Oberleutnant Erwin Kühlewein

The above photo and the following report were kindly provided by Erwin's son (Claus Kühlewein) and Erwin's grandson (Matthias Katzer).

PERSONAL

Christmas card sent from PoW Camp 198 (dated 23rd December 1944)

PoW Experiences at Island Farm Camp 198:

November 12, 1944
Colonel Neumann (Artillery), a recipient of the Blood Order, arrives at Bridgend Camp. He becomes the camp commandant. Captain Schilling and Captain Dickmann of the Navy are also part of the camp leadership. Colonel Neumann's adjutant, whose name is unknown, was a lawyer with unfinished studies who was promoted to major at the camp. He was in the Air Force.

December 23, 1944
Erwin Kühlewein writes to his wife for Christmas from POW Camp 198. Almost a year later, on December 9, 1945, the card reaches its destination. He writes: " ... It will probably be my saddest holiday, ..."

January 5, 1945
Erwin Kühlewein actively resists the mistreatment of his comrades in captivity and fights the Femen courts in the POW camps. Erwin's sworn statement:

"On January 5, 1945, I myself became a victim of such a Femen court in the English (Brett: Correction, Camp 198 is in Wales, so it's Welsh, not English) POW camp, Bridgend. There, in front of 2,000 German POWs, I was publicly condemned by the German camp commandant and recipient of the Blood Order, Colonel Neumann, for "anarchism" with: I. Demotion II. Withholding of cigarettes and reduction of bread rations III. Exclusion from all cultural events IV. Punitive transfer to a Nazi "education barracks" I note that I did not seek the help of the Englishman at the time, as I believed that such matters should be settled among Germans. Nevertheless, the English soon intervened, as my conviction had openly split the camp into two factions, which the English responded to by transferring the Nazis to a special camp. According to the terms of the sentence at the time, my "crime" was to be handed over to a German military court for final judgment after the end of the war."

There was no doubt about the fatal outcome. Alois Rehm had since been transferred to another camp.

Dr. Werner Kussin (POW Bridgend) writes:
"Only those officers who dared, as officers behind barbed wire before the surrender, to attempt to open their comrades' eyes through words and deeds can judge the personal dangers and humiliating insults they were exposed to at the hands of the still-fanatical Nazi militarists."

January 24, 1945
Erwin writes to his wife that: "There are arrested gentlemen in his barracks. He now sleeps on good mattresses."

March 17, 1945
Erwin writes to his wife from POW Camp 198. His comrades had created a great atmosphere on his birthday four days ago (13th March, Aged 30 years). Five pieces of crumb cake were on his plate for breakfast. He received a cigarette donation. Speeches and addresses were given. The only thing missing was alcohol. He would like (her to send him) books. Topics: French, English, and Spanish grammar and commercial law school.

Whilst at Camp 198, Erwin Kühlewein, through his own efforts, saved a Swabian compatriot, a simple railway worker, from death. Erwin Kühlewein was the only one who stood up when the Nazi POWs wanted to kill this railway worker with an iron bar at night because he had declared Hitler a criminal.

Following the escape of 70 German prisoners of war from Bridgend Camp 198 on March 10, 1945, it was decided to convert this Camp 198 into a maximum security camp for the "zealous" Nazi PoWs. (Brett: This refers to Island Farm Camp 198 being converted to Island Farm Special Camp 11). Most of the prisoners of war were therefore transferred to other camps. On the evening of March 23, 1945, more than 1,200 PoWs from Camp 198 arrived at Camp 181 (Carburton, Nottinghamshire). They sang Nazi songs on the five-mile march to the camp! (Brett: This is an assumed march from the Carburton railway station).

When they arrived at the Camp 181, it was dark and late, and their reception did not go as planned. The most senior officer, Colonel Lemke, moved into a barracks in the centre of the camp, while the actual political control officer, the Adjutant (allegedly a former Gestapo member), moved into a barracks adjacent to it. The nature of many PoWs was revealed over the next ten days. Other, more sinister events were planned. Surprisingly, two of the PoWs transferred from Camp 198 were men who had been brutally beaten by their colleagues. They were both senior railway officials who held the rank of officer. Their offense had been sending the issued POW postcards to their families instead of saving and sending them as messages of goodwill to Hitler on his birthday.