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- Stalag 8b Prisoner of War Camp during the Second World War -


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

Stalag 8b Prisoner of War Camp




   Arbeitskommando E357 was a work camp attached to Stalag 8b at Peitskretschen. The work party were engaged to build a tunnel beneath the railways lines at Pietskretschen in 1944.

 

   Stalag 8B (VIII-B, according to the German designation system) was established in late 1939 to hold Polish POWs taken during the German invasion of Poland. It was located outside of Lamsdorf (now called Lambinowice) in southwestern Poland, not far from the Czech border. As a result of German conquests during the next four years, the camp's population increased tremendously, comprising POWs from all over Europe, the Soviet Union, the UK, and Canada (later, many American prisoners were housed there as well). In June 1943, under a re-organisation that took place to accommodate the huge and growing number of POWs, several additional camps were opened in the region, with Stalag 8B in Lamsdorf initially serving as the administrative hub. However, at the same time, Stalag 8B Lamsdorf was re-named Stalag 344. The additional camps included: Stalag 8C (VIII-C) in Sagan; Stalag 8D (VIII-D) in Teschen; Stalag 8E (VIII-E) in Neuhammer (now called Swietoszow); and Stalag 8F (VIII-F), which was located on the other side of Lamsdorf and was reserved primarily for Soviet prisoners. Then, under a second re-organisation occurring in November 1943, Stalag 8D in Teschen was (confusingly) re-numbered as 8B, taking over the designation of the original Lamsdorf camp (which was now Stalag 344). The entire Stalag 8B camp-complex was one of Germany's largest, housing approximately 400,000 POWs during its existence across all of its sites. In late January 1945, the camp-complex began to be evacuated in the face of advancing Soviet forces.

 

 

 

   Bau und Arbeits, Battalion 21, was known by the abbreviation BAB 21, and official designation E793, later renumbered E493. It was a construction battalion under Stalag 8b made up of Allied prisoners of war.

 

   Bau und Arbeits, Battalion 40 also known as BAB 40 and designated E794 was a construction battalion made up of Allied prisoners of war. It was formed at Thorn in September 1940 and later moved to Heydebreck.

 

   Arbeitskommando E209 was a work camp of Stalag 8b at a coal mine in Bobrek, Poland.

 

   Arbeitskommandos E119 attached to Stalag VIIIb was a Saw Mill situated at Mankendorf a small hamlet in Czechoslovakia now called Mankovice, near Ostrava and Odry. The factory was known as Rosmanwitz after the owner, it was a holtzfabric and made wheels of all sorts and sledges.

 

   Work Camp E138 was situated at Ratibor, Lower Silesia, Poland. About 100 men worked in a steel factory and were billeted in a guest house dance hall.

 

   Arbeitskommandos E196 attached to Stalag VIIIb was a work camp in Opoleonoora, Poland at a cement factory

 

   E3 Blechammer arbeits kommando was situated in Upper Silesia, Poland between the Oder-Donau canal and the main road, next door to BAB21 Kanal Lager, and about three quarters of a mile from the main gate of the Oberschlesisiche (Upper Silesia) Hydrierwerke oil refinery. The camp was was 220 yards by 220 yards square, the huts were originally erected on the sandy dredgings of the Adolf Hitler Canal.The camp was better equipped than most and even had a small operating theatre whihc was lit by a 500-watt globe surrounded by reflecting mirrors.

 

   Arbeits kommando E565 Sierza Wodna was situated close to the river on the outskirts of Trzebinia in Upper Silesia, Poland. About 100 prisoners were housed in huts, they worked in a coal mine.

 

   Arbeitskommando E72 attached to Stalag VIIIb was in Beuthen Poland, the men worked in a mine.

 

   Arbeitskommando E702 was a work camp attached to Stalag VIIIb and was in Klimontow Poland, the men worked in a coal mine.

 

27th Mar 1940 77 Squadron Whitley lost

11 May 1940 218 Squadron Battle lost

11th May 1940 88 Squadron Battle lost

12th May 1940 12 Squadron Battle lost

18th May 1940 Aircraft Lost

21st May 1940 226 Squadron Battle lost

1st Jun 1940 Aircraft Lost

4th June 1940 On fire

8th Jun 1940 103 Squadron Battles lost

Sep1940 Reorganisation

25th May 1941 18 Squadron Blenheim lost

22nd Jul 1941 Parcels

25th Aug 1941 51 Squadron Whitley lost

26th Aug 1941 7 Squadron Stirling lost

3rd Sep 1941 35 Squadron Halifax lost

7th September 1941 Aircraft Lost

8th Nov 1941 78 Squadron Whitley lost

8th Dec 1941 83 Squadron Hampton lost

19th Feb 1942 420 Squadron Hampden lost

March 1942 Move

9th Apr 1942 419 squadron Lancaster lost

19th Jul 1942 88 Squadron Boston lost

26th Jul 1942 15 Squadron Stirling lost

27th Jul 1942 7 Squadron Stirling lost

1st Aug 1942 9 Squadron Wellington lost

7th August 1942 Airmen avade capture

11th Aug 1942 Bomber Command

20th Aug 1942 Aircraft Lost

29th Aug 1942 149 Squadron Stirling lost

2nd Sep 1942 218 Squadron Stirling lost

17th Sep 1942 25 Operational Training Unit Wellington lost

20th September 1942 156 Squadron Wellington lost.

