Camp near Siegberg Germany?

[Christoph]

The main camp of Stalag VIG in Bonn was hit by an air raid on 5th/6th Feb. 1945 with many casualties.

 

Christoph

 

 

[SonofaMP]

After that bombing on the 5th=6th, the camp/hospital on the west side of the Rhine was moved to the east side, Siegborg or Rath?. The 1st Infantry Division reached Bonn on 7 March`45, battled into city on 8th & 9th, germans blew the Bonn bridge afternoon of the 8th. 1st Infantry Div was in Bonn till 13 13 March, replaced by 8th Infantry Div. Ist Inf moved south to Remagan & crossed at Remagan ?abt 15th/16th.

[Jean Jacobson]

I signed on - only to say - that Larry, I think your incredible kindness has helped me overcome most of my intimidation.

 

And here both you and Christoph answered so many questions!!!

 

Unbelievable!

 

What a gift you both are!

 

Jean J

I will study this late tonight on my return from Mom's and tasks....

[Jean Jacobson]

Good Morning!

 

From notes I see that I can not come up with dates on the one gentleman that was in an 'old converted hospital' at Stalag 6G when things went on fire and everything was locked - he went out the window. He went from 6G to 12A and then 4B. He has some notes on this period of his life and maybe one day he will send me a copy - right now he and his wife are dealing with difficult health issues. His capture was around Dec. 3rd, 1944. And yes, I have his address, and if necessary, and when they are well enough, someday I will go with my own copier to see what I can capture from his notes from that period - with their permission of course...

 

The other fellow will be an Oh Wow for you boys. You both were right on with your information! This gentleman was captured in Prum. And then appears to have gotten to Stalag 6G. In my notes I have the bombing episode as: The British bombed at night and destroyed the Bonn Camp. 'Feb. 1945 - first week - around the 9th.' That is really close to your above research which would be the accurate time frame. I also wrote: about 300 of them were marched to Siegburg temporarily (only there a couple of days).'

 

About the march he said, 'Bonn was on 1 side of the Rhine. Siegburg was on the other. The Bonn bridge that they went across was heavily mined. It was a 'forced march' and he had frozen feet.

 

And Yes, it was to the Abbey in Siegburg that they marched - it was 'quite a way in - long way - could see it from the road!'

 

More later ... must head out...

 

And as always, Thank you guys! Absolutely incredible!

 

Jean J

[SonofaMP]

Just a quick update.

We`ve been doing a little of off-site investigatin and i`m sure Jean will post an update soon....when she can breathe again........at the moment she`s speechless.

[SonofaMP]

I`ve been trying make some sense of the various locations of Stalag VI G listed in multiple websites.

From the opening & closing dates of the camps it appears the original main camps were in Arnoldsweiler - Düren and

Berglisch-Gladbach. The camp at Berglisch-Gladbach closed in Sept 1941 may have relocated at Bonn - Duisdorf.

The main camp at Arnoldsweiler - Düren and the sub-camp / hospital at Arnoldsweiler relocated to Bonn in Nov & Dec 1944 when US forces where advancing from Aachen.

When Bonn closed in Dec 1944 it looks like it relocated partly to Bergneustadt and partly combined with Stalag VI A in Hemer.

 

1. Stalag VI H ( Main Camp )

Arnoldsweiler - Düren (Arnoldsweiler)

Germany - D (Nordrhein-Westfalen) opened March/40 closed Nov/41

 

2. Stalag VIG/Z

Arnoldsweiler

Deutsches Reich

Kommandeur der Kriegsgefangenen im Wehrkreis VI opened ? closed Dec/44

 

3. Kgf-Lager Hoffnungsthal (Stalag VI G Arb-Kdo 281) Rösrath Rösrath D (Nordrhein-Westfalen) opened 1940 closed 1945

 

4. Stalag VIG

Berglisch-Gladbach

Deutsches Reich opened Feb/41 closed Sept/41

Kommandeur der Kriegsgefangenen im Wehrkreis VI

 

5. Stalag VIG

Bonn-Duisdorf

Deutsches Reich opend Sept/41 closed Sept - Dec/44

Kommandeur der Kriegsgefangenen im Wehrkreis VI

 

6. Stalag VIG

Bergneustadt

Deutsches Reich opened Dec/44 closed ?/45

Kommandeur der Kriegsgefangenen im Wehrkreis VI

 

7. Stalag VIG

Hemer

Deutsches Reich opened Sept-12/44 liberated April 12 45

Kommandeur der Kriegsgefangenen im Wehrkreis VI

 

Stalag VIA

Hemer

Germany opened Sept/39 closed April /45

[Christoph]

That's a start. You have seen that No. 3 is Arb-Kdo (labour command) 281 of STALG VI G, so there were hundreds of smaller camps and labour commands which were part of STALAG VIG.

