Images of Welsh Guards in Alpen (Bönninghardt)?

Discussion in 'The Brigade of Guards' started by Uwe Sewing, Sep 7, 2011.

  1. Uwe Sewing

    Uwe Sewing Member

    Hello,are there anywhere Photos from this Unit during this time of my Hometown Alpen (Bönninghardt) ? Regards Uwe
     
  2. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Hallo Uwe,
    I only have a reprint of their History - which has very poor reproductions of any photos, but I will check and get back to you.

    You could try and enquire here:
    The Regimental Archivist, H.Q. Welsh Guards, Wellington Barracks, Birdcage Walk, London, SW1E 6HQ.

    or this place:
    The Welsh Guards Collection

    Regards
    Diane

    Edit: moved to a thread of its own
     
  3. Uwe Sewing

    Uwe Sewing Member

    Hallo Diane. Do you now if their are images from Metzekath Bönninghardt or from my town Alpen during this time ?
     
  4. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Hallo Uwe, I am afraid I have not found any. It would be rare for towns to be mentioned within the title of photos. Indeed as with Imperial War Museum images and Pathe News footage, it's fortunate that a unit is even named.

    You could look through footage from around that time, to see if it features. I wouldn't know what to look out for by way of buildings etc.

    British Pathe
    Imperial War Museum Collections Online Database - Collections search, chose photographs from drop-down menu.

    Regards
    Diane
     
  5. m kenny

    m kenny Senior Member

    Hallo Diane. Do you now if their are images from Metzekath Bönninghardt or from my town Alpen during this time ?


    Imperial War Museum Collections Online Database


    The IWM Film Archive lists the following:


    A70 276-1

    FILM TITLE:
    [BUILD UP OF BY BRITISH TROOPS BETWEEN ISSUM AND XANTEN, GERMANY, PRIOR TO THE ALLIED CROSSING OF THE RIVER RHINE (PART 1)] [Allocated]

    PRODUCTION DATE:
    23/3/1945

    I. Traffic moving through Alpen towards the Rhine at Wesel.
    II. Allied military cemeteries: with 52nd (Lowland) Division at Issum, and Guards' Armoured Division cemetery at Kapellen.
    III. Military Police pointsman directs Allied traffic at Sonsbeck.
    IV. Vehicles passing through Sonsbeck on the way to the marshalling areas.


    A70 268-7
    Maintenance is carried out on DUKWs (of 50th Royal Army Service Corps ?) in the forest between Sonsbeck and Alpenn.


    A70 269-6
    DUKWs (of 50th Royal Army Service Corps ?) are gathered in large numbers, hidden from aerial reconnaissance by the trees, in the forest between Sonsbeck and Alpen.


    There are 3 photos (only 3 from a number taken) in the online photo collection

    Imperial War Museum Collections Online Database

    B15535

    B15541

    B15542


    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
     
  6. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Thanks Michael
     
  7. Uwe Sewing

    Uwe Sewing Member

    Thanks a lot, Diane
     
  8. Uwe Sewing

    Uwe Sewing Member

    Hallo Diane and Michael. Thanks for your efforts. The pictures from the IWM i kown. Have a look at that image. In meanwhile a part of an monument of 925 jears history of Alpen. Regards and sorry for my verry bad english.
     

    Attached Files:

    stolpi likes this.
  9. Uwe Sewing

    Uwe Sewing Member

    Uwe - found this one on Pathe. Uedemerbruch and Sonsbeck - it is not Alpen, but nearby.

    Link: http://www.britishpathe.com/record.php?id=78271


    Can anyone ID the units? (11th Armoured? Guards Armoured?)

    Hallo Pieter,
    das war eines der Bilder was ich Dir mal zugeschickt habe. Was hälst Du davon. Gruß Uwe
     
  10. Uwe Sewing

    Uwe Sewing Member

    Hallo Pieter,
    for your next "Battle field tour" in March. Than and now.Regards
     

    Attached Files:

  11. Uwe Sewing

    Uwe Sewing Member

    Hey,
    I had found the ammunition ca. 25 years ago in Bönninghardt. I had sandblasted it and preserved with clear varnish. Total height : 385 mm, diameter at coppering ca. 90 mm. On the top a scale from 0-22 and in the middle: SAFE
    What ammunition is it? I think that is something for Philip,
     

    Attached Files:

  12. Uwe Sewing

    Uwe Sewing Member

    I have found that:

    2722185 War Substantive Sergeant Kenneth VAUGHAN, 2nd Battalion WELSH GUARDS
    32 Guards Brigade, Guards Armoured Division, 30 Corps

    On 5 Mar 1945 in the area of BONNIGHARDT, Sjt VAUGHAN, a Troop Leader, was supporting the leading Infantry Company in clearing the woods and houses onto the objective.

    The Infantry were held up by some determined enemy mortar fire. Owing to the road being mined & blocked it was difficult for the tanks to get close enough to give adequate support, but Sjt VAUGHAN, seeing the predicament of the Infantry, cut a way in off the road, through thick trees & obstacles surrounding the strong point, and under heavy fire of all kinds demolished and destroyed all opposition at very close range. Owing to his initiative & drive the position, which at one time was serious was soon retrieved and the objective captured.

