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Friesoythe
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Coordinates: 53°01′14″N 07°51′31″E

Main page Friesoythe, in Saterland Frisian language Ait or Äit, is a town in the district of Cloppenburg, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is
Friesoythe
Contents situated on the river Soeste, approximately 25 kilometres (16 mi) northwest of Cloppenburg, and 30 kilometres (19 mi)
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southwest of Oldenburg.
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1 History
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1.1 Second World War
Interaction 1.2 21st century
Help 2 Notable persons from Friesoythe
About Wikipedia 3 References
Community portal 4 Bibliography
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5 External links
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History [ edit ]

Related changes Friesoythe shares a diverse culture in Lower Saxony history. Many cultural influences of German, Anglo-Saxon, Dutch, East
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Frisian, Danish and Swedish culture are noticeable in the town and citizens. The town has a large following of Roman
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Catholicism and small percentages of Calvinism and Lutheranism. It was part of the Duchy of Oldenburg and also under rule Church
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to the French Empire in the 18th century.
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Cite this page Second World War [ edit ]
Main article: Razing of Friesoythe
In other projects Coat of arms
In April 1945, the town of Friesoythe felt the full force of an attack by the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division, under General
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Christopher Vokes. Most of the town's population of 4,000 moved out to the surrounding countryside on about April 11–12, Location of Friesoythe within [show]
Cloppenburg district
Print/export 1945.[2]
Download as PDF The town was defended by some 200 paratroopers of Battalion Raabe of the 7th German Parachute Division.[3] These
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paratroopers repelled the first attack by the Lake Superior Regiment (Motor) on April 13. The Lake Superior Regiment
Languages suffered two dead and nineteen wounded. German casualties are not known.
Friesoythe
‫ا‬ Vokes ordered the resumption of the attack the next day by The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess
Deutsch Louise's) commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Frederick E. Wigle. The attack went well, with the Argylls securing the town by
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10:30 hours. However, at 08:30 a small number of German soldiers caught Wigle's tactical headquarters by surprise, killing
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Wigle and several other soldiers.[4] Lieutenant Alan Earp survived a bullet through the head.[5]
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Bahasa Melayu Vokes ordered an immediate reprisal. "A first-rate officer of mine, for whom I had a special regard and affection, and in whom
Português I had a particular professional interest because of his talent for command, was killed. Not merely killed, it was reported to me,
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but sniped in the back".[6] According to Vokes, "I summoned my GSO1 . . 'Mac,' I roared at him, 'I'm going to raze that
中⽂ goddam town.'"[7]
23 more
Units and soldiers of the Argylls had spontaneously begun the arson of Friesoythe as revenge for the death of their colonel,[8]
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but after Vokes issued his direct order, the town was systematically set on fire with flamethrowers mounted on Wasp Carriers.
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The rubble was used to reinforce district roads for the division's tanks.[9] According to German estimates, 85% to 90% of the Show map of Lower Saxony
town was destroyed, making it one of the most devastated towns in Germany at the time.[10] Vokes commented that he had Show all
Coordinates: 53°01′14″N 07°51′31″E
"No feeling of remorse over the elimination of Friesoythe."[11] The Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and the Lake Superior
Regiment (Motor) were awarded the battle honour "Friesoythe". Country Germany
State Lower Saxony
District Cloppenburg
21st century [ edit ]
Government
Friesoythe has grown from a village to a small city and shares traditional and modern style buildings of German architecture,  • Mayor Sven Stratmann (SPD)
Bauhaus, Victorian style, Renaissance and Baroque style. Large multinational companies are settled giving the city a modern Area
appearance and lively feeling. Hospital, schooling, bus and train service, health service are all available in the city centre.  • Total 247.14 km2 (95.42 sq mi)
The city has good communication and infrastructure and many American Germans, Poles and Russians integrated into its Elevation 6 m (20 ft)
population. Population (2018-12-31)[1]
 • Total 22,456
Notable persons from Friesoythe [ edit ]
 • Density 91/km2 (240/sq mi)
Time zone CET/CEST (UTC+1/+2)
Wilhelm Abeln (1894–1969), German farmer and politician, member of Oldenburg Landtag
Postal codes 26169
Heinrich Totting von Oyta (c. 1330–1397), theologian and philosopher, co-founder of the Catholic Faculty of Theology of Dialling codes 0 44 91
the University of Vienna Vehicle CLP
registration
Website www.friesoythe.de
References [ edit ]

