208902 Pte. John Ernest Hufton British Army 2nd Battalion Northumberland Fusliers from:Hucknall, Nottinghamshire (d.29th Oct 1918 ) My Great Grandfather, Private John Ernest Hufton 16997, was captured by the Germans on Saturday 8th May 1915. He was with 2nd Northumberland Fusiliers. It is easy to understand that he was captured during the defence of the lines at the Battle of Frezenberg. Documentation kept by my Great Grandmother Florence Hufton, show that he was taken POW, and that he subequently was marched or tranferred to the POW camp at Soltau, near Hamlen in Germany.
Post cards, letters, photgraphs and official documents from the Army show that he was in fine health albeit bruised and having a black eye from the recent battle. He is shown with fellow captives and a few other photos show German guards with fixed bayonets. He was eventually set to work in a local sugar factory. Later photographs show him in poor health, and just less than two weeks prior to Armitice he died on 29th October 1918.
He is buried at Neiderzwehren War cemetary near Kassel, Germany.
I paid homage and visited my great-grand father's war grave in September 2008 with my mother (who is his grand daughter) and my step father.
|