232109 Sgt. Arthur "Archie" Broadbent British Army Royal Signals from:Manchester Arthur Broadbent was born in 1917 and worked for the GPO before World War 2. He enlisted in the Royal Signals in 1939 and married Alice Burn in October 1940. He served at Dunkirk with the Royal Signals and was duly evacuated. After leave he returned to service with the RCS and served in North Africa and then Greece, where he was taken prisoner.
He was transported to Austria and incarcerated in Stalag 18A at Wolfsberg from 1942 to 1945. At Stalag 18A Arthur laboured in the quarry works along with other POWs. During rest times he played the drums in the camp orchestra, and became friends with New Zealander Harvey Garland, after whom his son, Harvey was named. Arthur's health suffered from his POW camp days and he died at the age of 52 in 1969.
|