22nd Sep 1942 226 Squadron Boston lost

25th Sep 1942 161 Squadron Whitley lost

2nd Oct 1942 78 Squadron Halifax lost

6th Dec 1942 Ventura of 464 Squadron lost

10th Dec 1942 Aircraft lost

20th Dec 1942 425 Squadron Lancaster lost

28th Jan 1943 51 Squadron Halifax lost

4th Feb 1943 Halifax lost

11th Feb 1943 107 Squadron Boston lost

March 1943 Reorganisation

13th March 1943 102 Squadron Halifax lost

20th Oct 1943 Conditions Improving

15th Dec 1943 Over Crowding

28th Jan 1944 POW train bombed

December 1944 Reorganisation

21st Jan 1945 Heavy Snow

22nd Jan 1945 March

23rd Jan 1945 March

24th Jan 1945 March

25th Jan 1945 March

26th Jan 1945 Very Cold

27th Jan 1945 March

28th Jan 1945 March

29th Jan 1945 March

30th Jan 1945 Bad Conditions

31st Jan 1945 Rations Scarce

1st Feb 1945 Rest

2nd Feb 1945 On the March

3rd Feb 1945 March

4th Feb 1945 Rest

9th Feb 1945 On the March

10th Feb 1945 On the March

11th Feb 1945 Sunday

12th Feb 1945 On the March

13th Feb 1945 On the March

14th Feb 1945 On the March

15th Feb 1945 On the March

16th Feb 1945 On the March

17th Feb 1945 On the March

18th Feb 1945 At Rest

19th Feb 1945 On the March

20th Feb 1945 On the March

21st Feb 1945 At Rest

22nd Feb 1945 March

23rd Feb 1945 March

24th Feb 1945 March

25th Feb 1945 At Rest

26th Feb 1945 At Rest

27th Feb 1945 March

28th Feb 1945 At Rest

1st Mar 1945 On the March

2nd Mar 1945 On the March

3rd Mar 1945 On the March

4th Mar 1945 Rest

5th Mar 1945 March

6th Mar 1945 March

7th Mar 1945 At Rest

8th Mar 1945 March

9th Mar 1945 Rest

10th Mar 1945 On the March

11th Mar 1945 Sunday

12th Mar 1945 March

13th Mar 1945 March

14th Mar 1945 March

15th Mar 1945 At Rest

16th Mar 1945 March

17th Mar 1945 March

18th Mar 1945 March

19th Mar 1945 Under Guard

25th Mar 1945 Abandoned


If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.



Those known to have been held in or employed at

Stalag 8b Prisoner of War Camp

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records from Stalag 8b Prisoner of War Camp other sources.


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Want to know more about Stalag 8b Prisoner of War Camp?


There are:1240 items tagged Stalag 8b Prisoner of War Camp available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.


AC Norgate Royal Armoured Corps

AC Norgate served with the Royal Armoured Corps British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch.

Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.

Dan



MG Jenkins 42nd Btn Royal Tank Regiment

MG Jenkins served with the 42nd Btn Royal Tank Regiment British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch.

Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.

Dan



NA Hazel 4/7th Dragoon Guards

NA Hazel served with the 4/7th Dragoon Guards British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch.

Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.

Dan



Pte. Joseph Gribben Princess Louise Battalion Middlesex Regiment (d.27th Mar 1942)

My great uncle Joe Gribben served with Princess Louise Battalion, Middlesex Regiment and was captured at St Valery-en-caux on 12 June 1940 and was a prisoner of war at Stalag 20A at Torun. He was later transferred to BAB20 a work camp in Upper Silesia, where sadly he was shot by a German guard on 27 March 1942. He was 21.

My mother wrote to The Legion magazine a number of years ago requesting information. She received a letter from Mr. C. Earl who was a medical orderly at the camp and who, along with another man J. Watson, identified Joe's body when it was brought into the guardroom. He said that Joe was part of a working party formed at Fort 11 near Torun. There were 200 men in the party and their job was to build huts, lay pipes, clear snow etc. Mr Earl describes that the working party then moved to Reigersfield near Old Cossel in Upper Silesia. The working party was known as BAB 20/3COY. Here they worked on a chemical factory building wooden huts, laying pipes and trenches etc. Mr Cossel said, "Your uncle was working there when he was shot by a German guard. I think he had an argument with them about the fag." There are various post cards of a funeral at BAB20 for a man shot for smoking a fag.

