Boldt and Dithmar

[John Gilinsky]

Lt. Boldt and Lt. Dithmar were aboard U-86 in June 1918 when the sub sank the British crewed / Canadian medically manned hospital ship Llandovery Castle.

While we now know with a fair degree of certainty the Captain's fate what happened to Lt. Boldt and Lt. Dithmar (who apparently at least were both alive in the 1930's)?

Did they survive / serve in ww2?

What happened to them AFTER ww2 and when and where did they both die?

Thanks,

John

Toronto

[sadsac]

Hello John, this is a long shot and probably no good as he is `low rank'

OberLeutnant W BOLDT - I/C U720 May 1944 to November 1944

What was `your man's' first name ?? How old ??

Could this chap be his son / relation ??

Sadsac

[apwright]

From Axis Biographical Research site at http://www.geocities.com/~orion47/

Kapitän zur See Ludwig Dithmar, born 13/5/1892 in Aachen

Promoted 1/4/1941

Gruppenleiter Archiv in der Kriegswissenschaftliche Abteilung der Marine, OKM - Sep 1939 - May 1945

("Archive Team Leader" at the Navy's War Science Department, Naval High Command)

Discharged - 18 Nov 1945

Can't find anything on John Claus Boldt.

Adrian

[melliget]

Their names were Ludwig Dittmar and Johann Boldt.

regards,

Martin

[John Gilinsky]

Martin and apwright: Thanks for your posts. Fascinating like the sub commander that at least one of his junior officers Dittmar served in ww2 throughout as well. Still what happened to these men AFTER 1945?

John

[Simon S.]

Hello Guys,

I can add the following facts.

Ludwig Wilhelm Ferdinand Dithmar (Crew 11) died on Dec. 1st 1970.

John Claus Boldt (Crew 14):

born: Jan. 26th 1895 in Danzig

died: Feb. 26th 1931 in Cali (Columbia)

Hope this helps.

Best wishes,

Simon S.

[John Gilinsky]

Simon: Thank you so much for apparently solving a mystery to me for many years. Can you please furnish your sources as specifically as possible for these two men's deaths?

Thanks again so much!

John

Toronto

Canada

[Simon S.]

Hello John,

Boldt's personal data are from the "Crew-Buch - Die Seeoffizierscrew 1914", the chronicle of German Navy Officers who joined the Navy in 1914.

Dithmar's date of death is from the "Deutsches U-Boot-Museum" in Cuxhaven-Altenbruch, a foundation were I'm a co-worker.

Best wishes,

Simon S.

[John Gilinsky]

Hello John,

Boldt's personal data are from the "Crew-Buch - Die Seeoffizierscrew 1914", the chronicle of German Navy Officers who joined the Navy in 1914.

Dithmar's date of death is from the "Deutsches U-Boot-Museum" in Cuxhaven-Altenbruch, a foundation were I'm a co-worker.

Best wishes,

Simon S.

Danke fuer ihre help!

"Crew-Buch - Die Seeoffizierscrew 1914" - bibliographical details for this publication (presumably a post-1945 historical one?)?

Dithamr's death from the "Deutsches U-Boot Museum" - is this information from his individual personnel/biographical file made up by a private collector for decades who collected U-Boot stuff and then donated or sold this to the museum? Is there a musueum archival library citation for this information?

Whatever did happen to the "UBOOT ARCHIV" that I refer to above Simon?

Thanks so much again,

John

[Simon S.]

Hello John,

at first, the U-Boot Archiv is still existing, it was only renamed into "Deutsches U-Boot-Museum - Archiv für internationale Unterwasserfahrt".

The Crew chronicle of Crew 1914 was printed in 1959.

Two Crew chronicles of Crew 1911 were printed, the first one between the wars (1936?) and the second one in 1952. The 1952-edition was created by Ludwig Dithmar!!!

The chronicles were never published! These fine books were only handed over to crew members or their widows, so they are absolutely rare. You can't get such an amount of information on German Navy Officers in the "NET".

Dithmar's death was announced in MOH-Nachrichten (Navy Officer Relief News).

Best wishes,

Simon

[John Gilinsky]

Simon: Danke und Danke und Danke!

You are a true help. I spent years researching the Llandovery Castle and yes the planned book actually motivated me (but only for a too short time!) to learn Deutsche! I may pick up where I left off but Canadian home front and medical topics have taken over for the time being. I presume that you are German and live in or near Cuxhaven?

John(aka Hans)

[Simon S.]

Hello Hans,

yes, I'm German but I live in Potsdam, near Berlin, abt. 500 km SE from Cuxhaven. Two times a year I'm there for a week or more.

If you are able to read german text I can offer you copies of the related Crew-book-pages. Please give me your email-address and I send you the scanned pages including a good picture of Ludwig Dithmar. That's what I can do for your research.

So long,

Simon S.

kaleunt@t-online.de

[toofatfortakeoff]

Late to the party but from the NewYork Times.

ASKS 4-YEAR SENTENCES FOR U-BOAT OFFICERS

Prosecutor's Forecast in Leipsic Is Expected to Herald In- dignation in England.

D Copyright, 1921, by The Chicago Tribune Co. LEIPSIC, July 15-The indignation 

which the release of General Stenger caused in France is likely to be dupli- ecated in England when Submarine Officers cers Boldt and Dithmar are sentenced tomorrow. The Public Prosecutor asked that they, receive only four years' im- s prisonment, asserting that the only charge proved, against them was atempted murder, for which five years is the maximum sentence under German law.

The melodramatic arrival of Major Thomas Lyon of Vancouver, Canada, who made a 7,000-mile trip, reaching Leipsic a few minutes before the hear- ing closed and his excoriating attack upon Captain Fatzig was the feature of the morning session.

Supreme Justice Ebermeyer in sum- ming up the testimony said: "Where is Captain Fatzig, who boasted that he did his fatherland a great service by sinking the American liner Cincinnati? Why did not the brave man appear? Why is he leaving the blame for the sinking of the hos- pital ship Llandovery Castle upon his subordinates? Why does not Captain Fatzig come out of his hiding place and fsay, I sank the Llandovery Castle be- cause I was told she carried American aviators to France. 

(Patzig had fled prosecution)

Major Lyon, who was a medical offi- cer aboard the ship, în describing the sinking, said he was playing cards with three Canadian nurses and one American girl when it was torpedoed. Later he saw the girls in a life boat which was shelled by the Germans. The girls e were either killed or drowned. He was dragged aboard the submarine so rough- sly by one of the accused lieutenants that his leg was broken.