On April 3, 1945 the 75th Infantry Division was in Datteln Germany.I decided to sketch in a cemetery where German soldiers from World War II were buried. At this location a German gentleman who was walking his dog stopped to chat. He spoke fluent English. He told me about how important coal mining was in the area although all the coal mines are now closed.
He also told me about the canal system which was used to transport coal and other goods. The canals are named with the city on one end of the canal and also the city at the other end of the canal. The history books I have been referring to only gave the canals one city name. I had just picked up a large paper map from a museum several days before. on this night I opened the map and spread it out on a table and used blue colored pencil to boldly indicate where each canal was that the 75th Infantry Division had to cross. Crossings would happen with assault craft of quickly assembled pontoon bridges. Each crossing was dangerous because a snipper on the opposite bank would have a clear shot at the troops struggling to cross. I am certain that my father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken would have dreaded each crossing.
Before the war, Datteln had 18 Jewish families, none of whom survived or returned after the war, though descendants are now involved in reconciliation efforts with the town. A few of the jewish children in town were rescued from the Nazis by the American based organization known as the German Jewish Children’s Aid. As boycotts of jewish businesses were beginning in the town, patents had to make the agonizing decision to give up custody of their children and send them to America where they entered the foster care system. About One Thousand Children were ultimately saves. while their parents faced deportation to the concentration camps.