In 2005 my mother also contacted Alison Robertson from an advert in the local paper. Alison was researching a number of deaths in prison camps. She gave us a copy of the Translation of the Deposition of W.J. Schmitz (used in the war crimes investigation). This states that Joe refused to push a heavily laden wheelbarrow of earth. "Gerfreitter Sonntag lifted the wheelbarrow himself and pushed it a bit further in order to show the prisoner it was not too heavy. He ordered Gribben now to push the barrow. But Gribben unloaded a portion of the land on the ground." The sentry Sonntag continued to order my great uncle to move the barrow and threatened use of his firearm. Some of the surrounding POWs were said to have shouted at him and Sonntag took his rifle to show he meant his threat. "As Gribben made no attempts of pushing his wheelbarrow and as other POWs took up a threatening attitude, Sonntag fired." A civilian labourer apparently confirmed this version. The military court at the time granted Sonntag an acquittal as he had "acted in accordance with the instructions issued by the Kommander i/c POWs, Major General Von Osterrich. My family were told that Sonntag was not seen in the camp again and they believed he was sent to the Eastern Front.

Today I read the diaries of Private William Law. On the 27th March there is an entry about a shooting of a POW for refusing to push a wheel barrow. The date fits (if this was Pte Law's diary for 1942) and the reason fits the official German version. I now wonder if it was another soldier who was shot in an argument over a cigarette and that Joe's shooting was indeed over refusing to push the wheelbarrow. There are photos of three funerals at BAB20 on the Pegasus website.

I would very much like to get in touch with Paul Law (William's son who submitted the dairies).  

Alison Shorrock



Cpl. Brinley Norman "Bryn" Williams Royal Engineers

I knew very little about Dad's wartime experiences - he died when I was barely out of my teens. He had told stories of being in Palestine during the war and I know he was a POW - but he never talked about that. I do recall seeing a newspaper cutting from 1945 when he returned from the war (my grandmother had kept it). It said he was very sick, and that POWs had been so hungry they had eaten grass.

When I began to research my family history I got Dad's military records from the MOD. What a revelation - they told me so much about this young man who joined up in 1939 - about his education, his previous employment (and what he earned) and his physical appearance. The records also told me that Dad was captured at Gazala in North Africa and ended up in Stalag VIIIb, in what is now Poland, from September 1943 until liberation in April 1945. Research then told me about the Death Marches - and the fact that the starving prisoners ate grass. An elderly cousin of my father was able to tell me about the impact his capture and imprisonment had on his family - his sister and parents - and that helped me understand a lot about family relationships in later years. As a teenager, she remembered Dad's return and how very weak and ill he was.

I have just come back from a visit to the remains of Stalag VIIIb and the Prisoner of War Museum at Lambinovice (Lamsdorf). I stood on the railway platform where Dad would have arrived, and saw the entrance to the camp. Very little remains there, but there is an exhibition of daily life in the camps and a reconstruction of a hut where Russian POWs were held (and treated very badly). Lamsdorf became a prison camp in 1870 during the Franco Prussian War - and was used as such until the late 1940s. Hundreds of thousands passed through those gates - and tens of thousands died there. It saw almost a century of misery. Today there are beautifully kept POW graveyards in peaceful surroundings, filled with birdsong. The visit has really inspired me to make sure that Dad's name is recorded and remembered. His wartime experience was instrumental in forming the man he became. His lifelong involvement in the British Legion is testimony to that.

Su



Trpr. Robert Henry Sharp 1st Lothian Edinburgh Horse Yeomanry

Harry Sharp enlisted into the Army in 1938 at the age of 17 years. He lied about his age, joining the 15/19 Hussars in York. On the outbreak of WW2 he was transferred to the 1st Lovian Edinburgh Horse Yeomanry as a tank driver. Went to France in 1939 with the 51st Highland Division which was part of the B.E.F. Was the only survivor after his tank was destroyed by a German Tank. Was captured at St Valery after the surrender of the 51st Highland Division which was the Dunkirk rear guard unit. When taken prisoner Harry was wounded in the ankle/foot. As POW was forced to work in a Polish coal mine. Based at Stalag 8b.

Harry before he died, age 91, began to talk of the horrendous times he endured on the march from France to Poland having to cross the River Danube on many occasions. He also stated that the Germans saved his leg when they put maggots on his wound. The British Medics were going to amputate his leg prior to his capture.




Pte. Robert Kelly East Lancashire Regiment

Like many survivors my Dad never really wanted to talk about his time in the war. It was only when he passed that I found a few photos and the newspaper cutting. I inherited his Football plaque on the passing of his Uncle who had clearly treasured it since my Dads return. He had been part of the "Long March" and when he finally arrived home he weighed less than seven stone and according to my Grandma he would still scavenge for food that had been thrown to the hens in their neighbourhood for several months. Despite this terrible period in his life he eventually became the most positive and optimistic person I have ever known.

