The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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220801 L/Cpl. John Conway British Army 7th Btn Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders from:Stirling My great grandfather John Conway served in the 7th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. The pictures I have included are from a scrapbook he kept whilst he was a POW. It is currently held by the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders museum in Stirling Castle who were nice enough to send me the photos when I contacted them about the book. My mum always told me that John had been Douglas Bader's batman while he was a POW and looking at the dates and camps listed in the book it certainly seems possible as they were both in some of the same camps at the same time. I'm not sure when he was captured. I think he took part in the desert campaign and the song in his book seems to support this. From his book John appears to have been in the following camps: Stalag IX-C in Bad Sulza in 1941 Oflag VI-B in Dossel, Warburg in 1942 where it is possible he came into contact with Douglas Bader Stalag Luft III in Sagan between 1943-44 Stalag VIII-A Gorlitz (and possibly also C) from 1944 Stalag XI-B Falinbostel presumably up to the end of the war While he was a POW, John's brother Michael was serving with the 74th Field Company Royal Engineers. He was wounded in Normandy just after D-Day and died of his wounds 14th June 1944. John's father and one of his older brothers, James had both joined the Argyll's in September 1914. John Snr was in his fifties but lied about his age while James had been a Territorial before the war. Inevitably John Snr was invalided out due to poor health but James was posted to France and was killed in action 6th March 1917. Bill Robertson Add to this record.  Additional Information: This is just an update after carrying out more research. I was able to view the diary of my late great grandfather and take photographs of it. Although he did not keep a diary as such he did write an account of his capture. He was taken prisoner on the 6th of June in the town of Franleu where his unit (7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders) was engaged in heavy fighting. He was marched to the Netherlands where he was put on a barge to Germany and ended up at Stalag IXC at Bad Sulza where he was put to work doing odd jobs on a building site and the clearing old wood in a forest before being sent to work down the nearby salt mine. He later went to Oflag XXI B at Schubin for a spell where I think he worked as an orderly and also to Stalag Luft III possibly as orderly to Tony Trumble. He was later sent to Stalag VIIIA where he worked down a coal mine at Felhammer as part of work kommando 12403. Bill Robertson Reply Related Content: 7th Battalion, Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders Stalag 9C Prisoner of War Camp Oflag 6B Prisoner of War Camp Stalag Luft 3 Prisoner of War Camp Stalag 8A Prisoner of War Camp Stalag 11B 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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