63rd Anti Tank Regiment RA - Liberation of Bergen Belsen

Discussion in 'The Holocaust' started by lbigfoot, Dec 11, 2019.

  1. lbigfoot

    lbigfoot New Member

    Hi all

    I believe that the 63rd Anti Tank regiment (249 battery) was the main unit liberating the camp. Does anyone know the Field Post Office number (FPO)? I am searching for a letter sent by a soldier liberating the camp

    Thanks

    Lawrence
     
  2. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

  3. lbigfoot

    lbigfoot New Member

    Thanks for the reply. Let me explain. When you send a letter to or from a military unit it has a military post office address. Like a post box number. What happens is that when you sent a letter to FPO 36 (Field Post Office 36), it goes to the military mail unit and they are then responsible to deliver it. "The mail has arrived"

    So, this unit has a specific FPO number identifying it.
     
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  4. lbigfoot

    lbigfoot New Member

    As an example, the US Army 11th Armored Division liberated the Mauthausen Concentration camp on May 5th 1945. Their unit was APO 261.
     
  5. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

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  6. SDP

    SDP Incurable Cometoholic

    This is actually two questions...or even more! Depends what you mean by the 'main' unit involved. If main means 'first', then the answer is 23rd Hussars. If main means 'the formation to which the unit belonged' then the answer is 11th Armoured Division.
    The question about BFPO Number is a different topic.....or have I missed something?
     
  7. Buteman

    Buteman 336/102 LAA Regiment (7 Lincolns), RA

    I posted this reply to a post/query I did in July 2015.

    "On 19 April 1945, 113 LAA Regt took over the duties of 63 Anti-Tank Regt at BELSEN Concentration Camp and spent over a month there helping to Administer the camp. 369 Battery were responsible for No 1 Camp and burying the dead. Not something that your Dad would have cared to remember or talk about. They left on the 24th May 1945."

    Belsen was liberated on 15 April. You need a copy of the war diary of 63 Anti-Tank Regt to find out if they were the Liberators or supporting troops or if anyone else was involved. They left Belsen on 18/19 April.

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    Last edited: Dec 12, 2019
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