A letter to the Web Master.
3/16/04
Irene Moore,
Reference: Constabulary Lightning Bolt, Dec. 03.
Your article about your father,
Gilbert
Matherne, brings back memories of my time in Germany in the late
forties.
I was stationed at Rothwesten, Germany in early 1947. In mid
1947, I was assigned to Fritzlar, Germany. Late January 1948 I
returned to the U.S. A and was discharged from the U.S. Army at
Camp Kilmer, N.J. on Feb. 11, 1948. Although the picture of
your father looks familiar, I have no direct recollection of having met
him.
Rothwesten:
Mar. 47 - Provisional
Training 4
wks
Apr. 47 -
Constabulary School
4
wks Sonthofen
May. 47 -"C" Troop, 11th
Squadron, 1st Regiment
Fritzlar:
Aug. 47 - 7801st S.C.U.
[Station Complimentary Unit]
Jan. 48 -
Shipped Home
During the late Fall of 1947, changes were taking place at Fritzlar.
Specialized training was beginning for "line troops".
This may have been the changes over of various Constabulary Troops to
the 14th ACR [Armored Cavalry Regiment].
Including Auxiliary units, the Fritzlar Military Sub-Post Station more
than 900 troops.
10-22-43
Air Raid during the evening: Several thousand people died
in
Kassel, Germany. The air raid
was
unexpected and people were
shopping. Routinely the British Air Force bombed during the night
and the Americans bombed during the day.
By the end of the war, Kassel was 80 % destroyed. People lived in
basements. In mid 1947, most of the side streets wee blocked with
rubble. I walked the streets that were cleared for 13 city blocks
before finding one house standing and it was damaged. Rubble in
the middle of the uncleared streets was six feet high in some
places. I feel certain that our father viewed similar
damage. Kassel had a
post
war population of 216
thousand.
Today, the population has been regained.
Rothwesten and Fritzlar bore little if any damage. Air planes
hangers were damaged at Fritzlar but the small town of Fritzlar
appeared to be undamaged.
About ten years ago, I met a woman who lived in Lohfelden Germany, [2
suburb of Kassel] and worked in downtown Kassel at the Hofbauor
Bouhof [Dept. Store] during the war years. She was
hospitalized with Scarlet Fever on the outskirts of Kassel and was
uninjured by the 10-22-43 air raid. Presently, she and her
husband live in the Jacksonville, FL area.
Hazel and I visited Kassel, Fritzlar and Rothwesten during
August, 2000. I celebrated my 72nd birthday near Witzenhausen,
Germany. Kassel has a Burger King restaurant in the main railroad
station. Fritzlar has a Mc Donald's restaurant near the Kaserne.
Some memories for you.
George E. Hooker
Florida.
From the Web Editor:
Thank you George, for sharing with me your memories. It brought back
many memories for me especially now that both my parents are
gone. I miss their stories and you have newly refreshed many
memories of them. I am sure that you have brought back memories
to most all who reads this page.
Thanks,
Irene
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