By Pierre Kosmidis

Photos © Jochen Fries, submitted to www.ww2wrecks.com and used by permission.

Personal stories of individuals, who found themselves in the maelstrom of war, are always interesting, as they offer us a glimpse of daily life, as well as the country they found themselves in.

One such case is German soldier Paul Fries, who served in Greece during World War 2. His photo album, includes Operation Marita, the attack of nazi Germany against Greece in April 1941.

According to his grandson Jochen Fries from Belgium, his grandfather Paul Fries was on the “Byron” 10V3 boat in 1942 at the 10th Coastal Defense Flotilla in Salonika, field station (feldpost) number 43460.

The boat sank near Chorefto in Greece on 16 October 1942.

Paul Fries was captured by the English in the Lüneburg Heath in May 1945.

On 4 May 1945, at 18:30 British Double Summer Time, at Lüneburg Heath, south of Hamburg, British Field Marshal Sir Bernard Montgomery accepted the unconditional surrender of the German forces in the Netherlands, northwest Germany including all islands, in Denmark and all naval ships in those areas.

The surrender preceded the end of World War II in Europe and was signed in a carpeted tent at Montgomery’s headquarters on the Timeloberg hill at Wendisch Evern.

Paul Fries was later transferred as a prisoner of war in Eisden, later in Beringen until 1947 and decided to remain in Belgium.

Paul Fries survived the war and died in 2001.

Among Paul Fries’ photos, a destroyed bridge during Operation Marita 1941Jochen Fries would like to know which boat the crew got after the 10V3, and if anyone could provide any further related information about this topic.

His family has no trace what happened with him and the crew between 16 October 1942 and 1944.

According to what his wife (Jochen’s grandmother) told them, he volunteered to the one-man torpedo kamikaze team and was trained for that after his mission in the Mediterranean Sea, maybe right after the boat crash, or later.

They are not sure how and when exactly he got there, some sources say they were repatriated, others say they went on foot.

This training camp was very well accommodated with the best facilities, catering and other things to make them feel very comfortable.