Can you help?

An appeal from a former german POW who was billeted in Stoke Ferry in 1946/47

In the September issue I printed a request from Karen Everitt, Secretary to the Downham market & District Chamber of Trade asking if anyone could remember a German POW by the name of Ludwig Aker (Luggie). Neither Karen nor I received any responses but we now have more information which could just jog the memories of some of our older readers.

Luggie was a POW in Stoke Ferry at a POW camp that housed some 300 servicemen. He was stationed at Stoke ferry from the spring of 1946 to November 1947, having already spent 18 months in POW camps in the USA. He worked at the Wissington Sugar Beet Factory, where he met and befriends a family called Newman (or Neuman). Patricia Newman, then in her mid-20's, her infant son, elder brother and her parents - who were originally from Ireland. Does anyone know where these people are now?

Luggie also remembers swimming in the sea at King's Lynn possibly somewhere near Kilhams Way. Luggie and Patricia grew very close and there was talk of marriage but, in November 1947 he returned home to Ausburg in Germany where he founbd work as a photographer and met his future wife, Anneliese Gruber. They were married on 1 April 1950 and went on to have three daughters. Rita, the middle one, is the originator of this request.

The family emigrated to Canada in 1957, settling in Hamilton, Ontario. Luggie later worked as a draughtsman at the large International harvester farm machinery company until it relocated in the 1980's and he had to take early retirement. Anneliese passed away in the 1980's. Today, Luggie is an 84 year-old grandfather of five, with his family living close by. He, and Rita, would love to know if anyone remembers him and the Newman's, so if anyone has any information please contact Karen (6 Stowfields, Downham market PE38 9UX 01366 384727) or me so we can relay the information to Luggie and Rita.

Ray Thompson