 

Here: http://www.tenhumber...4145/index.html we have about 85 camps, not all POW but also forced labour camps, some very small like the one at a dentist, only in Siegburg! I'm afraid it will be nearly impossible today to find out which of them and of so many other camps in the area were POW camps, some like Arb.-Kdo. 281 at Hoffnungsthal were used for both POW and forced labourers. Another Problem with lists like the linked one is that the names of the camps may be companies, stores, plants where the prisoners lived and had to work, others were only halls where they slept but had to work else where, and others were part of a Hospital like the rose garden or of the prison. Only few of this list are named as POW camp like POW camp 333 Ulrather Hof, Zellwolle and Lager Fleißig.

 

Another link: http://www.peter-zen...Langfassung.pdf

A document by Dr Peter Zenker, we mentioned him before. He has a Lager Kemp in Siegburg with POW in one of his lists.

 

Christoph

[SonofaMP]

Another mention of liberating POW camps in the area of Rosrath, this one from the After Action Report of the 820th Tank Destroyer Bn. attached to 13th Armored div. There are 2 mentions of assisting in liberating Stalag VIG on 12 April.

1 by 2nd platoon of Reconnaissance Company and 1 by 2nd platoon of "C" company but the 2 camps appear to be in different locations.

The whole AAR is here: http://820tdbn.org/Bn_A_A_Rpt_April_4-18.html

 

11 April 1945

 

Battalion and C.P. at Oberpleis closed 1110 and opened Hennef (F681418) at 1145. Closed C.P. at Hennef at 1615 and opened in Siegburg (F630442).

 

No change for rear echelon.

 

 

 

Reconnaissance Company.

 

C.P. left Oberpleis with Battalion C.P. moving to Hennef. Moved from Hennef with Battalion C.P. and arrived Siegburg (F628444). Several documents found in a former German C.P. were turned over to C.I.C for disposition.

 

Pioneer platoon released from “A” Company and joined Company C.P. at Hennef and moved with C.P. to Siegburg.

 

1st platoon. 1st section crossed Agger river at 1600, moving to (F538522). Knocked out enemy MG at (F539551) with .50 Cal. MG mounted on M8. Spent night vic (F5455). 2nd section crossed Agger river, knocked out MG nest and snipers in Elsdorf (F540528) and took three PW’s. Bivouaced for night vic (F5455).

 

2nd platoon. 1st section was advance security for 3rd platoon, “C” Company, on move to Lohmar (F628492). Town was under shell and mortar fire. 2nd section performed mission of reconnoitering all towns in route of advance of Task Force Delnore. Captured five PW’s, ten 20MM guns and ammunition, fired on enemy MG positions with 37MM, killing ten enemy soldiers.

 

3rd platoon at 0630 crossed Sieg river in advance of 1st and 3rd platoons, Company “A’, and contacted Company “F”, 387th Infantry Regiment at Seligenthal.

 

 

 

 

11 April 1945 (Cont’d)

 

“A” Company.

 

C.P. moved to Seligenthal, Germany. 1st and 3rd platoons crossed Sieg river and arrived at Seligenthal at 0900. 1st platoon attached to 2nd Battalion, 387th Infantry; 3rd platoon attached to 3rd Battalion, 387th Infantry; 1st platoon moved to Kaldauen, Germany at 2300.

 

 

 

“B” Company.

 

C.P. joined elements of train of 13th Armored Division.

 

1st platoon engaged and destroyed 1 MK V tank near Lohmar at 1400 hours. Again engaged enemy at Elsdorf at 1700 hours where an AA emplacement was destroyed. Captured 60 PW’s.

 

 

 

“C” Company.

 

C.P. and 1st platoon moved to (F6248) southwest of Lohmar on west side of Agger river.

 

2nd platoon assaulted the town of Deesem and then captured the town of Krah Winkel. Ninety rounds 76MM HE, thirty rounds 76MM APC, fourteen rounds 37MM and 1000 rounds .50 Cal. ammunition were fired with the following results: three 88 MM guns destroyed, one 105MM gun destroyed, ten 20MM guns destroyed, one radar and searchlight station destroyed, eighteen enemy soldiers killed and forty wounded. Platoon then moved to (F613476) and bivouacked for the night.

