P.O.W. help needed

[52nd Airborne]

This is the what I recieved from the Veterans Agency.

Attachment 397

Attachment 398

[52nd Airborne]

Originally Posted by David Layne

Microsoft Outlook did not recognise the address!

That's definitely the address! Have you tried typing it manually?

[Harry Ree]

Hello David,

Was your father a RAF Warrant Officer?.

It looks as if he was "booked into" "L6" on 10/10/1943.L6 was Stalag Luft 6 which was located at Heydekrug,ie The POW camp would be known without its acronyn as Stammlager Luft 6.

The Luftwaffe had the responsibility for the holding and protection of all air force POWs which unfortunately at times,they failed to do so in accordance with the Geneva Convention.

I will look at the German phrases as soon as I get the chance.

[David Layne]

Interesting. Wonder why your Uncle's photo and finger prints are included. I wonder if that is because of difference between Army and R.A.F. prisoners?

[52nd Airborne]

Originally Posted by David Layne

Interesting. Wonder why your Uncle's photo and finger prints are included. I wonder if that is because of difference between Army and R.A.F. prisoners?

He's my Grandfather! Maybe it's because he's a dodgy character

I was just as surprised to see 2 different record cards, but Why? I haven't a clue!

[Harry Ree]

Originally Posted by David Layne

Attached are the German records pertinent to my P.O.W. Father.

I would appreciate help translating the items on the right hand side and bottom of document 1 and the items on the left hand side of document 2. Many thanks.

These documents are written in German Gothic script which probably reflects the mode of writing of the era

Document 1

LH TOP

POW Camp Type is Luft,ie coming under the cotrol of the Luftwaffe

Gefangenen nr is Prisoner's number

Bottom Left.

"Aufenhalt u Beranderungen" is "Stay and" u being the abbreviation for und I would think this is the time your father entered Luft 6.I cannot translate "Beranderungen"

RH Top

"Seite der Liste" is the "Page of List" which I would read as Register Page

"Nr de Liste" is "number of List" which I would read as Register Number.

"Dienstgrad" is the abbreviation for "Diestgradabzeichen" which translates as "Service insigna" which I would read as Service Rank given here as W O,ie Warrant Officer.

Matr nr is the abbreviation for "Matrikel Number" which I would translate as the POW's entry number in the particular page (Register Page) of the numbered Register (Register Number.).You will find the phrase "Matrikel nr" in present use to denote a student's number in a Register.

"Dienst" is a much used noun in the German language meaning service.In wartime it could be associated with the Nazi regime fearful agencies.eg the SS secret intelligence service,the SD among others.

[David Layne]

Thanks Harry, very helpful.

[Harry Ree]

Originally Posted by David Layne

Attached are the German records pertinent to my P.O.W. Father.

I would appreciate help translating the items on the right hand side and bottom of document 1 and the items on the left hand side of document 2. Many thanks.

Document 2 is an interesting document as it appears to record your father's travels from one Stalag Luft to the other.


Top Left

357 is undoubtedly Stalag Luft Kopernikus which was at Torun, Poland.

I can't see the background to what I think is the number "649140"

"605 L6" refers to your father's Prisoner's number issued to him while he was at Luft 6 (Heydekrug)

Your father could have been transferred westwards to Torun, Poland from Luft 6 which was on the East Prussian /Lithuanian border at Heydekrug,40kms north west of Tilsit on July 16 1944 as a precaution against the westward thrust of the Red Army.

The movement west via forced marches led to chaos from early 1945.Many Allied POWs were lost from friendly straffing or through ill treatment in by their captors in extreme adverse weather conditions.

Luft 6 opened for POWs in September 1943 but was obviously evacuated the following July.

The abbreviation P/O has been entered on your father's record card.It can only refer to promotion to Pilot Officer from his last rank as Warrant Officer.This promotion procedure was common with NCO aircrew as some were captured with ranks as low as Airman.ie, AC2, AC1 or LAC and Corporal before the minimum rank for aircrew was raised to Sergeant in June 1940 for their own protection. (While Officers were protected against having to work.NCOs also could not be forced to work but could work voluntarily which a number did so, when it was to their advantage.)

Of course it meant that the POW on release was paid his back pay and allowances at the higher rank.

I hope this information may be of some help.

[David Layne]

Again Harry thanks, it is all slowly coming together for me.

Initially my Father was at Heydekrug and was evacuated from there to Thorn in June 1944. He was sent to Fallingbostel just a few weeks after he arrived at Thorn and this documment obviously refers to that. The numbers 649 140 mean nothing to me, perhaps it was to do with transportation.

His stay at Fallingbostel lasted until January 23rd 1945. His commission came through and he was then sent to Stalag Luft III. His stay at Luft III (Sagan) was for just 5 days before that camp too was evacuated and the prisoners commenced what became know as "The Death March"

Attached is a hand written document that pertains to his movement from Fallingbostel to Sagan. Can you further educate me on this?

[Harry Ree]

Originally Posted by David Layne

Again Harry thanks, it is all slowly coming together for me.

Initially my Father was at Heydekrug and was evacuated from there to Thorn in June 1944. He was sent to Fallingbostel just a few weeks after he arrived at Thorn and this documment obviously refers to that. The numbers 649 140 mean nothing to me, perhaps it was to do with transportation.

His stay at Fallingbostel lasted until January 23rd 1945. His commission came through and he was then sent to Stalag Luft III. His stay at Luft III (Sagan) was for just 5 days before that camp too was evacuated and the prisoners commenced what became know as "The Death March"

Attached is a hand written document that pertains to his movement from Fallingbostel to Sagan. Can you further educate me on this?

Hello David,

The heading on the note reads "Officer (note this not plural) abgxxxx (there is no German word beginning with aby) to or until 1800hrs.22/1/1945"

The note appears to have been raised at Fallingbostel from your evidence but this move does not seem rational as a move eastwards to Stalag Luft 111 would place the POWs in Silesia which was in front of the Russian advance from early 1945.(Not as if the Germans where noted for their rationality)

The note appears to be signed by a person we shall probably never know,an OberLeutnant.He would be a member of the Luftwaffe.

Your father and the POWs listed carry their POW numbers as issued at their first POW camp.All except Petersen had been first sent to Luft 6 while Petersen's first camp is listed as V111 which would be Stalag V111

I cannot fathom what the LH references are such as your father's.(6/3).It could indicate a section of the POW camp,say Section 6 and Hut 3 in your father's case.(The Germans were very particular on the head count as you may have seen in films depicting the Appell Platz proceedures and the detailed records which may be flected by this note may be just that.The Germans would list in their records the Section of the camp and the Hut that each POW was allocated to)

Regarding your father's rank.From "Chorley" he is listed as a P/O on the night he was lost on 23/24 September 1943.However in the liist of B.C POWs for 1943,again from Chorley,he is listed as a F/O.

Interestingly on the No 97 Squadron website,your father is shown as a Warrant Officer when the squadron was operating out of Bourne in April 1943,as it was on the fatal night in September 1943.

I am assuming that you are aware of your father's fellow crew members and their immediate fate.