Iserlohn Various

Some time between 1934 and 1936 the “Infanterie Kaserne am Seilersee” was erected and occupied by the III Batallion Infanterie Regiment 60. In 1937 this regiment was moved to Lüdenscheid. The Krad-Schützen Regiment (motorcycled infantry) moved to the Kaserne am Seilersee. On order of the OKH the Kaserne am Seilersee was renamed to Argonner Kaserne on 17 May 1938. There are only few notes about the times between 1938 and 1945, but the following troops were stationed in Iserlohn:

Infanterie Regiment 60 (s.a.)
Artillerie Regiment 60
Artillerie Regiment 16
Flak Regiment 24
Kavallerie Schützen Regiment 4
Schützen Ersatz Batallion 4

6 Panzerbrigade
Schützen Ersatz Regiment 57
Sanitäts Ersatz Abteilung 6
Flak Schwadron Ersatz Abteilung 29

The town of Iserlohn was handed to American Troops on 16 April 1945. Its capitulation can been attributed to the American threat of destroying the town in order to lessen Allied casualties. On 13 June 1945 the Americans opened the first meeting of the Iserlohner Bürgerausschuß (Citizens Council). The first mayor after WWII in Iserlohn was chosen by the Military Government on 20 July 1945, his name being Werner Jacobi.

After the Allied Zones were established, the Americans departed and British troops arrived at Iserlohn. A British brigade* plus HQ was moved to Iserlohn and the camps at the Seilersee since then became the British Military Hospital of the British Rhine-Army.

It took some time until the British troops allowed the printing of newspapers, so the first papers after WWII were printed in Iserlohn on 3 March 1946 (Westfälische Rundschau) and 26 April 1946 (Westfalenpost). Some other papers started in 1947 and 1948.

Herr Manfred Schmitt

*HQ 1st Corps District moved in June 1945 until disbandment July 1947 then HQ 5th Infantry Brigade arrived August 1947 replaced by HQ 4th Guards Brigade in May 1964.

Source: 21st Army Group later British Army of the Rhine to 1 Mar 49

Westbahnof

Submitted by Herr Manfred Schmitt

Rathausplatz – circa 1950

Submitted by Herr Manfred Schmitt

Wermingser

Submitted by Herr Manfred Schmitt

Above shows the market place and in the background the old fire station – they all changed around 1967, when Karstadt was erected in their place.

Submitted by Herr Manfred Schmitt

Courtesy of Canadian Ruhr Memories.

Photos below courtesy of Mr Terry Flanagan

Wermingser Straße, 1950s
Wermingser Straße, 2005
This is a 1960s Post Card of Sümmern Village. The rows of two-storey flats can be seen in the lower right of the picture. In this shot they look as though they had only just been built. In fact, just above the writing in the lower left of the picture is what appears to be Sümmern First School under construction which is the school I attended. The MQs were located in Taigelbrand, Storm Strasse and Augustin-Wibbelt Strasse.
Courtesy of Mr Mick Hughes
Another view of the village but without the MQs. They would be to the right just out of shot
Courtesy of Mr Mick Hughes
Former MQs on Oberhoff Straße – 2008
Former MQs on Händelstraße. The one of Händelstraße has greatly changed from our time there. They were brand new, no trees.

Courtesy of Malcolm Austin