Need help finding ww2 photos of Kessel (DEU).

Discussion in 'General' started by Trisnam_2000, Aug 6, 2020.

  1. Trisnam_2000

    Trisnam_2000 Member

    Hello!

    I was wondering if anyone has a photo of the village Kessel (DEU) during operation Veritable. I have seen the photos from Stolpi's thread (The one about the 51st Highlander Division in operation Veritable. Amazing thread btw.) and it would be great if anyone could show me more. If nobody has any then it would be great if anyone could let me know were I could look for any.

    Many thanks!

    Ps: I apologise if this is the wrong place to post this type of question. I'm new here.
     
  2. Lindele

    Lindele formerly HA96

    Do you mean Kessel NL or Kassel DE?

    Stefan.
     
  3. Trisnam_2000

    Trisnam_2000 Member

    I mean the Kessel south of the Reichswald in Germany close to the Dutch border. It lies on the river Niers and is close to the cities of Goch and Cleve.
     
  4. Lindele

    Lindele formerly HA96

    Good! That is ok now.
    I can try to call some town officials in Cleve and(or Goch oabout local historians.
    May take a little while. Do you speak any German?
    Stefan.
     
  5. Trisnam_2000

    Trisnam_2000 Member

    I do speak german. I live in the vicinity of Kessel.
     
    stolpi likes this.
  6. Trisnam_2000

    Trisnam_2000 Member

    And btw thank you very much for helping me.
     
  7. Lindele

    Lindele formerly HA96

    OK. I will try to find that person next Monday or Tuesday. Alles klar?
    Stefan.
     
  8. Trisnam_2000

    Trisnam_2000 Member

    Hört sich gut an.
     
  9. Lindele

    Lindele formerly HA96

    Wann genau war die51. Highlander Division er Nähe von Cleve/Goch? Tag und vielleicht die ungefähre Tageszeit.
    Stefan.
     
  10. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    What pictures are you exactly looking for Trisnam?

    I was there a week ago and discovered Kessel - apart from being a asparguses town - has deep historical roots, being the place where the German Emperor Otto III saw the light of day. The story goes that his mother, the Byzantine Empress Theophanu, gave birth to him in 980 a.D., while on her way in a carriage from Aachen to Nijmegen (both towns at the time had a imperial palace or Pfalz). He was born in a forest called Ketil (or Ketilwald, as the Reichswald was known at the time, which stretched from Nijmegen all the way to the Hochwald near Xanten). The place next to the village church nowadays is called Kaiser Otto Platz.

    Otto 2.jpg

    Below picture of: (1) Otto II with his wife Theophanu. She remained at Nijmegen and died there in 991 a.D.; (2) Otto III as Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire; and (3) the small crown of Otto III when he was crowned King of Germany as a three-year- old at Verona shortly after the death of his father Otto II during a campaign against the Byzantines and Sicilians in southern Italy. Otto III died young at Civita Castellana in Italy in 1002 after he had contracted malaria.

    Otto 1.jpg Otto 3.jpg Otto 4.jpg

    But these are probably not the kind of pictures you are looking for :cool:
     
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2020
    Owen and Lindele like this.
  11. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    In my research I did not find any other pictures of Kessel at the time of Operation Veritable as the one's posted in the thread. I obviously too would be interested in any additional pictures of Kessel and the Reichswald area.

    I'm glad you liked the thread on the 51st Highland Division.
     
  12. Trisnam_2000

    Trisnam_2000 Member

    I also find that very interesting. I dont know if you noticed but in the middle of the Kaiser-Otto-Platz there is a fountain wich spells OTTO. While not that interesting I thought it was kind of neat when I noticed it.
     

    Attached Files:

    stolpi likes this.
  13. Trisnam_2000

    Trisnam_2000 Member

    Unfortunate. I hope we get feedback from Stefan if there are any pictures. I'll try to look in the City archives to see if there are any. And on a side note I went to the Reichswald-Forrest-Cemetary last week and I noticed that behind the cemetary there was a memorial dedicated to the fallen Forest officials of the Reichswald. I don't think that many people know about it tho so I'll just mention it here since it fits to the topic.
     

    Attached Files:

    stolpi likes this.
  14. Lindele

    Lindele formerly HA96

    I now have a contact in the town office of Kleve. As soon as I know what this person can"deliver" I will pass on the contact details.
    You can then talk/write him/her directly. I was asked however:" would you like to visit Kleve and have a guided tour as well?"
    Stefan.
     
    stolpi likes this.
  15. Trisnam_2000

    Trisnam_2000 Member

    Thanks very much! That sounds great. And btw to the question you asked earlier: The towns of Kleve and Goch were captured as part of operation Veritable conducted by British and Canadian forces from the 7. Feb to the 22. Feb 1945. The 51st Highlander was in charge of the southern section of the Reichswald. It continued south of the Reichwald until it reached Goch on the 18. Feb.
     
    Lindele and stolpi like this.
  16. Trisnam_2000

    Trisnam_2000 Member

    Btw they didn't stop at Goch. I made it sound like they stopped at Goch in that last message.
     
  17. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    Correct ... after Goch the 51st Highland was gradually pinched out of the battle by the advance of the neighbouring units of 30 Corps ... they moved back to Holland to prepare for the Rhine Crossing.
     
    Last edited: Aug 10, 2020
    Chris C and Trisnam_2000 like this.
  18. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    I also am interested in the contact. Would like to visit the Stadarchiv of Kleve if possible (I speak German). A guided tour also would be nice. Kleve is within bicycle distance from where I live - actually I almost visit the town on a weekly basis.
     
  19. Lindele

    Lindele formerly HA96

    Great, "sounds lke a dutch invasion":cheers:
     
    8RB likes this.
  20. Trisnam_2000

    Trisnam_2000 Member

    I have a question that hopfully someone has an answer to. I often go to the Reichswald to just look around. I have found many of these "Little bunkers". I don't know what they are. They seem to me as if they were for ammo storage since some of them have hinges on the top. They are also pointing the correct direction to be a fortification for the Geldern Stellung.

    I also have something that may interest you. I often go to a little restaurant in Asperden. In there they have a little Note from 1944 about the civilian evacuation of Asperden.
     

    Attached Files:

    stolpi likes this.

Share This Page