Blockade Breaker Documents

[Gordon Williamson]

Military issue issue document to a KM sailor.

Edited May 2, 2005 by Gordon Williamson

[Gordon Williamson]

This one to a Merchant Marine Officer serving on a Fleet Auxiliary Tanker.

[Guest Rick Research]

If anyone has the civilian version which show the ship's name, I have G?nther Steinweg's 1954 "Die Deutsche Handelsflotte im Zweiten Weltkrieg: Aufgaben und Schicksal" which shows fates and particulars on all vessels of the Merchnat Marine.

[Gordon Williamson]

Rick,

I know the ship for the second example, even if it wasn't on the document. It was the Jan Wellem, formerly I believe a "mothership" for the German whaling fleet. Taken into the KM as a fleet auxiliary on the outbreak of war she was I think the only auxiliary to make it into Narvik with the Destroyer flotilla, the other two sent with her were sunk.

I believe that he got the Blockade Breaker badge for the eventual return to Germany of the Jan Wellem, but not really sure what her eventual fate was. Any ideas ?

[Guest Rick Research]

"Jan Wellem," launched 1921, 11,776 BRT, in the fleet of Erste Deutsche Walfang Gesellschaft of Hamburg--

used as a tank ship during the war, broken up in England in 1946.

Authorizing officer on both documents above, Alfred Symons (born 10.10.1891) served in the Imperial navy 1.4.09-30.7.20, reaching Kapit?nleutnant zur See 19.12.19. He was taken prisoner, along with all the crew but the commander, when "U-14" was sunk by the armed trawler "Oceanic II" off Peterhead on 5 June 1915. A prisoner of war in Britain, he was interned in Holland from January 1918 (escaped?) until the end of WW1.

Employed by the Hamburg import/export firm of Siess, von Loe & Co, he rejoined the Kriegsmarine 1936/37 with a retroactive seniority as Korvettenkapit?n zur See (E) of 1.10.35 #8, serving as naval representaive at Wehrkreis Kommando X in 1937.

Final promotion to Kapit?n zur See 1.2.43 #3-- no data on him after 1944.

Edited May 8, 2005 by Rick Research

[Guest Rick Research]

Aha! Marcus has posted the OTHER type document in a thread on the badges--

for a "Dorpm?ller type" with the blockade running ship named, see

http://gmic.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=642&...findpost&p=6150