Robert Kelly served with the East Lancashire Regiment during WW2 and was captured at Dunkirk in 1940. Released by the advancing Russian forces in Upper Silesia.

1st and 4th Battalions East Lancashire Regiment who joined the 42nd Division in 1940 prior to Dunkirk. It is not clear which battalion Robert served with however it is more probable that it was the 1st Battalion which formed part of the final defence force around the Dunkirk beaches.

Shortly after the outbreak of war with Germany the 1st South Lancashires and 1st Loyals crossed to France with, respectively, the 4th and 1st Divisions of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). By early October 1939 both battalions were in position on the Belgian frontier, where they were joined in April 1940 by the 1st and 4th East Lancashires, both of 42nd Division.

On 10th May 1940 the ‘Phoney War’ came to an abrupt end when Germany invaded Belgium and Holland. The BEF advanced into Belgium but the Allied front rapidly collapsed before the German ‘blitzkrieg’ and the British force, with its flanks exposed and its rear increasingly threatened, was obliged to make a succession of withdrawals. Ordered back from one defensive line to the next, amid scenes of growing chaos, the four Lancashire battalions fought a number of delaying actions, most notably at Tournai on the Escaut, at Lannoy and at Rousbrugge, before reaching Dunkirk.

Dunkirk 1940

All three of the 1st Battalions then took up defensive positions to cover the evacuation of the BEF. The South Lancashires held the far left of the British line, west of Nieuport, the Loyals occupied the fortified town of Bergues on the right, while the East Lancashires plugged a gap in the centre of the line along the Bergues Canal. All three units held their positions, under constant attack, until ordered to withdraw. On 1st June a determined enemy attack on the Dunkirk perimeter was halted by the gallant stand of B Company, 1st East Lancashires, for which Captain Marcus Ervine-Andrews was awarded the Victoria Cross (the only one at Dunkirk), assisted by a counter-attack by the Loyals. The three Lancashire battalions were among the last British troops to embark on the night 2nd/3rd June.

E3 Blechhammer was a working party area part of the overall Stalag 8b Complex. The prefix E referred to English although other national were included. The Room 42 on the football plaque could refer to a room containing mainly POWs from the 42nd Division.

The whole camp covered the area of 230m x 290m. The crematorium where 1500 bodies were burnt was in the south-east part of the camp. The camp was commanded by SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Otto Brossmann. During winter 1944/45, as the Red Army was closing fast, the Germans decided to evacute the camp (which became a transfer point for the prisoners from Auschwitz and other camps) and forced the prisoners into columns of 500 men each. They were ordered to march to the West. During the "Death March" people who were suffering from cold (marched barefoot, without proper winter clothing) soon started to die of exhaustion. Those who were unable to march were killed with the butts of the guns by the so-called Nachkommando which followed the columns. The camp was liberated by the Red Army on the 26th of January 1945. There were less than 200 survivors found.

James Kelly



Tpr. Andrew Jeffrey Evinou 4th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment

He Will Get On With It

My father, Andrew Jeffrey Evinou, served as a tank driver with the Fourth Royal Tank Regiment during WW2. He served with the British Eighth army in France and was one of the soldiers rescued off the beaches at Dunkirk. He told of how the ship he was on was hit by Messerschmitz and many were killed on deck. He was saved because he went below deck where tea was being served. After a very short leave during which time he married my mum, he was sent to North Africa. He fought with the Fourth armoured division at Tobruk where he was captured when his tank was hit. Dad lost a finger in that incident. He was a POW with the Italians for a year and a half then handed over to the Germans. He was a POW at stalag V111b and stalag V111a. He worked in the mines fourteen hours a day. He participated in the great march, but luckily survived it. He was ninety pounds in weight when he got home. I will always be my dad's proud daughter. He was eighty seven when he died in October of 2005. LEST WE FORGET.

Janet Thompson



Gordon Keith Jackson Royal Artillery

Gunner Gordon Keith Jackson. Left New Zealand in 1940 as part of the 1st or 2nd Artillery Field Regiment. He was a POW at Stalag V111b, and worked in a Coal Mine, where he passed away apparantely from Pnuemonia. We would loved any information on Gordon.

Eric Jackson



Terence William Doyle HMS Bedouin

I served on HMS Bedouin until sank and was then made a POW in Stalag 7A and 8B, I would be interested to hear from survivors particularly ones from the Bedouin, I have never attended a reunion as they were always in London, but would now like to.

Terence Doyle



Rifleman Alec Jay Queen Victoria's Rifles 9th London Regiment

My late father Alec Jay, was a British prisoner of war at Stalag VIIIB. His rank and serial number were as follows: Rifleman Alec Jay, army number 6896204 of the 1st battalion of the 9th London Rgt, Queen Victoria’s Rifles and his POW number was 15129. I have attached a group photo taken in Lamsdorf. My father is the soldier with the moustache on the extreme right as you look at the photo.

