Handcuffed POWs

[EmersonBigguns]

Memories of Bill Turner, Royal Fusiliers, 9th Battalion

I was captured at Battapaglia on the Salerno landing in Italy, September 9th 1943. Prisoners were transported to Stalag 7A at Munich. Then two weeks later taken by train across to Stalag 8B, not far from Breslau. The camp was called Lamsdorf and it was not far from the River Nysa. Brieg was somewhere nearby. After being photographed, fingerprinted and registered, I was now Kriegs gefangener 32590. I was put into the RAF compound in the middle of the camp. It was placed in the middle because the Germans considered the RAF to be more intelligent than army personnel and they were further away from the outside perimeter wire. Douglas Bader was in the next hut. Most of the RAF were bomber crews and fighter pilots. My first roll call the next day surprised me because as we were counted in fives, guards were coming along handcuffing us. However, as the guards moved away, a couple of RAF chaps followed up with sardine can keys, unlocking the handcuffs and throwing them onto the floor. This reprisal was because when the Canadians raided Dieppe they took German prisoners and handcuffed them to bring them back to England after the raid. However, the prisoners’ boat overturned and the handcuffed Germans were all drowned. So all of the Dieppe Canadian POW’s were handcuffed every day. The Dieppe compound was next to the RAF, so the RAF used to stand at the wire every morning jeering at the German guards. The guards got fed up with this and decided to handcuff the RAF and as I was among them, I was handcuffed too.



Sources: BBC

[craftsmanx]

Originally Posted by Harry Ree

I think this happened only after the Dieppe raid with German accusation that German POWs had been been handcuffed.German retaliation was to handcuff Canadian POWs held in Germany during the day.I do remember reading that the POWs extended the task of handcuffing and de-handcuffing which was a lengthy task for the German guards so much so that it was quickly dropped.Apparently some of the POWs found that they could slip the handcuffs and to extend the guard's boring task,rejoined the queue to be handcuffed again and again.

I cannot reference the source but when I do, I will revisit this post.

I usee to attend language classes (Welsh) with a survivor of the Dieppe raid who was a POW and he recalled this happening, apparently a method of undoing the handcuffs was discovered so the POWs did in fact go from being cuffed to the back of the queue and presenting themselves for re-cuffing.

[robnz]

Hi Guys,
Shackling Prisoners was more commonplace than some believe. I know quite a few New Zealand Prisoners of War in German Camps between 1941 and 1945 that were shackled.
I have a secret photo of this taking place in Stalag 383 Hohenfels, which Ill post when I can scan it for you all.
I also obtained a set of these shackles from a Kiwi Prisoner who took them home as a souvenir, which Ill also post.

Rob

[robnz]

Without a key, I set myself the challenge of opening the cuffs, so I locked them on both wrists and found that I was able to open them very easily.

Rob

[dbf]

Whilst awaiting embarkation for Normandy in June '44, my father witnessed MPs leading British deserters on board to bring them back to France. They were all handcuffed. The Captain refused to sail unless the handcuffs were removed. He was worried in case the ship sunk. Stuck in my father's mind as they were all apprehensively waiting to go - seeing these guys scared of going back...

dbf

[macrusk]

George Blackburn in his book Where the Hell Are the Guns? about his experience with the 4th Field Artillery RCA recounts on p207

"In September the Regiment hears the disturbing news that Dieppe prosoners are having to go about each day in chains, because the Germans found ofn the body of a dead Canadian officer a written order that Germans taken during the raid were to be tied up awaiting evacuation."

His footnote "Daily manacling, begun September 1, 1942, did not end until December 2, 1943"

In his Appendix H, there is a drawing of the manacles with the following description "Pictured above are the manacles the Canadian Dieppe prisoners were obliged to wear each day from October 8, 1942 to November 24, 1943, thought within days a way had been found to unlock the steel cuffs and remove them when the guards were not in view. The chain between the steel cuffs was about firfteen inches long. The drawing was done by commando prisoner A.J. Wallis."

Regards,
Michelle