Spring 2010

Contact details 99 Parlaunt Road, Langley, Berkshire SL3 8BE Tel/Fax 01753-818308.

Front cover photographs. Top picture shows Les Allan together with Mrs Sarah Brown, wife of the Prime Minister; Falklands Veteran Simon Weston; Rachel Tresman and author John Nichol at the launch of his new book ‘Medic’ at the Guards and Cavalry Club in London. Bottom picture shows former prisoner of war Harold Stoney returning home to Skipton, Yorkshire at the end of the war.

Springtime Greetings to all members. How did the gathering at the Guards and Cavalry Club in London come about? John and Tony Rennell have written a book about the experiences of Medics from 1940 to the present day. Whilst organising the book launch John saw an article about Rachel Tresman in ‘Legion’ magazine, featuring the next generation of Army officers. Seventeen year old Rachel, who holds the rank of ‘under officer’ is an army scholar – she has passed her officer selection board and has a place reserved at Sandhurst when she graduates from medical school. Her achievements so far include becoming the top scoring female army cadet and the new Lord Lieutenant of Surrey’s cadet and her future lies as a medic in the Royal Army Medical Corps. She was invited along to meet yours truly, one of the oldest medics, with 73 years between us!

As most members know, I was a former medic with the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry and was taken prisoner whilst treating wounded comrades at Hazebrouck in 1940 as we helped to cover the retreat of the BEF to Dunkirk. I spent the next five years as a prisoner of war, with the Nazis ignoring my medic credentials confirming my status as protected personnel. It was a very interesting evening, although tiring. I would like to thank the head of the armed forces, Sir Jock Stirrup for giving me his seat! Well done Sir Jock and good luck to Rachel!

NEW MEMBERS. We would like to welcome the following new members to the association; Dr Alan Jamieson from Alberta, Canada, The Reverend Dr Roger Ryan, Mr Robert Smith, Helen Minto, Mr N Barnett, Susan Hart, Simon and Penny Scott, Mr T J Roberts, Mr John Lockyer, Mr Samuel Powell, Mr Alfred Hey, Mr A L and Mrs Bernice Birch, Angela Birch and Mr David Harlow.

DONATIONS. There have been so many that we can only list a handful here and I would like to thank all who sent in a bit extra with their subs. All donations are welcome, whether large or small. Many thanks to Paul Anderson who sent in £100 in memory of his late uncle Alexander Craigen who died a year ago. A Private in the 5^th Battalion, The Gordon Highlanders, Alick fell in the bag at St Valery and was a resident of Stalag 9C at Bad Sulza. Many thanks also to Robin Lloyd-Jones £10, Robert Smith £15, Colin Stevens £5, Harry Jiles £4, Rod Arnold £14, Mr Orr £21, Mr J Jefferies £14, Mr D R Welch £20, Mr E G Sankey £24, Fred Sivewright £19, Denis Avey £14, Norman Norris £49, Mr R F Carr £20, Mr A K May £20, Mr A J Foster £20, Mr Robert Smith £15, Charly Waite £19.

OBITUARIES. I am very sad to report the passing away of Chas Marshall, our former Chairman and one of the stalwarts of our association. For many years Chas helped to guide our organisation and make it what it is today. I also regret to report that Private Leonard Arthur Lewis of the Durham Light Infantry passed away on 23^rd September, just short of his 90^th birthday. He fell in the bag in Normandy on D-Day Plus 5 and was a former resident of Stalag 7A at Moosburg. Long standing member Douglas Bond passed away in December. Robert William Harding, the author of the book ‘Copper Wire’ passed away in February. We will remember them.

Contact details 59 Pinkwell Lane, Hayes, Middlesex UB3 1PJ. Email NEXPOWA@fsmail.net

All of the main camps and many of the arbeits kommandos/working parties were visited by representatives of the Red Cross during the war. If you would like copies of any of these visit reports please contact me at the address above for details.

Many thanks to Christine Dean who sent in a CD of her research into the fate of her uncle Sgt Maurice German who was shot down 1^st August 1942 over North Africa and was last seen wounded in enemy hands in Fuka field hospital in

Egypt

Member Doreen Cooper kindly sent in copies of two photographs sent to her by a contact in Torun. They show a recent ceremony to unveil a memorial stone at Fort 13 at the former Stalag XXA at Thorn/Torun in memory of the British prisoners of war held there between 1940-45. The President of Torun was at the ceremony, together with officers from Torun and Bydgosc and the British Military Attache to

Poland

, RAF officer Andrew Nowak. The memorial stone can be seen in the background. We would appreciate any more details of the ceremony.

Doreen and her family visited the fort three years ago. Her brother Lance Sgt Albert Thompson was imprisoned there, but sadly perished on the way home when the Lancaster bomber carrying released POWs crashed near Paris on 9^th May 1945.

Thank you to Cliff Sudbury for his 17 page memoirs, which includes details of his time working on clearing bomb damage from the streets of Leipzig. Friends from his working party included Tom Rowe, Fred Kinder and Fred Hartley – anyone know them?

Thanks also to Jimmy Hogarth for the photo at Heilag Rouen and details of his experiences during the failed repatriation attempt through Dieppe and his eventual return home via

Sweden

in October 1943. The photo will be included in a future newsletter.

