Stalag 111D

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by dally, Oct 7, 2009.

  1. dally

    dally Junior Member

    This is my first post on here so I'd like to say hello, great site.

    I've always known that my grandfather was a prisoner of war but until yesterday I didn't know where.

    He was captured at Crete and ended up in Stalag 111D, I don't know if this was the only Stalag he was at but in trying to find out any information about the camp I've discovered very little.

    On interesting thing I did find out was that this camp was established to separate potential collaborators from other British POWs. Would that mean every prisoner sent there had "potential"?

    Does anyone have any more information that they could share with me please?

    Many thanks
    Stewart
     
  2. James Daly

    James Daly Senior Member

    Hi Stewart and welcome! I'm pretty new too, this is a great site, nice and friendly and interesting :)

    have a look at this site here, theres a bit about Stalag IIID, including some pics:

    Prisoner of War
     
  3. ADM199

    ADM199 Well-Known Member

    Welcome to the Forum Stewart,

    I think you are refering to Sonderlager 111D/517 at Genshagen near Berlin.
    The Camp was created to try to recruit P.O.W. into the "British Free Corps".This was of very limited success with less than 30 members at any one time. Members had various reasons for joining.Some were coerced others looked upon the place as perhaps somewhere that would be easier to escape from. There were the odd ones who took the B.F.C. seriously.
    The Red Cross refer to the Camp as a "Holiday Camp"for P.O.W.

    The Red Cross Reports for the Camp are in WO224/93 at The National Archives.

    Brian
     
  4. Peter Clare

    Peter Clare Very Senior Member

    Hello Stewart,

    Welcome to the forum

    Regards
    peter
     
  5. ADM199

    ADM199 Well-Known Member

    Just a little more from the Camp History:- Camp Leader was B.Q.M.S. Brown who managed to obtain a Radio and several Crystal sets to listen to the B.B.C.
    He was probably able to do so because of the Liberal attitude of the Germans to those in Genshagen.

    Genshagen(Sonder Kommando 517) This Camp was the mens "holiday Camp" and was also known as the Propoganda Camp. It included a Cinema and a Dance Band.The Germans arranged sight-seeing tours for prisoners and Sport was encouraged. (Quoted from Official Camp History)The Document contains Aerial Photos of the Camp.

    Brian
     
  6. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Welcome Stewart...Hopefully someone (Brian) will be able to shed some light on your queries :)

    Regards
    Andy
     
  7. dally

    dally Junior Member

    Many thanks for the warm welcome and replies so far.

    I have been loaned three photo's that were sent to my grandfather whilst he was a prisoner. Unfortunately there is no dates on them so I can't put them in any chronological order but the first one is a picture of my nan and it was sent to,

    Sapper George Dalzell, POW ID 10687, Stalag 111D 329 but the German post office stamp (if thats what it is) states "Stammlager IVD, which I believe was at Torgau.

    Next one is addressed to Stalag 111D 528 with a PO stamp for Stalag 111D.

    Last one is addressed to Stalag 111D 517 with a PO stamp for Stalag 111D.
    This is the one which I believed was referred to as the "holiday camp"

    I've only just began to look into the wartime life of my grandfather and as yet I'm not up to speed on resources. The first world war has always been my "thing" so any help would be gratefully received.
     
  8. ADM199

    ADM199 Well-Known Member

    It looks as though he was in various sub Camps based on Torgau.
    The obvious way forward would be a Service Record,but while waiting for this the Red Cross Reports for Torgau would give a lot of Background information. WO 224/14A would be the File.
    It could be that he made a Report when Liberated which would record his P.O.W. History with approximate dates.
    Very difficult from where you live I know.

    In the meantime if you would like a Copy of the Camp History I have a digital one but you would have to Email me your details.
     
  9. dally

    dally Junior Member

    Many thanks, email address sent via PM.
     
