the comments i think it boils down to one thing, Fred put his life on the line in the war so people like us could have a better life in the future, as far as i am concerned he was welcome to live where he wanted, he was happy living where he was and was looked after by the good people of Wolverhampton and by the council, he even contributed in his own small way by keeping the streets as clean as he could, good on ya Fred and you rest in peace
a remarkable man who opted to live life as he saw fit, one of wolverhamptons icons, who everybody knew, but nobody knew anything about,
society dreamed up the SS rumours to discredit the man,
wheres the proof ? there isnt any
I find it really sad that on a page dedicated to Fred and his memory that people are quick to start calling him “scum” and making light with little more than hear-say.
I’m proud of Fred for doing what he did, for not turning into what the rest of this society have become and for doing what he wanted, not conforming to any governement - if only the rest of us could be so brave.
If Fred was really in such a dire situation I doubt he would’ve lived to the ripe old age of nearly 87, most do not get so long even in the best comforts. It just goes to prove that a bit of dirt never hurt anybody!
You can’t force anyone to live a life they don’t want to, hence the reason Fred never did live in a council house, and if someone wants to live that way why should the council or anybody else be put as “to blame” for that persons own actions - I sometimes think people in our lovely society think they should have a nursemaid because they can’t be held accountable for their own actions, heaven forbid!
But anyway - for Fred, RIP, you will be missed by all and were a landmark to Wolves - things will never be quite the same again. X
We all love(d) Fred because our society has gone to hell in its pursuit of material wealth and comfort. We need someone to remind us of how vulnerable we really are. Someone remarked on ‘all the rubbish’ but look at your own life and see how much unneccessary crap you live with.
It’s easy to like Fred. But ask yourself, if he was living next door to you would you feel the same?
Was Fred your neighbour? Really? Think about it and face up to all this hypocrisy.
I remember from a young age seeing the tent and Fred sweeping his leaves im now 24 and hearing of his death came as a shock as he has been there for many years and not caused anyone any problems, it doesnt matter about his past 50 / 60 yrs ago half of us probably wasnt around then so forget wat happend years ago. I focus on the memories he has brought to the city, my aunt used to leave a bottle of brandy for him @ xmas outside his tent, he is a icon of the city and who will be sadly missed but never forgotten, R.I.P Fred, p.s Wolverhampton Council should sort out a memoriel in the city centre or in his favourite spot on the ring road.
A true character who was accepted by the city, Fred was a part of Wolverhampton, a memorial stone should be placed at the site where he lived for so long.
All this conjecture about Fred being S.S is unsubstantiated and should be taken with a pinch of salt.
If he chose to serve some form of penance by living as he did then he had more soul than some of those snide insidious commentators that spoke against him and his chosen lifestyle..hoorah for non conformism!
i was always amazed at how he could live like that, something bad must have happened to him for him to change so drastically, its a sad loss to our city
R.I.P X
from the time i came to live in wolverhampton 23 years ago, Josef, and his lifestyle was a fascination to me. On every single journey along the road by his tent,in all those years, I never missed, to send a silent greeting to him!!As my children grew, they also became fascinated with catching a glimpse of the tent, or if they were really lucky, a glimpse of Josef himself, when we drove past.Many, many years of watching out for him. We will miss that old scruffy tent!!!A legend!!
R.I.P Fred,
I am proud of Fred as he kept his self to him self, he never caused no harm 2 no1 if anyfink people brought harm to him, Fred may of bin named as “the TRAMP of Wolverhamptom” but people look at yourselves do you brush the streets and keep the enviroment clean the way Fred did “NO” I hope Fred gets a good send off as she deserves it…
R.I.P Fred xx
He does not deserve a memorial????? What tosh!!!! He may have had to be SS, if you knwo history you may be aware of what some of these Polish people were made to do!! Ever wondered why he retreated and lived life how he did?? Maybe he thought he deserved to live like that as a form of punishment. Who knows? But he chose to live his days in solitude and did no one any harm. Wolverhampton people grew to love a stranger they did not know. A sad loss to Wolverhampton and a credit to how you can live your life without possessions. He will be sadly missed.
Most of these comments are lovely to see, that people did care…
Starting to get a feeling like it’s Wolverhamptons very own Princess Di, with a lot of emotional outpouring - nice.
