Hello,
Your mailing list was suggested to me on the forum at Ahnenforschung.net.
My Paternal Grandfather Bruno Smeilus was born in 1925 or 26 in the area of Schillen - Possibly the village of Schattenau - in Ostpreußen. He was a Prisoner of War in England, and was never able (or chose not) to return to his homeland.
I have been trying to find a copy of his Birth Certificate, so that I can trace my family history in the area further back in time. To this end I have already written to the International Committee of the Red Cross, to learn whether they hold any record of him, and am awaiting a response.
I would like to know whether any Birth, Death or Marriage records still survive for this region, and where they might be kept? Also, whether anybody knows more general information regarding the surname Smeilus?
I have limited biographical information for my Grandfather: His father was named Otto, although this may well have been a pet name, and was born 21/02/1903, serving as an artillerist in the army, and dying somewhere in the vicinity of Leningrad. His step mother was called Truda, born 12/04/1908. He does not know the name of his Birth mother - She died when he was very young. For the majority of his youth my Grandfather lived in Grünheide, Kreis Insterburg with his family. He had one older brother named Reinhold, whom he believes served in the Luftwaffe. My Grandfather is unsure of the exact age difference between them, but Reinhold’s year of birth would likely have been in the range 1921-23. Reinhold may have died in a bombing raid over England, possibly in 1943, although this information is tentative at best. Bruno also had three younger sisters: Erna (D.O.B. 21/05/1934); Toni, (D.O.B. 04/01/1937); and Ursel, (D.O.B. 28/06/1942).
Bruno thinks that his parents were Protestant, although again, he is unsure of this - Do any Church records (Christening, Baptisms etc.) still survive for this area? And again, if so, does anybody know where they are currently held?
Many Thanks,
Richard Smeilus.
Hello Richard,
I have found the following link for a Reinhold SMEILUS stating the birth place as Natkischken. The birth date could fit: http://www.volksbund.de/index.php?id=1775&tx_igverlustsuche_pi2[gid]=a137521be45b8e4bcef1bea117f780e5
More information on this person as well as on your Grandfather Bruno could be gathered from the "Wehrmachtsauskunftsstelle (WASt)"
http://www.dd-wast.de/frame_e.htm
If you ask for information on Reinhold, you would usually at least get a home address and the name of wife or parents. For your grandfather you could also contact the WASt for detailed information on his military career, time as Prisoner of War a.s.o. They should be able to provide you with a correct birth date as well.
Then there is the marriage announcement from 1962 of a woman called Ursula (Ursel?) Smeilus to a Helmut Langer in Berlin-Spandau:
Kind regards and good luck with your search
Sabine
Thank you very much for the information Sabine, I will be making a request to WASt in the near future.
Kind Regards,
Richard Smeilus.
Richard,
You may find this helpful.
http://www.progenealogists.com/top50genealogy2011.htm
Karl von Knoblauch