Hi, looking for info on my great uncle Henry Francis HUDSON, 1st Bn RWK, POW Malbork

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by Ross Hudson, Jul 31, 2018.

  1. Ross Hudson

    Ross Hudson Member

    Hi,

    I am looking for ways to find out more about my great uncle who served with the Queens own Royal West Kent 1st Battalion. He was captured in 1940 and killed in a POW camp Stalag 20b for refusing to work. I have been doing my family tree and we have some records but as far as military things go there isn't much other than his service number and his record of death.

    Having read some records on forces war records it looks as though he was captured during the evacuation of the Lancastria.

    He was reported missing on 19/7/1940
    20/9/1940 he is reported as a prisoner of war
    finally 31/1/1942 he is reported as being killed in the POW camp which we know was for refusing to work. A letter written home from his friend states "you know what he was like......"

    I have found a sporting medal the belonged to a Pte Jeremiah Galvin (also RWK) who I have found out died during the sinking of the Lancastria. I think maybe he was a friend and kept the medal as a keepsake maybe?

    I have also read on here regarding someone else grandfather who ignored recommendations of surrender by a commanding officer of the RWK during the evacuation and survived which leads me to think maybe he was part of that surrender.

    [​IMG]

    My great uncles name was
    Pte. Henry (he was referred to as Harry) Francis Hudson
    service number 6342367

    Im looking for anything else I can find out about him record wise but I am not really sure where to look other than what I have found on the forces war records.

    any help or advice (if there is any more?) would be greatly appreciated,

    many thanks

    Ross Hudson
     
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  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Hi Ross

    First piece of advice is not to use the site you mention above - they only have publically accessible records. If you want more then you will need his service records and these are only obtainable from the MOD in Galsgow - the link is Request records of deceased service personnel

    The other more difficult route is to obtain details of him as a POW, and thses details are probably held by the Int'l Red Cross, it will be difficult but exceptionally rewarding if you can obtain details from them - link - Requests for information about people held during Spanish Civil War or the Second World War: Quarterly limit reached

    TD
     
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  3. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi,

    Welcome to the forum.

    You could apply for his service records via MOD Glasgow using this link -

    Get a copy of military service records

    The cost is £30 and it should take 4 to 8 weeks to get the records from Glasgow.

    You could also apply for his POW records from the Red Cross in Switzerland via this link -

    Requests for information about people held during Spanish Civil War or the Second World War: Quarterly limit reached

    It is a free service and takes about 3 to 4 months to get a reply. Check the website on 17th September when an online application form will be visible for completion. You need to be quick off the mark as due to limited resources the application window will close with 48 to 72 hours.

    Hopefully a member will turn up his POW details from FMP site - drawn from official War Office Casualty lists - as well as his POW number from Ancestry list - although that may not be available in light of his 1942 death.

    Good Luck.

    Steve
     
  4. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    UK, Commonwealth War Graves, 1914-1921 and 1939-1947
    Name: Henry Francis Hudson
    Age: 24
    Birth Date: abt 1918
    Death Date: 13 Jan 1942
    Cemetery: Malbork Commonwealth War Cemetery Pol. 2
    Father: Harry David Hudson
    Mother: Hilda Hudson
    Regimental Number: 6342367
    Region or Memorial: Poland, U.S.S.R.

    Global, Find A Grave Index for Burials at Sea and other Select Burial Locations, 1300s-Current
    Name: Private Henry Francis Hudson
    Death Date: 13 Jan 1942
    Cemetery: Malbork Commonwealth War Cemetery
    Burial or Cremation Place: Malbork, Pomorskie, Poland
    Has Bio?: Y
    URL: https://www.findagrave.com/mem...

    [​IMG]


    England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations)
    Name: Henry Francis Hudson
    Death Date: 13 Jan 1942
    Death Place: Birkenhead
    Probate Date: 22 May 1942
    Registry: Chester, England
    32858_606246_2267-00221.jpg

    You may or may not be aware that there are several family trees on Ancestry for him:
    Henry Francis Hudson
    1917–1942
    BIRTH JUL 1917 • West Derby, Lancashire
    DEATH 13 JAN 1942 • Stalag 20b POW Camp Poland

    Searching for the POW camp may also provide details as often there is an ex POW association for the major camps

    TD
     
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  5. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  6. Guy Hudson

    Guy Hudson Looker-upper

    Ross,
    Two cuttings from the Liverpool Echo.
    Screen Shot 2018-07-31 at 11.27.05.png
    Liverpool Echo 9th July 1940
    Screen Shot 2018-07-31 at 11.24.33.png
    Liverpool Echo 3rd September 1940

    Good luck with your research
    Guy
     
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  7. Ross Hudson

    Ross Hudson Member

    Wow thank you so much for all of the replies! Sorry I forgot to mention we have the information as to where he is now buried also.