I don’t live there anymore but make sure he has a decent funeral and a bloody good turn out!!
Dave.
MY HUSBANDS GRANDFATHER FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR 1 AND 2 AND WHEN HE DIED HE GOT NO MEMORIAL SO WHAT DID FRED DO THAT WAS SO SPECIAL THAT MR R KEMP DID NOT DO AND MR R KEMP FOUGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY NOT SOMEONE ELSES. IT IS A SHAME WHEN SOMEONE DIES BUT EVERYBODY DOES WHY SHOULD WE ALL GO OUT OF OUR WAY TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL WHEN HE DIDNT EVEN WANT ANYTHING WHEN HE WAS ALIVE SO I THINK IF PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO DO A FUND FOR HIS MEMORIAL THEY SHOULD BUT THE COUNCIL HAS OTHER ISSUES WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE ALIVE AND WHO HAVE FOUGHT FOR US TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY ALIVE THINK ABOUT ALL THE OAPS WHO NEED OUR HELP AND ARE TRUE TO THIS COUNTRY. HE WAS NO SAINT A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE WILL DO
I only ever saw hia tent from time 2 time and i dont think i hardly saw him either. i heard rumours he was rich and it was originally his family’s land that the ring road was built on and he refused to 2 leave, which is why he remained there for 30 years.
Will definetley be missed by Wolverhampton.
I found out this old man had died watching BBC World this morning here in Mexico. I grew up close by in Wolves - everyone knew about him but I didn’t know why he was there, till now.
Does it matter if he was part of the SS or not. When are the people of today going to let the war that many of us were nothing to do with just fade into the past and live the lives we have today?
I was born in Wolvo although I do not live there now. I remember Fred/Jusef/Joseph/Jo or whatever you know him by. I saw him ofetn and in a way envied his life. Inner peace,freedom. Maybe we all should take a leaf from his book and worry about what is important rather than what we assume is important.
If the world had more people like him we would benefit instead of having opinionated,vile,poisoness,backstabbing people that we seem to all live by in todays society.
God Bless Fred
If your memory helps one person to change their ways then your price has been paid for whatever you may or may not have done.
In my eyes you were a man of honour.
May you rest alongside those who lost their lives in the war for you surely lost yours then too.
Only saw Fred the other week cleaning the street with his brush.
If Wolves council let the man stop there 30 years and are willing to fund his funeral he deserves to be honoured by the City by way of a statue or some kind of memorial on the ring road.
I Think fred should have the best funeral ever and a great memorial left where he lived.He swept every day round where he lived.Hope he is now at rest.I know like other people of wolverhampton and surrounding areas that my husband and myself would like to attend his funeral if at all possible.So rest in peace fred,we will never forget u.xxx
although i never knew “Fred”, i had read a lot about him, and grew to like and admire him.
i was always taught that if you could not say anything good about a person, then say nothing at all, and never speak ill of the dead, a thing that cannot be said of all these people saying nasty things about the man’s life, and the way he chose to live it. goodbye Fred, may you rest in peace.
I think all the back stabbing about fred should stop.Everybody as done something wrong in their life,and how he chose to live his life was up to him.So leave him alone and let him rest in peace now that he as gone.R.I.P mate.xxx
Can please Fred be a proper person even he doesn’t exist any more , he was an angel like other martyr.
could please the council and the temple always remember him.
fred - you lived happily in the city for some 30years and were a true character - little more of you is known apart from what the media have mentioned - it would be nice to try and trace this individuals life story and write a book about his life story - any imformation unknown would be very appreciated and would in my eyes be a fantastic read - god bless fred and we all hope you are sweeping up the leaves happily in gods garden - all the best old mate - you may be gone but you will never be forgotten
May ‘Fred’s’ soul rest in peace. If anyone is really interested in reading about a true WW2 hero, they might like to read about St. Maximilian Kolbe, also a Pole.
during WW2 the SSWaffen did recruit members of the countries in the occupied territories. In the early years these were young men and women enthusiastic to the cause .They were not however given full SS status .Although it is well documented that countries such as Latvia , Lithuania, Estonia , Norway, Hungary and others had organisations of this kind , I am not aware of any Polish corp. in the latter years of the war following the Russian westward advance, the Germans may well have recruited or perhaps coerced is a better word , a number of young Poles to fight against the advancing Russian armies .These recruits are not considered to be war criminals under international law and are given the status of ordinary soldiers.If Josef was one of these unfortunates then there is a possibility that he may well have been captured and jailed by the Russians .Finally there is no historical evidence to suggest that any members of these “occupied groups ” had anything to do with the extermination programmes carried out by the Nazis. Hitler and his SS cronies simply did not trust “foreigners ” to carry out such a task .
