207960 L/Bdr. Thomas Brown Dey British Army Royal Artillery from:Glasgow Thomas B Dey, my Dad, was in the TA in Glasgow and was sent to France.
Whilst carrying out a rear guard action they were captured at St. Valery. Prior to this they were onboard a barge when an officer ordered them off. The barge got blown out the water. He was in a hospital as a prisoner with appendictis, Douglas Bader was in the next bed, apparently they, the Germans, took away his artificial legs as he kept escaping. This did not deter him he just used his hands to get around. he still tried to escape.
My Dad told me once he and others were up against firing squads at least five times. Once they went on strike because their Red Cross parcels were stopped. They were forced to work down salt mines, for some reason he said they knew the Germans were only bluffing, some bluff. The Americans liberated them. My mum told me he went away a blond well and a built man and came home with black hair and very very thin.
We have lost pictures and papers and would be obliged if anyone has any information to help us build a map of where he was as he and mum have passed on.
|