2323541 Serjeant Ernest Charles Roland BARKER, BEM, Royal Signals attached No.1 Special Force: POW

Army Number: 2323541
Rank: Serjeant
Name: Ernest Charles Roland BARKER, BEM
Unit: Royal Signals attached 1st Special Force


London Gazette : 13 December 1945
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/37386/supplement/6070/data.pdf
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the British Empire Medal (Military Division), in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in Italy, to the undermentioned:—
No. 2323541 Sergeant Ernest Charles Roland BARKER, Royal Corps of Signals (Gosport).

 

PART I.
GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR BRITISH/AMERICAN EX-PRISONERS OF WAR.

1. No. - 2323541
RANK - SGT (W/S)
SURNAME - BARKER
CHRISTIAN NAMES - ERNEST CHARLES
DECORATIONS -

2. UNIT (ARMY) - ROYAL SIGNALS attd No 1 SPECIAL FORCE, CMF

3. DIVISION (ARMY) -

4. DATE OF BIRTH - 6 JAN 1919

5. DATE OF ENLISTMENT - REGULAR ARMY 30 APR 34

6. CIVILIAN TRADE OR PROFESSION - REGULAR ARMY

7. PRIVATE ADDRESS - "MARYVILLE", LESTER RD, GOSPORT, HANTS, ENGLAND

8. PLACE AND DATE OF ORIGINAL CAPTURE - FORNI AVOLTRI, ITALY, 13 OCT 44

9. WERE YOU WOUNDED WHEN CAPTURED? NO

10. MAIN CAMPS OR HOSPITALS IN WHICH IMPRISONED
Camp No. / Location / From / Till
GESTAPO (SS) TRIESTE 14 OCT/44 - 10/11 JAN/45
STALAG XVIIA KAISERSTEINBRUCK (45 KILOS SE VIENNA) 12 JAN - 4 APRIL


11. WERE YOU IN A WORKING CAMP?
Location / From/ Till / Nature of Work
-

12. DID YOU SUFFER FROM ANY SERIOUS ILLNESSES WHILE A P/W?
Nature of Illness / Cause / Duration
-

12 b. DID YOU RECEIVE ADEQUATE MEDICAL TREATMENT?
-


GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE PART II TOP SECRET

1. No. - 2323541
RANK - Sjt. (W/S)
SURNAME - BARKER
CHRISTIAN NAMES - Ernest Charles


2. LECTURES before Capture:
( a ) Were you lectured in your unit on how to behave the event of capture? (State where, when and by whom).
YES MAJ DARTON 1 SPECIAL FORCE 14 JULY 44.
( b ) Were you lectured on escape and evasion? (State where, when and by whom).
YES APRIL 44
AMERICAN MAJ WHO VISITED 4 PARA BDE KAROAUN TUNISIA

3. INTERROGATION after capture:
Were you specially interrogated by the enemy? (State where, when and methods employed by enemy).
YES. 3 1/4 MONTHS INT. 7 INTGS. DURING 14 OCT TILL 12 JAN AT TRIESTE. (GESTAPO H.Q.)
THREATS OF DEATH. ROUGH HANDLING. STARVATION. WITHOUT FOOD 15 DAYS.


4. ESCAPES attempted:
Did you make any attempted or partly successful escapes? (Give details of each attempt accurately, stating where, when, method employed, names of your companions, wherein when recaptured and by whom. Were you physically fit? What happened to your companions?)
MADE PLAN AT CORONEO JAIL NOV. 10th/44. SUPPLIED CIVILIAN CLOTHES AND 30000 LIRA BY ANTON MASTROVICH (PRESIDENT CROAT RED CROSS) - A.M.WAS HONORARY PRISONER AT CORONEO - PLAN IMPOSSIBLE - WERE HANDCUFFED ON ROUTE TO AUSTRIA.


5. SABOTAGE
Did you do any sabotage or destruction of enemy factory plant, war material, communications, etc, when employed on working-parties or during escape? (Give details, places and dates.)


6. COLLABORATION with enemy:
Do you know of any British or American personnel who collaborated with the enemy or in any way helped the enemy agains other Allied Prisoners of War? (Give details, names of persons concerned, camps, dates and nature of collaboration or help given to enemy).
DR. KARL BOBLEITER* BURIED DIARY FOR BRIG DAVIES AND 3 AMERICAN OSS OFFRS. HE CAN SUPPLY NAMES OF BRIT. FREE CORPS - ONE BFS WAS A N.Z. OF RUSSIAN BIRTH.**


[Handwritten annotations}
* Austrian "Welfare Officer" in STALAG 17A.
** Comment Believed to be Cpl COURLANDER, 2NZEF

7. WAR CRIMES
If you have any information or evidence of bad treatment by the enemy to yourself or to others, or knowledge of any enemy violation of Geneva Convention you should ask for a copy of "Form Q" on which to make your statement.
(NOTE: Form Q is a separate form inviting information on "War Crimes" and describes the kind of offences coming under this title.)



GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE PART II TOP SECRET
(continued)

8. Have you any other matter of any kind you wish to bring to notice?
APRIL 4th 1100HRS (Fl. Lt. REYNOLDS) was SENIOR BRT OFFR AT 17A ON APRIL 1st 560 (approx) BRIT POWS started march to BRAUNAU ON INNS. DR BOBLEITER INFMD ME THE BRIT POW WERE GOING. RUSSIANS visited camp on APRIL 4th and gave orders to remng sick POWS to stay fast. POWs started on their own initiation to walk back to the RUSSIAN lines. Via WINDEN NUESSEDAL ON SEA to KASIMIR (HUNGARY). I decided to make my own way - My route which was WiNDEN, KASIMIRE - R??B - KOMO RAN BUDAPEST took 2 days. On reachg BUDAPEST I reported to the joint BRIT/AMERICAN MISSION - LIBERTY SQ BUDAPEST

On Dr BOBLEITER's information (20th March) I decided to go sick, ascertaining firstly whether the GERMAN Dr would inspect sick prior to evacuatg camp. Dr. B said he would arrange that a C? Dr would pass me as unfit. It was arranged
EVENTUALLY ON EVAC SICK WERE NOT INSPECTED.
The German evacuated unfit POWs.
1 APRIL (BRIT CM WITH 560) remainder 1000 French, 560 BELGIUMS AND 10000 mixed nationalities (maj part Russian).
All German offers were ordered don the march.
About March 16th all Austrian ranks below rank of SGT. were disarmed and did not carry arms unless on Guards duty.


SECURITY UNDERTAKING
I fully realise that all information relating the matters covered by the questions in Part II. are of a highly secret and official nature.

I have had explained to me and fully understand that under Defence Regulations or U.S.A.R. 380-5 I am forbidden to publish or communicate any information concerning these matters.

Date 19th APR 45
Signature EC Barker Sgt

 

Helpers
Reported by
Sgt. E. C. Barker
R. Signals

Questionnaire under
"Brutally Original"


APPENDIX "A" GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE
PART III

 

Name: Robert Conrad Duguid . Rank: Staff Sergeant , HQ 151 Infantry Brigade . Camps... | The National Archives
Reference: WO 208/5439/19
Name: Robert Conrad Duguid.
Rank: Staff Sergeant, HQ 151 Infantry Brigade.
Camps mentioned: Stalag XVIIA Kaisersteinbruch, Germany.
Decoration: not specified.
Other names mentioned:

• CSM Horton (Green Howards);
• Sergeant Ernest C Barker 2323541;
• Karl Rebefka Geer (Czech).

Date: 1945 May 10

 

Recommendation for Award for Barker, Ernest Charles Roland Rank: Serjeant ... | The National Archives
Reference: WO 373/75/13
Name Barker, Ernest Charles Roland
Rank: Serjeant
Service No: 2323541
Regiment: Royal Corps of Signals attached Headquarters Special Operations
Theatre of Combat or Operation: Italy
Award: British Empire Medal
Date of announcement in London Gazette: 13 December 1945

Recommended for MM (Immediate)
Awarded British Empire Medal

2323541 W/Sjt Ernest Charles Roland BARKER, Royal Corps of Signals attached HQ SO (M), CMF
Sjt. BARKER was dropped by parachute as W/T operation to a Mission in North West ITALY which had the task of establishing a Base for the penetration of East TYROL and South West CARINTHIA. He made several journeys through enemy-occupied country on one of which he took charge of a Group of 6 POW and brought them back to FORNI AVOLTRI a journey which involved Sjt. BARNER running the grave risk of wearing civilian clothes to pass through a village where the enemy were in force. Had he been discovered on this occasion he would without doubt have been shot.
On 11 Oct 44 Sjt. BARKER accompanied his CO, Major SMALLWOOD, when they were compelled to leave FORNI AVOLTRI and take refuge in the hills on account of an enemy drive. Major SMALLWOOD feels a considerable distance over a cliff, breaking his leg and injuring himself internally. Sjt. BARKER remained with him and managed to carry him to a place of safety. On 15 Oct 44 the enemy started to penetrated into the hills where Sjt. BARKER and Major SMALLWOOD were in hiding and Major SMALLWOOD ordered Sjt. BARKER to leave him but this Sjt. BARKER refused to do. Later in the day both were taken prisoner and were immediately handed over to the S.S. Sjt BARKER was imprisoned about 6 weeks in the GESTAPO Gaol in TRIESTE. He was subjected to about 20 interrogations, housed in very bad conditions with totally inadequate food and was subjected to solitary confinement and intense cold. He was severely beaten and several times threatened with death in an effort to extract information from him. In spite of this terrible ordeal he withstood all the tricks and resisted all the promises of the enemy of better treatment if he would talk. Sjt. BARKER displayed outstanding initiative, resource and ability in inventing a 'story' to account for his activities which was plausible, wholly false, involved the identity of no other person and at the same time accorded with Major SMALLWOOD's story. Sjt. BARKER was finally transferred to STALAG XVIIa on 15 Jan 45, with Major SMALLWOOD. On Feb 2 Major SMALLWOOD was transferred to an OFLAG but by cleverly feigning sickness, Sjt. BARKER got himself left behind and managed to effect his escape when the Red Army arrived. He immediately went to BUDAPEST, reported to the British Mission and was sent back to ITALY by air.
As a result of Sjt. BARKER's courage and devotion to duty the Mission's work in Northern ITALY was greatly assisted. Major SMALLWOOD's life was saved and the enemy were prevented from obtaining intelligence of great value about the Mission's activities and objectives. Furthermore after his escape Sjt. BARKER gave much valuable information about the identity of other prisoners, enemy security personnel and counter-intelligence methods.

Signed

• Lt. Col. P.A. Wilkinson
• Colonel Louis Franck Comd. SOM