Raider Kormoran

[Martin W]

Thanks for that additional information Joe.

Regards,Martin.

[compressore]

Fantastic Colani! Wow. what a truly historic piece.


I LOVE the then and now photos and all of the additional shots of artifacts.

This has been a real joy to read and review! Thanks.

Christian: Perhaps some additional information for you. The following is what I have in my Hilfskreuzer Crewman Database for Emmerich.

Verwaltungsmaat (Sv) Edgar Erich Helmut Emmerich. Born: 31-Jan-1916. Marinestammrollen Nummer: N 0733/37 S. Verwaltungsobermaat (Sv) on 01 Sep 1942. Australian POW #42127. One of the 70 KORMORAN sailors in the life boat rescued in position 24˚59’ S; 112˚22’ E, by HMAS YANDRA on 27 Nov 1941. Escaped from captivity on 15 Aug 1946 and recaptured on 27 Aug 1946, sentenced to 28 days detention. Departed for repatriation on 22 Jan 1947 aboard ORONTES bound for Cuxhaven.

Joe Slavick

Hello Joe,

Thank you for the additional information. In all but one of the POW paper I have his rank is "Maat", but in one dated 1943 his rank is "Obermaat". So he was promoted during his POW time as mentioned by you. I wonder if those promotions were made "locally" or "official" by the relevant departments back home and POWS were informed via Red Cross or similar institution ?

Regards
Christian

[Martin W]

Again,for interest here is another related item that i just picked up.

This pin was produced by the Royal Australian Navy Releif Fund in December 1941 to assist the dependants of the crewmen from HMAS Sydney.
It was declared that the 19th of December 1941 would be celebrated as "Jacks Day" to help raise money for the dependants of the fallen crewmen.

The badge shows an image of the Sydney along with the words "Jacks Day 1941" and was sold at the price of one shilling.

Regards,Martin.

[Joe Slavick]

Christian:

The promotions came though the Red Cross channels, but the actual order announcing the promotion was an official messages with an order number. I am about 90% sure I have the message or order number that authorizes his promotion. I'll post it, but please be patient as it may take me a week or so to get back to a computer.

Joe

[John R.]

I like the Australian POW comments on this sailor. "Cannot speak English, looks nervous".

Classic understatement!!!!!!

[Joe Slavick]

Christian:

OKM/347/622/104

A lot of Kormoran crewmen were promoted with this release. Unfortunately I don't have the date...yet!

Joe

[compressore]

Christian:

OKM/347/622/104

A lot of Kormoran crewmen were promoted with this release. Unfortunately I don't have the date...yet!

Joe

Thank you Joe and all others who contributed to this thread. I have the chance to be in Canberra next week and I will definitely visit the places.
Regards
Christian

[Bob Lyons]

Thank you Joe and all others who contributed to this thread. I have the chance to be in Canberra next week and I will definitely visit the places.
Regards
Christian

Christian,

You will enjoy the War Memorial in Canberra, some wonderful exhibits on display, but the Kormoran memorial built by the crew, at the old POW camp site in Murchison is about an 8 or 9 hour drive south from Canberra, and basically it is now just farm land with a couple of the old ruin barracks floors still there, and the old memorial, plus a couple of derelict MG guard boxes.
The nearest township is Murchison which is a few KM's away. (they have a POW museum in the town, but I haven't been to it, but I believe there some interesting pieces in it).

Cheers

Bob (I will be in Canberra on the 18th !!).

Bob

[Max Wünsche]

Thankyou for the photos Bob.

I live in Melbourne also and was unaware of this local history, the camp, memorial etc... Very interesting!

Cheers,

Christian.

Christian,

You will enjoy the War Memorial in Canberra, some wonderful exhibits on display, but the Kormoran memorial built by the crew, at the old POW camp site in Murchison is about an 8 or 9 hour drive south from Canberra, and basically it is now just farm land with a couple of the old ruin barracks floors still there, and the old memorial, plus a couple of derelict MG guard boxes.
The nearest township is Murchison which is a few KM's away. (they have a POW museum in the town, but I haven't been to it, but I believe there some interesting pieces in it).

Cheers

Bob (I will be in Canberra on the 18th !!).

Bob

[Max Wünsche]

After a quick search I found this interesting photo and information.



German naval and Afrika Korps officer prisoners of war at a funeral ceremony, Tatura, Victoria circa 1942. A swastika and an iron cross are visible on two of the wreaths. The naval officer in the peaked cap with white cover is believed to be Fregattenkapitan Theodor Detmers, former commander of the German auxiliary cruiser 'Kormoran' which sank the RAN light cruiser HMAS Sydney off the Western Australian coast on 19 November 1941. The other naval officer (third from right) is believed to be Oberleutnant zur See Joachim Greter, Kormoran's torpedo officer. Following the discovery of the wrecks of HMAS Sydney and Kormoran in March 2008 it was confirmed that the single torpedo fired by Kormoran had hit Sydney on the port side just forward of A turret which late caused the bow to break away from the hull.