History
During World War Two, the East Frisian Wangerooge island had to cope with a true invasion of military (navy) and forced labourers. These were prisoners who worked for the Organisation Todt.
The navy personnel manned the air defence posts and coastal batteries and ,later in the war, the various radar installations. The forced labourers were deployed for building the military infrastructure.
On 25 April 1945, the East Frisian island of Wangerooge was bombed by 482 bombers of the Royal Air Force. This was the last major allied air attack on German territory during World War Two. On this sunny April day not only many military and civilians were killed, but a large number of the present forced labourers as well.
Avro Lancaster bombers over Wangerooge, 25 April 1945.
Description
| Master | Baumeister |
|---|---|
| People on board | 46 |
| Tonnage | 273 ton (137 last) |
References
- Oorlogsslachtoffers op de Eems in vredestijd, 9 mei 1945.
- Beukema, H.
Scheepsramp Joanna.
Tekst & Advies, Delfzijl, 1998. - Dagblad van het Noorden (2020).
Onbekend graf in Uithuizermeeden is écht van Henk Gritter. Dna van zijn enige nog levende broer matcht met lichaam dat 75 jaar geleden aanspoelde op de dijk.
Dagblad van het Noorden , 23-12-2020.