I lived in Bilston until 1978 I was wondering if he was the tramp that used to walk from wolverhampton to bilston and always had 2 dogs with him.I came back to w’ton for a holiday and saw fred in the centre medium. I hope he gets a good send off.
R.I.P Fred
I remember seeing Fred and his tent in the early 90’s. Kudos to Wolverhampton for allowing Fred to live the life he chose in peace for so many years. May he find eternal peace.
“Talking to BBC News, Mr Leonowicz, who was 15 when the war ended, said: “He did serve in the German army. He was in the SS and was not one of the nicest chaps in the SS. I know he was in the SS because I SPOKE TO A FRIEND OF HIS and apparently he was very proud he was in the SS.”
WHERES THE PROOF… AND WHY SAY NASTY THINGS NOW… WASNT THIS MAN DESCRIBING HIMSELF AS A FRIEND!!!!
I moved away from Wolves many years ago, but grew up in wolves upuntil my early 20’s. I always looked for his tend whenever I drove past and still do whenever I visit my folks…Wolverhampton has lost a icon and He’ll never be forgoten. Fred is now a part of Wolverhampotons History..Rest in peace Fred.
i used to love driveing past and trying to spot old fred when i was a kid! my dad would take us that way home just so we could have a look!what a great way to live ur life no council tax, free grub and a huge smelly beard!cant be all bad. all these people who say he was a bad person should think about how he ended up like he did, arnt we all just one pay cheque away from bein home less it can happen to anyone!! R.I.P old fred
He never actually commited an act of kindness to anyone. I will be disgusted if a memorial is erected to him.
He was just a tramp who lived in a bush. There are a great deal of people out there who live and work and actually give something back to society who never even get a mention.
He got to sponge off this country for years pity he didn’t do something worthwhile.
Just turf over that god awful mess and lets forget his miserable sad existence.
Is this the best Wolverhampton can be proud of? Of course not.
i would like to start off by sayin a great big farewell to fred.
i live in wolverhampton and i pass fred’s tent every time i go to molyneux to watch the wolves.
but now he is gone i have realised that a massive part of wolverhampton is gone too.
i will be writing to the fa to require a minutes silence for good old fred at the next home match at molyneux
At the end of the day most people who fought in the world wars were ‘conscripted’. For those of you who don’t know, that means they had no choice but to be recruited into the army, otherwise they would be sent to prison and branded as lazy, a traitor to their country etc etc. This also happened to the Polish, as it has been mentioned here already. No-one really knows ‘Fred’s’ story, however it’s more than likely that he saw so many atrocities, if he really WAS a war vet, that it would have deeply affected him both mentally and emotionally. Who knows what kind of memories and nightmares he had to battle with day and night. He does deserve a memorial or some kind of memory, as do all the other vets who get remembered on Poppy day etc. I bet no-one bothers to remember the german soldiers who were FORCED to fight? So many people forget that often wars are fought by the people who didn’t want to fight, and wars are ALWAYS caused by the people who will NEVER fight. ‘Fred’ is being remembered in exactly the right way - hopefully now he has found some kind of happiness and has been released from his torment.
right ledgend he was tbh,
i remember walking down to see him one day fair play to him living in that tent all those years man, everyone loved him and everyone knew who he was :D.
R.I.P fred babe
x
[…] Fred’s life in picturesWestmidlands.com - I lived in Bilston until 1978 I was wondering if he was the tramp that used to walk from wolverhampton to bilston and always had 2 dogs with him.I came back to w’ton for a holiday and saw fred in the centre medium. […]
The week in pictures 
Stars at the Symphony Hall 
Simple Minds and Deacon Blue at the NEC 
Thunder rock the Civic Hall 
Young Voices at the NIA 
95 Comments
I can`t belive all that rubish was in that tent what a way to live,
Its a sad loss for wolverhampton, RIP Fred.
