Author Topic: Help indentifying a services club in WWII Berlin  (Read 2014 times)

Offline deejayEn

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Help indentifying a services club in WWII Berlin
« on: Saturday 21 January 17 22:32 GMT (UK) »
My father's cousin recently told me that her dad was responsible for running a club for British soldiers in post war Berlin. He was posted there from the end of the war until at least March 1946. He was a private in the Royal Artillery but his job working in hotels before the war gave him the experience to run the club. He also booked musicians and acts to perform there on a regular basis, these acts were mainly German.

She had two photographs of the interior, see below. Sadly there is no writing on the back save for the photographer's stamp which says - Foto. Werkstatt, W.Hoven. Credfeld DAH LER DYK 182.

The third photo of the soldiers in uniform may be from the same location but I'm not sure.

I can identify a poster on the wall of the club in the background of one of the photos which says, Athletics. This indicates that it is a club connected to the British and the Army rather than a German club. I did wonder if it was connected to the NAAFI but the photos I found of the NAAFI club in Berlin looked different to this.

I would love to know where the club was and if it is still there. Can anyone identify it or does anyone have any idea which clubs British soldiers used in Berlin in late 1945/early 1946? Any information will be gratefully received.

Offline John915

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Re: Help indentifying a services club in WWII Berlin
« Reply #1 on: Saturday 21 January 17 23:41 GMT (UK) »
Good evening,

The British army took over 3 barracks plus the olympic complex. These were given the names Montgomery, Brookes, wavell and Smuts barracks. The first three were infantry and supporting arms and Smuts was next door to Spandau prison where Rudolph Hess was incarcerated. That was for the armoured unit, I did two short spells there in the 70s.

There was also BMH Berlin, (military hospital), a TocH club and a Red Shield club (Salvation Army). There may have been others that I don't know about.

I will see what I can find on any of them.

John915

Added, there was also the RAF bases of course.
Stephens, Fuller, Tedham, Bennett, Ransome (Sussex)
Rider (Fulham)
Stephens (Somerset)
Kentfield (Essex)

Offline John915

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Re: Help indentifying a services club in WWII Berlin
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 22 January 17 00:30 GMT (UK) »
Back again,

A little research shows me that there were several more barracks in Berlin than I knew of. Stadium barracks alone had 14 bars including officers and sgts messes plus a NAAFI .

I can find no interior photo's of them yet.

John915
Stephens, Fuller, Tedham, Bennett, Ransome (Sussex)
Rider (Fulham)
Stephens (Somerset)
Kentfield (Essex)

Offline Jebber

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Re: Help indentifying a services club in WWII Berlin
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 22 January 17 10:08 GMT (UK) »
I can't help with an answer to your question, only suggest the following website, it is a mine of information, it has a forum, you could try posting your photos there.

baor-locations.org



Jebber
CHOULES All ,  COKER Harwich Essex & Rochester Kent 
COLE Gt. Oakley, & Lt. Oakley, Essex.
DUNCAN Kent
EVERITT Colchester,  Dovercourt & Harwich Essex
GULLIVER/GULLOFER Fifehead Magdalen Dorset
HORSCROFT Kent.
KING Sturminster Newton, Dorset. MONK Odiham Ham.
SCOTT Wrabness, Essex
WILKINS Stour Provost, Dorset.
WICKHAM All in North Essex.
WICKHAM Medway Towns, Kent from 1880
WICKHAM, Ipswich, Suffolk.


Offline deejayEn

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Re: Help indentifying a services club in WWII Berlin
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 22 January 17 12:32 GMT (UK) »
Thank you both for your help. It's much appreciated.

Offline Rudolf H B

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Re: Help indentifying a services club in WWII Berlin
« Reply #5 on: Sunday 22 January 17 13:29 GMT (UK) »
Far away from Berlin:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krefeld

streetname: Dahlerdyk #182
Goldschmidt; Gregory, Maude, Nancy Price, Welby (UK),
Goldschmidt > Goldsmith, Benetta, Bloom, Gillis, McDonough, Moses, Wheaton (Australia / NZ),
Spatz & Henderson (Greater London),
Herbert Spatz MC > H. Spence MC (Salisbury),
Spatz > Spence, Nichols. Kidd (Bromley > Manchester South, India),
Spatz > Spaatz (Boyertown, PA - USA),
Engel & Joly (Philadelphia, PA - USA).
Kummerer (London, Chicago & Australia).

WW1 - Cousins Killed in Action in the Australian, English, French & German Armies

Offline John915

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Re: Help indentifying a services club in WWII Berlin
« Reply #6 on: Monday 23 January 17 01:05 GMT (UK) »
Good morning,

I'm not quite sure where you are going with this Rudolph. What does Krefeld have to do with WW2 servicemens clubs in Berlin?

John915
Stephens, Fuller, Tedham, Bennett, Ransome (Sussex)
Rider (Fulham)
Stephens (Somerset)
Kentfield (Essex)

Offline Rudolf H B

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Re: Help indentifying a services club in WWII Berlin
« Reply #7 on: Monday 23 January 17 06:57 GMT (UK) »
Good morning,

"the photographer's stamp which says" -

Foto. Werkstatt, W.Hoven
. Krefeld Dahlerdyk 182

Rudolf
Goldschmidt; Gregory, Maude, Nancy Price, Welby (UK),
Goldschmidt > Goldsmith, Benetta, Bloom, Gillis, McDonough, Moses, Wheaton (Australia / NZ),
Spatz & Henderson (Greater London),
Herbert Spatz MC > H. Spence MC (Salisbury),
Spatz > Spence, Nichols. Kidd (Bromley > Manchester South, India),
Spatz > Spaatz (Boyertown, PA - USA),
Engel & Joly (Philadelphia, PA - USA).
Kummerer (London, Chicago & Australia).

WW1 - Cousins Killed in Action in the Australian, English, French & German Armies

Offline Kevin, now in Chester

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Re: Help indentifying a services club in WWII Berlin
« Reply #8 on: Monday 23 January 17 07:09 GMT (UK) »
There was also Edinburgh House, a hotel/club for servicemen (and women?) on Theodor
Code: [Select]
[code][/code] Heuss Platz next to a major NAAFI in the centre of what was then West Berlin.   It had separate bars for Officers and Other Ranks and was a popular meeting point for British servicemen in the city.
We used to stay there when travelling across from Warsaw in then Communist Poland, where we were based back in the 1980s.
Taylor, Wright, Paul (East London) and Carter (Wickford, Orsett, Grays, Leyton, Essex), Holmes (Folkestone) and McHugh/McCue (Ireland/Pontypridd/Chester/Saltney)