Eating LEEKS in occupied Germany

[Baron Kurtz]

Were there Welsh troops stationed in Köln after WWII?

I have a jacket made by a tailor called Gerhardt Thomas for a customer called Williams in 1954. I suspect the tailor assumed a Welsh name (Thomas very common in Wales) because of the Welsh troops (i. e. Williams, also a very common Welah name).

But of course my theory assumes there were Welsh troops in Köln in 1954 . . .

So, were there any?

bk

 

[Baron Kurtz]

no-one?

help me out guys . . .

bk

 

[Baggers]

If K??ln is in Lower Saxony or North Rhine-Westfalia then it's very possible Welsh troops were there, as that was the operational area for BAOR (British Army of the Rhine) from the end of WW2 until disbandment at the end of the Cold War.

Cheers!

 

[Baron Kurtz]

thanks Baggers, K??ln is the largest city in North Rhine-Westfalia.

I'm now searching to find out which Welsh units would be in K??ln in 1954. Does anyone know if there's a book/website that sets out troop dispositions in such a way as i would find this information?

bk

 

[Haversack]

One caveat here, "Thomas" is not an unusual family name in Germany. Just googol any typically German first name, (e.g. Manfred, Jutta, Sabine, usw.), together with Thomas and you will get multiple hits in German. There may well have been Welsh troops stationed in Cologne, but I wouldn't assume that the tailor had changed his name to be more appealling to them.

Haversack.

 

[Baron Kurtz]

Really? Good to know.

Since the jacket was found in Indiana, i'll bet my entire notion of a Welsh soldier is false too but i like to ponder these things . . .

bk