He was captured in Calais on 26th May 1940 and was imprisoned at Stalag 344, Lamsdorf from June 1940 to May 1945. He worked in a series of work camps including Groschowitz (Groszowice) from July 1940 to October 1940 on building works, Gumpertsdorf (Komprachcice) from November 1940 to January 1941 on roadworks, Heuerstein, from 25th May 1941 to 3rd June 1941, in a quarry, Setzdorf (Vápenná), from 18th August 1941 to 27 February 1944, in another quarry, Jagerndorf (Strzelniki), from March 1944 to August 1944, on council work, Freudenthal (Bruntál), from August 1944 to September 1944, in a linen factory, and Gurschdorf (Skorošice) from September 1944 to March 1945, a quarry that was also a punishment camp.

He was tortured by the Under Officer in charge of his first working party (Groschowitz/ Groszowice) to find out if he was a Jew. That involved being beaten in the face with a rifle butt, an assault that led to the loss of his teeth. I have used the German names for these places and have put as many Polish or Czech names that I can identify in brackets.

My father told us that he escaped on a number of occasions, typically from working parties and although he did not achieve a 'home run', he was on the run on VE day having fought in the liberation of Prague alongside Czech partisans. At one point, after being recaptured, a German guard ordered him to 'dig his own grave' at the point of a gun and then when he had dug the hole told him to fill it in again.

If anyone has any information that might relate to my late father, I would be most keen to learn of it.

John Jay



Driver Charles McDougall

My father Charles McDougall of Aberfeldy, Perthshire was taken prisoner at St Valery. His number was T135468. He was a driver in the RASC. He seldom spoke of his experiences in depth, but used to give us snippets of information..

He spoke of being lined up to be shot on two separate occasions, but each time was reprieved...I think that was a form of mental torture. He told us of making soup from nettles and from potato peelings and he worked in a salt mine. He told us that he was in on several escape plans but did nor ever try to escape himself as he reckoned he was too old and might hold the others back. He told us that the Gaelic speakers in the camp were able to pass information to each other without the Guards knowing what they were saying. He told us of the march through Poland when men would be shot if they stopped for a second. He weighed 6 stone when he came home and was of a nervous disposition for the rest of his life.

Kay Liney



Private Charles John McCarthy

My uncle, Pte Charles John McCarthy was a POW in Stalag XXA and Stalag 8B/344 between 1941 and 1945. Apparently he escaped three times. His service number was VX8916. He was AWOL more than 20 times before and after he was a POW. It is a fantastic story but he died not long after the war with no wife or children. It is sad he did not have his own family.

Pete Kennedy



Sgt. Walter Mellor 3rd Btn. Grenadier Guards

My grandfather was Walter Mellor, he was a Sergeant in the 3rd battalion Grenadier Guards. In the photo above, my grandfather is sat down on the front row third from the left. He was taken prisoner and held in Stalag VIII B, he was an artist who helped forge documents and papers for prisoners to escape, please could you help me find something of him.

Nicholas Mellor



Frank Heyes Border Regiment

A Christmas Card Frank sent from Stalag VIIIb

My uncle, Frank Heyes, The Border Regiment, was taken prisoner between 6/10 June 1940 at Fecamp. I have the letters and cards he sent home during his internment and his POW ID tag. He started captivity in Stalag XX1 B and sent a card dated 14 July 1941 from Stalag VIII B. The last card I have is dated 28 June 1944 and he arrived back in the UK 16 May 1945.
UPDATE:

This Christmas Postcard was drawn by my father Kenneth (Ken) V F Wood in a competition. The J.H. on the base drum is for Major Jimmy Howe who later became the Musical Director of the Scots Guards. My Father died in 1980 but I have several photographs including the cobblers shop where my father was part of a small team under Arthur Weston making artificial legs.

Tony Wood

Kevin Heyes



AC Norgate Royal Armoured Corps

AC Norgate served with the Royal Armoured Corps British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch.

Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.

Dan



MG Jenkins 42nd Btn Royal Tank Regiment

MG Jenkins served with the 42nd Btn Royal Tank Regiment British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch.

Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.

Dan



NA Hazel 4/7th Dragoon Guards

NA Hazel served with the 4/7th Dragoon Guards British Army. I have his unissued dogtags, made in preparation for deployment to the Far East and would love to get them home to his family. I am happy to cover all costs. If you are a family member or can put me in touch with them please get in touch.

Update: Unfortunately The Wartime Memories Project has lost touch with Dan, his website, facebook page and email have all ceased to function. But if you can add any details about the person listed, please use the add to record link below.

Dan



Pte. Joseph Gribben Princess Louise Battalion Middlesex Regiment (d.27th Mar 1942)

My great uncle Joe Gribben served with Princess Louise Battalion, Middlesex Regiment and was captured at St Valery-en-caux on 12 June 1940 and was a prisoner of war at Stalag 20A at Torun. He was later transferred to BAB20 a work camp in Upper Silesia, where sadly he was shot by a German guard on 27 March 1942. He was 21.

