A very interesting minesweeper grouping

[Erik E]

Just got this interesting grouping!

The first item is a award document for the "minesweeper badge"

The date of award is 11 May 1945, 3 days after the war!
Signed by RK trager Schrader.

[Erik E]

The next document, is an british enrolment order where he is ordered to serve in the German minesweeping administration from Oct.1946

[Erik E]

And finally, his new soldbuch made in 1946. Note the stamp on the photo says "2.German minesweeping drafting pool"
It also contains a permit to wear his Kriegsmarine uniform!

According to the entries, he served on "Stutzpunktschiff MRS 12" until 12th May 1947.......

[Marcus]

Very nice Erik.

/Marcus

[Paddy Keating]

That's a very interesting group, Erik. Thanks for sharing it. Imagine your relief at the war finally ending...only to be pressganged into mine clearance duty for as long as the victors see fit. I hope he survived. Can you imagine if the Germans had made British and American personnel defuse bombs or clear minefields? There's have been howls of outrage! Oh well...victors make the rules.

Prosper Keating

[Ian Jewison]

Erik,

That is interesting to see, particularly being post war with a wartime photo!!!
Here is one of mine, he is either wearing a civilian leather jacket or a Marine foul weather jacket......
This was issued 13.6.1947 by 1 Minenräumdivision.

/Ian

[Erik E]

Can you imagine

I guess the poor guys who had to clean landmines had a tougher time....... But I guess it was just common sence to think that "they placed them, so they will remome them!"


And Ian:

Interesting to see similar books! The stamp looks exactly the same too!

I wonder how many got drafted.......

Erik

[Ian Jewison]

Hi Erik,

I think a large amount of ex Kriegsmarine members actually got drafted in the the "GMSA".....
Although I do not have any other post war Soldbücher, I do have around 10 war time Soldbücher that have pages relating to service with the "GMSA" and a few with "Royal Navy" ID cards as well.

I will post some scans later.

/Ian

[dasboot]

Erik e.

Here is a suggestion that might be of interest to go along your minesweeper badge documents. It's a cased photo arrangment of mine layers at work.

Just a suggestion. Item is under #3 of kriegmarine from http://www.germanmilitaria.com

http://www.germanmilitaria.com/Kriegsma ... 01548.html

take care.