Pte. Fred Cook
British Army 5th Battalion East Yorkshire Regiment
from:Rotherham
Great Uncle Fred Cook was in the 5th Battalion, East Yorkshire Regiment, which served with the 69th Infantry Brigade in the 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division. He signed up in January 1940 and was in France and then the Western Desert where he was captured in June 1942. He was sent to Stalag IVD in Torgau, Saxony and records show that he was not considered a POW in June of 1945.
There's not much info about Stalag IVD but looking at other stories from men who were there it seems that some of them were captured near Tobruk by the Italians but when the Italians surrendered, the prisoners were then taken by the Germans to Germany. Uncle Fred's regiment fought it's way through the Italian lines as an alternative to taking the short route through the armoured German lines which must be where he was captured. That would fit with what I've been told about Uncle Fred not liking the Italians!
