Otto Neufeld

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
Otto Neufeld in 1959 in his jewellery/watch shop, opened after the war
Otto Neufeld in 1959 in his jewellery/watch shop, opened after the war

Photographs

Kitchener camp, Otto Neufeld, Centre, Ramsgate 1940
Kitchener camp, Otto Neufeld, Centre, Ramsgate 1940
Kitchener camp, Otto Neufeld, Postcard, front, Hut 11/1, Pioneer Corps, April 1940
Kitchener camp, Otto Neufeld, Postcard, front, Hut 11/1, Pioneer Corps, April 1940
Kitchener camp, Otto Neufeld, Pioneer Corps, September 1945 Otto was reunited with his daughter Lilli after the war
Kitchener camp, Otto Neufeld, Pioneer Corps, with his daughter Lilli

Photographs submitted by Cathy Davis for her grandfather Otto Neufeld


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