243755 Pte. John McMahon British Army Lanchashire Fusiliers My Grandfather John McMahon was part of the rear guard group at Dunkirk that was captured by the Germans. He became Prisoner No. 8873.
On the long march to Danzig he was with a group of British soldiers who ran into a field adjacent to the road that was full of cabbages as they were starving. German soldiers began firing and killed a number of the troops.
My Grandfather dived for cover in a ditch at the side of the field, where he was bayoneted through his wrist into his chest by a German finishing off the injured, his chest injury was just a scratch as his pocket watch and wrist took the brunt of the attack, he played dead to escape.
Sadly he was recaptured and sent on to Danzig with another group. He escaped 3 times in total and was told if he escaped again he would be shot. He spent the rest of the war in Stallag XXB, I have photos of him as a soldier and with his camp pals in the camp.
He lived until his late 60's with a false leg and cheery smile, he rarely spoke of the war or the atrocities he saw. He served his King and Country with integrity and honour.
In the 1980's he became friends with a German veteran whose granddaughter married his grandson (my cousin) who has lived in Germany for over 30yrs.
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