brass anvil

Hi I wonder if anyone is able to give me any infomation. My father was in the REME in the last war at some time he was based in Belgium in billetts he was given a brass anvil which is on a base and is inscribed ANDENKEN an BIELEFELD GERMANY. Does anyone else have one or does anyone else know anything about it. It is still in my possesion and I have know it all of my life and I was born at the end of the war and am just interested in the history of it. Many thanks for reading. Judy.

Andenken means keepsake or memory

an Bielefeld means of Bielefeld, a large town in North Rhein Westphalia, Germany (there was a large REME workshops there)

So it is a memory of serving in Bielefeld mostprobably with the REME as they often used the anvil in regards to their artisan trades.

Sounds like it was a leaving present Judy, that is of course if you really believe Bielefeld exists.

There is a German conspiracy theory that Bielefeld is a ghost city - ever heard of that conspirarumour?

It could well be considering the number of times 1(BR) Corps got nuked in the 60s

I stand amazed at how thriving the pubs are - alcohol must work wonders against radiation!!!!

Given enough, you will feel no pain

I shall be testing that theory later on today during the fireworks display (and I will not hold onto a rocket when it is ready to launch)

Themaadone wrote:

There is a German conspiracy theory that Bielefeld is a ghost city - ever heard of that conspirarumour?

Intrigued - elaborate bitte.

http://www.rp-online.de/digitale/internet/Gibt-es-Bielefeld-wirklich_aid_50903.html

I heard of this 'theory' in 2001 when I was a Rettungsassistent (Paramedic) in Cologne. One of the young Support workers, national servicemen (conscientious objectors) was telling me that Bielefeld doesn't exist, that it is in fact a governmental hidey hole for all sorts including aliens!

I have looked at these theories with great amusement and have thought that the Germans do have a sense of humour.

Further to that, the Internet is full of Bielefeld theories etc and there is me left thinking "Where did I spend all those years???"

Jetzt ist alles schoen klar! Now that you come to mention it, I am pretty sure that in 1982 I spotted Lord Lucan riding down Route 61 on Shergar.

Shelldrake wrote:

Jetzt ist alles schoen klar! Now that you come to mention it, I am pretty sure that in 1982 I spotted Lord Lucan riding down Route 61 on Shergar.

No

It wasn't me old chap

If I may dare to put my two pennorth' in as a newbie, the literal translation of Andenken is souvenir.

Oh we have a translator. Hi Dolmetscher from the RAPC.

Hello, Jim (and, of course, everyone else on here). I see you were in Northern Ireland. I was there at Command Pay Office, Lisburn from 1963 to 1967. Met my wife while billeted in Belfast.
If I remember, we had a heavy RAOC presence at Thiepval Barracks.
By the way, this is a great site. Nice to meet people with a common interest.

Thiepval - RAPC, my Brother in law was RAPC, left as after 14 years thought WOII was slow promotion......

Dolmetscher - are you a member of the institute of linguists?

Themaadone wrote:

Thiepval - RAPC, my Brother in law was RAPC, left as after 14 years thought WOII was slow promotion......

Dolmetscher - are you a member of the institute of linguists?

What was your brother-in-law's name?
No, I am not a member, but I am fluent in German, all aspects, oral and written. I was the unofficial interpreter for the paymaster and quartermaster while in Osnabrück.

You might want to consider requesting membership - good little perks - I managed to get associate membership as I am bilingual and did a language degree in English-German - the annual fee is well worth it (for the private healthcare deal on offer at least).

Osnatraz - when were you there? Andy, my Bro in law, was there during the eighties...

Themaadone wrote:

You might want to consider requesting membership - good little perks - I managed to get associate membership as I am bilingual and did a language degree in English-German - the annual fee is well worth it (for the private healthcare deal on offer at least).

Osnatraz - when were you there? Andy, my Bro in law, was there during the eighties...

I had a look at the CIOL website and it would have been a viable proposition had I been younger. Now, in my 77th year, with attenuated hearing, I feel it's a little late to become involved. That said, I have only just retired as an operations yard manager for a major international transport company, and then only because they relocated and I wasn't prepared to make a return journey of 80 miles a day. I enjoyed the work, as I was able to put my linguistic skills to good use.
Hard to believe that it is almost 50 years since I was posted to Germany, though. Where has the time gone?
As to my time in Osanbrück, I was with the 16/5th at Imphal barracks from 1961 to '63. Prior to that, I was at Command Pay Office, Mönchengladbach.

So we have two places in common then Dolmetscher.

M-g. as well, Jim? That was great posting. Down to Mutti's in the evening for a lovely half-chicken and a couple of cold beers while listening to Elvis on the juke box. I used to go out with Siegried, one of the canteen girls. Lovely family.

My brother in laws name is Andrew (Andy) Jobbins.

He was at Bielefeld in the 80s, early 80s and at some stage in Herford and later with the Royal Anglians as their pay Sgt. I know they were in Chertsey UK for a while but we dont talk a lot of our army service in the family - we all just know what we did and get on with it. Odd really.

I was thinking of Lisburn and Osnabruck, but yes I was in Munchen Gladbach as a child.

I had a hiring on the Lisburn Road, a lovely little bungalow facing Lambeg railway station. At the back of the house were sand dunes, and I spent many happy hours hunting rabbits with my pet dog ferret. Used to give him a raw egg beforehand, otherwise he would kill a rabbit and eat it underground. Many's the pot of delicious rabbit stew I had.
These days, I wouldn't kill anything. Funny how you change over the years.

Reminds me, Jim. I was also on stand-by for Cyprus during their troubles in the 60s, and was seconded to the Devon and Dorsets at Holywood barracks. They kitted me out for foreign service, floppy hat, mosquito nets and whatever, but I never did go.
My daughter has been on holiday there, and says I would have liked it.