|
|
|
Compassion Kids |
Chapter 5 – Crefelds take part in World War II John and Nicholas went off WWII. Though we don’t have any details on where they served, we do have some details on Nicholas’s capture and time spent as a POW. Gertrude received a Western Union telegram giving her the news. “Report just received the International Red Cross states that your son private Nicholas C Crefeld is a Prisoner of War of the German Government letter of information follows from Provost Marshal General J A Ulio the Adjutant General.” See Appendix III for copy of actual telegram. A news clipping I found with the telegram gave some more details on the capture. Here is some of quotes from the article: 3,400 Starving U.S. Prisoners Freed; Lived Mostly on Grass. “Many soliders from the Passaic-Bergen area were captured in the Ardennes offensive when von Rundstedt’s tanks overran the 106th Infantry Division in which they were fighting.” “the Nazi prison camp at Bad Orb where 3,400 had been held since last December, existing mainly on grass soup” Based on the War Claims Commission received by Nicholas in April of 1952, he was imprisoned from Dec 21, 1944 through April 1, 1945. His WCC Claim number was P146404, and he received $102.00 Based on a letter from Frank (the son) to Gertrude, they had not heard of Nicholas’s capture right away. The letter was written on Sunday, Jan 28th, 1945. A section of the letter that speaks of the capture: “I got your letter but held up answering it. In the first place there was very little I could do or say that would relive you of your worry or anxiety for the Boy. I somehow felt that you would have some good news before I would get around to writing. I still feel that Nickolas is very much alive and that you will get word that he has been taken prisoner. I am praying for He and you both. There were large numbers of Uncle Sam’s boys taken prisoners during that big push and it will take a lot of time before word gets to us who they were. So let’s keep hoping.”
Return to Crefeld History
Main Page. |
