German Internees WWII

[wekusta]

During WWII German soldiers of the Luftwaffe who crash landed in the neutral Ireland and survived, were brought to the Curragh Internee Camp and stayed there until the end of the war. I am helping an irish autor and historian to write a book about how and why the accidents happened. We try to find out about the every day life of the Luftwaffe men in the camp and what happened to them after the end of the war, sent back to a Germany in ruins. I contacted familymembers and friends of the soldiers and received a lot of information, documents and photographs. I am German speaking and from Vienna, Austria.

I am searching for a German meteorologist who seemed to have disappeared without trace after he left the Curragh Camp. His name is Regierungsrat Dr. Erich Georg Krueger, meteorologist. He was more or less forced to join the Luftwaffe because the Deutsche Wehrmacht needed specialists for WEKUSTA, that means weather reconnaissance Unit. Although he could have received the rank Major, he served as a civilian.
On 20.8.1940 he flew together with the crew of a Focke Wulf Fw 200C-1 (or 2) Condor (F8+KH, wrk. nr. 0015) of 1//KG 40. The condor was on a meteorological flight off the west Coast of Ireland and crashed on Faha Mt., Mount Brandon, Co. Kerry. It was due to the experienced and skilful pilot, Ofw. Ronald Beumer, that only all servived. Only 2 of the crew of 6 suffered minor injuries. All were brought to Curragh. Dr. Kruegers life in the Camp was not easy, the soldiers, even the high ranked officers looked at him in dispise because he was civilian. Almost no one spoke to him. When the Internees learned the date of their repatriation to Germany, Dr. Krueger went into hiding in Ireland but was discovered and was deported to Germany. He told his comrades that he wants to go back to Magdeburg.
Dr. Kruegers personal facts one can read in archives, specialised literature and on the internet, but I found out, they all are incorrect. Who can help me to find out where he was born, where he lived and wether he had a family?
Regierungsrat Dr. Erich Georg Krueger, meteorologist, was born in Germany, Calve (Saale). This is wrong.
His date of birth is 2.10.1910 or 1914.
He lived until the beginning of WWII in Magdeburg, Am Unterbar 2. Wrong. He was not even born in Magdeburg.
After an few years he moved to Calve (Saale). Wrong.
He died in 1995. This seems to be right. But he neither died in Calve (Saale) nor in Magdeburg.
Even the registry list of the Curragh internees shows the incorrect dates.
Who can help me, who knows something about this highly educated specialist who disappeared after the war without trace?

Thank you
says WEKUSTA

[Matt McNamara]

Hi WEKUSTA

Have you been in contact with the Irish Military Archives in Dublin? www.militaryarchives.ie/ I am sure they will have some information and maybe photographs that may help in your search.

A book was written a number of years ago called Guests of the State by T. Ryle Dwyer. ISBN 0-86322-182-3 this also gives an account of the internees and their time at The Curragh Camp.

A photograph on my site shows a group of Luftwaffe and one person in the back appears not to be wearing a Uniform, perhaps this is him ?

K-Lines Photographs: www.dropbox.com/sh/fsryxbnv3d1xuh0/eYoEBf79oq

K-Lines Info: www.curragh.info/klines.htm

I hope this is of some help to you.

Regards

Matt McNamara

[wekusta]

Hi Matt,
Yes, Ill try to contact the Military Archives in Dublin. I did not yet because I do the German speaking job for Justin Horgans study. I got plenty of information from family members about the Luftwaffemen so Justin is thinking about publishing it as a book, in English and German. Although after the war some soldiers disappeared without trace, Dr. Kruegers case is very strange. Even the German Meteorogy Society knows nothing about him except the wrong personal dates. I wonder how the Curragh Camp administration got the personal dates of the German internees. Is it possible, that Dr. Krueger gave them wrong information? If so, why?

During the stay in the camp Dr. Krueger was more or less ignored by his comrades because he was a civilian. There is only a brief report about him, written by an internee. He told him when the war is over he will go to Magdeburg, where he lived before the war started. But he is not registered in Magdeburg. The adress Am Unterbar 2 is the adress of his mother but he never was registered there. She was the only person who got letters from him.

T. Ryle Dwyer lives in Tralee and Justin Horgan is a friend of him. I must admit, I did not read Dwyers book, but Justin told me, that in his book the author described all crashlandings, that means, the crashes of the RAF, allies and Germans. the book gives you an excellent information, but does not tell you many details, the source of his informations are mainly archive files. But is I said, I have not yet read the book, may be I am wrong.

The photos are highly interesting, I already know no. 18, 17, 16 (officers) and 15 (2 civilians). Justin could identify most of the Luftwaffe menbers. Could the soldier in no. 10 be identified?