My mother wrote to The Legion magazine a number of years ago requesting information. She received a letter from Mr. C. Earl who was a medical orderly at the camp and who, along with another man J. Watson, identified Joe's body when it was brought into the guardroom. He said that Joe was part of a working party formed at Fort 11 near Torun. There were 200 men in the party and their job was to build huts, lay pipes, clear snow etc. Mr Earl describes that the working party then moved to Reigersfield near Old Cossel in Upper Silesia. The working party was known as BAB 20/3COY. Here they worked on a chemical factory building wooden huts, laying pipes and trenches etc. Mr Cossel said, "Your uncle was working there when he was shot by a German guard. I think he had an argument with them about the fag." There are various post cards of a funeral at BAB20 for a man shot for smoking a fag.

In 2005 my mother also contacted Alison Robertson from an advert in the local paper. Alison was researching a number of deaths in prison camps. She gave us a copy of the Translation of the Deposition of W.J. Schmitz (used in the war crimes investigation). This states that Joe refused to push a heavily laden wheelbarrow of earth. "Gerfreitter Sonntag lifted the wheelbarrow himself and pushed it a bit further in order to show the prisoner it was not too heavy. He ordered Gribben now to push the barrow. But Gribben unloaded a portion of the land on the ground." The sentry Sonntag continued to order my great uncle to move the barrow and threatened use of his firearm. Some of the surrounding POWs were said to have shouted at him and Sonntag took his rifle to show he meant his threat. "As Gribben made no attempts of pushing his wheelbarrow and as other POWs took up a threatening attitude, Sonntag fired." A civilian labourer apparently confirmed this version. The military court at the time granted Sonntag an acquittal as he had "acted in accordance with the instructions issued by the Kommander i/c POWs, Major General Von Osterrich. My family were told that Sonntag was not seen in the camp again and they believed he was sent to the Eastern Front.

Today I read the diaries of Private William Law. On the 27th March there is an entry about a shooting of a POW for refusing to push a wheel barrow. The date fits (if this was Pte Law's diary for 1942) and the reason fits the official German version. I now wonder if it was another soldier who was shot in an argument over a cigarette and that Joe's shooting was indeed over refusing to push the wheelbarrow. There are photos of three funerals at BAB20 on the Pegasus website.

I would very much like to get in touch with Paul Law (William's son who submitted the dairies).  

Alison Shorrock



Cpl. Brinley Norman "Bryn" Williams Royal Engineers

I knew very little about Dad's wartime experiences - he died when I was barely out of my teens. He had told stories of being in Palestine during the war and I know he was a POW - but he never talked about that. I do recall seeing a newspaper cutting from 1945 when he returned from the war (my grandmother had kept it). It said he was very sick, and that POWs had been so hungry they had eaten grass.

When I began to research my family history I got Dad's military records from the MOD. What a revelation - they told me so much about this young man who joined up in 1939 - about his education, his previous employment (and what he earned) and his physical appearance. The records also told me that Dad was captured at Gazala in North Africa and ended up in Stalag VIIIb, in what is now Poland, from September 1943 until liberation in April 1945. Research then told me about the Death Marches - and the fact that the starving prisoners ate grass. An elderly cousin of my father was able to tell me about the impact his capture and imprisonment had on his family - his sister and parents - and that helped me understand a lot about family relationships in later years. As a teenager, she remembered Dad's return and how very weak and ill he was.

I have just come back from a visit to the remains of Stalag VIIIb and the Prisoner of War Museum at Lambinovice (Lamsdorf). I stood on the railway platform where Dad would have arrived, and saw the entrance to the camp. Very little remains there, but there is an exhibition of daily life in the camps and a reconstruction of a hut where Russian POWs were held (and treated very badly). Lamsdorf became a prison camp in 1870 during the Franco Prussian War - and was used as such until the late 1940s. Hundreds of thousands passed through those gates - and tens of thousands died there. It saw almost a century of misery. Today there are beautifully kept POW graveyards in peaceful surroundings, filled with birdsong. The visit has really inspired me to make sure that Dad's name is recorded and remembered. His wartime experience was instrumental in forming the man he became. His lifelong involvement in the British Legion is testimony to that.

Su



Trpr. Robert Henry Sharp 1st Lothian Edinburgh Horse Yeomanry

Harry Sharp enlisted into the Army in 1938 at the age of 17 years. He lied about his age, joining the 15/19 Hussars in York. On the outbreak of WW2 he was transferred to the 1st Lovian Edinburgh Horse Yeomanry as a tank driver. Went to France in 1939 with the 51st Highland Division which was part of the B.E.F. Was the only survivor after his tank was destroyed by a German Tank. Was captured at St Valery after the surrender of the 51st Highland Division which was the Dunkirk rear guard unit. When taken prisoner Harry was wounded in the ankle/foot. As POW was forced to work in a Polish coal mine. Based at Stalag 8b.

