Gnr. Thomas Wilson
British Army Royal Artillery
from:Durham City
My late Dad, Thomas Wilson lived and died in the City of Durham. He must have joined up in London because he was working down there I think in the Grosvenor Square area, other wise he might have been in the Durham Regiment, the DLI like my Granddad in WW1. I’m sure he said he was Kings Troupe R H A. I have most of his Army papers but nothing to tell me where or when he was taken, or his Battery. Dad always said that he was taken prisoner near Dunkirk, he said some thing about escorting Queen or Princess Willamina and his Regiment being all taken prisoner there. The CO said to destroy every thing before they surrendered (I just do not know). He was then marched all over, until they reached a POW Camp XXB. His POW Number was 5536.
In early 1960 my Dad developed a brain tumour every one said it could have been from the time in the prison camps, he did recover and lived untill 1980's. But after the brain operation he lost a good bit of his memory and I never really got to the bottom of his POW life. He did say that he escaped some where near Hoene and he said he knew about Belson, he did say that within a few days they were flown to England
Dad had 2 tattoos on his arms one of Edith Cavil and the other Florence Nightingale.
My Dad looking the wrong way and one one of these he has his long riding boots I can only think that these were taken in there Unit form up, before they left for France
the German people are from the farm that he worked on.
He was in Bulford Camp, some time there he was knocked of his bike by a truck at night they sent him to Halifax General Hospital, R&R I suppose it was whilst there he met my mam, Stella, she was visiting her brother and my dad saw her photo on his locker and told him that she is a bonny girl. And the rest is history. They got married and I was born.
My Mam has her right hand on the right shoulder of the girl in front.
