Osnabruck 1949

Private Number of posts : 1 Registration date : 2018-10-31

Hello.
I Googled Osnabruck and you may be one of the useful links. It is about my grandfather who was in Osnabruck during the WWII. He was a Serbian POW. When the war ended he stayed there for a while. I have his photo album. On the cover of that album there are three symbols. One is a sign of the British 21st Army Group, without swords, another is a red rhombus with letters CMWS inside and third is a faint CMWS shaped as a circle. I can only recognize him in these photos, but without more information, this album is of a little significance to me. It would change if I can put it in some context. At the back of one of the photos he wrote: "Group od wardens, from the course June,4- June,18 1949. 53 C.M.D. Training Wing Cadre Course No 9, Osnabruck". Below that there is a photographer's stamp: "Foto: Vulovie. V. 53 C.M.D." Do you know anything more about this, or maybe you can point me to somewhere else?

Regards,
Miodrag

Subject: Re: Osnabruck 1949 1/11/2018, 19:10

Hi,
I have looked back on this site's old records of various questions asked.. It would seem there have been several similar questions.

CMWS is part of the Labour Service.

CMWS = Civil Mixed Watchmans Service.

Regards
Alan

Could you pm me your Grandfather full name please? Thanks

Subject: Re: Osnabruck 1949 1/11/2018, 21:20

Posted photos for Miodrag.

In Osnabruck 1 A.jpg he
is at the bottom, right, in Osnabruck 2.jpg he is second from the left
in the company.

WOI Number of posts : 145 Registration date : 2008-07-09

alan8376 wrote:: Posted photos for Miodrag.

In Osnabruck 1 A.jpg he
is at the bottom, right, in Osnabruck 2.jpg he is second from the left
in the company.

Hi all,
The barracks photos are Roberts Barracks, the clock on the roof was the cook house for 37 Army Engineer regiment who moved in late 1950
There were 2 barrack squares, this is the one on the left as you enter the main gate
A great place to be posted

1949 now a long time ago, and getting more difficult to find anyone who was there at that time

Regards
Sapper

37 was also the number of the German infantry regiment that went to the eastern front, and only a very few came back, mostly Osnabruck men

Subject: Re: Osnabruck 1949 2/11/2018, 19:50

The opinion of lots of people who have seen the photos which I have posted on FB, BAOR Photos, insist it is Belfast Bks! The blocks alignment to the square are 90 degree turned. Belfast does have a clock as well.

Subject: Re: Osnabruck 1949 3/11/2018, 19:18

1949 is slightly ahead of my current research however pretty sure that the photos are not Roberts Barracks!

27 Oct 48 is my last date with Kew documents that show every single unit in Osnabrück and 11th Hussars are the only major unit in Roberts Barracks and sorry no mention of 53 CMD

12 Dec 47 – 11th Hussars (Prince Albert’s Own) RAC
RHQ: Roberts Barracks North formally Winkelhausen Kaserne Osnabrück
Oct 50 – to Combermere Barracks former RAF Wesendorf

28 Jul 47 – 5th Field Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
RHQ: Roberts Barracks South formally Winkelhausen Kaserne Osnabrück
21 Feb 48 – to United Kingdom

On a personal note when living in Iserlohn, visited Roberts Barracks a few years ago with a friend who was stationed there in the mid 1960s, the RA unit rear party were very accommodating with our visit (booked in advance) and the Provost Sgt was amazed when my friend pointed out that the “swastikas” were still visible within the roof tiles of the blocks!

https://britisharmyingermany.com

Subject: Re: Osnabruck 1949 3/11/2018, 19:27

This is the candidate, Belfast Bks. Note the blocks alignment at 90 degrees and clock.

Most on FB, BAOR Photos voted for Belfast Bks.

Subject: Re: Osnabruck 1949 3/11/2018, 20:03

Nice one

WOI Number of posts : 145 Registration date : 2008-07-09

steve wrote:: Nice one

Hi all,
Those buildings all same design, but grouping is the identifier; I never visited Belfast Barracks, in those days you only visited other barracks if on duty

Keep up sending photos and memories

Regards
Sapper