Esserden Crash Site / AOP / Operation Varsity.

Discussion in 'WW2 Battlefields Today' started by Grazing, Nov 2, 2014.

  1. Grazing

    Grazing Junior Member

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  2. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    Picture of German POWs (Fallschirmjäger), which was taken at the Pottdeckel farm. Pottdeckel was among the first farmsteads to fall in British hands. The 7th Black Watch took it during the night of 23/24 March. The farm, located on what is now the edge of the small postwar marina, has gone. I'm not saying that the farm on the 'plain-crash-picture' is Pottdeckel. It's just to give you an impression of the area (flat farming country with farms that strongly resemble each other). Also further evidence that photographers were around at the time.

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  3. Nijmegen

    Nijmegen Member

    My experience is that there are only a few aerial pictures known, of the operation Plunder area.

    :) I suppose a lot of aerial pictures were taken, in preparation...

    It would help, if they "surfaced".
     
  4. Buteman

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

    Today I checked the war diary of 147 Field Regiment, as they were visited in relation to the crash. Nothing is mentioned at all. I also revisited the war diaries of 658 AOP and 662 AOP Squadrons, but had not missed anything when I copied them before. I also checked the 1st Dragoons Diary, as the photo of a crash comes from someone who served in this unit, but nothing shows up in that diary either.

    Unfortunately, I have not found the exact location of the crash. I suspect that CWGC may have more details as to where the original grave was located next to the plane.
     
    stolpi likes this.
  5. Grazing

    Grazing Junior Member

    Thank you Ramacal. That was very kind of you to do that on my behalf. It seems so tantalising close, but still remains a mystery! I have contacted the CWGC and am awaiting a response. I will update you further if I here anything. I have been chatting to native of rees on Facebook who has been asking around area as well. Here is some of what he has said.








    • Here are the news: The Picture with the Walking soldiers is at the "Bömers Hof" and the farm ist still Standing here in Esserden, but Mr Bömer ist already dead and now there are living two women from the netherlands.. The Pottdeckelfarm is also known as Pannenhof doesn't exist anymore... there is know a lake.... but a friend of mine know both places.[​IMG]

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  6. stolpi

    stolpi Well-Known Member

    Grazing - My source, Alexander Berkel's book "Krieg für die eigene Haustür" which is quite accurate re the locations of pictures, says the picture was taken at the Pottdeckel Farm. Would be interesting though to see a picture of the Bömer Hof at Esserden.

    The pictures in your post above are of the Mahnenburg Farm in the Reeserward. The one in the middle was taken from the unfinished nuclear plant which was turned into an lunapark: Wunderland Kalkar
     
  7. Buteman

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

    The Headstone photos of Captain P T Wykes and LAC F McNairney taken on 14 May 2015 at the Reichwald Forest War Cemetery.

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  8. fwx

    fwx New Member

    Hi Grazing, hope you are still visiting this forum. I am very interested in your great-uncle's time at 75 (NZ) Squadron, and would like to write a post about his time there, for publication on Simon Sommerville's website: www.75nzsquadron.com. I have the Squadron ORB's so can put together a reasonable history of his op's while based at Feltwell, and his is a very interesting story. Happy to share what I've got, if that's of interest.

    He stands out in a couple of informal 75 (NZ) Squadron group photos for his RA hat, distinctly different to all the RAF types! See here (click on pics to see ful-size versions) second from left at rear, taken I believe around mid-April 1942.

    I can only find a very small version of a formal portrait of him (here http://www.kibworth.org/Peter%20T%20Wykes.html) and wonder if it is possible to get hold of a larger copy please?

    Cheers, Chris
     

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