British Military Prison for War Criminals in Werl

So I've been blogging on another thread about Kurt Meyer, the SS commander who was tried as a war criminal by the Canadian Army.

After his sentence was commuted from death to life in prison, he was transferred to a maximum security penitentiary in Canada. In 1951, after a lengthy appeals campaign, he was transferred back to Germany to serve out the remainder of his sentence near his family. The institution to which he was sent was the British Military Prison in Werl.

I've looked on the BAOR site and the British Army since 1945 site and could not find any details of this prison. Along with Meyer it housed Kesselring, Mackensen, Gallenkamp and Falkenhorst.

Does anyone here have any idea about this camp or where it was located?

Cheers,
Dan.

Not to push your question aside Dan. But an interesting thing about Meyer after he was released, he was a beer rep. for some brewery. He was invited into the Officers Mess of the Black Watch (Cdn) in Werl. There was supreme s**t over that little incident. Wonder what they were thinking to do that?

Dan, this could be a starting point for your research:-


de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Meyer_(SS-Offizier)

Hardrations wrote:

Not to push your question aside Dan. But an interesting thing about Meyer after he was released, he was a beer rep. for some brewery. He was invited into the Officers Mess of the Black Watch (Cdn) in Werl. There was supreme s**t over that little incident. Wonder what they were thinking to do that?

That's not the worst example of the Canadian Army treating Meyer like a God. This treatment started when he was in Dorchester Penitentiary in New Brunswick.

In fact, during his war crimes trial in Aurich he was given a birthday party in the officers' mess at Maple Leaf Barracks.

I'm rushed for time right now but I will come back to discuss Meyer and his being a subject of adoration by a large segment of the officer corps.

Cheers,
Dan.

The brewery he worked for until he died was Andreas in Hagen.

There was a Canadian military prison in Korbecke just down the road from san sebastion bks. I don't know if it was built by the allies or taken over from the germans after the war. When 6 Bde took over from the Canadians the prison was used as a G10 store and the RMP had their duty room and company offices there.

Shelldrake wrote:

Dan, this could be a starting point for your research:-

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Meyer_(SS-Offizier)

Ach du lieber. Das iz der place!

While not being able to speak or read German, your article lead me to the place I was looking for. The Justizvollzugsanstalt (JVA) in Werl. Justizvollzugsanstalt meaning Justice Enforcement Facility. It looks like it was a civilian German prison taken over by the British Army to house its war criminals. Also incarcerated there for war crimes was Albert Kesselring, Max Simon (perpetrator of the Marzabotto Massacre in Italy), concentration camp commandant Otto Harder, and concentration camp bitches Margarete Mewes, Hertha Bothe and Hertha Ehlert.

It's still being used today.

Cheers,
Dan.

davwood wrote:

There was a Canadian military prison in Korbecke just down the road from san sebastion bks. I don't know if it was built by the allies or taken over from the germans after the war. When 6 Bde took over from the Canadians the prison was used as a G10 store and the RMP had their duty room and company offices there.

That was the Field Detention Barracks built for the Canadians in 1953 as part of the Westphalia complex housing the Brigade Group. Although why the Canadian Army needed a prison I don't know, it's not like they got drunk or went AWOL or anything.

It looks like the British Army didn't need it as a prison either. I know squaddies never got drunk or went AWOL.

By the way, what are G10 stores?

Cheers,
Dan.

By the way, what are G10 stores?


Short for Army form G 1098 which is (or was?) a war equipment table of stores that a unit should hold. The store where they were held was refered to as the g10.

davwood wrote:

Short for Army form G 1098 which is (or was?) a war equipment table of stores that a unit should hold. The store where they were held was refered to as the g10.

Ta, mate.

davwood wrote:

There was a Canadian military prison in Korbecke just down the road from san sebastion bks. I don't know if it was built by the allies or taken over from the germans after the war. When 6 Bde took over from the Canadians the prison was used as a G10 store and the RMP had their duty room and company offices there.

