Stalag VIIIB

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by Gordon downing, Oct 31, 2021.

  1. following the death march from stalag viiib, where did the march end. My father was on this march, and was liberated by us troops, but from which camp
     
  2. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Gordon,

    This might be a good place to start, especially as the original focus was this camp: THE ONLINE MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM OF PRISONERS OF WAR and there is a section on the camp and The Long March. On a quick glance the POW detachments ended up scattered, some being liberated by the US Army, as you refer and others by the Soviet Army.

    I see you added your father's details there in 2018, which might help others who focus on POW matters and possibly The Long March:
    There is an earlier thread in 2011 by you (with a different ID), with info given: stalag VIII B

    There is a thread in 2018 about your father and much of the pointers to help are shown there, so some beneath are duplicated. See: Edwin Alfred Downing

    Check out this thread for an expert's pointers to things to try: 5773484 Edward J Merritt, 7 Royal Norfolk Regiment, POW, St Valery, Stalag VIIIb.

    A 2018 suggestion by Incredibledisc:
    Regarding Liberation Questionnaires they are held at KEW in London - available to the public if you go onsite. A couple chaps from here go regularly - drew5233, psywar.org, they will take a look for you -if one exists for him they will copy for you for a small fee - much cheaper than asking KEW to do it for you.

    As always have you applied for or have his Service Record?

    This clearly has been a long journey for you, with requests added in several threads and elsewhere. Perhaps, sadly no-one knows how your father was actually liberated?
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2021
  3. Dad rarely spoke about his experience as a pow. But did mention being liberated by Americans. Once liberated he went with the Americans to the next camp they liberated, dachau
     
  4. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    There will be no detail of his POW experience on the service record other than an entry “MIA and or confirmed POW” followed by a 1945 entry “No longer POW”.

    Red Cross papers will not assist re his repatriation location either.

    Steve
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2021
    davidbfpo likes this.
  5. davidbfpo

    davidbfpo Patron Patron

    Now you add Dachau Concentration Camp (near Munich) Gordon. If you have a timeline the camp was liberated on April 29, 1945, by the U.S. Seventh Army’s 45th Infantry Division. From: U.S. Army liberates Dachau concentration camp

    There maybe more on this Mark Felton documentary:

    In my brief reading during The Long March there was some organization with overnight stays in commandeered barns, not actually camps and often the guards simply melted away or surrendered to the first Allied units that appeared.

    I note from Wiki the 45th Infantry Division did not stay at Dachau, but went onto Munich, so I would suggest he was liberated before Dachau or just after and volunteered to help a US Army medical unit trying to help at Dachau.
     
  6. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Interesting post liberation route. Most POW were passed back “down the line” by the liberating unit. Half starved and unfit POW would be an unnecessary encumbrance to a unit advancing into contact with the enemy.

    Stalag 7A Moosburg wasn’t too far from Dachau.

    Steve
     
    Last edited: Oct 31, 2021
  7. He did say that due to the fact he was ramc he went with the Americans
     

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