KIRKY Posted 9 September , 2004 Share Posted 9 September , 2004 I am going for a visit to Cologne to an exhibition at the end of this month. Is there anything WW1 worth looking up? I have no knowledge of this area of conflict Tony Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desmond7 Posted 9 September , 2004 Share Posted 9 September , 2004 I'm sure there must be more graves than these - I assume first three of these were occupation troops who died in flu epidemic? The bottom man may have been POW? Des COLOGNE SOUTHERN CEMETERY - Koln(Cologne), Nordrhein-Westfal CAMPBELL, Rifleman, DAVID, 1663. 12th Bn. Royal Irish Rifles. 7th August 1919. Age 21. Son of Benja-min and Margaret Campbell, of Cottown, Donaghadee, Co. Down. IV. C. 3. McDOWELL, Rifleman, T, 18276. 12th Bn. Royal Irish Rifles. 22nd October 1918. Age 24. Son of Mr. J. McDowell, of McKean's Row, Carrickfergus, Co. Antrim. V. A. 7. SPENCE, Rifleman, W, 22351. 12th Bn. Royal Irish Rifles. 1st April 1919. IX. F. 19. WEIR, Second Lieutenant, HARRY LEEBODY, 12th Bn. Royal Irish Rifles. Died of pneumonia 28th October 1918. Age 30. Son of William D. and Jane Weir, of Pickie Rock House, Bangor, Co. Down. VII. C. 27. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul guthrie Posted 9 September , 2004 Share Posted 9 September , 2004 It has one of the best cathedrals in Europe, surely there is some remembrance there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tim Godden Posted 10 September , 2004 Share Posted 10 September , 2004 Hi there Köln cathedral has a beautiful wooden sculpture inside, about halfway down on the left-handside, commemorating those from Köln who fell. Also there is a huge CWGC in the main cemetery. It is relatively easy to get to. I think I have my ticket still at home so will look up the number for you. Although you cannot go direct from Hauptbahnhof to the cemetery, you will need to change. The cemetery has British ww1, and occupation, some ww2 and also up until the early 1960s from memory. THere is also a huge German cemetery for bothe world wars. So plenty to see and do!!! All the best and have a good trip, Tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 5 January , 2006 Share Posted 5 January , 2006 I'm going to Cologne ove the weekend of 21 / 22 Jan and will definitely visit the Cathedral and the CWGC cemetery. Anything else WW1 or WW2 related I should see? Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AndyJohnson Posted 6 January , 2006 Share Posted 6 January , 2006 Charles/Kirky If either of you get to Cologne CWGC and have a spare moment, I would apprecaite a photograph (digital fine) of JWG Brookes of the 1st/6th Bn., The King's (Liverpool Regiment). Buried in Cologne South II. F. 14. - a man of Tipton, Staffs Regards Andy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 6 January , 2006 Share Posted 6 January , 2006 I'm going to Cologne ove the weekend of 21 / 22 Jan and will definitely visit the Cathedral and the CWGC cemetery. Anything else WW1 or WW2 related I should see? Charles Anything else WW2 related? No! Courtesy of the RAF, Koeln (Cologne) was flattened and wiped out. The cathedral itself was target bulls-eye for the bombers. Fortunately she survived damaged due to the inaccuracy of bomb aiming devices. See these 16 aerials from Cologne and compare with the following picture taken one week ago and also in this link, taken 1Jan 06 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 6 January , 2006 Share Posted 6 January , 2006 Thanks for that egbert, i feared that that Cologne had suffered like that. Amazing to see the photos of the relatively unscathed cathedral surrounded by devastation. It reminds me of when I visited Dresden in 1990 and seeing the Zwinger palace surrounded by concrete blocks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 6 January , 2006 Share Posted 6 January , 2006 I was there in Dresden from 2nd Oct until December. Did we meet Charles? I disbanded an East German Air Defense Regiment; I was also a passenger in the first Luftwaffe plane landing in Dresden with West German Luftwaffe markings. Was a great time then Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 6 January , 2006 Share Posted 6 January , 2006 I was there for about 10 days in July 1990. Flew into Berlin and hired a car. Went to various WW2 sites in the city and then drove to various places in the South and East of the GDR. Colditz Castle was top of the list. It was a giddy feeling of being in place that was suddenly changing very fast. A stark contrast with Berlin in 1981 when I was one of a party from my school cadet force who had an attachment with the British Garrison. