Informatie for exposition at Hingene (Belgium)

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Darth_Bjoris_1979
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Informatie for exposition at Hingene (Belgium)

#1

Post by Darth_Bjoris_1979 » 01 Feb 2021, 15:07

Dear forum members

As a Heritage Society we yearly organize a free expo on a specific theme, with as link: our municipality Hingene (since 1977 part of Bornem). For one of these future expositions, we chose the theme WW2.

At the moment we have already a lot of (delicate) information about collaboration files, but I think that, thanks to this forum (now we cannot go to the archives) we can find out even more details. So we are looking for photos, films, documents or stories of German soldiers, who were stationed in Hingene (villages Hingene, Wintam and Eikevliet) during the second world war.

Especially of troops who were active on the airfield of Hingene (Einsatzhafen mit Grasnarbe, deckname: "Käseglocke"). Mostly it was called Flugplatz Hingene and was part of Fliegerhorst Antwerpen-Deurne.

Feldpost Luft F.P.L. 37419 (stood for Hingene)
F.P.L. 03907: Ldschtz Zug. D. Luft Waffe No. 86/XI. This is the Section 86/XI of the Landesschutz (airfield defense) Luftgau Brussel (Brussels).
F.P.L. 06278: Fl. H. Kdtr (E) Kommandantur of the Luftwaffe (Flieger Heeres)
F.P.L. 12818: Stab Pz. Abt. 67 (Panzer-Abteilung 67) Staff of the Armored Division 67
F.P.L. 25398: 14. Kp. Nachr. Regt. Belgien-Nordfrankreich (14 Kompanie Nachrichten-Regiment Belgien-Nordfrankreich). This was a division of the German Army's "Messaging" service.
F.P.L. 26329: Fl. Heeres Kdtr. Antwerpen-Deurne (Frontleitstelle des Heeres Kommandantur Antwerpen-Deurne). The airfield of Deurne (from 19/07/1941 until 14/02/1942). Hingene depended on Deurne for the quartering and the Flak positions (Uffz. Dressel).
F.P.L. 28561: /5K KW Werkst. Kp. 218 (Kraftwagen-Werkstattzug-Kompanie 218) A transport unit
F.P.L. 30478: Rgt. Stab Grenz Wacht. The staff of the Regiment "Clüver" (Brouwersvliet, Antwerp). A division of this unit guarded the locks of Wintam from 15/09/1940 until 15/12/1940 (1 o/off and 12 m.)
F.P.L. 37292: Stab KGzbV.2 Staff of the 2nd Kampfgeschwader zur besonderen Verwendung.

General Commander of the airfield (Flugplatz) Hingene was Major Schalcke.

On May 20, 1940, a German reconnaissance aircraft (type Fieseler Fi 156 Storch ) landed for the first time on war-airfield No.15 at Hingene.

Thus the II./KGrzbV.1 (II./Kampfgeschwader zur besonderen Verwendung 1) led by Oberstleutnant Friedrich-Wilhelm "Fritz" Morzik and Staffels 6, 7 and 8 were present.

Furthermore, the 22. Luftlande-Division and 7. Luftlande-Division their passage through Hingene. After the departure of II./KGrzbV.1 on 26 August 1940, we find nothing about which divisions of the Luftwaffe were active on the airfield. The airfield remained in use until February 28, 1943, after which it was transferred to the Wehrmacht.

Furthermore, we found some names of German officers or soldiers who were active in our district: Feldwebel Jablonsky, Gefreite Lodin, Phiros, architect Willy Weishaupt, Wolfschmitt, Recke (German officer of Organization Todt), Major von Maercker (Kreiskommandant Mechelen), Hauptmann Schmitt (later sent to Russia as a major), Albert, Karl or Frank Schuster, Walter Ritter, Major Slucka, Hauptmann Kittler, Uffz. Bertsch (agricultural advisor) and Feldwebel Ernst Christof. At the airfield several Flak divisions were also represented.

With our expo we want to form the best possible picture of Hingene during the war years. So, if you have documentation that help us, your welcome.

Do you have photos, documents, material that you possibly want to sell (price is negotiable), you can contact [email protected]; also with stories of family members who were stationed in Hingene, may always reach us through the same email address.

Thanks in advance

Best regards,

Björn Van Eetvelt
President of the Order of Hingene
www.eenhartvoorhingene.be

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Prosper Vandenbroucke
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Re: Informatie for exposition at Hingene (Belgium)

#2

Post by Prosper Vandenbroucke » 02 Feb 2021, 20:46

Hi Bjorn
Maybe it helps you a little bit.

