• Hello forum members, I have recently aquired some letters that my father posted back home in 1943-44. the stamp I am having trouble finding information about is R-Cosel-Oderhafen 135. (picture attached)
    [attach = 96832] [/ attach]
    Info found is that Battalion was ?cancelled?
    The stamped envelope does not have a readable date but all other letters are between April 1943 and February 1944.

    also
    Can anyone tell me what the Aa. circular stamp is on the other picture posted.
    this letter is dated 20 Dec 1943 Glogau Silesian Steamers Compagnie ?BL? Wrocław Street 51 Boat 52
    In the letters he talks about boat travel on the Oder river (under sail) with only 2 other crew.
    [attach = 96833] [/ attach]
    Thanks for any help : thumbup:

  • Thanks for your response Roman, I have misunderstood the mail, now I can assume that he was not in a army group as none of the letters have the eagle stamp. I am using 'uncle google' to translate for me the letters and this forum. thanks again. Would you direct me to where I would find out about the boats used in this area, Merchant fleet (not navy?)

    any ideas on the Aa. ?
    regards
    Daina

    Edited 2 times, last by Dainute (August 27, 2015 at 11:49 PM).

  • Hello Daina,

    the "Aa." might be a stamp of an inspecting authority. For the FPN you has to look up for a 5 digit number in the letters.
    Where did you get your translation " Glogau Silesian Steamers Compagnie ?BL? Wrocław Street 51 Boat 52" from? Do you know what the acronyms on the envelope mean?

  • Hi,
    Schlesische Dampfer Compagnie, BL Breslau 51 Strasse Kahn 52 - is mentioned on other letters as his return post address. There are no 5 digit numbers on the 3 envelopes.
    SDC must be on the Oder River in Breslau, I am not sure what the 'BL' means.
    thanks
    Daina

  • This is too difficult as I only speak english. my father was Lithuanian and this is a German forum. My father joined "The Fleet" in 1943 and I am still trying to work out what that means. Is there any other threads that might help me understand his WW2 experience on the Oder River?

  • Hello

    i think it would make sense if u ask here for in formations: Link
    The page is available in englsih too. Ask there if they have any infomation of ur father. It takes
    some time till u get ananswer.

    mit freundlichen Grüssen

    Uli

  • Hi Daina,

    even the Company your father worked for are called Steamers Company they used in the war still the ODERKAHN for the transportation of goods along the river Oder.
    Nearly each River has had KÄHNE specialy designed to the requirements of the very river, specially to the often shallow water level.
    When he wrote sailing this boat only by a crew of 3 he means it was a hard work for only three man to sail a boat like this.
    The name Kahn 52 could mean the Company has had at least 52 of this kind of boats, and this number you can definitly call a Fleet, but not a Navy.


    Best regards

    Paul

  • Thank you Uli for the link I will contact them and wait.
    and
    Paul, Das Foto ist wunderbar!
    It must have been hard work for three crew for sure. He was 16 years old but had sailing experience.
    He writes: I have received food coupons. We want our rations increased but I think it will be enough. I am living in a cabin with the Germans. I have received some work pants and boots. We have been given utensils which I don’t know what to do with. Because the garrison is small, you have to cook your own meals separately....etc"
    This is definitely not Navy, Army?
    kind regards, Dainute

  • Hi Dainute,

    for me it looks like he was part of the forced labor system of the Third Reich. Allone his notice he lives together with Germans in the same room tells storys about the rassist partition of the German society. To find out more about it please start reading articels about forced Labor in WW 2 by Wikipedia.
    I expect you will find more about your father during the WW2 by contacting the International Tracing Service in Bad Arolsen
    https://www.its-arolsen.org.
    They provide a full english Service for tracing your relatives via Internet.

    deutsch: Es sieht so aus, als wäre er Teil des Zwangsarbeitssystems im 2. WK gewesen. Seine Notiz, er lebt mi den Deutschen in einem Raum, spricht Bände über die rassistische Teilung der deutschen Gesellschaft.
    Ich vermute, dass der Internationale Suchdienst in Bad Arolson mehr Auskunft über den Vater geben kann > Webseite.

    Regards
    Paul


    G-W-G'

    Edited 3 times, last by Paul Spohn (October 6, 2015 at 10:04 AM).

  • This is too difficult as I only speak english. my father was Lithuanian and this is a German forum. [...]


    Hi,

    can you please explain the above part in bold?
    You asked before on Aug 30th:

    Quote

    does the '980 a' have any relevance to an area or unit?


    and I explained you the meaning of this number in my post.
    I´m not convinced that your father was a forced laborer, couldn´t he have been a volunteer? Though I support the suggestions of Paul and Uli to request informations from the mentioned institutions.
    Please be aware that it takes at WASt usualy a year until you´ll get the requested informations.

  • In 1943 in Lithuania 16 year old boys would have been forced to volunteer for service. so the correct term is a grey area.
    I have been trying to find out what kind of vessel he worked on on the Oder River (thanks Paul) He travelled up and down the river a lot (from the letters he wrote home to his parents that were found 5 years ago in a house renovation)
    I have contacted the International Tracing Service months ago and understand this takes time to process.
    Roman: I was finding 'this too difficult' because it can get a little frustrating going round in circles on the web looking for information on Breslau (but not 'the Siege') so I returned to you helpful people on this forum.
    Paul; I didnt know this, I will read some more

    Allone his notice he lives together with Germans in the same room tells storys about the rassist partition of the German society

    Thanks again!
    Dainute