The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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207858 Walter Albert Read British Army from:London My Father Wally Read, was captured in the African desert by the Italians in the early part of the war, after his regiment was told to abandon their positions. He later escaped from an Italian POW camp lived in the Italian hills for some time with other escapees until they were betrayed by locals to the Germans. He was then taken to Germany as a POW. He was not a model prisoner and his actions caused him to be sent to Stalag IV-B. When the Germans were retreating he was marched out of the Stalag to go to another POW camp. En route he and others managed to fall from the line and escape and then lived in the (Polish?) countryside. I know one of the other men was an Australian who had worked on sheep farm pre war. They acquired a Troika with the intention of finding the allies (hopefully the Americans) but it was the Russians they met and my Father just stopped himself in time from greeting them in German. The Troika was commandeered and they found themselves in a holding camp to await repatriation. He came home before the war ended sailing out of Odessa. Caroline Wathen Add to this record.  Related Content: Stalag 4B Prisoner of War Camp Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.

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