RAF, Wellington HZ248 19/4/1945; Stalag Luft 357 Kopernikus

Looking for any information regarding POW’s at this camp as my father in law WO Sgt Alfred Quick RAF 1187793. POW no 1090 Stalag Luft 357 Kopernikus. Was here. He was in Wellington HZ248 shot down 19/4/1943
He wouldn’t speak of his experience there and although he had a log book with info and sketches this was kept by his second wife who would not pass it on to his son my husband.

 

Hello Wendy and welcome
I am sure forum members will be along shortly to advise you on his time as POW

Also apply for his service records

Date of birth and death cert required Get a copy of military service records
Please read through the link.There is a delay now due to the current covid issue.
Also you will not find his service records on the internet.

regards
Clive

 

Wendy,

Welcome aboard. Others may come along and help. Always apply for his Service Record, even if the turnaround is reported as a year plus now. Upload the records here once you've obtained them and then the forum can get to work on them.

Please do not pay for any site on the internet who promise you his service records they will not have them, and you would have wasted your money.

Adding what you have already found can help, saves others from duplication. A Date of Birth and a Service Number help, though the experts here can surmount that gap.

I have noted the 'Other Ranks' rarely feature in Google searches unless they have been awarded gallantry medals or written their memoirs.

Searching Google will sometimes bring you back here. The site’s search engine is rather simple; two examples 53rd Field will bring back all mentions of 53rd; an Army unit can have after 53rd an additional official name, in one case 53rd (Bolton). You must be agile and keep going.

War diaries can contain almost anything. At the very least, they give the daily movements and most important actions of every unit. They may also contain information on casualties, message logs, rolls of officers (but not O.R.'s), maps, orders, and much else. They are available at the PRO to everyone. Drew5233 and some others are willing to scan them for the benefit of those who cannot get to the National Archives at Kew.

It depends of course how much you want to know, just one battle or campaign for an example.

Please come back and tell us what you found. Scanning threads it is clear some discover the site years after your posts and add their information or request help. Good luck.

 

Nothing in his service record will answer the question put by Wendy on PoWs at Stalag Luft 357 or his experiences there.

I suggest seeing if he filled in a Returning PoW questionaire - these at held at the TNA, Kew.

British and Commonwealth prisoners of the Second World War and the Korean War - The National Archives

Ross

 

Thanks for that info. We have requested his service records but there was very little in it. Just enlistment and postings. Plus demob
We got the info of where and when he was shot down through a book ‘Searching the skies’
Sadly even his medals were kept by the ‘wicked witch’ but we were able to purchase copies from the info by MOD records. This will help his memory live on for our grandchildren and great grandchildren. What Alf did tell us was that when he was shot down he was carrying the crews pay and buried it in the desert. Approached what he thought was friendly Arabs but they were Germans in Arab gear and that was game up.