Bridge at Neustadt - April 1945

Discussion in 'Airborne' started by Capt Bill, Apr 6, 2010.

  1. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Thanks for the reminder Bill,

    My Father was there and witnessed the aftermath. How they carried on after that I will never know?

    Regards ...
     
  2. ltdan

    ltdan Nietenzähler

    All known (and scarce) sources from the german point of view:
    http://www.ruebenberge.de/historisches/april45.html

    As most small Wehrmacht units there were unknown even to the higher echelons it´s nearly impossible to identify them (called "hodge-podge odds and ends" in British intel reports). Regarding to the sources a German Major in Otternhagen was responsible for the destruction order. Two German defenders also died.

    Also interesting photos from this time:
    http://www.haz.de/Hannover/Aus-der-Region/Neustadt/Fotostrecken/Neustadt-bei-Kriegsende#n7003809-p1

    Neustadts Mayor Hans-Erich Hergt is also the annalist of the history of his town. Maybe he has further informations

    regards
    Olli
     
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  3. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Here are a couple of pages from Father's diary of sorts covering the incident briefly and the lead up to it. It's transcribed from a poor copy sent by my brother. I believe he was the Sergeant of No. 3 Platoon, A Coy at the time. There's not much to it really, but it might be of interest.

    "We are on our way this morning again by T.C.V. we cross the Weser and head for a bridgehead (?) over the River Leina. After travelling many miles we find our bridge is in other hands. We advance for another bridge over same river. In doing so we cut through an enemy aerodrome. B & C Coy get a bashing.

    We advance through B Coy and the road is blown up under my platoon 10 yards from me. 1 man killed and 2 wounded (Thank God. My darling's prayers are answered) I am very lucky to still be able to write this - very lucky.

    Make for River Leina and get the town .... My platoon takes up position in the Post Office. At 24:00 hrs .... approx midnight a terrific explosion is heard. Yes it is the bridge and B Coy was on it. 28 killed and most of the Coy wounded. I walk onto what was left of the bridge. It was a horrible sight, nightmarish. Let's forget it.

    My darling wife's prayers must be answered for me. I have been under someone's protection these last few days.

    Neustadt Town Is The Place. We stay in this place for a week to get a rest and bury the dead of the aerodrome and the bridge."


    War Diary-24.jpg War Diary-25.jpg

    Regards ...
     
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  4. Nijmegen

    Nijmegen Member

    Military AMS/GSGS map of 1945.
    [​IMG]
     
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  5. brithm

    brithm Senior Member

    Great stuff Cee, thanks for putting your father's diary up.

    It's quite surprising how quickly the 6th Airborne Division went from Hamminkeln to Wismar in about a month.
     
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  6. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    It's a pretty sparse diary unfortunately. There are no entries after April 18th. I'll have to ask my brother if the pages are missing or just empty? Several days after the bridge explosion his pal Red Skelton was somehow accidentally killed with a German revolver and buried with the bridge victims.

    Regards ...
     
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  7. Nijmegen

    Nijmegen Member

    "Bridge blown up by when 2 pls of B Coy were across and one pl was crossing. Casualties 19 killed, 19 wounded 6 missing." Not enough words can describe the horror, witnessed by the survivors, I guess.

    The Germans had placed several bombs from the Luftwaffe on the side of the road. Early that evening, the sister battalion , 12 Battalion, had captured the bridge at Bordenay, just south of Neustadt, intact.
     
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  8. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    There's one entry in his diary for April 7 that has for some reason been placed at the beginning of the booklet. It's mostly technical in nature and reflects the 1st phase of the plan as it would affect his platoon. A much more thorough account can be found on ParaData.

    http://www.paradata.org.uk/article/39932/related/39864

    War Diary-06.jpg

    There were many replacements during this period to make up for losses that occurred on the jump and the days following. He only returned to his own platoon on March 29th after an officer was found for No.1 platoon, A Coy which was pretty much decimated on March 24th with only 6 men left standing according to him. I can't find Harold Smollan's name in his diary which is a shame and I suspect Harry at the time would have hardly known some of the new men taken on.

