I've now gone back to the Stalag 4B POW numbers listing which has been on the Prisoners of War part of the site for while and have began to update it with many additional names and numbers.
The reasoning behind this is to establish just exactly who my father and his ex-Camp PG 53 colleagues were with on the day that their German POW numbers were issued in October 1943. I already have a near complete run of names and numbers in the immediate range of my father's number, 227987. Now I am expanding the list in either direction, out to numbers in the 225000 and 251000 range.
There are still many gaps, but the listing already gives a good indication both of the huge variety of regiments that were jumbled up together at Stalag 4B and and of the many different work camps that the men were sent to. I've also added the site search button to this page to make it easier to search for a specific surname or number.
Here's a link to the revamped opening page of this section.
http://stalag4d.atspace.co.uk/page75.html
And here's the link to the page featuring the number of Pte T Tunney and some of the other men who ended up in the Bad Schmiedeberg work camp with him.
http://stalag4d.atspace.co.uk/page396.html
I've also added the name and Stalag 4B number of Australian pilot Geoff Taylor, whose 1955 book Piece of Cake, is one of the best books that I have read about the POW experience in WW2. To my mind, this book is a must read for anyone with an interest in Stalag 4B.
A small scan of the cover of the 1957 paperback edition is featured on the first link above and I've included a short appreciation and an enlarged front and rear scan on this page:
http://stalag4d.atspace.co.uk/page120.html
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
2 comments:
My father (George Andrew) was an orderly in the Medical Corps and was captured in Kos in 1945. He spent 15 days travelling in a railway goods wagon before reaching the camp. He got away to the American lines in early May 1945, just before the camp was liberated by the Russians.
My father Jos Smith, Army No 3909367 was transferred to the 16 DLI in May 1943 from the Welsh Regt (prev in SWB). He was captured at La crocetta, Italy 1944. As he was wounded he spent some time in a convent in the Mountains in Italy as he was wounded. He was picked up from there by the SS and he thought his number was up. He was then sent with others in a Cattle truck to Germany. He always said he went through Switzerland to get there.
His Army record states he was in Stalag 4A. However we have a post card from him in Stalag 4B. He always said he was just outside Dresden (as he was detailed to clean it up by the Germans). His POW number on this postcard is given as 50089.
He to escaped in May 1945 and always said he hitch -hiked home without telling any authority crossing the Channel in an American Flying Fortress. he then spent two weeks at home (drunk)before reporting
Post a Comment