Death of German POW

Discussion in 'Searching for Someone & Military Genealogy' started by noggin1969, Nov 27, 2018.

  1. noggin1969

    noggin1969 Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]

    Accident 28/10/1945 - Paper dated 8/11/1945

    Came across this while trawling the Newspaper archives. Very little detail , but I was wondering the best place to go to see if there was anymore details on this and any other POW's that died at Boughton Camp. I believe the National Archive has little on individual POW's and the German equivalent of the CWGC do not disclose details to non next of kin. The local parish clerk is checking on burial details , if the camp did not have its own cemetery then he may have been laid to rest at either Boughton or Kirton Cemeteries or possible Ollerton that has a CWGC plot. He now is buried at Cannock Chase. Not looking for too much detail , just things like unit , date of capture etc. I did check with the GRO but can not find a death cert listed.
     
    CL1 likes this.
  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    UK and Ireland, Find A Grave Index, 1300s-Current
    Name: Werner Spiess
    Birth Date: 26 Dec 1923
    Death Date: 28 Oct 1945
    Cemetery: Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery
    Burial or Cremation Place: Cannock, Cannock Chase District, Staffordshire, England
    Has Bio?: Y
    URL: https://www.findagrave.com/mem...

    https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/149392550

    Family Tree
    Wilhelm Spieß
    Birth: 1922
    Death: 1945
    F: Otto Friedrich August Spieß
    M: Emma Elise Werner

    TD
     
    Last edited: Nov 27, 2018
    CL1 and Lindele like this.
  3. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Buried Cannock Chase German Military Cemetery Plot 3 Row 6 Grave 173

    Can't find initial burial, doesn't seem to be Ollerton Cemetery, but better brains than mine may trace
     
    Lindele likes this.
  4. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Have you tried asking member HA96 to have a look and see what he can find from the Germany end of archives??

    TD

    259 Working Camp, Boughton House Camp, Weekley, Northamptonshire | The National Archives
    Reference: FO 939/182
    Description:
    259 Working Camp, Boughton House Camp, Weekley, Northamptonshire
    Note: see also FO 939/314
    Date: 1945-1948

    259 Working Camp, Boughton House Camp, Weekley, Northamptonshire | The National Archives
    Reference: FO 939/314
    Description:
    259 Working Camp, Boughton House Camp, Weekley, Northamptonshire
    Note: see also FO 939/182
    Date: 1945-1948
     
    Last edited: Nov 27, 2018
  5. noggin1969

    noggin1969 Well-Known Member

    Thank you TD
    Boughton POW Camp ( Camps No 633 and 656 ) Former Central Ordnance Depot. Boughton Nottinghamshire.
     
  6. noggin1969

    noggin1969 Well-Known Member

    A lot of the old Nissen Huts are still there on the right side heading towards Kirton and used as work units , the other side of the Ollerton/Kirton road has been redeveloped as better industrial units. The camp was moth balled after the POW camp shut but reopened during the Korean War for a short period. Google Maps
     
  7. noggin1969

    noggin1969 Well-Known Member

    Walter Vehlow buried with him also died in the Southwell reporting district.
     
  8. KevinBattle

    KevinBattle Senior Member

    Erm, Vehlow died 6 months later 26 June 1946 and is in the next grave, 174.
    Whilst they may have been in the same camp, it could have been elsewhere....

    If those huts had been built in Sunderland, would they be NISSAN huts? ................. :cheers:
     
    Tom OBrien likes this.
  9. Lindele

    Lindele formerly HA96

    Hi,

    There are most likely no online files, but I can check with another route.
    I'll be beck next week.
    Stefan.
     
  10. noggin1969

    noggin1969 Well-Known Member

    Thanks Stefan , once I can find out the cemetery used by the camp I'll be able to check the parish register. Boughton comes under the diocese of Southwell so once I have names I can order the death certs to get more detail. I have tried Vehlow in the Newspaper Archive but nothing showing , unfortunately the local paper isn't in the archive , so any stories would have had to make it in the Nottingham papers.
     