Hingene (BELG) (51 06 10 N – 04 17 15 E)
General: landing ground (Einsatzhafen) in Belgium 15.5 km SW of Antwerpen, 3 km NNE of Puers (Puurs) and on the S side of the road connecting the villages of Hingene and Wintam. Rated for fighters.
History: a pre-war emergency landing ground, it was taken over by the Luftwaffe and extensively used by transport aircraft during May and June 1940. After that, it became inactive. Surface and Dimensions: grass surface on sandy soil measuring 1280 x 915 meters (1400 x 1000 yards) with an “L”-shape. No paved runway. Possibly unserviceable in wet weather. Fuel and Ammunition: underground fuel tanks were located on the N, W and S boundaries. There were 2 ammunitions storage points off the S side of the field.
Infrastructure: no hangars or workshops. Station HQ, offices, flight control, motor pool, etc., were in requisitioned buildings and huts on the outskirts of Hingene and Wintam. Personnel were billeted in huts adjacent to the dispersal areas and on the outskirts of the two villages. The nearest rail connections were in Hingene and Wintam.
Dispersal: the 4 dispersal areas – North, East, South and West – had a total of 45 aircraft shelters. The shelters were particularly well-built, semi-buried and could take aircraft with up to a 30 meter (100 feet) wing span.
Defenses: 1 heavy and 4 light Flak positions were within 1.6 km pf the landing ground in Mar 43.
Satellites and Decoys: Hemiksem - a former Belgian airfield 7.5 km NE of Hingene landing ground that the Germans used as a decoy.
Remarks: 18 Jul 44: landing area obstructions removed and all aircraft shelters demolished.
Operational Units: II./KG z.b.V. 1 (Jun-Aug 40).
Station Commands: none identified.
Station Units (on various dates – not complete): none identified.
[Sources: AFHRA A5258 pp.1660-62 (31 Jul 43); A5259 p.172 (18 Jul 44); chronologies; BA-MA; NARA; PRO/NA; web site ww2.dk]


I found this info here:
http://www.ww2.dk/Airfields%20-%20Belgi ... mbourg.pdf
Kindly regards from Belgium
Prosper :wink: :wink:


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Darth_Bjoris_1979
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Location: Hingene

Re: Informatie for exposition at Hingene (Belgium)

#3

Post by Darth_Bjoris_1979 » 06 Feb 2021, 12:12

Prosper Vandenbroucke wrote:
02 Feb 2021, 20:46
Hi Bjorn
Maybe it helps you a little bit.

Hingene (BELG) (51 06 10 N – 04 17 15 E)
General: landing ground (Einsatzhafen) in Belgium 15.5 km SW of Antwerpen, 3 km NNE of Puers (Puurs) and on the S side of the road connecting the villages of Hingene and Wintam. Rated for fighters.
History: a pre-war emergency landing ground, it was taken over by the Luftwaffe and extensively used by transport aircraft during May and June 1940. After that, it became inactive. Surface and Dimensions: grass surface on sandy soil measuring 1280 x 915 meters (1400 x 1000 yards) with an “L”-shape. No paved runway. Possibly unserviceable in wet weather. Fuel and Ammunition: underground fuel tanks were located on the N, W and S boundaries. There were 2 ammunitions storage points off the S side of the field.
Infrastructure: no hangars or workshops. Station HQ, offices, flight control, motor pool, etc., were in requisitioned buildings and huts on the outskirts of Hingene and Wintam. Personnel were billeted in huts adjacent to the dispersal areas and on the outskirts of the two villages. The nearest rail connections were in Hingene and Wintam.
Dispersal: the 4 dispersal areas – North, East, South and West – had a total of 45 aircraft shelters. The shelters were particularly well-built, semi-buried and could take aircraft with up to a 30 meter (100 feet) wing span.
Defenses: 1 heavy and 4 light Flak positions were within 1.6 km pf the landing ground in Mar 43.
Satellites and Decoys: Hemiksem - a former Belgian airfield 7.5 km NE of Hingene landing ground that the Germans used as a decoy.
Remarks: 18 Jul 44: landing area obstructions removed and all aircraft shelters demolished.
Operational Units: II./KG z.b.V. 1 (Jun-Aug 40).
Station Commands: none identified.
Station Units (on various dates – not complete): none identified.
[Sources: AFHRA A5258 pp.1660-62 (31 Jul 43); A5259 p.172 (18 Jul 44); chronologies; BA-MA; NARA; PRO/NA; web site ww2.dk]


I found this info here:
http://www.ww2.dk/Airfields%20-%20Belgi ... mbourg.pdf
Kindly regards from Belgium
Prosper :wink: :wink:
Thanks Prosper,

I also found this, but unfortunately it is incomplete. I am looking for pictures, documents, etc. of soldiers who were stationed in Hingene at that moment. A very difficult task, I know, but it's possible. In the meantime I have visited many websites and looked at each picture, sometimes for days. Until you reach a point where a call has to be made because these few photos are in private collections.

Still, thanks for the effort!

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