Born: Berlin, 23 September 1905
Profession in country of origin: Merchant (Ladies’ dresses)
Arrived in Britain as a refugee from Germany on 17 August 1939
Editor's note: Please also see the following website for group photographs of people that the family of Heinz Dehn are trying to identify http://www.dunera.de/searchphotos.html
Documents
[Later hand-written addition: Released Cat 17 07/11/1940
Male enemy alien - Exemption from internment - Refugee
Surname: Dehn
Forename:Heinz
Alias: -
Date and place of birth: 23/09/1905 in Berlin
Nationality: German
Police Regn. Cert. No.: 712 933
Home Office ref: C 3976
Address: Kitchener Camp, Richborough, Sandwich, Kent
Normal occupation: Ladies Dresses Salesman
Present occupation: Road Worker in Camp
Name and address of employer: -
Decision of tribunal: Exempted "C" & 9a
Date 20.10.1939
Whether exempted from Article 6(A): Yes
Whether desires to be repatriated: No
[Later addition - entire record card crossed out in pencil]
[Reverse of card: Dunera]
German Dehn 23.09.1905 Heinz Berlin 'C' EA (?)T D 8731 RA in A Cat 12 08.10.1942
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.
Arrival number 3144
Pass to enter Stonar camp for duty, 20 December 1939. Shift number II
Editor's note: By this date, Kitchener Camp had become Pioneer Corps Training Ground no. 3. The camp was divided into civilian and military areas. The civilian refugees who did not enlist often undertook work to aid military services.
There are further records about Heinz Dehn, housed at the Australian National Archives as follows:
DEHN Heinz - Nationality: Stateless - Arrived Sydney per Dunera 26 August 1940 Contents range 1940 - 1957 Series number B78 Control symbol 1957/DEHN H Access status Open Item ID 6025111
Prisoner of War/Internee: Dehn, Heinz; Date of birth - 23 September 1905; Nationality - German Contents range 1940 - 1942 Series number MP1103/1 Control symbol EM39317 Access status Open Item ID 8617000
Prisoner of War/Internee; Dehn, Heinz; Year of birth - 1905; Nationality - German Contents range 1939 - 1945 Series number MP1103/2 Control symbol E39317 Access status Open Item ID 9905821
DEHN Heinz : Service Number - V503914 : Date of Birth - 23/09/1905 : Place of Birth - BERLIN, GERMANY Contents range 1939 - 1945 Series number A13860 Control symbol V503914 Access status Open Item ID 31552233
Letters
Memories
Biographical information about Heinz Dehn (completed 19750428_HD_Biography):
Heinz was born 1905, 23 Sep in Berlin, to Lebrecht und Clara (born Philippson). He attended school until the 10th grade and then completed an apprenticeship as a merchant. Because of high unemployment, he had only odd jobs for a long time, until his half-brother Leo employed him in his property management business. In 1936 gründete er eine eigene Firma im Bereich Damenkleidung [trans. he founded his own women’s clothing company]. Shortly afterwards, Heinz was arrested by the Gestapo. The accusation, of possession and distribution of communist newspapers, could not be proven. The Gestapo ordered him into “protective custody” in Berlin Alexanderplatz police prison and then transported him to Dachau concentration camp, and later to Buchenwald.
Below, the above-mentioned file.
In 1937 Heinz Dehn married Margot Bick, a kindergarten teacher born in 1912. Their daughter Monika Ruth was born in 1937; their son Denny was born in 1940. Heinz’s wife and children and his mother-in-law were deported to the Riga ghetto in October 1942 and murdered there. Heinz’s mother Clara was murdered in Treblinka in September 1942. His half-sister Alice Emmi and her husband Otto Stern were deported in 1942 and transported to Stutthoff in 1944.
Like all other “Dunera Boys”, Heinz was interned first in Hay/New South Wales and later in Tatura/Victoria. After his release, to enable his further stay in Australia, he served in the labour corps of the Australian Army from the end of 1942 until March 1946.
Heinz then worked in various jobs in Melbourne until he took over a belt-making business. He married Ida Flieder, a Jewish woman from Hanover, in 1951. Their son Peter was born in 1953.
In 1959 the family moved to Berlin. Heinz died there on 01.01.1977.
Photographs
Possible recognition in group photograph – Heinz Dehn, Kitchener camp, 1939