I am writing to you after following the guidance on the website regarding trying to obtain records for POW's. I have tried and failed to obtain any information regarding my great uncle Harold Fell Stoney of the Duke of Wellington's Regiment who was captured at Dunkirk and held until after the war. Harold was one of three brothers involved at Dunkirk, his brother Fred was killed on the 1st of June but his brother Jack was evacuated. I know all of them were in the same regiment and all came from Skipton in North Yorkshire. Unfortunately, I do not have Harold's service number but I do know from my mother, his niece, that when he returned after the war he was given a military pension because he had contracted some sort of bone disease whilst imprisoned by the Germans. I have attached a photograph of Harold on his home coming to Skipton at the end of the war. (see front cover). I would be most grateful for any help you could give in uncovering his whereabouts during the period of the war. Kind regards. John Beck, 17 Manchester Road

My late father Arthur G. Jamieson was a British army soldier captured in France in 1940 and he was held in camps mostly in the Danzig area (satellites of Stalag XXB) until marched west in 1945. I have tracked down nearly all the places my father was a prisoner, with one exception, and I hope you can help me with that. In August 1942 a new camp for 470 prisoners was opened at Stolzenberg, a district of Danzig. Some 200 prisoners from Wonneberg (a village outside Danzig) and 270 from Friedrichshain were transferred to the new camp. My father was in the latter group and he remained at the Stolzenberg camp until the spring of 1944. Despite looking at a number of old maps of Danzig and the area around it, I have so far been unable to establish the whereabouts of Friedrichshain. I am not sure if it was a village or a district of Danzig. Do you have any information about this camp? The POWs at both Wonneberg and Friedrichshain were working for a German construction company called Neue Heimat. Best wishes from new member, Dr Alan Jamieson, PO Box 6062, Hinton, Alberta, Canada T7V 1X5.

Member Eric Payne, 21 West Road, Farnborough, Hants GU14 8EZ would like to hear from anyone who spent time in any of the following residencies; Campo 66 Capua from March 1943 onwards, to Campo 53 and work camp 118/VII at Gargazzone. Recaptured late September 1943 and taken to Stalag 7A Moosberg. November 1943 to Stalag 4B Mulhburg via Jacobstall, sent to work in Bitterfeld BE8, Stalag 4D in December 1943 then in May 1944 to Lager 22A Stalag 4C at Malthewerk near Brux, to work in the S.T.W. Hydrierwerk Brude until May 1945.

I am writing a biography of W H Murray who, as a young army Lieutenant, was a POW at Oflag 8F Mahrisch Trubau and then at Brunswick. I would like to trace anyone who knew him at these camps, or anyone who knew Herbert Buck, an Indian Army officer, who had a great influence on Murray. Any assistance you can give would be much appreciated. Yours sincerely, Robin Lloyd-Jones, 26 East Clyde Street, Helensburgh, G84 7PG, Scotland. Tel 01436-672010. Email robinlj34@yahoo.com

Kathryn Salt, 21 Chesterfield Road, Tibshelf, Nr Alfreton, Derbyshire DE5 5NJ would like to hear from anyone who knew her late Uncle Gunner Jack Salt. He was captured at Sumatra in 1942 and forced to work on the

Burma

railway. He was repatriated in August 1945, but sadly died in a hospital in

South Africa

in September 1946.

I would like to know more about Harry Goodall who was captured at Wancout near Arras in May 1940 while serving in the Durham Light Infantry,11th Battalion. 1) how come he was in the DLI when he came from South Yorkshire? 2) how was he captured? 3) the route the prisoners took to

Germany

? 4) what were conditions like in Stalag XXA/XXB?

5) what was his route home? Harry never spoke about his wartime experiences apart from some French prisoners who helped him to survive on a farm in

Poland

. Mr A.L. Collins, 55 Mansfield Road, Underwood, Nottingham, NG16 5FF. aacollins@talktalk.net

Mr Frank P Whitby, 946 Loughborough Road, Rothley, Leicestershire LE7 7NJ would like to locate RAF Navigator Sgt J D Robertson, who was shot down on 14^th May 1943 whilst flying in Lancaster W4944. The aircraft crashed at Twist, in

Germany

, near the Dutch border and Frank was sent to Stalag 357/XXA. Franks uncle, Sgt L J Beech did not survive the crash.

New member Mr T J Roberts would like some information and advice on visiting Thorn or Marienburg where his father Ivor Roberts was imprisoned. He can be contacted at Faldonside, Venn Ottery Road, Tipton St John, Sidmouth, Devon, EX10 0AJ.

June Carson, 8 Hanby Park, Nelson, New Zealand would like to hear from anyone who knew Ian Raymond Carson of 5^th New Zealand Brigade who fell in the bag on Crete. The photo below shows Harry Moore (standing far left), Fred Peterley and George Belson in middle row and Ian Carson (sitting far left front row) with Ronnie Mayne. The party is believed to belong to Arbeits Kommando E314 from Stalag 8B.

Gerry Maller has sent in some photos from working party E1 at Laband, near Stalag 8B.

Below: Stube (Room) Team ‘Leeds’ three Yorkies in the squad which only played a couple of games. Mr Gerry Maller left hand end of middle row. E480 is written on the rear of the photo so it may not be taken at E1

Below: rear row A.Rolls, T.Purdy, S.Humby, front row R.Whittle, W.Bannister, R.Elcock, Humberstone. 23 Nov 1941.

Three group photos left and above all have 23^rd Nov 1941 on rear. Gerry Maller stands at rear left of photo below.

SUBSCRIPTION RENEWAL.
The annual subs were due on 1^st January. Due to rising exorbitant postage costs we have finally had to increase them to £6 for full members and £11 for associate members and full members living overseas. Please make cheques out to NEXPOWA and send them to our membership officer Mr Mark Chinnery at 2, Litney Cottages, Risborough Road, Kingsey, Bucks HP17 8LZ.

Spring 2010 Newsletter