If Fred was such a much-loved figure of Wolverhampton, why exactly did he still live in a tent?
jools
Take a look and you’ll see lots more rubbish in your own house than what Fred ever had, talk about pot calling kettle black.
Rob from what i’ve heard it was self exile
To Rob Banks, have you not read any of the stories on either this website or on facebook or even on Midlands Today last night, he lived this way because he wanted to this was his way, he was offered housing by the council many times and didn’t want to live in a house due to (possibly)something that affected him in the war. He was very well looked after in his way with local people leaving food, clothing and even new tents from time to time and he had medical help as and when he needed it.
So for anybody else who wants to point the finger about why he was treated this way and why nobody helped read the stories before you comment.
I would say most of Wolverhampton’s residents remember Fred with very kind thoughts and happy memories he was an icon in this City and everybody had a great respect for him.
if he was a ss man no pity from me ask the souls he and his scum killed to forgive him
I remember a few years ago, the council offered him a home, but he refused - he wanted to stay where he was.
Sad that Wolverhampton’s eccentric characters like the Sisco Kid, Fred, are all being replaced with hoodies and yobs.. welcome to the ASBO generation.
i was brought up in wolverhampton, fred was a real character, he will be sadly missed. i wonder though what sort of funeral he will get. lets bury him with some dignity
I wonder what Josef had gone through in that Russian prison camp- living outside on the ring road must have been his sanctuary- i hope he has found his inner peace now- i am glad he was allowed to live there- good people.
There was a feature on ‘Fred’ just a few months ago and I believe, if I remember rightly, that it is suspected that he was co-opted into the German Army as many Poles were at the time. Maybe they will run the feature again. I agree with those who feel that a memorial of some kind should be erected.I remember seeing Fred about as long as I have memories of Wolverhampton, and actually admire Wolverhampton City Council for allowing him to stay in his tent, and even helping look after him. If this situation arose afresh these days I am sure that there would be far too many reasons found to not leave well alone, health & safety et. etc. etc. RIP Fred
God Bless Fred
Maybe fred felt safe were he chose to be. Can we, say that in this day and age?
i was in w-ton last week and i went past the tent with my kids. and i was telling them the story about fred god bless fred
o mad that s sad he was safe i cant belived he died RIP FRED
aww it is a shame on the bloke he got offered a home but he rufused the home bless
Fred probably did what many of the “Polish” refugees from WW2 did. They did it to survive. What would we do in similar circumstances?
Fred was an example that the personal effects of the wars are far from over.
May he now find peace.
Aww It Was A Sham 4 Him He Gone 2 A Better Place Hold It “gether I Will See You In Heven
its a a shame that he died
he was safe he helped people clean the streets
rip man
y did he refuse the home ???
ill miss him so said kallum
Fred probably did what many of the “Polish” refugees from WW2 did. They did it to survive. What would we do in similar circumstances?
Fred was an example that the personal effects of the wars are far from over.
May he now find peace.
Fred never spoke much about anything, even to the man who claims to be one of his closest friends
Fred probably did what many of the “Polish” refugees from WW2 did. They did it to survive. What would we do in similar circumstances?
Fred was an example that the personal effects of the wars are far from over.
May he now find peace.
I feel sorry for the poor bloke.i carnt understand why he refused all them houses,he never meant to harm any1.peace be with him all the way.
If it is established he was part of the SS i do not feel there should be any memorial. If this isn’t established then like anybody else he deserves to be buried with dignety. I will hold back on any other comments until the full story is known as i feel it woulld have a great bearing on how he is to be to looked upon.
I canot believe the posts why is it a sad loss for wolverhampton is that our identity a “Tramp” God help us if it is.
Looking for Fred’s tent, and …even more thrilling …a rare sighting of the man himself was a must for our small daughter Anna on visits from Kent over the years. She’s now 20, and sad to hear he has died.
It was good that he was allowed to stay in his chosen spot for so many years without the health and safety zealots moving him on.
