Luftwaffe on Guernsey

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Jford99
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Joined: 14 Apr 2022, 01:22
Location: NY

Luftwaffe on Guernsey

#1

Post by Jford99 » 10 May 2022, 19:17

Recently I came across pictures of my German grandfather. Based on his collar tabs and uniform we were able to determine he was in the Luftwaffe and most likely in a construction unit. Several of the photos say Guernsey on them. Does anyone have information about the Luftwaffe on the Channel Islands?

FTC_Quax
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Re: Luftwaffe on Guernsey

#2

Post by FTC_Quax » 18 May 2022, 22:33



Larry D.
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Re: Luftwaffe on Guernsey

#3

Post by Larry D. » 19 May 2022, 15:09

Jford99:

The only Luftwaffe construction unit on Guernsey was Lw.-Bau-Btl. 9/XVII (see below where marked in red):

Guernsey (FR/GB) (49 26 10 N – 02 36 05 W)
General: landing ground on the isle of Guernsey in the British Channel Islands off the coast of Normandy; landing ground located 5.25 km SW of St. Peter Port and 1.6 km in from the coast. History: a former airport, it was mainly used by the Luftwaffe as a forward base for staging fighter and reconnaissance missions against England during 1940 and early 1941. Surface and Dimensions: damp grass surface that was usually camouflaged in a patchwork pattern that blended in with the surrounding countryside. Measured approx. 730 x 615 meters (800 x 670 yards) with an irregular shape. No paved runway. Fuel and Ammunition: Small ammunition dumps were located in the North dispersal area and off the W end of the landing area. A third may have been in the SE corner near the hangars. Infrastructure: there were 2 small hangars and a few buildings at the SE corner. Personnel were mainly accommodated in the surrounding towns and villages. Dispersal: had 2 dispersals – North Boundary and West Boundary – with a total of 15 large covered aircraft shelters. Defenses: there were some 6 heavy and 16 light Flak positions within 3.5 km of the landing ground in late Jul 43. Ground defenses included reinforced strongpoints on the coast just S of the landing ground and barbed wire entanglements around the Flak positions.
Remarks:
20 Apr 41: employed 95 non-German workers.
7 Nov 42: landing area seen to be temporarily obstructed for extended periods.
7 Jun 43: leveling work to extend the E boundary of the landing area was underway.
14 Jan 44: an extension of the landing area that now provides a take-off/landing run of 1145 meters (1250 yards) has been completed and is now serviceable.
3 May 44: landing area observed to be temporarily obstructed but a narrow E/W strip has been left clear.
Operational Units: none identified.
Station Commands: as Fl.Pl.Kdo. Guernsey (of Fl.H.Kdtr. E 61/XIII Morlaix?) (Apr 41); Fl.Pl.Kdo. A 10/XII (Jan 43 – Jun 44).
Station and Island Units (on various dates – not complete): General der Luftwaffe Kanalinseln (Oct 43 – May 45); Stab/11. Flak-Brig. (Apr-Oct 43); Stab/Flak-Brig. XII (Oct/Nov 41 – Mar 43); Stab/Flak-Rgt. 39 (1941 – Feb 43); elements of I./Flak-Rgt. 9 (gem. mot.) (1940); elements of gem.Flak-Abt. 124 (Sep 41 – mid-43); elements of gem.Flak-Abt. 152 (Oct 41 – Feb 43); elements of gem.Flak-Abt. 292 (Oct 41 – May 45); elements of Res.Festungs-Flak-Abt. 311(v) (Aug 40); half of Res.Flak-Abt. 441 (Nov 41 – Apr 42); elements of gem.Flak-Abt. 493(v) (May 43); elements of le.Flak-Abt. 978 (1941-42); Feld-Flakinstandsetzungswerkstatt (mot) z.b.V. 2 (1943-44); Flak-Waffenwerkstatt (o) 9/XII (1943-44); Flak-Geräteausgabestelle (o) 107/XII (1943); 14.(Flum.Mess)/Ln.-Rgt. 53 (1943-44); 22.(schw.Flum.)/Luftgau-Nachr.Rgt. Westfrankreich (c.1941 – Dec 42); elements of Ln.-RV-Betr.Personal-Kp. z.b.V. 3 (1942 – Jun 44); Lw.-Feldbauamt Kanalinseln (c.1940-43); Lw.-Bau-Btl. 9/XVII (Nov 41 – Mar 42); Munitionsausgabestelle d.Lw. 27/XII (1944).
[Sources: AFHRA A5259 pp.1640-42 (20 Aug 43 updated to 3 May 44) and A5260 pp.2025-27 (20 Aug 43 updated to 14 Jan 44); chronologies; BA-MA; NARA; PRO/NA; web site ww2.dk]

L.

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