Sunday, 11 October 2020
I am totally happy. The first edition of 350 books were sold by 6th December. Eventually almost 500 were sold until November 2021
The English language version with fewer German details, but more and new details of greater interest, I hope, for the British. This novel will follow in 1922.
The title= We are through. price and ISBN number will follow
Thursday, 14 March 2019
Biberach is planning for a Follow-Up Exhibition and a largeMemorial at the Lager Lindele
This follow-up exhibition will concentrate on what happened after May 1945 and before the Police Academy moved in.Allied forces on their way from the western part of Germany picked up lots of Wehrmacht troops trying to reach Bavaria and the US Zone and put them as their prisoners in the camp.
Unfortunately, the follow-up exbitition was a misunderstanding.
But i am now close to finish my historical novel on The Great Escape of Biberach.
There will be a German version and an English one. I have decided to do two versions instead of a direct translation. All the historical facts are the same, but some military facts are more detailed in the English version. By Mid September 2020, I am planning to have them both printed.
During my interviews with locals from Biberach and Birkenhard (north of the camp) I picked up lots of stories and documents worth exhibiting.
In the early 50ees , German refugees from East and West trying to escape the Soviet Army or being moved out by the French from, e.g. Strasbourg, also have stories, documents and other items.
I am busy collecting them now.
The Monument, planned to be next to the main gate on 250 m² is now with the Town Council to make a final decision,, due to the Corona virus, notmuch before autom 2021
The two designs I have seen are both impressive. Let's see which one wins. The local Technical Academy with their students came up with 5 designs and to me, they all look good. Also a matter of costs of course.
Unfortunately, the follow-up exbitition was a misunderstanding.
But i am now close to finish my historical novel on The Great Escape of Biberach.
There will be a German version and an English one. I have decided to do two versions instead of a direct translation. All the historical facts are the same, but some military facts are more detailed in the English version. By Mid September 2020, I am planning to have them both printed.
During my interviews with locals from Biberach and Birkenhard (north of the camp) I picked up lots of stories and documents worth exhibiting.
In the early 50ees , German refugees from East and West trying to escape the Soviet Army or being moved out by the French from, e.g. Strasbourg, also have stories, documents and other items.
I am busy collecting them now.
The Monument, planned to be next to the main gate on 250 m² is now with the Town Council to make a final decision,, due to the Corona virus, notmuch before autom 2021
The two designs I have seen are both impressive. Let's see which one wins. The local Technical Academy with their students came up with 5 designs and to me, they all look good. Also a matter of costs of course.
Friday, 23 November 2018
Visitors andEvents around the exhibition
In addition to hundreds of visitors to the exhibition and 2 UK groups to the camp, we had 2 major events
Nelly Le Fevre,was 16 and together with her cousin when they were deported from Sark had a very emotional visit to Biberach and indeed talked about XX talked about the first day in the camp when Nelly was separated from her beloved younger brother to be in different huts with other families and strangers in a small confined space. It was a real shock, but her"home" for the years and months to come. Asked:"does she hate the Germans?" not at all!
like the daughters of local family,who had deported menfrom Guernsey working in the family gardens, or as one woman said, sometimes having a deported woman help in their household. but realy just came for tea and cookies and to get her out from the camp to feel like a free person for at least an hour or two.
Max, a boy of 14 in these days explained about his job working inside the camp to strengthen the fences or rearing damaged interior. Following the escape of 26 officers and the consequent move to another camp away from Switzerland, Max also watched some still missing officers being forced out from another tunnel hiding for their next chance to escape. Max Holzer told the audience as if it was only yesterday, how impressed he was, how well equipped they were, maps, compass, water bottle, etc.
Some witnesses were not able to come to Biberach (old age), but their stories were presented by me.
1. Contemporary witnesses from the Channel Islands
Nelly Le Fevre,was 16 and together with her cousin when they were deported from Sark had a very emotional visit to Biberach and indeed talked about XX talked about the first day in the camp when Nelly was separated from her beloved younger brother to be in different huts with other families and strangers in a small confined space. It was a real shock, but her"home" for the years and months to come. Asked:"does she hate the Germans?" not at all!
2. Contemporary local witnesses
Allwitnesses were kids in 1941 to 1945,like the daughters of local family,who had deported menfrom Guernsey working in the family gardens, or as one woman said, sometimes having a deported woman help in their household. but realy just came for tea and cookies and to get her out from the camp to feel like a free person for at least an hour or two.
Max, a boy of 14 in these days explained about his job working inside the camp to strengthen the fences or rearing damaged interior. Following the escape of 26 officers and the consequent move to another camp away from Switzerland, Max also watched some still missing officers being forced out from another tunnel hiding for their next chance to escape. Max Holzer told the audience as if it was only yesterday, how impressed he was, how well equipped they were, maps, compass, water bottle, etc.
Some witnesses were not able to come to Biberach (old age), but their stories were presented by me.
Friday, 29 December 2017
Exhibition in Biberach from 24 October2018 for approx. 6 months
The Museum Biberach worked on an Exhibition about the Camp History of Lager Lindele (OFLAG/ILAG VB from 1936 until today.
During this period the camp was mainly:
- Barracks for the Wehrmacht 1939 to 1940
- POW camp for Russian forced laborer1940
- POW camp for Allied officers 1940 to 1941
- Internment camp for families with British roots from the Channel Islands 1942 to 1945
- POW camp for German troops run by the French 1945 to approx. 1952
- Camp for German civilians expelled by Russian and French forces 1953 til approx. 1957
- Police Academy ever since.
There will be additional events following the opening, both at the Museum, but also down town and in the former camp.Further newsin due course. Please come and see for yourself, or contact me, if you like to have a guided tour, both of the exhibition and the camp. Especially for the camp, I need advance notice.
To make sure you do not miss any news, either check my Blog every now and then, or click on Follower and leave a Mail address or tel. number, and I will inform you accordingly.
The most probable place of the tunnel - exit has not been preserved. Following a decision by the town authorities. it was destroyed to now have a kids playing ground instead. To underline my protest, I had T-shirts made with me and the words Escape Tunnel since 1941. If you like to purchase this shirt for€ 25 it is available in various colors and sizes, click this German link T-shirt
Monday, 18 December 2017
The Event in September 2016
When James Baxter, son of Ronald Baxter (one of the 26 escapees), informed me about his celebration plans at home in England, of 75 years of The Great Escape of Biberach, we also organised a party with friends and supporters, close to the original exit of September 1941. This was a very emotional event, especially for me. It took 4 years of research work and in the end a bit of luck to find another section of the tunnel following the 1981 section. And again, we found some evidence of what the diggers left behind.
Both items among lots of other items I collected over the years, will go on display in 2018 in the Biberach Museum. other items will be pics of the escaped officers and copies of their diaries, kindly provided to me by their families - unfortunately all escapees passed away before I started my research in 2011.
There are also a number of books the officers wrote after 1945 and their safe return home. e. Michael Duncan in 1954 Underground from Posen as well as Terence Prittie MBE. and Earle Edwards MBE. TD. in 1946 Escape to Freedom.
Both items among lots of other items I collected over the years, will go on display in 2018 in the Biberach Museum. other items will be pics of the escaped officers and copies of their diaries, kindly provided to me by their families - unfortunately all escapees passed away before I started my research in 2011.
There are also a number of books the officers wrote after 1945 and their safe return home. e. Michael Duncan in 1954 Underground from Posen as well as Terence Prittie MBE. and Earle Edwards MBE. TD. in 1946 Escape to Freedom.
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