Hi Jools,
What do you mean “what a way to live”.The nicely dressed people from posh houses dropped all the crap on the streets that Fred had in his tent.
Out of sight, out of mind, eh?
Awwww its so sad
I loved the tramp my dad used to drive past his tent so i could see him and the once we drove past about 7 times because he was out sweeping the roads :)! I want to go to his funeral! x
i think some children as school reps should be aloud to go to the funeral. a plack should be put up for him. no 1 can keep the ring road clean like him. bless.
What a good story for a film Fred’s life would make. From SS officer to ringroad Asian Holy man.
Remember I said it first.
I really hope Fred has a good funeral, as he never did anyone any harm and just lived his life the way he wishes. Can’t believe some of the comments about him, he was obviously more popular than these bitter people will ever be. Rest in peace FRED.
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! its such a shame!
i cant believe he’s dead!
aaaaaaaaaaaah!!! omg!
bless himm ):
proper shame likeee
legend
glad he’ll be rememberred (:!
i love you freddy!
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
How sad it is to hear about Fred (the Wolverhampton ring-road tramp), May he be at peace.
How soon the council have steped in, to clear away his home. I wonder how long it takes them to clear out a house after death? Not this quick I bet.
RIP Fred!
i hope his funeral is a guddun!
he deserves it!
aah!
I am From America and just seen Fred on October 28th raking leaves. I was saddened to hear about this when i returned home. God Bless Fred in his new found home.
its sad now fred has gone i have been passed his tent so meny times ive seen him in the street sweeping its is sad god bless fred
Having read all the comments i think it boils down to one thing, Fred put his life on the line in the war so people like us could have a better life in the future, as far as i am concerned he was welcome to live where he wanted, he was happy living where he was and was looked after by the good people of Wolverhampton and by the council, he even contributed in his own small way by keeping the streets as clean as he could, good on ya Fred and you rest in peace
he was a sweet old man and didn’t do any harm to any body. it was sad when he died. REST IN PEACE xxx
The tramp was a good helpful man who didn’t trouble anyone. I’m sad he has died.I hope he is happy in heaven.
a remarkable man who opted to live life as he saw fit, one of wolverhamptons icons, who everybody knew, but nobody knew anything about,
society dreamed up the SS rumours to discredit the man,
wheres the proof ? there isnt any
GOD BLESS FRED
R.I.P.
Sorry to see him die, use to pass him every morning on the way to work, even saw him take a dump outside a few times, will deeply miss him !
I find it really sad that on a page dedicated to Fred and his memory that people are quick to start calling him “scum” and making light with little more than hear-say.
I’m proud of Fred for doing what he did, for not turning into what the rest of this society have become and for doing what he wanted, not conforming to any governement - if only the rest of us could be so brave.
If Fred was really in such a dire situation I doubt he would’ve lived to the ripe old age of nearly 87, most do not get so long even in the best comforts. It just goes to prove that a bit of dirt never hurt anybody!
You can’t force anyone to live a life they don’t want to, hence the reason Fred never did live in a council house, and if someone wants to live that way why should the council or anybody else be put as “to blame” for that persons own actions - I sometimes think people in our lovely society think they should have a nursemaid because they can’t be held accountable for their own actions, heaven forbid!
But anyway - for Fred, RIP, you will be missed by all and were a landmark to Wolves - things will never be quite the same again. X
The ring road now, will not be the same without good ‘ol Fred sweeping the leaves. RIP
We all love(d) Fred because our society has gone to hell in its pursuit of material wealth and comfort. We need someone to remind us of how vulnerable we really are. Someone remarked on ‘all the rubbish’ but look at your own life and see how much unneccessary crap you live with.
It’s easy to like Fred. But ask yourself, if he was living next door to you would you feel the same?
Was Fred your neighbour? Really? Think about it and face up to all this hypocrisy.
I remember from a young age seeing the tent and Fred sweeping his leaves im now 24 and hearing of his death came as a shock as he has been there for many years and not caused anyone any problems, it doesnt matter about his past 50 / 60 yrs ago half of us probably wasnt around then so forget wat happend years ago. I focus on the memories he has brought to the city, my aunt used to leave a bottle of brandy for him @ xmas outside his tent, he is a icon of the city and who will be sadly missed but never forgotten, R.I.P Fred, p.s Wolverhampton Council should sort out a memoriel in the city centre or in his favourite spot on the ring road.