    Later in the day, and in the fading light, he again by his personal example destroyed enemy forces holding an important bridge, led his Troop over the bridge (which was reported to be mined), and drove off an enemy S.P. covering the bridge from the other side. By this example the Infantry were so encouraged and inspired, that they gained the bridgehead and in the face of heavy fire, which again Sjt VAUGHAN's Troop disposed of, consolidated the position in the dark under cover of the tanks.

    Through out the day, Sjt VAUGHAN, by his personal example & initiative retrieved many awkward situations without which it would have been impossible to capture this important objective.

    Recommended for Periodic M.M.
    Field, 4 Aug 1945
     
  13. Nick Murrell

    Nick Murrell Junior Member

    Dear Uwe

    I have no photos of the area but I have 2 hastily-drawn coloured sketches and info on a place called Kastel Haag which I believe is (or was) close to Bonninghardt. My father (Sgt CS Murrell - Intelligence Section 1st Bn WG started his diary entry of 7 Mar 1945 - 'Moved here - Bonninghardt - but stayed for several hours at a manor-cum-farm-cum-castle. It had been stonked or bombed by RAF having been a German HQ of some kind. A fascinating place of moats and flakey grey towers and mellowed red brickwork - made a couple of rapid sketches of it. A woman, the Countess who owns the place...... but it was the Count himself - in an old wide-brimmed and battered trilby hat and wearing a long green faded slouch coat.......' There is more plus a lot on Bonninghardt

    Apart from this I can find no other references to Kastel Haag - this may be of no interest. I would post the sketches but my limited computer skills are not up to it at present. If you are interested I am sure there is a way. He was a good artist and I have sketches done at Wettern, Kevelaer etc

    Yours

    Nick Murrell
     
  14. Uwe Sewing

    Uwe Sewing Member

    Hi Nick, Oh! Oh! My bad English!
    I am nearly sure i had found "Kastel Haag". It must be "Haagschenhof". Have a look at the map below.
    If you can photocopy these sketches and send it viva post to me, tell me want i must pay for it.
    Regards Uwe
     

    Attached Files:

  15. Nick Murrell

    Nick Murrell Junior Member

    43 Kastel-Haag.jpg Hi Nick, Oh! Oh! My bad English!
    I am nearly sure i had found "Kastel Haag". It must be "Haagschenhof". Have a look at the map below.
    If you can photocopy these sketches and send it viva post to me, tell me want i must pay for it.
    Regards Uwe
     
  16. Nick Murrell

    Nick Murrell Junior Member

    Hello Uwe

    A slight misunderstanding - I had the sketches in files on the computer but did not know how to send them - my computer skills are not very good. Hopefully all is OK now.

    I do have diary info on Kastel Haag(?) if you are interested

    Best wishes

    Nick 28e Kastel Haag PL 26.jpg
     
    stolpi likes this.
  17. Uwe Sewing

    Uwe Sewing Member

    Hey Nick,
    That is never ever Haagschenhof. That is Schloß Haag. It is 5 miles away from Alpen -Bönninghardt. If you have the possibility to submit it, please do it.
    Yes it is true, painted by a great artist.
    Uwe
     

    Attached Files:

  18. Nick Murrell

    Nick Murrell Junior Member

    Dear Uwe and Stolpi

    I am glad you managed to locate 'Kastel Haag' from the rough sketches.

    I should point out that a book was published last year - Dunkirk to the Rhineland - diaries and sketches of Sergeant CS Murrell of the Welsh Guards and edited by myself. This contains his much abridged war diaries and many sketches (but not those of Schloss Haag) - though only reproduced in black and white. There is a chapter on the Rhineland Battle (5,000 words). The original diaries on the Rhineland Battle contain 20,000 words but would want editing before anything was published.

    For your information I attach (hopefully) 2 or 3 sketches

    Nr Kevelar.jpg 'In the Rhineland Battle near Kevelar - German Mill and Advanced Dressing Station - 5 March 1945'
    Note:: This sketch was reproduced in Welsh Guards at War By Major LF Ellis (pub. 1946) in colour.

    Goch - 28.2.jpg 'Sherman and Flail tanks moving through morning mist towards Goch - early morning 28 Feb 1945' - 'turrets of Sherman tanks showing above the mist - cold frosty morning. Highland Division armoured car camouflaged with corn stukes. Washing tin in foreground. Drawn at Hassum Station.

    Churchill tanks, Hassum Hassum.jpg Churchill tanks Hassum Station 27 Feb 1945

    I hope they are OK - I am a bit new to all this

    Best wishes

    Nick
     
  19. Uwe Sewing

    Uwe Sewing Member

    Nick, he was really a great artist. Thanks a lot
     
  20. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    Lovely artwork, there's a few of his pieces in the regimental history for WW2 as well.
     

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