  11. Lindele

    Lindele formerly HA96

    Thanks, that would help eventually to trace possible relatives of this chap.
    Stefan.
     
  12. noggin1969

    noggin1969 Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]

    Death cert for Walter Vehlow , died from suicide at another camp about 4 miles up the road at Thoresby Estate.
     
    ecalpald, Lindele and Tricky Dicky like this.
  13. Lindele

    Lindele formerly HA96

    I will add Walter Vehlow to my list and see what I can find.
    Stefan.
     
    CL1, noggin1969 and Shane Greer like this.
  14. Osborne2

    Osborne2 Well-Known Member

    I have been researching POW camps in the UK for a while. I note the death certificate verdict. Hanging was not always a suicide. There were some murders by hanging, few of which were successfully prosecuted by court martial. The most famous being at Cultybraggan.
    My thoughts are that the authorities misidentified some murders as suicides.
    At a camp I have been researching the post mortem was attended by the camp German doctors watching the Home Office forensic pathologist and local pathologist looking for signs of murder. The Germans had been invited there to see the British were not hiding anything. Murder was probably more a risk before VE day, but may have happened after. Some SS members remained fanatical well after May 8.
     
    ecalpald, Kevin Murphy and Lindele like this.
  15. noggin1969

    noggin1969 Well-Known Member

    Understand what you are saying Osborne2 , Spiess death seems a little odd to but until I find anything to the contrary I'll stick to the official line.
     
    Kevin Murphy likes this.
  16. Osborne2

    Osborne2 Well-Known Member

    I should have been clearer. It is early deaths, pre VE day that may need deeper scepticism. Judging by the death at the camp I am interested in, the authorities were on to murder possibilities before war's end. It was a camp for C+ category NCO's who were collectively regarded by the British as the worst of the worst. I have no view on Herr Spiess.
     
    Lindele likes this.
  17. Lindele

    Lindele formerly HA96

    Thanks both of you, I will pursue my investigation to find the families in Germany to see what they were told.
    Stefan.
     
  18. noggin1969

    noggin1969 Well-Known Member

    The CWGC have got back to me with the POWs buried in Nottinghamshire and later moved to Cannock. The ones I'm interested in locally came under the control of Nether Headon main camp Retford all though they were based in the Newark area.
    Maat Friedrich Wilhem Willer : Navy 1/1/47 died at Nether Headon from Osterwick-Danzig
    Obergefreiter Georg Sturmer : 70 Div 170 Rgt 3 K.p 15/3/47 no GRO record from Rothenburg died at Nether Headon
    Oberfaehnrich Albert Stumpel : Nachsch. Tr.Schule Hann B 2 K.p 7/5/47 no GRO record from Buren/Westf died at Nether Headon
    Obergefreiter Otto Hanisch : Army 16/3/45 died at Nether Headon from Lubbenau died in hospital
    Obergefreiter Erich Ratsch : Army 22/6/45 died Southwell reporting district from Berlin died Boughton camp ( 656 )
    Gefreiter Wierner Spiess : Army 28/10/45 died Southwell reporting district accidently shot Boughton camp ( 656 ) from Keuschberg
    Gefreiter Walter Vehlow : 242 Div 917 Rgt 2 Bttl 6 K.p 26/6/46 died Southwell reporting district ( suicide ) from Virchenzin
    Rottenfueher Johann Bischa : III Gemn Pz Korp NA 103 Rgt 4 K.p 26/3/47 died Southwell reporting district from Timisoara

    If anyone can help with the units listed as well it will be much appreciated.
     
    Kevin Murphy likes this.
  19. noggin1969

    noggin1969 Well-Known Member

    Full file of German POWs buried in Nottinghamshire before being reburied at Cannock Chase Staffs.
     

    Attached Files:

    Last edited: Dec 19, 2018
  20. noggin1969

    noggin1969 Well-Known Member

    Full file of Italian POWs buried in Nottinghamshire before being reburied at Brookwood Surrey.
     

    Attached Files:

Share This Page