A true character who was accepted by the city, Fred was a part of Wolverhampton, a memorial stone should be placed at the site where he lived for so long.
All this conjecture about Fred being S.S is unsubstantiated and should be taken with a pinch of salt.
If he chose to serve some form of penance by living as he did then he had more soul than some of those snide insidious commentators that spoke against him and his chosen lifestyle..hoorah for non conformism!
i was always amazed at how he could live like that, something bad must have happened to him for him to change so drastically, its a sad loss to our city
R.I.P X
from the time i came to live in wolverhampton 23 years ago, Josef, and his lifestyle was a fascination to me. On every single journey along the road by his tent,in all those years, I never missed, to send a silent greeting to him!!As my children grew, they also became fascinated with catching a glimpse of the tent, or if they were really lucky, a glimpse of Josef himself, when we drove past.Many, many years of watching out for him. We will miss that old scruffy tent!!!A legend!!
Its such a shame, poor man. rest in peace fred. you will be missed by alot of people. Good Night soilder and sleep well.
Its such a shame, poor man. rest in peace fred. you will be missed by alot of people. Good Night and sleep well.
rest in peace for ever god bless you luv paul gilchrist xxx
rest in peace may god bless you we all love you cassandra xxx
R.I.P Fred,
I am proud of Fred as he kept his self to him self, he never caused no harm 2 no1 if anyfink people brought harm to him, Fred may of bin named as “the TRAMP of Wolverhamptom” but people look at yourselves do you brush the streets and keep the enviroment clean the way Fred did “NO” I hope Fred gets a good send off as she deserves it…
R.I.P Fred xx
He does not deserve a memorial????? What tosh!!!! He may have had to be SS, if you knwo history you may be aware of what some of these Polish people were made to do!! Ever wondered why he retreated and lived life how he did?? Maybe he thought he deserved to live like that as a form of punishment. Who knows? But he chose to live his days in solitude and did no one any harm. Wolverhampton people grew to love a stranger they did not know. A sad loss to Wolverhampton and a credit to how you can live your life without possessions. He will be sadly missed.
Most of these comments are lovely to see, that people did care…
Starting to get a feeling like it’s Wolverhamptons very own Princess Di, with a lot of emotional outpouring - nice.
I don’t live there anymore but make sure he has a decent funeral and a bloody good turn out!!
Dave.
Deano, Unless you are German you,ve missed the point..it was,nt for us that he put his life on the line…..i will still miss him though..
MY HUSBANDS GRANDFATHER FOUGHT IN WORLD WAR 1 AND 2 AND WHEN HE DIED HE GOT NO MEMORIAL SO WHAT DID FRED DO THAT WAS SO SPECIAL THAT MR R KEMP DID NOT DO AND MR R KEMP FOUGHT FOR OUR COUNTRY NOT SOMEONE ELSES. IT IS A SHAME WHEN SOMEONE DIES BUT EVERYBODY DOES WHY SHOULD WE ALL GO OUT OF OUR WAY TO DO SOMETHING SPECIAL WHEN HE DIDNT EVEN WANT ANYTHING WHEN HE WAS ALIVE SO I THINK IF PEOPLE WOULD LIKE TO DO A FUND FOR HIS MEMORIAL THEY SHOULD BUT THE COUNCIL HAS OTHER ISSUES WITH PEOPLE WHO ARE ALIVE AND WHO HAVE FOUGHT FOR US TO KEEP THIS COUNTRY ALIVE THINK ABOUT ALL THE OAPS WHO NEED OUR HELP AND ARE TRUE TO THIS COUNTRY. HE WAS NO SAINT A NEWSPAPER ARTICLE WILL DO
I only ever saw hia tent from time 2 time and i dont think i hardly saw him either. i heard rumours he was rich and it was originally his family’s land that the ring road was built on and he refused to 2 leave, which is why he remained there for 30 years.
Will definetley be missed by Wolverhampton.
