Kriegsmarine Need help on pictures of U-Boat men interned in Changi Prison, Singapore.

[Ibrahim Ahmad]

Hi everyone,

As some of you might know , im currently researching & making a website about the Monsun U-Boats (german submarines) that went to south east asia during WW2. Well, after the war, quite a high number of them were interned by the British in the infamous Changi Prison. Please see here http://www.changimuseum.com/

I made a recent visit to the museum there , and met the current manager of the place, Mr Simon Goh. He was very interested in my research and was quite surprised to know that the prison was also used to house German inmates. Believe me, in our history textbooks , when u read about singapore during WW2, you'll read about the Japanese but absolutely nothing about the German submarine operations that were conducted here

Anyway, he told me he would really appreciate it if i could provide him with more pictures of the uboat men who were interned there. I showed him 3 pictures taken from the book "Shooting the War, The Memoir and Photographs of a U-Boat Officer in World War II, by Otto Giese and James E. Wise. Jr". Please see below.

If any of you have pictures similar to the ones below, please do contact me.

Thank You.

Shown below is the location where the above picture was taken.

Cheers,

Ibrahim,

Singapore.

[Apollo]

Ibrahim -

Just spotted your last years request for help. Cannot help with pictures but I happen to have a booklet called 'A U-Boat Far From Home' written by Dietrich Hille ex Leutnant (Ing) Deutsche Kriegsmarine who served on U-181. He wrote it at the request of Peter Dawson, Editor of CHIPS magazine (Chatham Dockyard Historical Society) and to honour his over 50 year friendship with Bill Churchill of Melbourne whom he first met in the Dockyard of Seletar/Singapore in 1946. He 'prefered to write something more technical, about logistic and human aspects of such a long trip' - the U-Boat journey to Singapore, training the Japanese, Changi then his British experience. It is possible that Chatham Dockyard still have a copy of this booklet. Their web site is www.cdhs.org.uk If it is no longer available, let me know. I can copy it and send it to you.

Dieter was a charming and interesting friend who sadly died a couple of years ago. His booklet gives some unusual detailed insights into his experiences at that time which you may find helpful for your research. On a personal note, if his material can reach a wider audience, I think he would have felt very proud.

Apollo

[Ibrahim Ahmad]

Hi Apollo,

Thank you for offering me that booklet.

A good friend of mine nicknamed "Monsun" has already given me that copy of Dieter's booklet. Hes also a forum member here too.

As what i said, im curently doing a website about the Monsun U-Boats, you can check it out here http://www.singapore-ww2-militaria.com/

Still in process of touching up on the U-Boat bases in Singapore, Penang, DJakarta & Surabaya.

Just a glimpse of things to come in my website, shown below is a picture of Seletar Air Base that was used by the British pre WW2 , then occupied by the IJN and later utilized by the Monsun Gruppe.

On a personal note, i have to say that you are very fortunate to have met one of them. Wish i was as lucky as you, the stories of their journey here is just amazing.

Cheers,

Ibrahim,

Singapore.

[Apollo]

Ibrahim - Have had a look at your site and it is very interesting and I am sorry that I cannot be of more help as you already have all I can offer with Dieters booklet. Just to 'flesh out' Dieter a little more: He was but 17 years of age when war broke out so was still very young to have had his U-Boat experiences. When he was in the UK, he worked on a farm in Scotland - a country and an experience he actually liked very much. He was even offered permanent work there. He also stayed longer than one would have expected as his home town was Dresden and it was a bit unwise to return there. When he did return to Germany he settled in Frankfurt, had a variety of jobs, and eventually enjoyed a very successful career in industry. It was always a point of great amusement to him and to us that his work in Scotland resulted in a tiny UK pension - so small that he had it paid only once a year. We shall be in touch with his daughter to tell her that her fathers wartime experiences are not only registered at Chatham, but have now spread way back to Singapore. Up until his death, he kept in regular touch with a group of other remaining WW2 submariners in Germany.

I wish you good fortune with your research

Apollo