DAK tag again.Better photo:)

[Tom Bennett]

Hello all,
It was'nt long ago i had the pleasure of showing off my DAK tags i have found.This is a better photo of my M.G.8 tag that i found many months ago and i was over the moon
This was a very famous unit and they left behind many reminders of just how important they thought they were in the 1940's.There was a mosaic and a pond which contained the numeral 8 and many survivors were left here for 5 1/2 years

Tom

[Tom Bennett]

In fact all items shown in this photo were found at the same site and there are many others that i may have to show too.The DAK Helmet plate to the left was dugout also but i had to add paint to liven it up a bit

Who said they were never here

Tom

[drago1983]

Nice find Tom!!
very interestin story!!
Germans in Australia?? When I visited your beautifull Country I saw some relics in Fraser Island but were Japanese stuff, never heard about Nazis!!
Can you tell us the story about this unit?

[Tom Bennett]

Hi drago,
Thanks for the reply.I will have to tell the story in full but basically the MG 8 crew were captured in Nth Africa by Australian troops while trying to over run their position in 1942.The Officer was killed when he approached what he thought was a German Tank and it was an Allied one instead.He was shot down and the rest of his group were captured as they were far out numbered.
Yes they were held as POW's here and were let go in 1947 along with many other DAK members and a large amount of Italian and Kriegsmarine troops from the Kormoran.Will have to tell the story somwhere else so you can read it properly.Maybe send me your email and i will send a scan of the book page.Somthing like that anyway as its an important side of our story that can't be ignored

Cheer's mate

Tom

[drago1983]

Tom, you are making history!!
very interesting, as far as I understood you found this stuff in a POW camp?
I mean is really fantastic reveals the story behind an item, is the dream of every collector! I know also that some Italians were sent to Australia as POW, my granduncle was taken prisoner near Tobruk by aussie troops...but than he was sent to usa as pow.

G'day!

[bikerboyzx6r]

Tom, Just incase this is new to you:

The prisoners came from everywhere. There were large numbers of Italians captured in the various North African campaigns, there were Japanese taken in the Pacific region, as well as an indistinct group known as 'enemy aliens'. These latter prisoners included many German Jews who had fled to Britain to avoid persecution under the Nazis. They were imprisoned in response to a widespread fear that they included German spies; ironically, many had originally hoped to join the allied war effort where their many skills would have been fully utilised.

The first large group of 'enemy aliens' arrived in Sydney on 7 September 1940. They were taken to a camp erected near Hay in the south of New South Wales. Here they found conditions far more tolerable then anything they had so far endured. Realising that their prisoners wanted to fight the Axis powers as much as they did many of the Australian camp officials allowed the prisoners a large degree of liberty.

Very swiftly a school was organised and a theatrical group formed. Like prisoners everywhere, the 'enemy aliens' felt a desperate need to keep busy, They received much help and encouragement in their efforts from various Jewish groups in Australia.

When, eventually, the imprisonment of these Nazi refugees was seen as a costly blunder, they were given a choice of either working in Britain or staying in Australia until a more acceptable location was found. By the end of 1941 few of the original enemy aliens' from Germany remained in Australia.

[Tom Bennett]

Hi guys,
Thanks for your comments drago. I have the full story here in a copy of Stalag Australia bikerboyz and it tells the real story.There were over 1,400 Italian and German POWs here until 1947 when they were sent home.
There may have been some sent elsewhere during the war but most stayed here until it was all over. This is why i have found so many items of theirs here in the soil where the camp was burnt and recovery will go on for ever until i don't find anything else
There are a few good books out there to read

Tom

[drago1983]

Hi,
I just notice that there is some italian stuff in the picture, like the artillery button and the addis abeba(?) ring... did you find more? can you show a pictures?
Thanks

[Tom Bennett]

Hi Drago,
Yes they are Italian buttons in the photo.I will post another for your viewing pleasure.Just found my first Australian hat badge the other day and also a German numeral 9. Hav'nt cleaned them all yet but will get onto it asap
Cheer's

Tom

[Tom Bennett]

By the way drago,
The other half tag is for a Pz.Abw 39

Tom