R.I.P Fred
I found out this old man had died watching BBC World this morning here in Mexico. I grew up close by in Wolves - everyone knew about him but I didn’t know why he was there, till now.
wolverhampton will not be the same without him, driving on the ring road and not see his tent, goodnight and god bless fred ,rip.
they should build a monument of a tent in memory of fred so the road will always look the same.
R.I.P Fred xxx
Lived in Wolves all my life, he was just part of the Town. Will be missed.
The ring road will be weird without him. I bet it won’t be as clean either!
RIP Fred!
I think this is a shame. I have aways wondered how hed survive but id never thought tha t he might die. God Bless Fred
Does it matter if he was part of the SS or not. When are the people of today going to let the war that many of us were nothing to do with just fade into the past and live the lives we have today?
I was born in Wolvo although I do not live there now. I remember Fred/Jusef/Joseph/Jo or whatever you know him by. I saw him ofetn and in a way envied his life. Inner peace,freedom. Maybe we all should take a leaf from his book and worry about what is important rather than what we assume is important.
If the world had more people like him we would benefit instead of having opinionated,vile,poisoness,backstabbing people that we seem to all live by in todays society.
God Bless Fred
If your memory helps one person to change their ways then your price has been paid for whatever you may or may not have done.
In my eyes you were a man of honour.
May you rest alongside those who lost their lives in the war for you surely lost yours then too.
Best Wishes
Pete
Only saw Fred the other week cleaning the street with his brush.
If Wolves council let the man stop there 30 years and are willing to fund his funeral he deserves to be honoured by the City by way of a statue or some kind of memorial on the ring road.
R.I.P. Fred
To the Council - Please lets give Fred a respectful service and a memorial. Thanks to the council for their understanding.
its very sad news,he was a really nice person,wolverhampton will not be the same anymore,he will never be forgotton rip fred.x
I Think fred should have the best funeral ever and a great memorial left where he lived.He swept every day round where he lived.Hope he is now at rest.I know like other people of wolverhampton and surrounding areas that my husband and myself would like to attend his funeral if at all possible.So rest in peace fred,we will never forget u.xxx
although i never knew “Fred”, i had read a lot about him, and grew to like and admire him.
i was always taught that if you could not say anything good about a person, then say nothing at all, and never speak ill of the dead, a thing that cannot be said of all these people saying nasty things about the man’s life, and the way he chose to live it. goodbye Fred, may you rest in peace.
we love you, and will miss you dearly my old friend x
I think all the back stabbing about fred should stop.Everybody as done something wrong in their life,and how he chose to live his life was up to him.So leave him alone and let him rest in peace now that he as gone.R.I.P mate.xxx
Can please Fred be a proper person even he doesn’t exist any more , he was an angel like other martyr.
could please the council and the temple always remember him.
fred - you lived happily in the city for some 30years and were a true character - little more of you is known apart from what the media have mentioned - it would be nice to try and trace this individuals life story and write a book about his life story - any imformation unknown would be very appreciated and would in my eyes be a fantastic read - god bless fred and we all hope you are sweeping up the leaves happily in gods garden - all the best old mate - you may be gone but you will never be forgotten
May ‘Fred’s’ soul rest in peace. If anyone is really interested in reading about a true WW2 hero, they might like to read about St. Maximilian Kolbe, also a Pole.
LEGEND! RIP you wonderful eccentic! x
during WW2 the SSWaffen did recruit members of the countries in the occupied territories. In the early years these were young men and women enthusiastic to the cause .They were not however given full SS status .Although it is well documented that countries such as Latvia , Lithuania, Estonia , Norway, Hungary and others had organisations of this kind , I am not aware of any Polish corp. in the latter years of the war following the Russian westward advance, the Germans may well have recruited or perhaps coerced is a better word , a number of young Poles to fight against the advancing Russian armies .These recruits are not considered to be war criminals under international law and are given the status of ordinary soldiers.If Josef was one of these unfortunates then there is a possibility that he may well have been captured and jailed by the Russians .Finally there is no historical evidence to suggest that any members of these “occupied groups ” had anything to do with the extermination programmes carried out by the Nazis. Hitler and his SS cronies simply did not trust “foreigners ” to carry out such a task .