 

3rd platoon went into direct fire position near Lohmar, fired four rounds 76MM into suspected gun positions, then moved to indirect fire positions. The platoon moved into Lohmar at 2030 hours, then to bivouac area southwest of town at (F608489). During this move, fire was received from enemy 20MM guns but no damage resulted and no casualties were suffered.

 

 

12 April 1945

Battalion C.P. and rear echelon no change.

 

Reconnaissance Company.

 

C.P. and Pioneer platoon no change.

 

1st platoon. 1st section moved to Dunnwald (F515673) losing two one-quarter ton trucks enroute due to enemy MG fire. 2nd section also moved to Dunnwald. Encountered sniper and MG fire at (F537557). Fire was returned and the action ceased.

 

2nd platoon. 1st section moved as an advance security for Task Force Satt from (F610489) to (F613514) vic Altenrath. 2nd section assisted in liberation of PW Camp (Stalag 6G) and bivouacked vic Rath (F441581).

 

3rd platoon. 1st section moved to Siegburg at 0015 and reconnoitered positions for 1st platoon of “A” Company to fire on enemy strong point in factory. 2nd section moved to Braschob at 1100 and to Halberg at 1830.

 

 

 

“A’ Company.

 

No Change in C.P.

 

 

12 April 1945 (Cont’d)

 

1st platoon attached 303rd Infantry regiment at 0015. arrived in Siegburg at 0630 where 100 rounds of 76MM was fired into a factory which was enemy strong point.

 

2nd and 3rd platoons returned to company control and moved to Braschob, Germany. Left Braschob for Halberg, Germany, at 1830 hours to remain in regimental reserve.

 

 

 

“B” Company

 

C.P. moved across Agger river but because of intense enemy shelling moved back and joined battalion C.P. at Sieburg at 1700 hours.

 

1st platoon discovered two 88MM guns, one of which had been destroyed. Platoon destroyed the other. One section fired 19 rounds HE into Urbach where 400 prisoners were taken. Then moved to Dunnwald where intermittent flak and mortar fire was received all day.

 

 

 

“C” Company.

 

C.P and 1st platoon moved to (F611492).

 

2nd platoon aided in the capture of a German PW Camp (Stalag 6G) which resulted in the liberation of 700-800 Allied prisoners of whom approximately 200 were American. Camp located (F588548).

 

3rd platoon saw no action.

[Jean Jacobson]

Yes, guys, Speechless!

 

Jean

[Jean Jacobson]

Well, I know Son of an MP, Larry, must be laughing his head off - because he knows the shocked state I am in.

 

Because separate from the above research, between Today and Yesterday, Larry the Wizard, figured out the details on who my Dad escaped with. Yes, it is absolutely crazy - Larry, the Wizard, found out everything he could on Guidry! In the list of priorities of things that had to be resolved/researched/figured out/... Guidry was right near the top of the list. And Larry, the Wizard kept sending emails that kept revealing more and more information. The big news is that Guidry died quite young (born 1918)/early after the War - 1987. My Mom and Dad had moved from Fla. to the Wash. DC area maybe by 1985 or a little before. So if Guidry had tried to contact them, or his family had tried to contact them, they would not have known where to look. And when my parents tried to contact Guidry - they had no luck. I am not certain when their search began - or if Guidry had moved around a lot - or when they gave up looking - but at some point we now know all contact was lost.

 

Thanks to Larry I will one day try to locate the nieces and nephews and maybe some relative that remembers stories or has documents.

 

Now what continued to be extra shocking and puzzling as these email gifts from Larry kept coming is that Guidry was with the 377th Anti Aircraft unit that got attached to the 4th Division (Dad was with the 4th) on June 14th, 1944. Guidry may have been captured a couple of days after Dad. But Guidry was supposed to have been wounded - rear end.

 

Larry the Wizard figured all of this out!!! If only I knew how to do those funny figures - like Marion does. This is truly AWARD winning research! And all of this is separate from his above entries.

 

Larry this effort you have made and the work you have done - is ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC! I am eternally grateful!

 

Remember how intimidated I was of you! You turned out to be so kind and generous and Brilliant!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Thank You!

Jean

 

Jean