John S Pruchnik
The photo is not too sharp but interesting it shows me swimming in a hole made by a bomb during the war in Bockhorn DP camp 1950
At the Bockhorn DP camp in 1951 town of Bockhorn is about 20 miles south of Wilhelshafen this was a luftwaffe camp called Friedrishfeld.
Rita may be here. I am the one first row, number 1. The camp in Varel was a guarded camp where they kept people who had problems with their ID. Bockhorn and Friedichseld are the same.
This is the entire school in Bockhorn or as it was later called Friedriesfeld The mound we are on is a bunker or air raid shelter.
Bockhorn 1946 UNRRA and other big wheels.
I went back to Bockhorn Germany in 1997 and stayed in this hotel, Ratsstuben, run by a very nice man named Herr Zucker, John.
This is the entire school in Bockhorn or as it was later called Friedriesfeld The mound we are on is a bunker or air raid shelter.
John in Bockhorn 1946.
Same street 50 later.
History and photos of Bockhorn:
http://www.bockhorn-online.de
The class is on a bunker that was covered with wild roses. We kids used to pick the rosehips and eat them. They were very sweet and fuzzy. We also regularly raided the farms in the area. Mostly peas, turnips and rutabaga. I am sure we damaged grain fields too, as we would go and pick the cornflowers and poppies that grew among the grain.
We all tried to live off the land as much as possible. There were always some berries, nuts and wild sorrel to supplement our diet. Once in a while you could trade with a farmer and get a couple of eggs. We had a bread delivery man in Bockhorn too. He had a three wheel vehicle and brought bread I think, twice weekly. I believe to this day that it was a mix of sawdust and cattle corn. Janek is 4 years older than. If that photo was taken in 1946 I would have been 4 and not likely in that group.
We lived in Bockhorn twice. In 1946-7 and again in 1949-50. My sister and I spoke fluent German and my mother sent us to school in town. At the school, a teacher would stand at the door and each student got a big spoonful of a brown thick and foul tasting liquid. I think it was cod-liver oil but am not sure.
Janek's picture of him swimming barely shows the barracks in the middle of the background on the horizon. They were long, one story buildings with one family per room. there was more than one bomb crater around the camp. Regards, Rita Robinson, Ontario, Canada
12/15/04 Hi Rita! Hi Olga! Hi John!
Many greetings from Bockhorn, Germany! I found your website "Bochorn
Displaced Persons' Camp, Germany". You can find 'Bockhorn' under the
following link: www.bockhorn.de.
(Excuse me, my English is not so good). Thorsten Germany
3/21/05 Dear Olga
I am young man from Poland; my name is Jacek. I am trying to find my grandpa.
His name is Jan vel. Johan Voigt, born 1920, Danzig. I know one more
thing about him:
Is there any way to get something about him? My Grandmother was in this
camp too. Her name is Wladyslawa Kiermasz, from Sosnowiec. Maybe someone
remember her and his persons? Thanks. Jacek
Chmiel, /
Szczecin, Poland
The little girl on the photo is my mother, Janina Kiermasz. The woman at left side is her godmother, Kwasniewska. She went to USA . Maybe is possible to find her? She can help me, I think. THANK YOU AND KIND REGARDS from Jacek T. Chmiel.
October 5, 2017
I was wondering if you could help me, I'm wondering if there is anymore documentation out there of my grandmother when she stayed in Bockhorn. Sande, Emden DP camps. Her name was Agnieszka (Anna) Smigrodzka nee Here is also a link to all her documents when coming to Australia if that gives you anymore clues to finding more
https://recordsearch.naa.gov.au
Hannah Brennan hannah_brennan@hotmail.com
