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211987Pte. Percy Frederick George King
British Army 1st Btn. Royal West Kent Regiment
from:Maidstone
My dad, Percy King, known as Fred King, was captured at Dunkirk. He was part of the rear guard holding up the German advance so more soldiers could get off back to Blighty. He was taken to Stalag 13. He made friends with a Polish man called Konrad Kowalski and wrote to each other after the war. He, like many of that time, did not want to speak of all the horrors that I imagine went on. When asked he just said "You don't want to know" but, he did say all he had to eat was one slice of dried bread a day a cup of watery soup a week to live on hence he came home bones wrapped in skin. He spent 5 years as a POW liberated in 1945. It was hard times in the POW camp was all he would say. He was six foot tall 'till he came home then he looked more like four foot tall. It must have been hell in those dark days. I'm only glad that I did not have to go through anything like that. I feel for all those POW's that spent time in that place and more so for the ones that died there. God rest their souls and all to those who came back as well.If there are any relatives of Konrad Kowalski, a son or daughter or grandchild of Konrad's please get in touch, I would love to hear of anything you may have to offer i am trying to piece together my dad's life as he died in 1968 not leaving me much to go on you can get in touch on this site.
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