218482 Pte. George Kitchener Lewis Goldfinch British Army Queens own Royal West Kent Regiment from:Tonbridge My grandfather George Goldfinch served with the Queens own Royal West Kents. I have very patchy stories from him about how they were dropped off by boat somewhere in North Africa but were dropped in the wrong location and were soon engaged with the Germans and captured.
He always said that they were laughing at his helmet when he was taken prisoner as it had a bullet hole right through it.
He was taken to P.O.W Camp 70 in Monturano Italy and then later moved to
Stalag 4c in Wistritz, Czechoslovakia. He thought it was funny that his first trip in a plane was in a Junkers88
When he did speak about his experiences he told us how. they had been put to work in mines and a lot of men had just broken down with the physical and mental stress of it all.
Among the other things that he would talk about was a dislike for Americans as they only ever managed to bomb the latrines of a camp, and how some soldiers would try to make coffee from acorns.
He was very ill when he returned to the UK, but recovered to work in a print factory.
|