Harry before he died, age 91, began to talk of the horrendous times he endured on the march from France to Poland having to cross the River Danube on many occasions. He also stated that the Germans saved his leg when they put maggots on his wound. The British Medics were going to amputate his leg prior to his capture.




Pte. Robert Kelly East Lancashire Regiment

Like many survivors my Dad never really wanted to talk about his time in the war. It was only when he passed that I found a few photos and the newspaper cutting. I inherited his Football plaque on the passing of his Uncle who had clearly treasured it since my Dads return. He had been part of the "Long March" and when he finally arrived home he weighed less than seven stone and according to my Grandma he would still scavenge for food that had been thrown to the hens in their neighbourhood for several months. Despite this terrible period in his life he eventually became the most positive and optimistic person I have ever known.

Robert Kelly served with the East Lancashire Regiment during WW2 and was captured at Dunkirk in 1940. Released by the advancing Russian forces in Upper Silesia.

1st and 4th Battalions East Lancashire Regiment who joined the 42nd Division in 1940 prior to Dunkirk. It is not clear which battalion Robert served with however it is more probable that it was the 1st Battalion which formed part of the final defence force around the Dunkirk beaches.

Shortly after the outbreak of war with Germany the 1st South Lancashires and 1st Loyals crossed to France with, respectively, the 4th and 1st Divisions of the British Expeditionary Force (BEF). By early October 1939 both battalions were in position on the Belgian frontier, where they were joined in April 1940 by the 1st and 4th East Lancashires, both of 42nd Division.

On 10th May 1940 the ‘Phoney War’ came to an abrupt end when Germany invaded Belgium and Holland. The BEF advanced into Belgium but the Allied front rapidly collapsed before the German ‘blitzkrieg’ and the British force, with its flanks exposed and its rear increasingly threatened, was obliged to make a succession of withdrawals. Ordered back from one defensive line to the next, amid scenes of growing chaos, the four Lancashire battalions fought a number of delaying actions, most notably at Tournai on the Escaut, at Lannoy and at Rousbrugge, before reaching Dunkirk.

Dunkirk 1940

All three of the 1st Battalions then took up defensive positions to cover the evacuation of the BEF. The South Lancashires held the far left of the British line, west of Nieuport, the Loyals occupied the fortified town of Bergues on the right, while the East Lancashires plugged a gap in the centre of the line along the Bergues Canal. All three units held their positions, under constant attack, until ordered to withdraw. On 1st June a determined enemy attack on the Dunkirk perimeter was halted by the gallant stand of B Company, 1st East Lancashires, for which Captain Marcus Ervine-Andrews was awarded the Victoria Cross (the only one at Dunkirk), assisted by a counter-attack by the Loyals. The three Lancashire battalions were among the last British troops to embark on the night 2nd/3rd June.

E3 Blechhammer was a working party area part of the overall Stalag 8b Complex. The prefix E referred to English although other national were included. The Room 42 on the football plaque could refer to a room containing mainly POWs from the 42nd Division.

The whole camp covered the area of 230m x 290m. The crematorium where 1500 bodies were burnt was in the south-east part of the camp. The camp was commanded by SS-Hauptsturmfuhrer Otto Brossmann. During winter 1944/45, as the Red Army was closing fast, the Germans decided to evacute the camp (which became a transfer point for the prisoners from Auschwitz and other camps) and forced the prisoners into columns of 500 men each. They were ordered to march to the West. During the "Death March" people who were suffering from cold (marched barefoot, without proper winter clothing) soon started to die of exhaustion. Those who were unable to march were killed with the butts of the guns by the so-called Nachkommando which followed the columns. The camp was liberated by the Red Army on the 26th of January 1945. There were less than 200 survivors found.

James Kelly



Tpr. Andrew Jeffrey Evinou 4th Btn. Royal Tank Regiment

He Will Get On With It

My father, Andrew Jeffrey Evinou, served as a tank driver with the Fourth Royal Tank Regiment during WW2. He served with the British Eighth army in France and was one of the soldiers rescued off the beaches at Dunkirk. He told of how the ship he was on was hit by Messerschmitz and many were killed on deck. He was saved because he went below deck where tea was being served. After a very short leave during which time he married my mum, he was sent to North Africa. He fought with the Fourth armoured division at Tobruk where he was captured when his tank was hit. Dad lost a finger in that incident. He was a POW with the Italians for a year and a half then handed over to the Germans. He was a POW at stalag V111b and stalag V111a. He worked in the mines fourteen hours a day. He participated in the great march, but luckily survived it. He was ninety pounds in weight when he got home. I will always be my dad's proud daughter. He was eighty seven when he died in October of 2005. LEST WE FORGET.

