Hi All, A long shot but am trying to identify this city. It was with some photos of my Grandfathers and I think it was taken after his liberation on his way home. I think it is in Germany and I think 1945. Many thanks, Dean Darvill
My first thought was Hamburg, the Elbe river is about that size, but is that ice in the river?? Do you know which unit he served with?
Hi Alex1975uk, I thought Hamburg and the Elbe river as well, and I think it is ice on the river. Thinking about it this must be the winter of 1945 prior to his Liberation. My Grandfather was fusilier Albert Edward Hopkins, Y coy, 4th Battalion the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers. He was captured at Arras May 1940 and spent the War in Stalag XXa Torun until marched back across Poland and into Germany the winter of 1945. I loose track of him in Germany but he was possibly at Fallingbostel PoW camp and then marched north from there.
When I was in the Army (1990’s) I was based at Fallingbostel, one of the chaps stayed out there and run a museum there. He is the font of all Fallingbostel POW camp things. If you have Facebook look up “Fallingbostel Military History Group” Kevin Greenhalgh is the guy. I’ll try and ID that bridge in the meantime.
Hi Alex1975uk, Thanks for trying to identify the city for me, I'm on FB so will look up the group you mention. Thanks again Dean
Hi Dean, The city is Torun. Google Maps Google Maps At the other end of the Journey I presume he never mentioned who liberated him at all? Whilst looking into this I found a source suggesting some prisoners from one of the camps they passed on the journey West from XX-a ended up at Lauenburg on the 2nd of May. BR, SH
Hi, Many thanks for this. Unfortunately my grandfather died when I was about 8 and he never spoke about his war experiences to mu mother and her brothers. I have his Military records but there nothing in them relating to where he was Liberated, all I know is he arrived back in the UK on the 26th April 1945. I have recently been given copies of three photos of his which must have been taken at the time of his liberation and they show American troops and an American dakota of the 310th Troop Carrier Squadron of the USAAF, but there nothing to indicate where they where. Regards, Dean
Hi Dean, If you are able to post the additional photographs I would be happy to try and trace the airfield in a similar way, which if confirmed might be able to narrow down the group and date your grandfather left Fallingbostel (assuming he was in fact marched to Fallingbostel which looks fairly likely from the other information). BR, SH
Hi, Many thanks again. I posted the picture in this thread. German plane type and Squadron identification These three, which were part of his war time group of photos are I think of his and his friends liberation (he is not in these). In the back in one are african American troops and in the one with the tent is an American sitting near the door with his back to the camera.
