Looking for details on the Battles of Osnabruck - Berne April 1945

Hi.
The 7th Battalion, Parachute Regiment were in Osnabrück on the 4th April. Can’t attach the page from the war diary as the file is too big apparently ?
Additional to that info the 7th battalion captured a deserted Army Barracks. I’m not sure which one it was ( from personal experience there are a few barracks there). Booby traps were left behind but no injuries occurred.

Alex

 

Thanks Alex. Can I PM you an email address? I'd definitely love to see that entry!

Paul

 

Yes of course

 

On 3rd April 1945 3 RTR, with RE support, took the bridges at Eversheide just north of Osnabruk, with Armour streaming across the water obstacle, and with the potential to encirclement, the German defenders of Osnabruk had no choice but to retire from the city and Osnabruk fell 'relatively' easy. The RE officer who bounced the bridge and stripped the explosives was killed a few hours later and there is some evidence to suggest that he was on the Bridge, doing a recce, a good 4 hours before 3 RTR got there. He should have received an MC for his actions (everyone else involved did) but his entire squadron were in continuous action and within days all the officers and NCO's had either been killed or wounded, so there was no-one left to write him up. He even got written out of the story when Bill Close claimed in his book (A View from the the Turret) that the entire action was down to a single 3 RTR officer (in spite of what it says in the 3 RTR war diary or in the write-up for the RTR officer's MC, both of which note the RE officers actions and say the RTR officer provided covering fire for the RE... failure of memory on Close's part of regimental prejudice?). So it is possible for actions this late in the war to be a.) not documented b.) fall victim to personal prejudice c.) get completely forgotten about! So by all means keep digging but expect some level of frustration and disapointment, anything you do find will then be a major bonus!

Incidentally, if you find out anything about units defending Eversheide at this time then I'd be very glad to know of them. Somewhere I have a reference to some guys in Osnabruk who have researched the battle and they have a website dedicated to this, all in German, I can't find it right now but I think there may be something in the email files on my old Laptop, I shall have a look later this morning and if I find it I shall post it up.

 

Here you go, you may wish to contact Hauke and the chaps at this website...

Untergrund Osnabrück - Osnabrücker Luftschutzbunkern auf der Spur