Janet Thompson



Gordon Keith Jackson Royal Artillery

Gunner Gordon Keith Jackson. Left New Zealand in 1940 as part of the 1st or 2nd Artillery Field Regiment. He was a POW at Stalag V111b, and worked in a Coal Mine, where he passed away apparantely from Pnuemonia. We would loved any information on Gordon.

Eric Jackson



Terence William Doyle HMS Bedouin

I served on HMS Bedouin until sank and was then made a POW in Stalag 7A and 8B, I would be interested to hear from survivors particularly ones from the Bedouin, I have never attended a reunion as they were always in London, but would now like to.

Terence Doyle



Rifleman Alec Jay Queen Victoria's Rifles 9th London Regiment

My late father Alec Jay, was a British prisoner of war at Stalag VIIIB. His rank and serial number were as follows: Rifleman Alec Jay, army number 6896204 of the 1st battalion of the 9th London Rgt, Queen Victoria’s Rifles and his POW number was 15129. I have attached a group photo taken in Lamsdorf. My father is the soldier with the moustache on the extreme right as you look at the photo.

He was captured in Calais on 26th May 1940 and was imprisoned at Stalag 344, Lamsdorf from June 1940 to May 1945. He worked in a series of work camps including Groschowitz (Groszowice) from July 1940 to October 1940 on building works, Gumpertsdorf (Komprachcice) from November 1940 to January 1941 on roadworks, Heuerstein, from 25th May 1941 to 3rd June 1941, in a quarry, Setzdorf (Vápenná), from 18th August 1941 to 27 February 1944, in another quarry, Jagerndorf (Strzelniki), from March 1944 to August 1944, on council work, Freudenthal (Bruntál), from August 1944 to September 1944, in a linen factory, and Gurschdorf (Skorošice) from September 1944 to March 1945, a quarry that was also a punishment camp.

He was tortured by the Under Officer in charge of his first working party (Groschowitz/ Groszowice) to find out if he was a Jew. That involved being beaten in the face with a rifle butt, an assault that led to the loss of his teeth. I have used the German names for these places and have put as many Polish or Czech names that I can identify in brackets.

My father told us that he escaped on a number of occasions, typically from working parties and although he did not achieve a 'home run', he was on the run on VE day having fought in the liberation of Prague alongside Czech partisans. At one point, after being recaptured, a German guard ordered him to 'dig his own grave' at the point of a gun and then when he had dug the hole told him to fill it in again.

If anyone has any information that might relate to my late father, I would be most keen to learn of it.

John Jay



Driver Charles McDougall

My father Charles McDougall of Aberfeldy, Perthshire was taken prisoner at St Valery. His number was T135468. He was a driver in the RASC. He seldom spoke of his experiences in depth, but used to give us snippets of information..

He spoke of being lined up to be shot on two separate occasions, but each time was reprieved...I think that was a form of mental torture. He told us of making soup from nettles and from potato peelings and he worked in a salt mine. He told us that he was in on several escape plans but did nor ever try to escape himself as he reckoned he was too old and might hold the others back. He told us that the Gaelic speakers in the camp were able to pass information to each other without the Guards knowing what they were saying. He told us of the march through Poland when men would be shot if they stopped for a second. He weighed 6 stone when he came home and was of a nervous disposition for the rest of his life.

Kay Liney



Private Charles John McCarthy

My uncle, Pte Charles John McCarthy was a POW in Stalag XXA and Stalag 8B/344 between 1941 and 1945. Apparently he escaped three times. His service number was VX8916. He was AWOL more than 20 times before and after he was a POW. It is a fantastic story but he died not long after the war with no wife or children. It is sad he did not have his own family.

Pete Kennedy



Sgt. Walter Mellor 3rd Btn. Grenadier Guards

My grandfather was Walter Mellor, he was a Sergeant in the 3rd battalion Grenadier Guards. In the photo above, my grandfather is sat down on the front row third from the left. He was taken prisoner and held in Stalag VIII B, he was an artist who helped forge documents and papers for prisoners to escape, please could you help me find something of him.

Nicholas Mellor



Frank Heyes Border Regiment

A Christmas Card Frank sent from Stalag VIIIb

My uncle, Frank Heyes, The Border Regiment, was taken prisoner between 6/10 June 1940 at Fecamp. I have the letters and cards he sent home during his internment and his POW ID tag. He started captivity in Stalag XX1 B and sent a card dated 14 July 1941 from Stalag VIII B. The last card I have is dated 28 June 1944 and he arrived back in the UK 16 May 1945.
UPDATE:

This Christmas Postcard was drawn by my father Kenneth (Ken) V F Wood in a competition. The J.H. on the base drum is for Major Jimmy Howe who later became the Musical Director of the Scots Guards. My Father died in 1980 but I have several photographs including the cobblers shop where my father was part of a small team under Arthur Weston making artificial legs.

Tony Wood

Kevin Heyes







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