The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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244291 Pte Norman James Woods New Zealand Army 20th Battalion from:Dunedin, New Zealand   Norman with his POW mates working on Polish railway Norman Woods was born on the 31st of October 1915 He was apprenticed to an engineering company from July 1930 and enlisted in the NZ Army on the 12th of July 1940 He was assigned to a specialist company of the Signal Platoon, 5th Reinforcement 2nd NZEF and departed from Lyttleton for Egypt on the 6th of April 1941 He celebrated his 26th birthday enroute to Libya from Cairo. Norman fought in the battle of Sidi Resig on the 19th of November 1941 and in the battle for The Blockhouse on the 24th of November 1941. He was reported wounded and missing in action (presumed dead) by another member of his platoon. He had been captured by Italian and German forces on the 1st of December 1941. The prisoners were packed as deck cargo aboard cargo ship to travel under the cover of darkness from Tripoli and Italy. He was housed in 4 consecutive POW camps until officially reported as a POW on the 22nd of February 1942. He passed from Italian to German hands after Italy capitulated on the 3rd of September 1943. He was transferred from Italy to Austria and then to Germany, where he was held at Gorlitz, in Stalag VIII A (8A) from the 24th of September 1943 Forced to work on German railway system near the River Neisse, Norman participated in an uprising against conditions in Stalag VIIIA during the winter 1943 He was transferred, as a ringleader of the uprising, to Myslowice (Milowitce), Poland to camp E732, and camp E535 (Katowice) until these camps fell into disarray, and on foot aged 31, he was marched through Germany and France together with thousands of others during the spring of 1945.   German POW camp under 2 foot of snow   Campo 57 Italy   Campo 52 Italy Alan Woods Add to this record.  Related Content: 20th Battalion, NEw Zealand Expeditionary Force Stalag 8A Prisoner of War Camp E732 Arbeits kommando Stalag 8b Czciakowa E535 Arbeits kommando Stalag 8b Sosnowitz West. coal mine 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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