230214 Denis Bankes I have in my possession a book from Stalag IVB library (it has the camp stamp inside it). It also has the name of Denis Bankes inside it, who I believe was at one stage the Catholic Chaplain for Stalag 4B. He managed, just, to survive the war and many years later (1960s) became the Catholic priest of my small home town in Yorkshire, England. Does anybody remember him or have any other information? I'm not sure if he was at 4B right to the end of the war. Possibly he was, as in the book he wrote 'received 7 Dec 1943.'
Additional Information: | Denis Bankes (1910 -1981) was from a family with a military background. He was ordained as a Roman Catholic priest in 1935 and joined the forces as chaplain in 1939. He was with the BEF in France and was evacuated from Dunkirk. He was posted to North Africa and was captured by the Italians in Libya in 1942. He was held in captivity in Italy before being transferred to Stalag 4B under German control. After the war he served in the Far East and at home before being demobbed in 1948. He was Parish Priest at Ainsley, North Yorkshire from 1952 and remained there until he retired through ill health. His younger brother, Gerard, was also an army chaplain serving with airborne forces throughout the war.John Holloway
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