Wednesday, February 01, 2006
Walter Herkstroeter - Maschin Obergefreter (Radar Technician)
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Walter Herkstroeter was born on 8th August 1924 in Hamburg.
He completing his apprenticeship as a Coppersmith in Hamburg, he was then drafted into the services in 1943.
Walter joined the U1277 in Feb/March 1944 in Vegesack, Bremen – the site of the Vulcan Shipyard and was appointed Maschin Obergefreter (Radar Technician).
Four weeks after the war in Europe ended, the U1277 was supposed to travel to South America, but because the ship did not have enough fuel, she was scuttled by the Captain off the coast of Portugal.
Walter was taken on board a Portuguese ship and taken to Lisbon. He didn’t actually go ashore, but was transferred onto a British ship destined for Gibraltar.
He was then interned in camps at Edinburgh, Kempton Park (London) and finally in Devizes in Wiltshire where he stayed under Polish guards for three years.
On release, he was given the choice of returning to work in the mines around Hamburg, which he declined as his home was destroyed in the bombings.
So he remained in England, working as a farm machinery fitter.
Walter married in 1956 in Tockenham (near Wooten Basset, Wiltshire). Now a widower, he still resides there. He enjoys spending time with his daughters family and grandchildren in Netheravon.
Walter's contact: Russell Harker
____
www.u1277.blogspot.com
www.schnorkel.blogspot.com
Walter Herkstroeter was born on 8th August 1924 in Hamburg.
He completing his apprenticeship as a Coppersmith in Hamburg, he was then drafted into the services in 1943.
Walter joined the U1277 in Feb/March 1944 in Vegesack, Bremen – the site of the Vulcan Shipyard and was appointed Maschin Obergefreter (Radar Technician).
Four weeks after the war in Europe ended, the U1277 was supposed to travel to South America, but because the ship did not have enough fuel, she was scuttled by the Captain off the coast of Portugal.
Walter was taken on board a Portuguese ship and taken to Lisbon. He didn’t actually go ashore, but was transferred onto a British ship destined for Gibraltar.
He was then interned in camps at Edinburgh, Kempton Park (London) and finally in Devizes in Wiltshire where he stayed under Polish guards for three years.
On release, he was given the choice of returning to work in the mines around Hamburg, which he declined as his home was destroyed in the bombings.
So he remained in England, working as a farm machinery fitter.
Walter married in 1956 in Tockenham (near Wooten Basset, Wiltshire). Now a widower, he still resides there. He enjoys spending time with his daughters family and grandchildren in Netheravon.
Walter's contact: Russell Harker
____
www.u1277.blogspot.com
www.schnorkel.blogspot.com
