Brigadier William Wallace SOUTHAM, 6th Canadian Brigade: POW, Dieppe

Personal Number:
Rank: Brigadier
Name: William Wallace SOUTHAM,
Unit: 6th Canadian Brigade

 

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

1. No. -
RANK - Brig.
SURNAME - SOUTHAM
CHRISTIAN NAMES - William Wallace
DECORATIONS -

2. UNIT (ARMY) - 6 CIT

3. DIVISION (ARMY) - 2nd Division [Canadian]

4. DATE OF BIRTH - 11 Sept 01

5. DATE OF ENLISTMENT - 3 Sept 39

6. CIVILIAN TRADE OR PROFESSION - Printer

7. PRIVATE ADDRESS - 9 Ridge Street, Toronto, Canada.

8. PLACE AND DATE OF ORIGINAL CAPTURE - Dieppe, 19 Aug 42

9. WERE YOU WOUNDED WHEN CAPTURED? Yes, slightly

10. MAIN CAMPS OR HOSPITALS IN WHICH IMPRISONED
Camp No. / Location / From / Till
Oflag VII B - 30 Sęp 42 - 16 Apr 45
Reserve Hospital EICHSTATT 16 Apr 45 - 28 Apr 45

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. -
RANK - Brig.
SURNAME - SOUTHAM
CHRISTIAN NAMES - William W.


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, Isle of Wight, 1942 by RAF Intelligence Officer
( b ) Were you lectured on escape and evasion? (State where, when and by whom.
Yes, Isle of Wight, 1942 by RAF Intelligence Officer

3. INTERROGATION after capture:
Were you specially interrogated by the enemy? (State where, when and methods employed by enemy).
NO

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?)
NO

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).
-

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 coning under this title.)
See Form "Q"


GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE PART II TOP SECRET
(continued)

8. Have you any other matter of any kind you wish to bring to notice?
In 1944 Canadian PW were offered preferential treatment by the German authorities which originated from an Order by HITLER himself. Additional letter cards and post cards, and additional parole walks were offered to officers. Other Ranks were given a chance to live on farms, more or less free from guards. The reason for this was that German PW were treated extremely well in CANADA. However, this preferential treatment was turned down as not all prisoners in CANADA had been collected by Canadians. We also said that as other PW were not offered the same advantages, we would not accept them.
At the transit Camp in VERNEUIL in Aug 42, a story went around Camp that the French Red Cross was given food parcels to all French Canadian prisoners. Whether or not this was propaganda I cannot guarantee. Parcels were collected and divided between everyone in Camp, giving extras to sick and wounded.


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 5 Apr 45
Signature W.W. Southam, Brig.

 

See also:

• Dieppe Raid, Operation Jubilee
  
• Biography of Brigadier William Wallace Southam (1901 – 1950), Canada
• https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/bcoppol... during the,an instruction to 'bind prisoners.
  
• "On August 19, during the Dieppe Raid, a Canadian brigadier, William Wallace Southam (against explicit orders), took a copy of the assault plan ashore. Although he tried to hide it, the Germans discovered the document on the beach. Among the orders was an instruction to ‘bind prisoners.’ The German Intelligence later received reports of the bodies of German prisoners. with their hands tied, washing ashore. When this news, and the written plans, were brought to Hitler, he ordered the shackling of Canadian prisoners, which led to a reciprocating order by British and Canadian authorities for German prisoners being held in Canada."
• Brigadier William Wallace Southam DSO, ED – 48th Highlanders Museum
  
• William Wallace Southam (1901-1950) - Find a...
• 
• https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/bcoppola/2017/03/01/auf-den-letzten-mann/