General der Fallschirmtruppe Hermann-Bernhard Ramcke (Luftwaffe)...CONTINUED...
![]() |
![]() |
Ramcke
(right) conferring with Generalfeldmarschall Erwin Rommel near El Alamein
in North Africa. Note the Baltic Cross worn next to his First World War
Iron
Cross 1st Class with 1939 Bar.
|
![]() |
General
der Fallschirmtruppe Ramcke and his Irish Setter after surrendering at
Pointe des Capuçins on the Crozon Peninsula, 19 September 1944. Ramcke
meets two of his opponents: Major General Donald Stroh (far right) and
Brigadier General Charles D.W. Canham (second from right), the commander
and assistant commander respectively of the U.S. 8th Infantry Division.
|
![]() |
“These Are My Credentials,” a painting by artist Rick Reeves.
Brigadier General Charles D.W. Canham (centre pointing), the Deputy Commander of the U.S. 8th Infantry Division, demands the surrender of General der Fallschirmtruppe Ramcke (left in leather coat holding satchel). After the U.S. troops entered the German headquarters bunker at Pointe des Capuçins on the Crozon Peninsula, Ramcke allegedly asked Canham for his credentials. Without hesitation, Canham turned to his soldiers and replied, “These are my credentials.” This event was reported in the New York Times and served as the inspiration for Reeves’ painting. Note the similarity of this painting to the previous photo. Also note that Brigadier General Canham is in that photo (centre wearing glasses-one star on helmet). |
![]() |
Photo courtesy of Charles Canham (grandson) The above photo shows Charles D.W. Canham receiving the Distinguished Service Order from Montgomery roughly a month after D-Day. He (Col. Charles D. W. Canham) commanded the 116th Regimental Combat Team on Omaha Beach on D-Day. The 116th was a regiment from the 29th Infantry Division - the regiment dated back to Stonewall Jackson's Brigade during the Civil War. I believe the 29th was the first US infantry division sent to Britain specifically to begin training for D-Day. They made the crossing on the Queen Mary in the ill-fated voyage that involved colliding with and sinking a British cruiser (a fact that was apparently covered up until after the war). By all accounts my grandfather was a stern disciplinarian during the 2 years they were in Britain training, but the troops who survived seem to have been more favorably inclined about him. Soon after this photo was taken he was promoted and assigned as Deputy Commander General of the 8th Infantry, which was what he was doing when Ramcke was captured in the surrender at Brest. |
Note: Whilst I dont know the dates, Ramcke was held at Island Farm Special Camp 11 and Trent Park Camp 11. This letter sent
20th June 1946 to Island Farm Special Camp 11 commandant - Major Topham
requests the return of his personal items. |
|
General der Fallschirmtruppe Ramcke’s World War I Combat Service Record:
Naval Action, 1914-1915
Western Front, 1915-1918
Post-War Combat, 1919
It was April 1 [1946], when [Generalleutnant Carl] Köchy and I arrived at POW Camp XI, Bridgend, near Cardiff.[13] There were 180 German generals from all branches of service housed in roomy barracks with a small room for each one. Food and treatment were good. Among the generals were: Field Marshal von Kleist, my splendid corps commander in the Polish campaign; Generals Heinrici and Strauß and many old acquaintances. The British camp commandant was the former commandant of Camp Trent Park. Major Topham, who showed himself here, as then, to be a noble person in the best sense of the word. After a month’s time, it was again time to pack our bags. Together with Generals [Alfred] Schlemm and [Ludwig] Heilmann of the parachute troops and General [August] Krakau of the mountain infantry, I was taken again to the horrible District Cage in London. There we met two staff officers of the paratroopers. Already the next day we were flown to Bückeburg and went on by truck to the judicial prison in Lüneburg. That’s where the Crete-trial was to take place of General [Kurt] Student. Student was kept in a guarded cell, which was flooded with light day and night. |
Sources:
[11] Along with Ramcke, five other senior German
officers were taken prisoner upon the fall of Fortress Brest: Generalleutnant
Erwin Rauch, commander of the 343rd Infantry Division; Generalmajor Hans
von der Mosel, chief of staff of Ramcke’s Fortress Brest staff; Generalmajor
Hans Kroh, commander of the 2nd Fallschirmjäger-Division; Vizeadmiral (Ing.)
Alfred Schirmer, senior director of the Kriegsmarine Shipyard and commandant
of the Kriegsmarine Arsenal at Brest; and Konteradmiral Otto Kähler, commandant
of the Brittany Sea Defenses. Generalleutnant Karl Spang, the commander
of the 266th Infantry Division, had been captured outside the city on 8
August 1944.
[12] On 18 October 1942, General Ferrari Orsi
was killed by a mine while on a patrol near Deir el Munassib.