Images of POWs, 1940

Discussion in '1940' started by dbf, Jan 15, 2011.

  1. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    I wonder if the POWs are in fact members of the Polish Army.Many of the Polish armed forces were able to escape from Poland and made their way the France via Romania and reformed under General Sikorski.

    The Polish Army fought alongside the French and BEF. Elements were evacuated from Dunkirk to England where as a nucleus,the Polish Army was reformed again under Sikorski.
     
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  2. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Baffled. That's where I am, Andy ! It does look like a British forward-control cab but full doors are not usual on WD vehicles for 1940 and that doesn't look like a driven front hub to me (so no later-war 4x4 like an Austin K5). I'm not even sure that it's a British hub. Mudguard clearance looks large for a civilian impressed vehicle and the flat-bottomed door with no window quarter-lights doesn't fit with anything that I can think of.

    The uniforms look a bit shiny...could they be Dutch ? grijsgroeneuniformen.jpg
     
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  3. Incredibledisc

    Incredibledisc Well-Known Member

    Interesting theory Harry. After googling for photos I came across these:
    Search Our Collections | Imperial War Museums

    The uniforms do look like they might match the ones in the original photo.
     
  4. Smudger Jnr

    Smudger Jnr Our Man in Berlin

    Certainly look like Russian uniforms. Russians did wear a kind of putty which was considered healthy for the feet. More like a stocking when wrapped around foot and leg.
    If France the could they be prisoners from Operation Barbarossa and transported to be France for working on the Atlantic wall? Just thinking out loud.
    Regards
    Tom
     
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  5. morrisc8

    morrisc8 Under the Bed

    This is from epay.
    pows bef photo.jpg
     
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  6. Incredibledisc

    Incredibledisc Well-Known Member

  7. Harry Ree

    Harry Ree Very Senior Member

    Interesting IWM photographs of the Polish Army in France during 1939 and 1940.

    Apparently the Polish Army had two main bases,both in Western France.One at Coetguidan ((Morbihan) and one at Parthenay (Deux Sevres)

    Coetguidan was and still is a large military base and the home since 1940 of France's military Academy,St Cyr.The Polish Army are shown as based also at Comblessac which is a few miles south of Coetguidan and must have been a satellite camp from the main camp.

    From the photographs,it looks as the Polish Army was deployed at Villefranche sur Saone (Rhone) south of the Burgundy region and Autun in the Saone et Loire department.

    Incidentally a good museum apparently reported at Coetguidan St Cyr....paid a visit there a few years ago but got there before the Autumn opening time and had to push on for our travelling schedule.
     
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  8. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Harry

    There is also another memorial to Polish troops in Brittany, namely Malestroit, Morbihan

    Malestroit — Wikipédia
    Podhale Autonomous Brigade of Hunters

    This brigade was set up in France, in Malestroit ,

    There is a monument/memorial to them on the sports ground, adjacent to the fire station

    TD
     
  9. Incredibledisc

    Incredibledisc Well-Known Member

    I wonder if this is from the same set as our mystery "Russian" photo? Being advertised as "Polish soldiers endless march"
    https://flic.kr/p/W2LfxJ
     
  10. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad

    23-04-13.jpg Photo of a photo but I think its good enough to share?

    Kyle shot.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2017
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  11. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi Kyle - anymore info on the first image of the French colonial prisoner?
     
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  12. Kiwi REd One

    Kiwi REd One Junior Member

    The second photo appears to be taken in Calais......if you compare it with the one at post #16 of this thread it is the same picture, but looks like its been cropped and printed backwards given the captions on the vehicle in the left background.
     
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  13. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad

    photob-96.jpg photob-12.jpg photob-20.jpg photob-46.jpg photob-96.jpg

    Drew, Im sorry the photo was on display in one of the museums when I went to Dunkirk awhile ago but I know there was an identical one for sale on DELCAMPE during the week?

    Kiwi REd One ,I never noticed it was around the wrong way I have corrected it and re-posted it,but it was displayed like that in France.

    I`m not sure which museum because I`m simply clearing my photobucket account and re-discovering some images :)

    Edit ; Attached a few more above



    Kyle
     
    Last edited: Jul 2, 2017
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  14. morrisc8

    morrisc8 Under the Bed

    One more came in the post. info on the back.
    Keith
    british pows 1940 bef photo..jpg pow s back photo.jpg
     
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  15. morrisc8

    morrisc8 Under the Bed

    This came from a nagative that i have. French pows Might be a tank unit, some have 32 on there collar ?
    Keith
    french pow 1940.jpg
     
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  16. BrianM59

    BrianM59 Senior Member

    They look like Spahis to me - French Moroccan cavalry? Or possibly Goumiers, also Moroccan soldiers?
     
  17. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad

  18. morrisc8

    morrisc8 Under the Bed

    This one was on ebay .
    ww2 scot bef 1940.jpg
     
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  19. Mr Jinks

    Mr Jinks Bit of a Cad

    1.jpeg

    2.jpeg 3.jpeg 4.jpeg

    Mixed group copies from Delcampe

    Kyle
     
  20. Rich Payne

    Rich Payne Rivet Counter Patron 1940 Obsessive

    Spidoeleine.jpg

    The guard on the improvised trestles is horrible sinister. A foretaste of things to come.

    I had to 'Google' Spidoléine...Motor oil apparently.

    One of my great regrets is that I'm not rich enough to collect pre-war enamel advertising signs.
     
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