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lambretta150 Posted 7 January , 2006 Share Posted 7 January , 2006 Good Evening. Not WWI and depends how much time that you have but, having lived for some time in the area, I can recommend a visit to Remagen - not far by local clikety-clack train. The bridge is no longer standing (at least the Spams got that right in their film) but there is a good view of the pillars, the lines themselves and how the railway ran alongside and then into the cliffs on the other side, also a museum of the bridge and the POW camps the US ran in the meadows to one side of the bridge. Large numbers of Germans died of neglect in those camps in the winter of '45. From the Remagen side there is a good view of the Erpeler Ley and the cave in the cliffs where a good many took shelter. If you cross the river (ferry available and an easy walk from the Railway Station) you can potter about the far bank and, if moderately fit, walk the couple of road miles to the top of Erpeler Ley to where there were flak guns placed by the German forces and also later by the US troops trying to keep the Luftwaffe away from the Bridge. A very good view on clear days. I lived in Erpel for a couple of years and it is a pleasant place with decent local Wine. Still "Sleepydorf am Rhein" but none the worse for that. The Koln CWGC cemetry is where I used to parade on Armistice Day and it is definitely worth a visit as has been mentioned. Several occupation troops who must have died of disease, perhaps influenza, are interred there. Regards Adam Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 7 January , 2006 Share Posted 7 January , 2006 Adam, Remagen - now that is a good idea. I have the weekend and a car, also the relevant issue of After The Battle # 16 to hand. thanks! Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 7 January , 2006 Share Posted 7 January , 2006 http://www.bruecke-remagen.de/index_en.htm click in the video section on the 23 minutes video "Bridge at Remagen" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 7 January , 2006 Share Posted 7 January , 2006 WW2 of course, but I seem to remember a large 'Flakturm' at Leverkuesen, across the river from Cologne. (Sorry Egbert, it failed to stop the RAF! ). Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
egbert Posted 7 January , 2006 Share Posted 7 January , 2006 Ian , you don't need to be sorry nor worried! The town across is Koeln-Deutz and your sober Flaktower is the brick Messeturm=Tower of the Cologne Fair, which indeed failed to stop the RAF . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ian turner Posted 7 January , 2006 Share Posted 7 January , 2006 Hi Egbert, 'Sorry' = tounge in cheek! (I'm not worried....) The tower I saw was a massive concrete structure, which I took to be a flakturm. I saw a quick glimpse, but stand to be corrected. I had stayed overnight in a nearby hotel at Leverkuesen, and memory tells me it was in that area. Anyway, we are drifting off course on this thread, as the enquirer was after WW1 interest. Ian Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 13 January , 2006 Share Posted 13 January , 2006 I'm looking forward to going next weekend. I have to drive up to Osnabruck on the Monday for a business meeting. It looks as if my return the following day will allow time for a visit to the Mohne dam. These trips are particularly good when work is paying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Charles Fair Posted 25 January , 2006 Share Posted 25 January , 2006 Just got back from Cologne. Managed the trip to the Brit Cem and the Cathedral over the weekend. Spent a grey Sunday afternoon at Remagen visiting some of the locations shown in ATB. Unfortunately the museum is closed at this time of year. The trip to Osnbruck on Monday night/Tues am allowed me to squeeze in a visit to the Museum to Erich Maria Remarque in the town. I hadnt known it was there. Good display, but unfortunately not much in English, and no English versions of any of his books for sale, though it had them all in German. I was hoping to pick up a copy of "The Road Back". I also managed to get in 3/4 hour at the Mohne dam yesterday whilst heading back to Koln airport. This really brought home the bravery of 617 Sqn and the technical difficulties that had to be overcome, as well as the devastion that would have been wreaked on the valley below. Thanks to all for your suggestions Charles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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