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209311Lt. George A. Gray
British Army Kings Own Scottish Borderers
from:Lockerbie
I am in the possession of 22 letters and some snapshots of a POW, Lt George A. Gray. The first letter dates May 28th 1941, the last March 24th 1944. They record the POW Camps he was in: On the 24th of May 1941 he is in Oflag VII-D; this is Tittmoning Castle, in south-eastern Bavaria On the 28th of November 1941 he is in Oflag VI-B; this is near Dessel (nowadays part of the town of Warburg in the north west of Germany) (1) On the 24th of November 1942 he is in Oflag VII-B; in Eichst�tt. He mentions Brig. W.Southam as a good friend (also photo) His last letter from the 24th of March 1944 is also from Oflag VII-B (as were all letters between both dates)From certain details in his later letters I conclude that George probably belonged to the 41 prisoners that escaped from this camp in the Warburg Wire Job in August 1942.
In 1941 George was 33 years old, so he must have been born appr. 1908. He describes himself as a small chap, 5 foot 9 (1.72 m.) His father was Scottish, his mother English. He was married and had children (don't know how many, but at least two) Iin 1943 he writes: I will be living in England after the war. I have sold my house in Lockerbie, but I still hope to show you that charming countryside. During (and because of) the war his wife, named Gladys, and children stayed in their summerhouse in the Isle of Man. George worked for nine years (appr. 1925-1934) in the Garanty Trust Co. of New York & Liverpool. From 1934 he worked in the company of his brother-in-law, Jack Bibby: J. Bibby and Sons Ltd in Liverpool and sold cattle, poultry, sheep, pigs etc. George's father died in November 1942 after a heart attack; his mother, who had moved from Lockerbie to Kent to live with her sister, in December 1942 when the house was bombed; the sister was wounded.
There is an entry of a Gray, George A. in the ABC Eichstett address book that reads a follows: Gray, George A., The Kings's Own Scottish Borderers, Seed Crushers; Manufacturers of Farm Stock Feeding Stuff, Soap and Trex (J Bibby and Sons Ltd, King Edward Street, Liverpool, Lancashire).
I never heard if George survived the war; if he had I'm almost certain I would have heard, so I'm afraid not. Please could anyone help me to trace his children or other relatives. They might be interested in these letters.
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