  10. ADM199

    ADM199 Well-Known Member

    It looks as though he was in various sub Camps based on Torgau.
    The obvious way forward would be a Service Record,but while waiting for this the Red Cross Reports for Torgau would give a lot of Background information. WO 224/14A would be the File.
    It could be that he made a Report when Liberated which would record his P.O.W. History with approximate dates.
    Very difficult from where you live I know.

    In the meantime if you would like a Copy of the Camp History I have a digital one but you would have to Email me your details.

    Just Looking back at your Posts and through my Records they show that 111D was not based on Torgau but Steglitz/Berlin.
    The file is WO224/9 for this camp.
     
    Sgt Bilko likes this.
  11. ADM199

    ADM199 Well-Known Member

    B.Q.M.S. Brown was Camp Leader at 111D/517 Genshagen.He employed a small staff of four trusted men who gleaned information regarding the position of Factories and what they produced. They did this during Shopping Expeditions and sight seeing tours??.
    This information was passed on to England in Browns code letters along with names of members of the B.F.C. and other Englishmen working for the Nazi Party.

    Strange man was Brown as he is said to have been a member of the British Union of Fascists pre-war. Also said to have been awarded the D.C.M. after Liberation.
     
  12. lesleyaj

    lesleyaj Junior Member

    My father Leslie Rowsell was also captured on Crete and in Stalag 111D. He passed away in 1993 but today I received his dogtags from the POW camp and also a spoon that he had while in the camp. He was a member of hte Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. If there is anyone out there that was either with him or can remember him, please let me know.
     
  13. c.mair

    c.mair Junior Member

    Hello,this my first message see attached photo's of prisoners at 111d 517
    don't have a date for this, my father was captured on Crete he was in the A.S.H.
     

    Attached Files:

  14. Paul Deans

    Paul Deans New Member

    Hi, if anyone is still watching this conversation, I would like an urgent response. I am in Berlin with a couple of days to spare. My father was in stalag 111D at Genshargen. It would be good if we I could visit the actual camp site.
    Cheers.
     
  15. Russ Thomas

    Russ Thomas New Member

    Dear Brian. My uncle, Victor Thomas, was also at IIID/517, after being captured in Crete, before being moved somewhere close to Leipzig (he told me he witnessed the carpet bombing there). If it were possible for you to send me your copy of the camp history I'd be very grateful. Would you require my email address?
    Thanks everyone
    Russ
     
  16. Russ Thomas

    Russ Thomas New Member

    Actually he was moved to Stalag IVG camp 151, near Leipzig
     
  17. V5645

    V5645 Member

    This I understand is a picture of Stalag 111D...My father Jack Alsace Geary A New Zealander 32488 was a prisoner at this camp. He was with the 25th NZ Battalion that left NZ on 27th August 1940 firstly Egypt ( Maadi Camp ) then onto Greece. His recalls fighting the Italians up into Greece and then fighting the German army back down Greece ( bombed and shelled by day and night) so they retreated by night in trucks with no lights on those roads ( trucks going over banks etc ) got as far as Corinth and was captured around 27th June 1941 . He said they them had to march up In Greece again into Germany. Many captured soldiers died either from exhaustion or malnutrition or where shot by German Soldiers if they could not walk. The Greek Women would throw food at their chest or onto the road ( olives or Bread) so they could eat something. He was sent to Stalag 111D (camp number 10210 ) and spent 3 and half years there. He was repatriated around 5th Nov 1943 Egypt returning to NZ became drill Sergeant until discharge. 1947. He recalled the red cross parcel were the saving of them it camp. It was freezing cold and rotting food for the first 6 months until the first red cross parcels started arriving. He said a lot of men died from Malnutrition. I have included 2 photos of the camp. One photo shoes the men in there overcoats ( possibly sent by RC ). We believe my father is in this photo 2nd in from the left back row. According to Wikipedia the camp was est in 1940 on the corner of Landweg and osdorferstabe in Berlin Lichterfelde the camps capacity was 58K There apparently were also sub camps at other parts the city. Hope that helps. I do Have other photos I will dig them out. regards PeteG
     

    Attached Files:

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