Born: Pottenstein, Austria, 19 January 1906
Profession in country of origin: Watchmaker
Arrived in Britain as a refugee from Austria in 1939
Documents
Male enemy alien - Exemption from internment - Refugee Surname: Neufeld Forename: Otto Alias: - Date and place of birth: 19/01/1906 in Pottenstein Nationality: German Police Regn. Cert. No.: 710 849 Home Office ref: C 1659 Address: Kitchener camp, Richborough, Sandwich, Kent Normal occupation: watchmaker Present occupation: watchmaker in camp Name and address of employer: - Decision of tribunal: Exempted "C" and 9 (A) Date 06.10.1939 Whether exempted from Article 6(A): Yes Whether desires to be repatriated: No Tribunal District: Richborough Camp Tribunal no. 6 Signature of Tribunal: Trevor Hunter
Source: National Archives, Home Office: Aliens Department: Internees Index, 1939-1947.
Editor’s note: We are not allowed to reproduce National Archives (UK) images, but we are permitted to reproduce the material from them, as shown above.
From the Pioneer Corps archives
Otto Neufeld Service number 13800704 Joined 3 Centre Pioneer Corps for training on 1 January 40 Transferred to REME on 6 April 1943
Letters
To view the following images, please click to open in enlarged full form
Translation to English
“Dear Grandmother, Did you receive my letter? For a long time now, I have no mail from you. Please write to me. I write to mother. Mother wrote me that she is travelling to England. How are the Aunties? Parella and Lilli”
Letter submitted by Cathy Davis for her grandfather Otto Neufeld
Memories
In September 1945, after the war, Otto was reunited with his daughter Lilli.
As a child during the war, Lilli was hidden by a non-Jewish family in Dieu Le Fit, in the south of France. When she was reunited with what was left of her family, she couldn’t communicate with them as she had forgotten how to speak German and only spoke French, while they only spoke German and English.
Submitted by Cathy Davis for her grandfather Otto Neufeld
Photographs
Photographs submitted by Cathy Davis for her grandfather Otto Neufeld