50 YEARS AGO: Iron Curtain mother meets son’s family for the first time

7:41am Thursday 3rd January 2008

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A GRANDMOTHER travelled from behind the Iron Curtain to spend the festive season with her family in Radcliffe.

Mrs Margaret Engmann had not seen her son for 14 years, and had never met her daughter-in-law and grandchildren.

Her son, Rolf Engmann, was captured by the British troops in 1943 and sent to Warth Camp, near Bury.

He decided to stay in this country after the war, married wife Marjorie, and had three children.

Rolf, a sheet metal worker, met his mother at London Road Station in Manchester. She had travelled from Berlin and stayed overnight in London.

Mrs Engmann had been expected to arrive in Radcliffe in time for Christmas, and her daughter-in-law travelled to London to meet her.

A telegram arrived to say that she had been delayed because of visa problems in France and Belgium though.

Mrs Engmann, who lived in Eastern Germany, had to go out to work because her husband was killed in an air raid in Dresden.

She had spent a long time saving money for the trip, but felt that it was worth it.

During her visit, Mrs Engmann was to be shown the multiple stores in Manchester, and taken to the circus and pantomime.

Although the couple's children, Peter (5), Trudy (2) and four-month-old Alan could not speak German, they were soon showing their grandmother the gifts they had received from Father Christmas.

Mrs Engmann had brought toys for the children and a German Christmas cake, which was similar to a large old English bread roll, spiced, and covered with castor sugar.