Olbrich, Josef, POW in Canada

[RudiS]

Hi all,

Ogfr Josef Olbrich died in Canada June 21st 1943. He's currently buried in Kitchener. Does someone know in which POW Camp he died?

Thanks in advance,
Rudi

[RudiS]

Or does anyone know which Geschwader he flew in?

[Karoband]

Hi Rudi,

"OGefr. Joseph [sic] Olbrich was a German serviceman and a prisoner of war in Canada during the Second World War. In 1970 he was disinterred from Queen's Park Cemetery, Calgary, Alberta and buried in the German War Graves Section in Woodland Cemetery in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada. …

Birthdate: February 17, 1916

Death: June 21, 1943 (27) (T.B. meningitis) …"

For what it's worth I was born in Kitchener, Ontario and grew up nearby. That area was originally settled by the Pennsylvania Deutsche (not Dutch!) and before W.W.I., Kitchener was known as Berlin, Ontario. Even in my time, German was the second language This may have been part of the reason that in 1970-71 all 137 German POWs who died in captivity in Canada were re-interred in Woodland Cemetery.

Best,

Jim

[RudiS]

Thanks Jim.

Any idea what Luftwaffe unit he was in and in which POW Camp he was kept before he died of Meningitis in the hospital in Calgary?

[RT]

He don't appeared in any of the usual Lwf lists, he seems not to hv flown, he was used probably to sail or to crawl...


Rémi

[Karoband]

Hi Rudi,

I can find no info of his Unit. After a brief survey of the original burial places of POWs in Canada I would hazard that non-commissioned personnel of the Luftwaffe were sent to Medicine Hat, Alberta, 260 km. ESE of Calgary.

Jim

[RudiS]

Thanks Remi & Jim for your replies. very much appreciated.

>Jim: I think that he was held POW at Camp 133 at Lethbridge but was sent to hospital in Calgary with meningitis where he later died of this disease. It would be nice if anyone could confirm this.