244649 L/Sgt. James Hitchen British Army Cameronians from:Bacup, Lancs Jimmy Hitchen joined the Army on 25 September 1918, at the age of 16 and 6 months. In 1920, he spent 6 months in Turkey, before returning to the UK, where he served for 7 years. (I don't know where he was posted during this time). From 1927 to 1929 he was in Gibralter and then had another 9 years at home. (Again, I have no information on where he was based). In 1938 he was sent to China, where he stayed until joining the British Expeditionary Force in France. Whilst with the Cameronians, he was wounded and captured by the Germans after less than 2 months and spent the next 3 years as a POW in Stalag 4B. He was repatriated in 1943 (via Sweden) and spent the remaining war years in the UK, finally ending his Army career in November 1952. He never spoke about the war and it was only after his death that I acquired his Certificate of Service and found that he had been a POW. He never married, so it has been left to me, his niece, to write this short story.
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