I am stunned and pleased how correct the names of the German airmen appear on your list. I had a lot of troubles to find out the right names, Gefr. Gerhard Drechsel in particular. His name is not Dreschel (a very common German name).
Is it possible to revise two names on your list: Crash 26.8.1941, Ju 88,
Gefr. Gerhard Drechsel and Ltn. Rudolf Lauer (not Laurer).

If I could get any information about Dr. Krueger, I let you know.

[Matt McNamara]

Hi Wekusta

Thank you for the update and please do keep me informed of any more details that you find in the future.

The Irish Defence Forces Military Archives uploaded a photograph today of a crashed German Heinkel HE 111 from that period. This aircraft crashed near Bonmahon, County Waterford, South East Ireland on the 1st April 1941. While attacking a convoy off the Pembrokeshire coast with two other Heinkels, it was forced to land following an attack by two Hurricanes from the 316 (Polish) Squadron RAF.

Date: 1st April 1941

Location: Dunbratten Head, Co Waterford.

Aircraft Type: Heinkel 111 Bomber

Crew Members: (5)

Leutnant Heinz Grau (Pilot)
Feldwebel Georg Fleischmann
Oberfeldwebel Ernst Lorra
Unteroffizier Otto Jaegerr
Unteroffizier Ernst Gensen

Notes: The Heinkel Bomber had been shot up in an attack on some ships in the Bristol Channel. An engine had been knocked out and there was no question of their being able to return back to their base in Tours, France, so decided to make for Ireland. After landing successfully they quickly set about destroying the aircraft.

Heinkel Information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heinkel_He_111

Regards

Matt

[Matt McNamara]

[wekusta]

Hi Matt,
Today I wrote an email to you but Im not sure whether you got it or not. Please let me know. My apologies, WEKUSTA

[Matt McNamara]

Hi Wekusta

I have not received your e-mail. Try and use [e-mail] , that should get me. The following photograph is of a wooden German Aircraft which was made by one of the German Internees while interned at The Curragh in K Lines. Perhaps the Aircraft Number may be of help to somebody. The Aircraft Model is in The Curragh Local History Museum.

Regards

Matt

[Matt McNamara]

Thanks to WEKUSTA who supplied with the following information on the Model Aircraft above.

The model airplane is the Junkers Ju 88D-2 (4U+HH wrk nr. 0396) of 1(F).123. The real plane crash landed on 26. August 1941 near Belgooly, Cork. The model must have been built by its crew or by one of the crew. The Luftwaffe soldiers in Curragh had a separate room to do handycrafts. The necessary tools were partly bought by the men themselves or were donated by the German Colony (Community). At the Colonys annual Christmas party in 1942 there was an exhibition of all the craftswork the German soldiers did. Many items could be sold and the men were glad to earn a little extra money.

The crew were
Ltn. Ludwig Stockbauer (pilot and aircraft commander)
Ltn. Rudolf Lauer (observer)
Gefr. Herbert Schulze (radio operator)
Gefr. Gerhard Drechsel (gunner)


Matt

[helmut schultz]

Helmut Schultz interned in the Curragh camp during world war 1

[mrw]

Hi Matt
This is my first time on the site. Went looking for information on a possible German civilian from Youghal Co Cork who may have been interred in the Curragh. Seemingly he (Hans is all I know at this stage)was arrested for passing on information regarding beaches etc on the south coast to the German Embassy in Dublin. It followed the dropping of a magnetic mine in the approaches to Dungarvan Harbour in 41 or 42. I'm very much at the start of this trail but could you tell me whether there were civilians, other than Dr. Krueger interred?

regards

mrw

[djhanlon]

Hello Matt,
Thank you so much for this web site. My Dad,Patrick Hanlon,433867, served during "The Emergency" at Curragh,from Sept.18,1940-Nov.7 1945. He was in the 25th infantry Battalion 1940-41,5th field coy 1942, No.1 garrison coy MPS.(as far as I can make out,I just received his military records from the archives.). The only time I ever heard my dad speak of his time in the Army was when he wondered aloud about what might have happened to a German officer that he befriended.He came to the US in 1949. We know very little about his service. We know he and my uncle John Burke(his future brother-in-law),would travel from Curragh to Tullamore to Hurl on weekends. They won the Jr. championship with Ballinamere in 1944. I am looking through the archive photos to try to find a photo of him. There are many photos but I have yet to find one from his battalions. Can you tell me if Curragh has photos of every battalion and how I might go about getting them. Also, is there a database of soldiers that are still alive that served during the war years.All would be in there 90's but there still should be some. I would love the opportunity to connect with any that are left before it is to late. I have only recently come across the story of The Curragh Camp during the war years(I've watched The Brylcream
Boys)I find it to be a fascinating and untold story of WWII that many Irish(here as well as my cousins there) have not heard. Thanks again for what you do.I only wish I had asked my dad more questions when I had the chance.
Dennis Hanlon, East Haven, Connecticut,USA