Hi everyone, not sure where to start really, I believe my Grandad was in the 11th Armoured ?tank division and was at Bergen Belsen when it was liberated. Am trying to find out if there is a museum that will have photos/information about this that I can visit and as a long shot ..... does anyone know a Frank William Judge, I think he was a a Sergeant. Many thanks Kerry (granddaughter)
Welcome Kerry, Tell us what you know about your grandfathers service or how you learned it, and we can try to help fill-in some information. Bergen Belsen was liberated by the British, perhaps, Buchenwald? According this link the US 11th AD was heading toward Buchenwald past Fulda and Oberhof. Of course Germany had so many slave labor camps that many GI's were confused. http://www.history.army.mil/html/forcestruc/cbtchron/cc/011ad.htm
Kerry you're British arent you? If so apply for Grandad's service records from the MoD. https://www.gov.uk/requests-for-personal-data-and-service-records
The division advanced all the way to the River Maas and holed up in Helmond. The division continued to fight through Holland with brief diversions such as the efforts to combat the Northern thrust of the Battle of the Bulge. The division took part in Operation Blockbuster and the Hochwald battle as well as the Reine crossing and the battle of Teutoburger Ridge. More harrowing in the division’s history was the liberation of Belsen. The division ended up pushing on to the Baltic coast where it finished sitting near Hamburg and Lubeck. http://www.flamesofwar.com/hobby.aspx?art_id=551 Looks like you might be correct.
If he liberated Bergan Belsen I'm guessing he is referring to the British 11 AD Any idea what unit he was with in that Division? It contained around 15,000 men you'd need to narrow it done a bit Cheers Andy