lubeck

hi, just recieved dad,s records it says unit , regt or corps 26 DPAC .can you explain please , thanks HEB

DPAC =' Displaced Persons Assembly Unit'. Maybe in Meesen Barracks, Luebeck?

In essence, involved in guarding/administration/running of a refugee camp. Did your father speak a forein language?


Regards
Alan

he did not speak another language,on the 4/1/1943 was posted to 74th battery maidstone.6th field regt RA.embarked UK 3/6/1944,I read on the bbc war forums a chap named stubbs also was in the 6th fld regt but in A troop. he mentions there were 6 troops in the 6th, i,m trying to find out which troop he was in and find out where about,s in NWE, before the 6th he was in 460 bty/ 83rd fld at one point a gnr/sig and dr/op.do you know anything more about meesen
? thankyou alan , heb

i have some photos but do not know how to sendthem from my gmail drive, thanks

Hi, Sorry, apart from what I have sent you, there is nothing I can add about this refugee centre or how they were run.

Due to the language problems, many centres were run partially with the help of what were called originally 'Enemy Aliens,' those who had come to the UK, mainly as refugees escaping the Nazi tyranny in their own country in the 1930s.  

Many of the Alien refugees joined the British Forces and fought along side them as they fought across Europe.

Meesen Barracks, Luebeck, housed mainly Baltic refugee nationalities. Some staff who would have helped with interpreting and administration were drawn from those who had joined the Royal Artillery from  'Ailien Companies' of the Pioneer Corps.  Of course many who helped run the sometimes called 'Displaced Persons Camps,' were normal Service personel who could be spared from their units.


Please send me your email address by PM. I will send you my address for you to send a few photos, which I will post on the site. I do also have a photo that shows a number of staff from the barracks, maybe your grandad is shown?

Alan

Welcome heb

After a short time new members are able to upload, then you will see "insert image" on the message tool bar

The exact title is 26 Displaced Persons Assembly Centre Staff and received its disbandment order on 25 Mar 46 and were command HQ Military Government Schleswig-Holstein Region formally known as 312 (P) Military Government Detachment based in Kiel

heb wrote:

he did not speak another language,on the 4/1/1943 was posted to 74th battery maidstone.6th field regt RA.embarked UK 3/6/1944,I read on the bbc war forums a chap named stubbs also was in the 6th fld regt but in A troop. he mentions there were 6 troops in the 6th, i,m trying to find out which troop he was in and find out where about,s in NWE, before the 6th he was in 460 bty/ 83rd fld at one point a gnr/sig and dr/op.do you know anything more about meesen
? thankyou alan , heb

Regarding 6 Fd Regt RA this should help

http://www.pegasusarchive.org/varsity/war_6thfdregt.htm

18 May 45 – 6th Field Regiment Royal Artillery to 3rd Army Group Royal Artillery
from 6th Airborne Division command 118th Airborne Corps US Army

Regimental Headquarters: Hamburg-Harburg
69 Battery – 74 Battery – 77 Battery – 79 Battery
9 Jul 45 – to 106th Anti-Aircraft Brigade Royal Artillery command 8th Base Sub Area
22 Jul 45 – to 56th Infantry Brigade of 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division

Regimental Headquarters: Werl
17 Aug 45 – to Headquarters Royal Artillery 3rd Infantry Division

Regimental Headquarters: Ghent Belgium
10 Sep 45 – to United Kingdom

hi, thanks, my father was at meesen displaced persons camp, would he have travelled from harburg everyday .or billeted at meesen? or in another barracks in or around lubeck.

I would think they staff may have rotated, possiblry with a core team on site.

I believe there were 5 DP Camps in total.

Alan

Lübeck Barracks as at 24 Mar 47 – do not have an earlier list as yet

Furness Barracks formally Pioner Kaserne – Lübeck – GR RS944927

DP Camp Norfolk Barracks formally Artillery Kaserne – GR RS935935
DP Camp Cowley Barracks formally Cambrai Kaserne – GR RS944927
DP Camp Redford Barracks formally Fackenburger Kaserne – GR RS932904
DP Camp Rugby Barracks formally Meisen Kaserne – GR RS968899

http://www.echodelta.net/mbs/eng-translator.php

Change the drop down menu to Nord de Guerre Grid and enter the GR

He could have had accomadation in Furness Barracks the same GR as Cowley being side by side barracks and found a few of these with the on going research with JPW

Also many British and Allied units employed on guard/admin duties would share barracks with the PW/PWX/DP inmates

I will it to heb to explain what he knows about each photo.

Photo 1.

20170227_212948[3226] by Alan yates, on Flickr

Photo 2.

CNV00047 by Alan yates, on Flickr


Photo 3.
CNV00041 by Alan yates, on Flickr


Photo 4.

CNV00042 by Alan yates, on Flickr


photo 5.

CNV00043 - Copy - Copy - Copy (2) - Copy by Alan yates, on Flickr

DP Camp Norfolk Barracks formally Artillery Kaserne – GR RS935935

I used the Translator and viewed the Norfolk Barracks on the modern map, which puts the barracks on Vorwerk Str, Luebeck.

Photo 5. Lh lower corner shows a circle of people around what looks like a small mound and a pole. This is infact the flag pole. It is shown often in photos of Latvian/Lithuanian where people are celebrating.

Note behind the big buildings roof. The inland lake, which can be seen on todays maps.

photo 1, meesen can you make out that badge?   photo2 meesen, photo3 on the back says 3 belgium boys,photo4 on back says checkoslovac photo5on back says left cinema  right dance hall  lithuanian block

yes i just checked it out on google map meesenring 8 is 4 km away from norfolk barracks, if find out where the belgiums and checkoslovacs stayed in the photos. then it might be possible to find the camp,you say you saw some photos of lithuanians and latvians celebrating round the pole where might i find that site? the place where iread about the6th fld regt was at bbc-ww2 peoples war-snap shots of my past, robert dennis stubbs from A troop

The  badge on photo I reckon is:

8th Corps by Alan yates, on Flickr

The badge is 8 Corps. I have seen it worn by Interpreters who were in other  DP Camps. Usually Royal Artillery.


Ref the source of the photos I was refering too. It was a Facebook site for DP Refugees. I will email you a link.

If you Google 'Meesen Camp' it comes up as Cambrais or Chuchill Barracks. Its stone work is very distinctive, and similar in style to some of the buildings in your photos. ie. WW1 build.

thanks i will check ou the 8 corps