Description
Object description
German NCO served with 5th Parachute Regt, 1st Parachute Div, German Air Force in France, 1/1942-11/1942; served with 5th Parachute Regt Kampfgruppe Koch in Tunisia, 12/1942-4/1943; prisoner of war in Camp Clinton, Clinton, Camp Blanding, Clay County and Camp Howze, Gainesville, United States of America, 8/1943-4/1946; prisoner of war in No 23 Camp, Sudbury and No 116 Camp, Hill Hall, Epping in GB, 1946-1947
Content description
REEL 1 Background in Stolp, Germany, 1924-1931: family; education. Aspects of period as schoolchild in Stolp, Germany, 1931-1941: Royal Air Force raid on Stettin, 1940; activities with Hitler Youth; living conditions in Germany during 1930s; sight of Nazi-Communist street fight in Stolp, 1931-1932; interest in archaeology; reaction to outbreak of Second World War, 1/9/1939; German attitude towards massacre at Bromberg, 3/9/1939; lack of effects of war, 1939-1940; father's attitude towards him becoming paratrooper, 1941. Aspects of airborne training with German Air Force in France, 1941-1942: call-up, 8/1941; arrival in Meuberge; attitude of French civilians to German presence, 8/1941-12/1941; qualifying as parachutist, 12/1941.
REEL 2 Continues: Aspects of period as paratrooper with 5th Parachute Regt, 1st Parachute Div, German Air Force in France, 1/1942-11/1942: posting to regiment in Normandy, 1/1942; posting to motorcycle unit; parachute training at Châteaudun, 7/1942; comradeship in unit; incident of rescuing a child from drowning in River Loire; relations with French civilians in Brécy; coastal defence work with motorcycle unit; alert over Operation Jubilee, the raid on Dieppe, 19/8/1942; lack of public awareness of Bruneval Raid, 2/1942; training for proposed air drop on Malta; hearing news of Allied landings in North Africa, 9/11/1942. Recollections of operations as NCO with 5th Parachute Regt, Kampfgruppe Koch in Tunisia, 12/1942-4/1943: flight to Tunis, 11/1942; aid German forces received from police force in Tunis; British 2nd Bn Parachute Regt's parachute drop at Depienne, 29/11/1942.
REEL 3 Continues: escape of German paratroopers through British lines disguised as Arabs; organisation of response to British 2nd Bn Parachute Regt's parachute drop at Depienne, 29/11/1942; Major John Frost's measures to protect his wounded; role of British paratroopers under Dennis Rendell; condition of British paratroopers attempting to get back to own lines; story of capture of second in command of British 2nd Bn Parachute Regt; aid given to Germans by Arabs; hearing of British presence at farm near Depienne; narrow escape at farm from being shot by Dennis Rendell; British shooting of Arab looters at Cactus Farm; German puzzlement at Major John Frost's hunting horn; reasons for award of Italian War Cross, 12/1942; move to Tebourba area; forcing of 2nd Bn London Irish Rifles from positions.
REEL 4 Continues: unit attack at Bou Arada, 11/1/1943; infiltrating British lines; start of battle of Steamroller Farm, 2/1943; wounding in foot whilst rescuing wounded British soldier; award of Iron Cross for act, 20/2/1943; move to Goubellat in Medjez-el-Bab area; role as runner; German attack at Peter's Corner, 4/1943; British casualties at Peter's Corner; destruction of 12th Royal Tank Regt; wounding in leg, 26/4/1943; his capture of Allied plans for attack on Tunis and award of Iron Cross; narrow escape from explosion; second wounding in leg; Allied bombing of hospital ships.
REEL 5 Continues: Royal Air Force bombing tactics at Tunis, 5/1943; arrival of British armoured car unit at hospital, 5/1943. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Tunisia and French Algeria, 1943: sight of battlefield at Cactus Farm, Tunisia; question of British organisation of prisoner of war transport; opinion of handling of wounded prisoners of war; lack of staple foods at Philippeville, French Algeria; transfer to American guards at Oran, French Algeria; treatment in camp at Mascara, French Algeria. Aspects of journey from French Algeria to United States of America, 8/1943: embarkation of prisoners of war at Oran, French Algeria; arrival in New York, United States of America; delousing in New Jersey, United States of America, 8/1943; character of train journey from New Jersey to Mississippi, United States of America, 8/1943. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in Camp Clinton, Clinton, Mississippi, United States of America: 1943-1944; medical treatment in camp hospital.
REEL 6 Continues: camp facilities; local fire brigade's dousing of prisoner of war protesters, 1944; visits to camp by high ranking German prisoner of war; attitude of prisoners of war to news of Allied landings in Normandy, France, D-Day, 6/6/1944; arrival of first letter from home, 11/1943; question of speed with which prisoner of war mail reached home; work prisoners of war required to do. Recollections of period as prisoner of war at Camp Blanding, Clay County, Florida, United States of America, 1944-1946: move to camp and accommodation for paratrooper prisoners of war; work regime; change in prisoner of war status on VE Day, 8/5/1945; question of systematic starving of prisoners of war from 8/5/1945; how black American civilians smuggled food to prisoners of war after 8/5/1945; sleep deprivation of prisoners of war; removal of goods from prisoner of war shop; restrictions on communications with Germany; question of forcing of prisoners of war to watch films of concentration camps, 1945; sabotaging of attempts to indoctrinate prisoners of war; physical condition; gratitude towards black American civilians in providing prisoners of war with food.
REEL 7 Continues: Aspects of period as prisoner of war at Camp Howze, Gainesville, Texas, United States of America, 1946: black market trading with collusion of guards at Gainesville; selling machine gun to civilians; voyage from United States of America to GB, 4/1946. Recollections of period as prisoner of war in No 23 Camp, Sudbury and No 116 Camp, Hill Hall, Epping in GB, 1946-1947: initial impressions of arrival in GB; move to No 23 Camp, Sudbury; reaction of prisoners of war to being told they were to stay in GB and not return to Germany; relations between prisoners of war and Polish guards at No 23 Camp, Sudbury; move to Bishop's Stortford; move to No 116 Hill Hall Camp, Epping; work he did at No 116 Hill Hall Camp, Epping; discovery of fate of father, family and population of Pomerania; living conditions at No 116 Hill Hall Camp, Epping; relations between German prisoners of war and British civilians; political classification of prisoners of war.
REEL 8 Continues: story of being classified as C Grade and how he got himself reclassified as B Grade to stay in GB; reasons for wanting to stay in GB, 1947. Aspects of civilian life and employment in GB, 1947-1999: reasons for not being fit for agricultural work; visit to Ministry of Labour doctor, autumn 1947; aid of Member of Parliament Norman Dodds to obtain work in printing trade; work in printing trade in Crayford; contact with Member of Parliament Edward Heath from 1949; involvement with European Common Market movement; connections with British veterans organisations.
REEL 9 Continues: his work for reconciliation of former Second World War adversaries; contact with Victoria Cross holders; prior recollection of premonition of accidental death of paratrooper in France, 8/1942; contacts with No 6 Commando veterans; prior recollection of gift of beer from French brewery in Tunisia, 1943; memories of singing song 'Lili Marlene' from 1941; reasons for not going to western Germany in 1947; attitude to boundary changes in Eastern Europe from 1945; contacts with Polish ex-servicemen in Western Europe; dealing with false allegation of Polish atrocity at Monte Cassino, Italy, 1944; organisation of German paratrooper veterans.
