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In the Summer of 1943 two Me 323 Giganten Transport Aircraft were shot down whilst returning from North Africa in the direction of Sardinia. One crashed on one of the small islands of the island group of la Maddalena, the other disappeared into the sea. They had been intercepted by a group of allied fighters and had only been escorted by one Italian fighter, which failed to prevent them being shot down, but managed to pursue and shoot down one of the assailants. 70 years (2013) later, the last wreck was discoverd at 25 metres depth by Aldo Ferrucci, a professional diver. A moving memorial ceremony later took place with some of the relatives of those lost. Representatives of the Italian Navy and of the Bundesluftwaffe were present. Eye witnesses also come to word. German and Italian text.

Most antique clock dealers will be able to provide a suitable, fitting key.

Hamburg, postwar photo, May 1948. A collection of historical bronze statues in a Hamburg backyard, which had been due for melting down for war metal, but saved by the end of the war. The original text of the photo states; "Hopefully, they will soon be turned into cooking utensils and other usefull items of daily life." See original text. More damage to historical substance and cultural heritage was done postwar than during the war itself. This trend seems to be recently on the uptake again. In the forground statues of Bismarck, King George of Saxony and Martin Luther, as well as a French general of the period 1870/71 can be seen. Hamburg, Denkmäler aus Metallsammlung Illus-dpd Vergangene Pracht Auf einem Hamburger Hinterhof stiess im Mai 1948 unser Bildberichter durch Zufall auf dieses Sammelsurium von Denkmälern, die während des Krieges hier zusammengetragen wurden, um - wie die Kirchenglocken - in Kanonen umgegossen zu werden. Das Kriegsende bewahrte sie vor diesem Schicksal. Hoffentlich verwandeln sie sich recht bald in Kochtöpfe und andere nützliche Dinge des täglichen Bedarfs. 25.5.48 [Herausgabedatum]

Is this not the Messerschmitt Me 323 Fritz ?

Here is another clock we just got in, scare German brass ships clock made by Kieninger & Obergfell. Also used on U boats, featuring a closed front hinged water tight glass door. Clock dials with painted numbers and eagle and swastika with serial number N9322. Brass in good condition with no dents. Serial number to reverse. Locking/Winding key is unfortunately missing.

Here is a image of part of a Luftwaffe map, showing the camp circled with a note to bomber crews to avoid the area. The note reads " Achtung Deutsches Gefangeneniager in Oldham - Leeds, the cartographer confusing the Oldham place name of the village of Lees, with that of the city of Leeds.

Here's a short video of POW prisoners at Glen Mill No2 Camp in 1939.

Photo received from the old studio today. Depicted is a policeman with 2 boys, one wearing a sidecap. The picture is marked on the reverse: August 1943, Schwabenried, Gau Bayreuth, Oberfranken. Not supposed to disclose the name of those depicted. Pictures were never collected.

Some old copies of "Der Wandsbeker", which was a successsor to the original "Wandsbecker Bote", originating from Matthias Claudius in the late 18th Century. These issues are from 1970, 1972 and 1973 Two appartently complete issues of "Wege zur Heimat", monthly edition of the "Wandsbeker Bote" dating from June 1936 and February 1939, in frail condition. These contain articles of local historical interest. As a comparison, recent editions of Wandsbek Informativ. In one of the brochures was a copy of an old print depicting the "Elbbrücken" in 1818, which were built by Napoleons troops during the occupation. This had been the first bridge of its kind over the River Elbe connecting the city of Hamburg with Harburg, Lower Saxony (Hannover), which had become a province of the French Kingdom of Westphalia under Jerome Napoleon. The bridge was used for many years until it finally collapsed. It was not rebuilt until an agreement between Hamburg and Prussia was signed in 1868. Prussia had taken over the former Kingdom of Hannover after 1866.

The enormous statue of Kaiser Wilhelm at the "Deutsches Eck" in Koblenz, where Rhein and Mosel meet. It was shot off it's pedestal by an approaching American tank in early 1945. Restored in the mid 1950s, reconstructed in 1993. The Kaiser Wilhelm memorial in Hamburg was moved several times. Originally as from 1903 at the Rathausmarkt, as in photo postcard depicted, later removed to the front of Hamburgs court of justice, again dumped in a far away corner of Plonten un Blomen, the city gardens, where it is less noticeable. The main group of statues and ornaments has long since been dissolved and either broken up or scattered in various places.

Regimental Standard of Husaren-Regiment 15, presently in the Brandenburg-Preußen Museum in Wustrau/Brandenburg. Together with the standard cloth, there is also the band with bars for the war of 1870/71. The Saekular-Bänder are in possession of the Museum in Wandsbek. The Standartenstock is said to be in possession of the Wehrgeschichtliches Museum in Rastatt, probably now in Potsdam, the Fahnenring with "Hus.R.15" appeared in an auction several years ago for 350 Euros, the Standartenspitze is apparently lost. https://www.google.de/search?q=heimatmuseum+wandsbek&client=firefox-b-ab&dcr=0&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwis0NqGuKLZAhWBKFAKHTiXD44Q_AUICygC&biw=1366&bih=654#imgdii=Ng6hIOBe8yKFUM:&imgrc=q9gpH_TIM4ZEiM: (Link to above site)

Original pre-WW1 photos from Fußartillerie-Regiment 11 in Thorn. In the first picture, the man on the far right is Gefreiter (or Obergefreiter? Large button) Albert Bohn, who served in this Regiment during the Great War. I was told, while he was taking part in a pre-war manoeuvre, he stood on a bridge during a pause to smoke a cigarette. His helmet fell over the bridge and was lost in the river (probably the Weichsel). His parents were obliged to buy him a new helmet. This was told to me by his son nearly 40 years ago.