1. ^ Landesamt für Statistik Niedersachsen, LSN-Online Regionaldatenbank, Tabelle
12411: Fortschreibung des Bevölkerungsstandes, Stand 31. Dezember 2018 . Doug Bryce, the Medical Officer of the Argylls, said that he was shot in the head. Dr.
2. ^ The Friesoythe Amtsgericht, or District Court, was closed on April 11th. If the District
Court ceased to function on April 11, 1945, the evacuation of the bulk of the civilian
population probably took place between April 11th through April 12th 1945. It was
clearly a German and not a Canadian initiative. Ferdinand Cloppenburg, Die Stadt
Friesoythe im zwanzigsten Jahrhundert, 173.
3. ^ War Diary, General Staff, 4th Canadian Armoured Division, 1 April 1945-30 April 1945.
Appendix 38; dated April 14th, 1945. National Archives of Canada, Ottawa, ON, RG 24,
vol. no. 13794. Intelligence report signed: E. Sirluck, Capt.
4. ^ Mark Zuehlke, On To Victory: The Canadian Liberation Of The Netherlands, p. 308
5. ^ War Diary, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, April 14, 1945, pp. 10-11.
Ottawa, ON, Canada. National Archives of Canada, RG 24, v. 15,005. The same entry
for April 14th, 1945, is also reprinted in Robert L. Fraser's Black Yesterdays; the
Argylls’s War, p. 431. Interview with Alan Earp.
6. ^ All the published accounts relate that Col. Wigle was shot in the back. However, Dr.
Bryce thought very highly of Wigle ("the most wonderful man I have ever met").
Interview with Dr. Bryce, May 11, 1998.
7. ^ Chris Vokes, Vokes: My Story, 194-195. A similar account of Vokes and his role in the
destruction of Friesoythe is found in Tony Foster’s Meeting of Generals, 437.
8. ^ Robert L. Fraser, Black Yesterdays; the Argylls' War. See the section entitled "The
Burning of Friesoythe?" on pp. 435–437.
9. ^ Tony Foster, Meeting of Generals, iUniverse, 2000, ISBN 978-0595137503, p. 437.
10. ^ Ferdinand Cloppenburg, Die Stadt Friesoythe im zwanzigsten Jahrhundert, pp. 165,
189; Brockhaus. Die Enzyklopädie. Leipzig: Brockhaus, 1996. 20. Aufl. V. 7, p. 730.
11. ^ Tony Foster, Meeting of Generals, iUniverse, 2000, ISBN 978-0595137503, p. 437.

Bibliography [ edit ]

G. L. Cassidy, Warpath; the Story of the Algonquin Regiment, 1939–1945. Toronto: Ryerson Press, 1948.
Ferdinand Cloppenburg, Die Stadt Friesoythe im zwanzigsten Jahrhundert. Friesoythe: Cloppenburg, 2003. Limited to 1,000 copies.
Tony Foster, Meeting of Generals. Toronto; New York: Methuen, c1986.
Robert L. Fraser, ed. Black Yesterdays; the Argylls' War. Hamilton, ON: Argyll Regimental Foundation, 1996. A work of 608 pp., numerous photographs, many illustrations,
(some col.) limited to 1,000 copies. A lavish, massive, even monumental history of the Canadian Argylls during World War II and a model of its kind.
Friesoythe 25 Jahre danach: 1945-1970. Friesoythe: Stadt Friesoythe, 1970.
Landkreis Emsland. Wege aus dem Chaos; Das Emsland und Niedersachsen 1945-1949. Begleitbuch zur Ausstellung. 2. Aufl. Hrsg. vom Landkreis Emsland. Meppen:
1988.
C. P. Stacey, A Date with History; Memoirs of a Canadian Historian. Ottawa, ON: Deneau, c1983?
C. P. Stacey, Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War. Vol. III. The Victory Campaign; the Operation in North-West Europe, 1944–1945. Ottawa:
Queen's Printer, 1960.
Chris Vokes, Vokes, My Story. By Major General Chris Vokes with John P. Maclean. Memorial Edition. Ottawa, ON: Gallery Books, 1985.
War Diary, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada, April 14, 1945, pp. 10–11. Ottawa, ON, Canada. National Archives of Canada, RG 24, v. 15,005
War Diary, 1st Battalion, The Lake Superior Regiment (Motor), April 12, 1945, sheet 15. Ottawa, ON, Canada. National Archives of Canada, RG 24, Vol. 15,099.
War Diary, General Staff, 4th Canadian Armoured Division, April 14, 1945, p. 15. Ottawa, ON, Canada. National Archives of Canada, RG 24, no. 13,794.
August Wöhrmann, "Die Kämpfe 1945 in und um Friesoythe," IN Friesoythe 25 Jahre danach: 1945-1970 (Friesoythe: Stadt Friesoythe, 1970) 8-29. Wöhrmann was the
first to make a serious examination of the issue, and this work is a ground-breaking study of great value which identifies many of the relevant sources. Unfortunately
Wöhrmann, a former soldier himself, reports he was unable to make any contact with the German paratroopers who defended Friesoythe.

External links [ edit ]

Official website (in German)

Wikimedia Commons has
media related to Friesoythe.

V·T·E Towns and municipalities in Cloppenburg (district) [show]

Authority control GND: 4018617-9 · LCCN: n88094711 · MusicBrainz: d809a7c6-04de-406f-902b-cd99ea4d94a1 · VIAF: 126772474 · WorldCat Identities: lccn-n88094711

Categories: Towns in Lower Saxony Battles of World War II involving Germany Battles of World War II involving Canada Cloppenburg (district)
Grand Duchy of Oldenburg

This page was last edited on 14 April 2020, at 04:29 (UTC).

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