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Pte. James Everatt Ellis MID.
British Army No.4 Base Ammunition Depot Royal Army Ordnance Corps
from:Sheffield
James Ellis was my Dad's cousin. They were close which is why Uncle Jim became my godfather. I am researching his war experiences and have obtained his service record. He was initially sent to No 1 Training Battalion (I don't know where that was), RAOC on the 15th of November 1939 (he was 20 years old).
He was posted to No 4 BAD on the 29th of December 1939 and then overseas to France on 4th of February 1940 as part of the BEF. He was evacuated on the 18th of June 1940. I think he was taken off at St Malo although this is info from my Mum's memory and not shown on his service record. He was returned to No 4 BAD in the UK as part of 52nd Training Section as is listed as a T.T. Clerk II.
On the 3rd of January 1941 he embarked for the Middle East. I don't know what he journey was but he was taken to Crete and captured and listed as missing on the 31st May 1941.
He spent most of the rest of the war as a POW at Stalag 383 Hohenfels and was moved right at the end of the war to Schlachthof 1 in Dresden. Schlachthof means Abattoir or Slaughterhouse in English and several similar buildings were turned into POW camps during the war. He was appointed as a man of confidence meaning he represented the interests of POWs because he was an excellent German speaker. He was in Dresden when the allies bombed the city and was mentioned in a post war book called Don't Fence Me In by Ray Davey for the excellent work he did representing the interests of allied prisoners during a very difficult and tense period. I think it may have been for this that he was mentioned in despatches.
If anyone can fill in gaps for me, particularly regarding the locations of his unit before and during the Battle of Crete, I'd be most grateful.
