Heinrich Willert and Gottfried Schulze in Germany, October 7, 2012.Two former WWII German POWs who lived in the same barracks at the CCC/POW camp in Hamlin, had a chance to reunite October 7 in Germany thanks to the efforts of Hamlin resident and CCC/POW camp reclamation volunteer Ed Evans.
Evans says that in September, Gottfried Schulze, a retired professor of cybernetics at the University of Rostock, Germany, came across the website for the Friends of Hamlin Beach State Park which includes information on the work to turn the former CCC/POW camp into a history trail.
“He said that for a year-and-a-half (1944-1946), he had lived in the Hamlin camp as a POW and had some ‘documents’ he thought we might be interested in having,” Evans said.
Evans and Gottfried continued to exchange emails and packages while Evans discovered that another former Hamlin POW he had been corresponding with lives less than one hundred miles from Gottfried in Germany and that the two had lived at the camp at the same time and in the same barracks. Both men had also worked in the same canning factory in Hamlin.
“An email was sent to the grandson of former POW Heinrich Willert telling him about Gottfried,” Evans said.
As luck would have it, Willert’s grandson, Matthias, was in Toronto on business and was able to meet with Evans and Nick Kramer, another Hamlin volunteer, in Niagara Falls, NY, on October 4.
Matthias said he and Gottfried live in the same city and he had arranged for a meeting between Heinrich and Gottfried on October 7.
Evans said Gottfried’s memories of his stay in the camp have greatly helped Hamlin volunteers.
Nick Kramer, Ed Evans and Matthias Heinicke (from Germany) at Niagara Falls, October 4, 2012.“We now know (there) was a camp store where we didn’t think there was one, and there was another building built into the fence that Gottfried is trying to recall. In a recent email, he confirmed our suspicions that there were four guard towers at the camp, not two, and he has even described them. We now know there was an open air jail cell in the camp because Gottfried stayed in it one night. According to Gottfried, ‘you could steal horses’ with the seasoned guards (an old German saying), but you had to watch out for the young ones.”
While a POW at Hamlin, Evans says Gottfried worked at the Duffy Mott’s canning factory in Hamlin and was given a job at the factory which continued after the harvest season ended.
“Because of the Duffy Mott connection, he was able to stay in the Hamlin camp until it closed in January 1946 instead of being shuffled around the fourteen Western New York POW branch camps,” Evans said.
Ed Evans emailed this correspondence from Germany. A newspaper there will be expanding on the reunion of the two POWs. This memo is from the grandson of one of the POWs, Evans notes.
Ed,
I am glad that you enjoyed the meeting at the Niagara Falls and that this was interesting enough to share it with other interested people. It was a pleasure on my side as well even though the return trip turned out to be a bit “hilly” in the beginning. As did not have enough cash on me to pay the toll at the bridge I wanted to use a credit. But the bridge people did not accept credits cards. Instead they advised me to use an ATM near by. The machine did not work and I had to run to a gas station to try it there. That ATM again did not work. At last, the gas station owner, a very friendly lady who saw my situation, gave me a few bucks enough of the toll. Being afraid that my rental which I had parked right next to one of the toll booths could get towed away, I jogged back and yes – crossed the river over back to Canada.
The reunion of Gottfried and my grandfather went well. It took place 2 days after I got back from Canada. I picked up Gottfried (who lives – as I mentioned – only minutes from my apartment away, in the city of Rostock) and we drove to the place, where Heinrich, and also his two daughter with their families live (city of Bad Doberan). One of them, my aunt, had prepared a Sunday-afternoon-coffee-table and so the gentlemen met. Heinrich started right away to make jokes and very soon they exchanged details of where they got captured as soldiers and how they came to Hamlin Beach. All in all it lasted 2 hours. I made some pictures and some small videos. Heinrich found out a lot about Gottfried’s life. Both spent their lives in the former GDR. Whether they get together again, is not clear. In any case they exchanged contact info and it’s up to them if a follow-up meeting will take place.
Like you I got in contact with the media to find out about there interest to report about the story of their POW time and their get-together.
One of the contacts I had was with a nation-wide know anchor man of a new program in Germany. I met him by coincidence in the plane from Frankfurt to Hamburg on my way back from Canada. Let’s see if they jump on it.
The other contact is our local newspaper. And – they want the story, I received their expression of interest today. They want to make bigger article out of it, a portrait as they call it.
I will get back to you and tell you a bit more about myself. Right now it is very late here and I have to get up in less than 6 hours tomorrow morning to go to Hamburg (2 hours drive).
All the best to you,
Matthias