    I look into the MOD glasgow application today and eagerly wait for september for the red cross applications to reopen.

    much appreciated,

    Ross
     
  8. Ross Hudson

    Ross Hudson Member

    Guy, thank you!

    Little confused over the term "driver" I assumed he was A driver, or are they referring his name is Driver in that piece?

    Im assuming our surname is a coincidence........ ha ha

    thanks

    Ross

     
  9. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    They are referring to his "trade" as driving trucks etc

    TD
     
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  10. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

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  11. Guy Hudson

    Guy Hudson Looker-upper

    Last edited: Jul 31, 2018
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  12. Ross Hudson

    Ross Hudson Member

    Ah great, thanks! I have just sent over these pictures to my dad he will be thrilled to see them! Strnge his mother is worried, she put him and his 2 brothers (one being my grandad) in a home and remarried when the
    Thanks for that! I have sent over a message.

    Im discovering a lot of brothers of my great great grandads I had no idea about, everyone from around that area so you never know.....

    Thanks for the help everyone I didn't expect this much help!!!

    Ross
     
  13. Ross Hudson

    Ross Hudson Member

    For peoples interest I have him here as a child in uniform (a cadet?)

    [​IMG]

    Ross
     
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  14. Ross Hudson

    Ross Hudson Member

    Hey everyone. Great news, Andy has gotten me the murder investigation from Kew archives. Ive found out exactly what happened to him. Reading back the copies of his letters back home to his brother, he was quite "happy" working away. Something has made him snap as the report reads that he was asked to milk a cow because the usual cowman was ill. He stated that he had no idea how to milk a cow and refused the day before, then refused again and refused to get out of bed. The german guard returned with his rifle and screamed at him 3 times to get up, each time he refused and he ended up being shot and killed instantly for it.

    We have a strong belligerent streak in our blood unfortunately and a letter to his mum after the war states "knowing him as I do, he would not go back on his word". I think I would have at least tried to milk the cow, maybe he had just had enough....?!

    He was the leader of a small work camp (kommando 58 [formerly 159]) on a farm in Neuhofen near Marienwerder. There were 10 of them living in the cellar of the farm. The results from the archives has a main witness statement and several affidavits from other british soldiers who were all in bed at the time.

    The german who killed him was a middle aged schoolmaster from Saxony and a Gefrieter of 610 Ld Schuts Bn. There are a few references to a surname but it lists him as "unknown" officially. But there is a surname given by one soldier and there apparently is an official German report.
     
  15. Ross Hudson

    Ross Hudson Member

    Hey folks. The report has given me some of the captured soliders military numbers and addresses. I’m wondering if there is a particular way to use those to maybe find their families and make contact?

    With the aim to ask if their relatives spoke about what happened that day to them?
     
  16. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    You may need to have access to :

    The 1939 Register

    A genealogogy web site - FMP, Ancestry as 2 possible examples and not in any order of preference

    There may be family trees that may lead you to living relatives, but that will not guarantee those who witnessed events are still alive or if they have died that they have left any sort of statement of the events that day

    TD
     
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  17. Ross Hudson

    Ross Hudson Member

    Thanks!

    I’m on ancestry so I’ll be searching those tonight to see if I can locate a tree. Hopefully something will come up.

    I’ve contacted my 2nd cousin who has my other great uncles letters to him and back from the camp as well as Harry’s photo album which I had a scan through from him training and serving in India.

    We are going to make copies of everything next week and I will post some of the photos for peoples interest.

    I found out he joined at 14 to train as a musician.
     
  18. Ross Hudson

    Ross Hudson Member

    Quick update. A cousin of mine has kindly visited with more letters between Harry and his brother as well as his photo album from serving in India.

    Looking at his military record, he joined at 14 as a musician, the boys home he was in was known for being a special training home for military bandsmen. So it seems a natural progression for him to escape theme maybe. We've got a ton of photos now and he seems to have been a character.

    [​IMG]

    [​IMG]
    in the middle.

    [​IMG]
    in the cab.

    He had served for 9 years up until his death in the camp. Im busy reading his military record so I will post more as I get there.
     
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  19. Lindele

    Lindele formerly HA96


    Hi Guy, et all,

    Since you involved me, we communicated via Conversations. Only recently I was lucky to be put in touch with a Polish historian living in the area of the former POW camp. And he found a lot of information about the camp, the families running the farm, etc.
    Most of it is in German. He speaks German and reads and understands English. His name: Lukasz.

    Do you want me to send all the files ?

    Stefan.
     
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  20. Ross Hudson

    Ross Hudson Member

    Hi Stefan,

    This is amazing m. Yes please.

    Thanks

    Ross
     

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