Jackel wrote:
Richard Q - Almost a year before families of American soldiers started arriving in Germany, US military personnel were housed in German family homes and apartments that had been "requisitioned" by the US military.
American troops arrived in my German War Bride's hometown of Weinheim, Germany, (near Heidelberg and Mannheim) in late March of 1945. Her town had escaped any bombing or damage during the war. Too, there were no Geman troops or military facilities in her hometown.
After abandoning their tent compound initially set up in a large park area, the American troops moved to German family homes and large apartment complexes in the town, after the German families were summarily kicked out.
Several months later, I arrived in Weinheim, Germany, as a US soldier, to join the HQ 15th Constabulary Regiment Headquarters (formerly a part of Patton's 3rd Army). I had an army bunk in the small upstairs bedroom of a German family home located on the Wienkoopstrasse (strasse = street) in Weinheim. (see pictures) Several other US military personnel also lived in the home.
All home facilities, including bathrooms, were available to us except kitchen facilities, so we all ate in the military messhall, formerly a large living|dining area in another residential home.
A residential mansion formerly inhabited by one of the town's rich businessmen, Carl Freudenberg, (earlier the beloved Jewish owner, Hirsch, had been kicked out and, wisely, moved to Milwaukee, Wisconsin) became our Constabulary Headquarters, and I served there in several clerical capacities until our unit was transferred to nearby Seckenheim where we occupied former German military facilities.
Richard Q - Almost a year before families of Ameri... (
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Jackel, thank you so much for your interesting information re those early days of the occupation, when some 3.5 million American troops invaded Europe from Africa and Britain. They could not be expected to continue living under tents when former enemies lived comfortably in houses next door. In less than a year, 3 million troops had left Europe and returned to the USA. Your duties in the Constabulary, as I understand them, were in contrast to the bulk of the Occupation troops, whose presence was pretty passive. I hope to post a report on the Constabulary soon. Meanwhile, thank you for your service.