211147 Gnr. Frederick Horace Henry Huckvale British Army Royal Artillery from:Birmingham My father, Fred Huckvale served in the Royal Artillery and was listed as a POW at camp Hohenstein. Also, I do know for a fact, that he was a volunteer (not a conscript) and was based in India, before the outbreak of war. This is where things might get a bit sketchy, as I'm trying to recollect what he told me, which was many years ago. I am assuming, because of being located where he was, that he would have been sent to fight the Japanese once they came into the war. I'm sure he told me, that he was on a ship, which was destined for Singapore. However, in the meantime, there was an uprising in Iraq (where rebels wanted to overthrow British control of the oil fields from what I can gather), and they were diverted to there instead, to help quell it. He definitely told me that he felt as though fate was on his side, as his original destination, Singapore, fell to the Japanese. Like many people of his generation, he would say how cruel the Japanese were to POW's. I think he fought both in Iraq and Iran. I know he mentioned seeing Soviet troops on one side of the road, but they weren't allowed to speak to them. I have done a little bit of searching online, and read somewhere that the Soviet Union did send troops into Iran.
I don't know exactly thereon after, but he must have then gone on to be dispatched into the North African campaign. All I know is that he was taken as prisoner (by a very young German soldier who spoke fluent English), and think it may have been at Tobruk. At some point, he must have been in captivity of the Italians, who he said treated him badly, and beat him. Another member of our family has recently told me, that he escaped and made it back to England, but this is where things seem to conflict, as I don't think it was from camp Hohenstein, but from somewhere in Italy. That seems difficult to believe, but he did seem determined to escape, but from where, we just don't know.
If anyone has got any more information on any of this, or knew of my late father, I would love to hear from them.
|