The is (I think so at least) a photo Rolf Thomsen recieving the knight's cross, but who is the other fellow?
/Marcus
Rolf Thomsen recieving the knight's cross
After all that I was wrong! A photograph of Thomsen taken shortly after the Knight's Cross award ceremony in your photo can be found at:
http://uboat.net/men/thomsen.htm
The photo on this site shows Thomsen with the Leader of U-Boats West Kapitän zur See Hans Rudolf Rösing (who looks to be the man presenting the decoration) and Fregattenkapitän Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock, commander of the 11th Flotilla.
Rösing has his own bio-sketch and photos on this site as well.
Regards,
Shawn
http://uboat.net/men/thomsen.htm
The photo on this site shows Thomsen with the Leader of U-Boats West Kapitän zur See Hans Rudolf Rösing (who looks to be the man presenting the decoration) and Fregattenkapitän Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock, commander of the 11th Flotilla.
Rösing has his own bio-sketch and photos on this site as well.
Regards,
Shawn
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Bernhard H. Holst
- Member
- Posts: 57
- Joined: 09 Apr 2002, 02:42
- Location: USA
Hello:
I have to offer the following observations which may well put a differenr explanation on the posted picture:
-Kptn.Lt. Thomsen already is wearing the Knightscross, most unusual when the official award ceremony for the Knights Cross took place.
-the pictured case being handed over is somewhat square in appearance as are the cases for the oakleaves. Therefore not a Knightscross case which is rectangular in shape. I am of the opinion that this is the oakleaves award ceremony. I base this opinion also on a photo and caption in Peter Stockert 4 volume reference book on the recipients of the oakleaves (Thomsen's oakleaves were the 852. bestowed and dated 29.Apr. 1945). The ceremony took place in Norway which was Thomsen's last assignment as of April 1945.
Also I recall seeing mention of Roesing being commander of U-Boats in the northern area at that time.
Shawn's picture identification and comments are otherwise flawless as we have been accustomed to.
Bernhard H. Holst
I have to offer the following observations which may well put a differenr explanation on the posted picture:
-Kptn.Lt. Thomsen already is wearing the Knightscross, most unusual when the official award ceremony for the Knights Cross took place.
-the pictured case being handed over is somewhat square in appearance as are the cases for the oakleaves. Therefore not a Knightscross case which is rectangular in shape. I am of the opinion that this is the oakleaves award ceremony. I base this opinion also on a photo and caption in Peter Stockert 4 volume reference book on the recipients of the oakleaves (Thomsen's oakleaves were the 852. bestowed and dated 29.Apr. 1945). The ceremony took place in Norway which was Thomsen's last assignment as of April 1945.
Also I recall seeing mention of Roesing being commander of U-Boats in the northern area at that time.
Shawn's picture identification and comments are otherwise flawless as we have been accustomed to.
Bernhard H. Holst
Bernhard,
Thank you for the kind comments! Good catch on the photo...he is already wearing his Knight's Cross!! The 11th Flotilla commanded by Fregattenkapitän Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock was based in Norway and Rösing's post of Leader of U-Boats West had been transferred to Norway in the fall of 1944.
Interesting note on Lehmann-Willenbrock from uboat.net - it was aboard his boat, the "U 96," that war corespondent Sonderführer-Leutnant Lothar-Günther Buchheim took part in the war patrol that served as the basis for his famous book "Das Boot" (and later movie of the same name)! Naturally, Lehmann-Willenbrock served as the role model for his fictional U-boat commander!
Regards,
Shawn
Thank you for the kind comments! Good catch on the photo...he is already wearing his Knight's Cross!! The 11th Flotilla commanded by Fregattenkapitän Heinrich Lehmann-Willenbrock was based in Norway and Rösing's post of Leader of U-Boats West had been transferred to Norway in the fall of 1944.
Interesting note on Lehmann-Willenbrock from uboat.net - it was aboard his boat, the "U 96," that war corespondent Sonderführer-Leutnant Lothar-Günther Buchheim took part in the war patrol that served as the basis for his famous book "Das Boot" (and later movie of the same name)! Naturally, Lehmann-Willenbrock served as the role model for his fictional U-boat commander!
Regards,
Shawn
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Bernhard H. Holst
- Member
- Posts: 57
- Joined: 09 Apr 2002, 02:42
- Location: USA
Hello Shawn.
Thank you for the additional information in regards to Buchheim. You may know that he is still around and is putting together some awsome collection of many items. He has been attacked as having been a member of the Nazi propaganda machine. The fellow couldn't care less and is still his own man.
Bernhard H. Holst
Thank you for the additional information in regards to Buchheim. You may know that he is still around and is putting together some awsome collection of many items. He has been attacked as having been a member of the Nazi propaganda machine. The fellow couldn't care less and is still his own man.
Bernhard H. Holst
Bernhard,
You were right, this was his oakleaves presentation! I found a website that is advertising signed prints of the same photo seen at top (see link). This site describes the ceremony as taking place on 30 April 1945 at Bergen harbor with the presentation being made by Rösing. The assembled crew of Thomsen's "U 1202" is in the background.
http://www.leisuregalleries.com/thomsen.html
Regards,
Shawn
You were right, this was his oakleaves presentation! I found a website that is advertising signed prints of the same photo seen at top (see link). This site describes the ceremony as taking place on 30 April 1945 at Bergen harbor with the presentation being made by Rösing. The assembled crew of Thomsen's "U 1202" is in the background.
http://www.leisuregalleries.com/thomsen.html
Regards,
Shawn