This story below was the story the family was told .... but a couple of years ago we found out he was shot at Spergau and David Hoost was reinterred in German cemetery in France !! then we heard he died of Dysentry .... all the stories ALL came from the Red Cross in Geneva !! EDWARD Peter Muels fell foul of the occupying forces when he helped one of their number to desert. Unlike Jack Soyer, there is not a great deal of documentary evidence about his life. But Mr Joe Mière has managed to piece together his story to paint a picture of his last days. Born in St Helier on 2 July 1912, Mr Muels was living at Sea Breeze, La Rocque, when he was arrested. Although a resident of Grouville, he worked as a lorry driver for the parish of St Helier. Early in 1944, German soldiers descended on La Rocque to search for deserter Gefreiter David Hoost, who had shot an officer, Alfred König. Civilian clothes Hoost had approached the licensee of the Seymour Inn for civilian clothes but had been refused. However, this did not prevent the publican incurring the wrath of the Germans for not reporting the matter. Mr Muels was more charitable and helped the man. Mr Mière believes that the German encountered him near St Peter de la Rocque chapel and persuaded him to help, because when Hoost was recaptured he was wearing a shirt and other clothes. Tragically for the Jerseyman, these were traced to his home. Mr Muels was arrested and imprisoned, eventually being sentenced by a military court to a prison term in a German concentration camp. On 29 June 1944 he and 20 other prisoners were taken to the Harbour to board a German ship bound for St Malo. Imprisoned overnight in the Breton port, they were the following day put on a train to Germany. Firing squad The train never reached its destination. It was bombed by the RAF and Mr Muels was among the dead. Hoost fared no better. Sentenced to death, he was executed by firing squad on 27 April 1944. He was buried in the German section of the Strangers Cemetery at Westmount. König was buried in the German military cemetery at St Brelade's Church. Occupation Memorial | Memorial | The Jersey Victims
Yes ! ... he was my Dad's cousin ! My Grandmother was born in St Helier and my Granddad was stationed there in the Army ( South Lancs ) her brother was Edwards father !! The whole family were put through " the wringer " but we'll never know the real story I'm afraid ! EDIT ... I have the court papers and eye witness accounts etc etc .... but we can't find where he was buried .... his wife is still alive ... and knows nothing !!
Interesting story.It's nice when we found out about our family members during ww2 and what they went through. Maybe he kept a diary of the war years,you never know.Other people like Anne frank had one and so many other people did. You should go for a hunt at his wife house,of cause if she does not mind,it would be a bonus for you to find information on you're ralitive,which was not well documented. Good luck with you're search.
I certainly agree, Annie, that the Red Cross will charge for access to the digitised records. Fair enough too. I'm just holding out hope that if only one record proves useful in terms of unknown soldiers, it'll be worth it. Still, I find it hard to fathom how on earth you could match up records to an unknown burial from simple index cards etc. You could perhaps match dates to narrow it down but DNA must surely provide the ultimate solution.
