Good afternoon Gentlemen.. as you may or may not know, the Channel Islands were occupied from 1940 - 45 and was the only British soil so to be.. I'm wondering If anyone has any wehrpass , soldbush or ID documents for the forces stationed in our Islands...I would be very Interested in any thing you can turn up...I have a complete(official) listing of the forces stationed here(except concentration camp personnel), so If you have any queries to do with the CI, don't hesitate in getting in contact..
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Hi John, I have a wehrpass to a Lieutenant who trained as a Fortress Pioneer Engineer and transferred to Festungs-Pionerstab 11 in January 1943 and served with the unit through to December of the same year, which was based at the Channel Islands, you never know he may have had something to do with the emplacement in your photograph.
Cheers
Ian -
Hi Ian, Thanks for that.. should you ever want to let go of it, please let me know..For your reference I've attached the part of the listings to do with this mans unit,including his feld post #Comment
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Channel Islands
Hello John,
I possess in my collection two Soldbuch relative to the Channel Islands :
Soldbuch
IR 642
IR 584
Art. Rgts Stab z.b. V. 720
HKB 472
HKAR on 1265
Soldbuch
IR 378
IR 583
Cordial greetings.
Polux
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Post Tenebras LuxComment
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Hi Polux, thank you very much for the Information.. I've attached part of the offical listings on one of the units and will research the rest on my return at the weekend..Comment
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Hello, I have a great interest in the occupation of the Channel Islands and been trying to find a list of the units based there, for many years. I wonder if you would mind emailing me a full copy of your document. I would be most grateful.
Stephen
stephenrevill@hotmail.comComment
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Excerpts from a letter from Unteroffizier Fritz Drehinger 2./Festungs Batl. 40 stationed on one of the Channel Islandsthe I translated and published in my magazine, Kriegsberichter.
, “13. January 1942, Dear Parents…for the past two days we also have had real Winter weather. I mean a cold east wind blows over the island and carries with it small snowflakes…Will this 3rd “War Winter” be any better that it’s two predecessors?…In spite of everything, I thank the Lord that I still have you, my dear parents and that both of you are in such good health. This is the best gift one can receive. I am doing find and I can not complain about a thing. As you can see, I have modernized and am beginning to use the typewriter, but the progress is slow. Then again, no one was born a master of a certain subject. And I certainly am no longer the youngest, but my heart and nature are that of a 21-year-old. This is certainly an inherited from both of you. I think so much about your business – if you have anything to sell, because I know that the scarcity of products is becoming more acute. I worry far more about your situation that my career. I don’t really care. Why should I worry about university?…I am in any case proud that I can be a soldier and can do my modest part to build the New Europa. We sit here on the foremost front line pitted against the main guilty parties of this war. If I am not wrong, the peace won’t last too long. In the end the British and Americans must make their move on the “Europafront”. When and where this will take place, we do not know. We are very well prepared. One this is clear. This will be a hard battle and everything else than a quick decision. The prospects of my wearing the field gray tunic for a while longer are good. Our current position here will certainly not be the last one in this war.
I have to close now, the mail is about the be collected. Stay well and warm greetings to you all from your son, Fritz.
P.S. This letter will have a really stormy journey across the Channel.”
I have quite a few of his letters translated....
Erich CraciunComment
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