The Detention Barracks was just down the road from 4 CIBG HQ'a in Fort Henry (Sebastion Bks) also known as Happy Valley. Escorted a few lads up there.It appeared to be built on the same lines as the Cdn Forts. After 67 or 68 any body doing Piss Can time over 30 days was sent back to Edmonton Piss Can. 30 days and under was to be done in the local Guard Room. It was a scary place I would just drop'em off get a signature and get out. Incidentaly Cdn Military Dention time is like Provincial time. In a Provincial Jail it's 2 years less a day, anything over 2 years and day is done in a Federal Pen. All though there are trade offs done between Prov. and Fed. Be assured though the Detention Center is not the lax place that Jails and Prison are. I knew one lad in 1 SSM Bty RCA who beat the system. He was ex RCN and in Survey Section. He refused to co-operate in anything ordered of him. He was put into the showere room and had a steady stream of cold water from a hose on him. He just sat and waited the Meat Heads out. He was eventualy released early. Not a good example for his fellow prisoners.

Dan M wrote:

Shelldrake wrote:

Dan, this could be a starting point for your research:-

de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Meyer_(SS-Offizier)

Ach du lieber. Das iz der place!

While not being able to speak or read German, your article lead me to the place I was looking for. The Justizvollzugsanstalt (JVA) in Werl. Justizvollzugsanstalt meaning Justice Enforcement Facility. It looks like it was a civilian German prison taken over by the British Army to house its war criminals. Also incarcerated there for war crimes was Albert Kesselring, Max Simon (perpetrator of the Marzabotto Massacre in Italy), concentration camp commandant Otto Harder, and concentration camp bitches Margarete Mewes, Hertha Bothe and Hertha Ehlert.

It's still being used today.

Cheers,
Dan.

Hab' Ich mir gedacht!

I was with 6 Brigade at Salamanca, where abouts was this prison? Must have been taken down when we got there. I was also based at St Sabastian where HQ 3 Div was and worked at Comcen Korbecke. There was a scating rink nearby but don't remember any other buildings that could have been it...

When I served Werl was a big RMP camp with SIB and the Black Watch. You didn't want to end up in the Black Watch nick though lol. Oh of course that's what I heard (cough).....

623TACP wrote:

I was with 6 Brigade at Salamanca, where abouts was this prison? Must have been taken down when we got there. I was also based at St Sabastian where HQ 3 Div was and worked at Comcen Korbecke. There was a scating rink nearby but don't remember any other buildings that could have been it...

Below is the site of Fort Henry / San Sebastien Barracks as it looked in 2009.

To the south of the road intersecting the middle of the photograph is the Brigade / Divisional headquarters. To the north of the road, surrounded by the trees is the site of the crow-bar hotel. I can't say whether or not the buildings on the site of the former Field Detention Barracks are the original structures. But that is where it was.

Cheers,
Dan.

The area north of the road was all forest. No buildings there just the sports fields when i served

I think the buildings to the North are where the prison was, as I recall it was a short walk, left out the main gate then right down a noprrow road to the prison, which was hidden by the trees.

Also to the east of the barracks there was a german A/A underground missile site,

Think you got it pegged Davwood.

davwood wrote:

I think the buildings to the North are where the prison was, as I recall it was a short walk, left out the main gate then right down a narrow road to the prison, which was hidden by the trees.

Hardrations, how is that different from what I provided?

Dan M wrote:

To the north of the road, surrounded by the trees is the site of the crow-bar hotel. I can't say whether or not the buildings on the site of the former Field Detention Barracks are the original structures. But that is where it was.

You have to get up pretty early in the morning to put one over on a former Royal Canadian!

Cheers,
Dan.

To be honest, all though the Sigs Sqn was in Fort Henry I served in Fort Prince of Wales attached out to 1 SSM Bty. So I only remember that it was coming out left from Fort Henry and down the road. Things are a bit hazy since 1967 was my last trip up there taking one of our more active Signalman for a second tour in Happy Valley. God Bless old Josh, I hope he's in a better place. He didn't last long on civiy street.