The "Lost" Watch
The essential element of the story appears in the War Diaries of the 11th Hussars, (Prince Albert's Own) on the 4th and 6th May 1945.
D Sqn (4th May 1945):
Sqn moved to a stop line at QUICKBORN. General Admiral von Friederburg, representing Admiral Doenitz (new Führer) entered British lines through 4Tp patrol, where he was retained until collected by 21st Army Group and taken to Field Marshall Montgomery's HQ to sign the unconditional surrender of all German land, naval and air forces in NW Europe. Indeed a historic and memorable day for D Sqn.
Remained at RELLINGEND Sqn.
Admiral Hoffman (C-in-C of the German Fleet) arrived to hand over the German Navy. CEASE FIRE at 0800 hours. More high ranking German officers passed through on their way to Field Marshall Montgomery's HQ (one inexplicable disappearance of a wrist watch caused certain consternation in the realm of Olympus!).
The background to the story of the lost watch was explained to Seamus Hamill-Keays BEM (Sqn Ldr RAF Retired) by Major Thomond O’Brien Horsford MC of the 11th Hussars (known as Toby).
Toby recounts the arrival of the German delegation at his stop line. Toby was dressed in nondescript 8th Army style with a flying jacket and corduroys. The German ADC with the group went around seeking the OIC and was somewhat horrified when Toby introduced himself as that officer.
The official title of this image is, "Captain Horsford of the 11th Hussars meets the German delegation near Quickborn, north of Hamburg."
This is Toby's story as told by Seamus Hamill-Keays:
Nearly 40 years ago, I was fortunate enough to have as a friend Major Thomond O’Brien Horsford MC of the 11th Hussars, an officer whose reconnaissance Squadron was most regrettably responsible for delaying the German surrender to Field Marshal Montgomery on Luneberg Heath on 4th May 1945.
After the war, Toby owned a mile of fishing rights on the left bank of the Usk. In 1987, while standing on the bank, teaching me how to cast, he told me his story of Victory in Europe.
After the surrender of Hamburg on 30th April 1945, Toby’s reconnaissance Squadron of the 11th Hussars was leading the 11th Armoured Division’s drive towards the Danish border aiming to get there before our allies, the Red Army with a German surrender rumoured. A signal was received ordering Toby to halt and stand by for ‘Enemy Super Sunray’ to pass through his lines next morning. Shortly after dawn, a very dusty Mercedes staff car cautiously approached. As Toby languidly related, “A chap in a sailor-suit was sitting in the back”. Toby’s men searched the four German officers and sent them on their way under escort to Monty’s HQ.
A couple of hours later, the agitated G2 staff officer from Monty’s HQ roared up in his Humber. Jumping out, he addressed Toby.
“A German Admiral is refusing to sign the surrender document because one of your chaps has stolen his watch.”
“Oh dear!” says Toby.
He walked across to his Dingo scout car and spoke to his Signaller.
“Sergeant! Is it at all possible that that chap in the sailor suit mislaid his watch when he passed through this morning?”
“Um…um… dunno, sir. Um…maybe…um…see we…er…um…put all…er…um…lost watches into this ’ere bag. Maybe it’s in ‘ere.” Looking guilty, he handed a haversack full of watches up to Toby.
That’s how General-Admiral Hans-Georg von Friedeburg, the C-in-C of the German Navy, recovered his watch and became willing to surrender all German armed forces in the Netherlands, Northwest Germany and Denmark, to Monty.
The author thanks Seamus Hamill-Keays for this information.