I lived in Bilston until 1978 I was wondering if he was the tramp that used to walk from wolverhampton to bilston and always had 2 dogs with him.I came back to w’ton for a holiday and saw fred in the centre medium. I hope he gets a good send off.
R.I.P Fred
I remember seeing Fred and his tent in the early 90’s. Kudos to Wolverhampton for allowing Fred to live the life he chose in peace for so many years. May he find eternal peace.
I do not think it is fair to associate Fred with the SS.
Even if he was associated with the German Army, do you not think he has payed his due emotionally by living a life of solitude for 30 years?
I believe he deserves as memorial just for that reason.
RIP Fred, you will be sorely missed for a long time to come.
Anyone who resides in Wton for 30 years deserves a medal definatly, Its like the Gaza Strip.
TOTAL HEARSAY….
“Talking to BBC News, Mr Leonowicz, who was 15 when the war ended, said: “He did serve in the German army. He was in the SS and was not one of the nicest chaps in the SS. I know he was in the SS because I SPOKE TO A FRIEND OF HIS and apparently he was very proud he was in the SS.”
WHERES THE PROOF… AND WHY SAY NASTY THINGS NOW… WASNT THIS MAN DESCRIBING HIMSELF AS A FRIEND!!!!
I moved away from Wolves many years ago, but grew up in wolves upuntil my early 20’s. I always looked for his tend whenever I drove past and still do whenever I visit my folks…Wolverhampton has lost a icon and He’ll never be forgoten. Fred is now a part of Wolverhampotons History..Rest in peace Fred.
i used to love driveing past and trying to spot old fred when i was a kid! my dad would take us that way home just so we could have a look!what a great way to live ur life no council tax, free grub and a huge smelly beard!cant be all bad. all these people who say he was a bad person should think about how he ended up like he did, arnt we all just one pay cheque away from bein home less it can happen to anyone!! R.I.P old fred
Rrrrrr
It Propa Sad I Used To Go Past Him Every Day It Is A Sad Loss For Wolvo
R.I.P Fred We All Love You =]
xxx
He did nothing for anyone except for himself.
He never actually commited an act of kindness to anyone. I will be disgusted if a memorial is erected to him.
He was just a tramp who lived in a bush. There are a great deal of people out there who live and work and actually give something back to society who never even get a mention.
He got to sponge off this country for years pity he didn’t do something worthwhile.
Just turf over that god awful mess and lets forget his miserable sad existence.
Is this the best Wolverhampton can be proud of? Of course not.
Hey Craig, i’d love to see u live 30 years out there. Bet u couldn’t even last 30 seconds.
Give Josef some respect would ya, he lived his life the way he wanted to live it and nobody has the right to say he shouldn’t have lived there.
Like i said before i’d like to see u last 30 years out there.
Such a shame to lose Fred to pneumonia,
God Bless and R.I.P Josef
i would like to start off by sayin a great big farewell to fred.
i live in wolverhampton and i pass fred’s tent every time i go to molyneux to watch the wolves.
but now he is gone i have realised that a massive part of wolverhampton is gone too.
i will be writing to the fa to require a minutes silence for good old fred at the next home match at molyneux
farewell fred. xxx
we will all miss you
At the end of the day most people who fought in the world wars were ‘conscripted’. For those of you who don’t know, that means they had no choice but to be recruited into the army, otherwise they would be sent to prison and branded as lazy, a traitor to their country etc etc. This also happened to the Polish, as it has been mentioned here already. No-one really knows ‘Fred’s’ story, however it’s more than likely that he saw so many atrocities, if he really WAS a war vet, that it would have deeply affected him both mentally and emotionally. Who knows what kind of memories and nightmares he had to battle with day and night. He does deserve a memorial or some kind of memory, as do all the other vets who get remembered on Poppy day etc. I bet no-one bothers to remember the german soldiers who were FORCED to fight? So many people forget that often wars are fought by the people who didn’t want to fight, and wars are ALWAYS caused by the people who will NEVER fight. ‘Fred’ is being remembered in exactly the right way - hopefully now he has found some kind of happiness and has been released from his torment.
right ledgend he was tbh,
i remember walking down to see him one day fair play to him living in that tent all those years man, everyone loved him and everyone knew who he was :D.
R.I.P fred babe
x
AWWW
RIP X
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