German POW shot in Oswestry

[Sue S]

Hi, Can anyone help me with a story I read in the Hull Daily Mail dated 1919? It concerns a German POW by the name of Willy Oster who, it is stated, was shot by a guard at a POW camp in July 1919. Does anyone know of the circumstances surrounding this shooting? Willy is now buried at Cannock Chase. Thanks. Sue

[IPT]

Although there is an article in the Hull Daily Mail which describes the shooting as inadvertent, there is a previous article (14/7/1919) which state that Oster had thrown a brick at a sentry who then shot him dead. Apparently, the prisoners were consequently led by their officers in refusing to attend roll call, and the Royal Defence Corps were called in to help restore order.

[Sue S]

Your help is appreciated. Thank you. Sue

[NeilEvans]

I'm assuming he was at Park Hall Camp, there was a little German prisoner of war cemetery there. I have, however, not come across him, as there is no mention in the Wellington News & Shrewsbury Journal.

Thanks for letting me know.

Thanks

[jdoyle]

From German (Bavarian) rosters

Name: Willy Oster Birth Date: 4 Feb 1900 Birth Place: Burggrub B A Kronach Combat Arm: Infanterie Type of Unit: Gebirgs-Infanterie-Ersatz-Bataillon

His name appears in this entry at TNA

http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/SearchUI/Details?uri=C2617751

Park Hall Camp is mentioned in this article but no details

http://www.shropshirestar.com/news/2009/12/22/the-great-escape-%E2%80%94-shropshire-style/

as he died in the UK, he has an entry in the death registers

Name: Willi Oster Birth Date: abt 1899 Date of Registration: Sep 1919 Age at Death: 20 Registration District: Oswestry Inferred County: Shropshire Volume: 6a Page:

601

[Sue S]

Thanks to both of you. Sue

[rickpreston@nasuwt.net]

Is there a web Site where one can find German Pow burried in GB?.

Richard

[Karsten]

With this place of birth and this unit Willy Oster might have been a Bavarian soldier. So his service records could still exist in the Bavarian Kriegsarchiv in Munich. It might be worth an inquiry. Just in case someone wants to do some further research ...

Regards,

Karsten

[Ken S.]

He should be listed here:

http://search.ancestry.com/search/db.aspx?dbid=1631

His entry in the German war graves database:

Willy Oster ruht auf der Kriegsgräberstätte in Cannock Chase.

Endgrablage: Block 12 Reihe 5 Grab 149

Nähere Informationen zu diesem Friedhof erhalten Sie hier.

Name und die persönlichen Daten des Obengenannten sind auch im Gedenkbuch der Kriegsgräberstätte verzeichnet. Sie können gern einen Auszug bei uns bestellen.

Bitte beachten Sie, dass auf einigen Friedhöfen nicht die aktuelle Version ausliegt, somit kann der Name Ihres Angehörigen darin evtl. noch nicht verzeichnet sein.

Nachname: Oster

Vorname: Willy

Dienstgrad: Musketier

Todes-/Vermisstendatum: 12.07.1919

[GraemeClarke]

RJP

There is this site (set to Cannock Chase)

http://www.weltkriegsopfer.de/Namensregister-Soldatenfriedhof-Cannock-Chase_Friedhofdetails_1_884.html

or this

http://www.volksbund.de/graebersuche.html

Regards,

Graeme

[Sue S]

Thanks to everyone who posted. A friend has now found a report in a local newspaper. Kind regards Sue

[GraemeClarke]

Sue,

And what did it say ?

Graeme

[Sue S]

It was very involved but basically there had been some unrest in the camp. A guard was pelted with stones and fired in the air to summon help. Willy Oster was on the roof and the bullet hit him. Coroner's verdict: misadventure. Sue

[GraemeClarke]

Hi Sue,

Thanks for that. Sorry for not replying sooner, been away on hols.

Regards,

Graeme

[Genevieve Tudor]

Hello

I'd like to get hold of the newspaper report and court report of this incident. Can you tell me where to search?

[Sue S]

Hi Genevieve, Someone has borrowed my file relating to Cannock Chase. I will try to remember to post the details when the file is returned. Don't be afraid to remind me. Kind regards Sue

[GraemeClarke]

Hi

Newspaper re Oster here

http://cymru1914.org/en/view/newspaper/4010442/6/ART32/german%20killed%20inquest

Regards,

Graeme