    There's a very moving account by Joan Elliot (Peason) of a visit to Nuestadt on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of the bridge explosion:

    http://www.paradata.org.uk/article/39932/related/40343

    Capt Bill has done just a terrific job of documenting the Neustadt incident and the death of Harold Smollan and brothers in his other thread.

    Regards ...
     
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  9. brithm

    brithm Senior Member

    Pte. Ernie Elvin, 4 Platoon, 7th Parachute Battalion interviewed by Max Arthur about Neustadt bridge

    http://www.paradata.org.uk/people/walter-c-j-elvin

     
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  10. Nijmegen

    Nijmegen Member

    A very honest and grafic account.
     
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  11. Capt Bill

    Capt Bill wanderin off at a tangent

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  12. brithm

    brithm Senior Member

    Was just looking at what the Imperial War Museum held on Neustadt and saw that there is footage of the 3rd Parachute Brigade "travelling in lorries, advance over Neustadt Bailey Bridge at Scharrel, Germany"

    http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060015221

    as well Soldiers of 13th [Parachute] Battalion 5th Paratroop Brigade advance through occupied villages around Neustadt, Germany Part 1 & 2

    http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060015029

    http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060015030

    If only it was all digitised!
     
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  13. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    Well found brithm!

    All new to me with two taken by cine man George Laws and the other by W J Leeson

    Regards ...
     
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  14. Ian Lockwood

    Ian Lockwood Junior Member

    Jack Lockwood, friend of Harry Smollan and survivor of the Neustadt bridge bombing died on February 21. He just conked out. I'm his son Ian and have posted on here before. We went back to Neustadt, Hammenkiln, Wuntsdorf and Wismar on a couple of occasions and were planning to go last year but alas dad was just a bit too frail. He told me a lot about the Neustadt bombing (he was in a canvas boat crossing the river). He made friends with a German man who witnessed Harry Smollan's death as a young boy. Harry was buried in their garden where he remained for about 30 years and I have the address of the father if anyone wants to get in touch (ilockwood65@gmail.com). Harry was dead before the Neustadt bridge incident. Dad also told me about a battle at Wuntsdorf airfield at which a conscientious objector who joined the battalion as a medic was killed. Dad said he was the bravest of all the men. Can't remember his name but will look through dad's papers
     
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  15. Cee

    Cee Senior Member Patron

    :poppy: R.I.P. Jack Lockwood :poppy:

    Ian, I'm very sorry to hear of your Father's passing, my condolences to you and your family.

    Regards ...
     
    Last edited: Feb 26, 2017
  16. Capt Bill

    Capt Bill wanderin off at a tangent

    Ian

    I am so sorry to hear of your fathers death. I dont use this website as frequently as i used to, but with the anniversary of the Neustadt Bridge incident coming up I thought I would pull some info.
     
  17. Alex1975uk

    Alex1975uk Well-Known Member

    Hi.
    Battalion war diary states a patrol went out at 23:45 hours on 03/02/45 from Wavreille to Forrieres. Enemy there in strength, 2 men wounded by mines.
     

    Attached Files:

  18. Capt Bill

    Capt Bill wanderin off at a tangent

    The medics were the Jamieson Brothers
     
  19. Ian Lockwood

    Ian Lockwood Junior Member

    They were indeed the Jamiesons. Thanks. I've been going through Dad's belongings. He took a photo of George Jamieson's grave and wrote on the back. "my medic friend's final resting place. George Jamieson and his brother were conscientious objectors. They refused to carry a gun. They were the finest and bravest men I knew. I saw them at Wuntsdorf running round ignoring the bullets to tend the wounded. Sadly he was shot in the head there."
     
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  20. brithm

    brithm Senior Member

    From ParaData photograph of the Jamieson brothers taken 9th Marcch 1945 left to right: Stanley Jamieson (97006564), Eric (Stanley's Twin), George Jamieson (97000993)
     

    Attached Files:

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