213864 L/Cpl. Laurence Frank Brignall I have a book written by my Grandad who was a prisoner of war in WWII which contains:
- Arrival at Stalag XXA
- Arriving at Dortmund - 10 days for registering
- Life at Fort 12 the Balloon Hangar
- A 40 man roadwork party
- Life at fort 17 -
- Time at POW hospital Fort 14 for a short time over winter
- Roadwork party in an early summer
- The mention of a man named Paddy Toner
- Life at Fort 15 - winter 1941
- Road job of spring 1942 working with rail lines and cutting in Steinfdorf. An amusing tale of 'green hat' and mentions Duggie Whitfiend from Dundee.
- The time they were moved to Reisenberg Sugar Factory mentioning a Welshman called Roger Lewis whom he worked with til the end of '42
He was then moved a rest camp where he received parcels from a Mlle Legrand and became friends with Arther Waldren. An Iillness death in the camp is documented and how they played out a funeral how best they could. And also a play of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.
He was then moved in in spring to Stalag XXB and did farmwork at Schlablau a lady called Alina took care of the soldiers very well. I have photographs of the farm party. Mentions a train line split the farm and Hitler's personal train passed through.
He was moved to an Altfelde sugar factory - and documents a story where a geordie man had his foot crushed. There is a photograph taken at Altfelde.
Stories of making alcohol involving a man called 'Pudden' Walters and conceiling a prisoner called 'Kelly' for 4 months who was in hiding from the punishment camp. Marching back to Marienburg in 1945 arriving at Magdeberg, Annaberg and finaly being liberated by the Russians.
The entire book is too long to copy, however I'm happy to copy parts of it if the information is beneficial to people researching.
Additional Information: | He spent a part of his captivity on the farm of my great-grandfather Max Stoermer (*1879, died in 1975) in Schlablau (Szlagnowo in Polish). You write that you have photographs of the farm party. I would be interested to receive copies of these pictures. Thank you in advance. Jan-Erik Beuttel
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