THW recycled Field Phone

[Jock Auld]

Guys,

Would not normaly pick this up as they are heavy and I have enough of them but this has a nice Decal on the front, it is not a sticker but similar to the WW2 era helmet decals if that makes sense?

Edited January 26, 2016 by Jock Auld

[Bernhard H.Holst]

Hello Jock.

Interesting piece. I noticed the 1939 stamp on the phone and the Hildesheim label. For those readers unfamiliar with the term  THW ( Technisches Hilfswerk or technical assistance works) were a substantial organization operating under the name Technische Nothilfe ( technical emergency assistance before 1945 ) rendering valuable services during and after air raids. That may explain the decal applied following the war.

As a little aside:

Hildesheim is where I together with my classmates sheltered in the main railroad station air raid shelter when a severe raid took place in March 1945. We were on the trip home from an evacuation program which had placed us young ones into the country side in Saxony, out of reach ( ? ) of allied bombing. So perhaps that phone was in use that day and on other occasions though Hildesheim was to my knowledge left largely alone during the air war until then. I believe the US Army Air Corps and the RAF were beginning to run out of targets by March 1945. In any event I do recall the railroad ways looking mighty bad when we continued our trip after only a short delay following the All Clear siren.

Bernhard H. Holst

Edited January 26, 2016 by Bernhard H.Holst

[Gordon Craig]

Jock,

Interesting to see a post war decal of the THW on a WWII field phone.  Thanks for posting the picture.

Regards,

Gordon