213889 Pte. Robert Wilson Steele British Army 4th Btn. Seaforth Highlanders from:38 High Street, Prestonpans, East Lothian, Scotland My husband's Dad, Robert Wilson Steele served in the 2nd World War with the British Army in the 51st Seaforth Highlanders Regiment]. His Brother James Steele also served as well in the same Regiment. They landed at Dunkirk but Robert was captured at the beaches of St. Valery while his brother James made it on to one of the rescue boats.
What I know is that Robert had a long journey walking etc. to the Stalag IV A 40 POW camp. (M.Stammlager IV A ARB-Kdo 508) whatever that means? [Arbeits-Kommando means Labour Detail] He served for 5 long years and he once told us a story about the conditions there and the German guards made him dig out the latrines with an axe pick in the winter. Every time he chipped away at it he would get a mouth full and had to spit it out. When they were repatriated Robert said that the Germans treated them better than the Russians. As they got away they came upon a broken down German war truck and him and his mates found a camera, a German Army Uniform and a tin of biscuits. The Russians took the camera and the German Army Uniform off of them and the said to Robert Steele, give me the biscuits. He said "munga munga while rubbing his stomach". They said "give us them or we will shoot" So, starving he reluctantly gave them up. He also told us he rode on the top of the trains on the way home and one of the first things he did was eat a handful of salt.
If anyone knows of Robert Wilson Steele POW and any other stories about the 51st Seaforth Highlanders, I would be so interested. My cousin Davy Steele wrote the ballad The beaches of St. Valery. A must see on YouTube. Sadly Robert passed away in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, but had a good life
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