2327792 Signalman Leonard Frederick WILLIAMS, Royal Signals & LRDG: POW

Army Number: 2327792
Rank: Signalman
Name: Leonard Frederick WILLIAMS
Unit: Royal Corps of Signals ; Long Range Desert Group

 

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Name: Leonard Frederick WILLIAMS
Date of Birth: 14 Feb 1914
Date of Enlistment: 27 Jul 1938
Date of Capture: 17 Nov 1943
Place of Capture: Leros


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

1. No. 2327792
RANK - Signalman
SURNAME - WILLIAMS
CHRISTIAN NAMES - LEONARD FREDERICK
DECORATIONS -

2. UNIT (ARMY) - ROYAL SIGNALS ATTACHED HQ SQD LRDG

3. DIVISION (ARMY) - RAIDING FORCES

4. DATE OF BIRTH - 14.2.1914

5. DATE OF ENLISTMENT - 27.7.1938

6. CIVILIAN TRADE OR PROFESSION - Regular Army

7. PRIVATE ADDRESS - 10 McKERRELL ROAD, PECKHAM, LONDON SE15

8. PLACE AND DATE OF ORIGINAL CAPTURE - LEROS, 17.11.1943

9. WERE YOU WOUNDED WHEN CAPTURED? - NO

10. MAIN CAMPS OR HOSPITALS IN WHICH IMPRISONED
Camp No. / Location / From / Till
STALAG VII A MOOSBERG
STALAG XVII A KAISERSTEINBRUCK
STALAG XVII B KREMS
STALAG XVII A KAISERSTEINBRUCK


11. WERE YOU IN A WORKING CAMP?
Location / From/ Till / Nature of Work
FRULINGSBERG (XVII B)
ROHRAU (XVII A)
ALLAND (XVII A)

12. DID YOU SUFFER FROM ANY SERIOUS ILLNESSES WHILE A P/W?
Nature of Illness / Cause / Duration
NO

12 b. DID YOU RECEIVE ADEQUATE MEDICAL TREATMENT?
YES


GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE PART II TOP SECRET

1. No. 2327792
RANK - SIGNALMAN
SURNAME - WILLIAMS
CHRISTIAN NAMES - LEONARD FREDERICK


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).
ADJUTANT 76TH DIVISIONAL SIGNALS
TAVERHAM SEPTEMBER 1943
( b ) Were you lectured on escape and evasion? (State where, when and by whom.
NO

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

4. ESCAPES attempted:
Did yo 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?)
ESCAPED 2nd April 1945, FIT.
On the 1st April 1945 Stalag XVIIA - KAISERSTEINBRUCK, marched out for a destination unknown. I was on this party. The first day were marched 30 kilos, having had a rest from about
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1100 hrs - 1430 hrs. The food supplied by the Germans consisted of 200-250 grams of bread and a small portion of cheese for that day. The second day started before dawn until about 1100 hrs and from about 1500 hrs until the required approx 30 kilos was complete for that day's march. The night I heard the Russian artillery fire. On the third day everybody was in a pretty bad state and the Medical Officer approached the Germans about rest. This request was not granted. That night I decided that I would attempt to escape. The next morning I reported to the M.O. that I would not march any further, he sent me to the German officer i/c party. Limping as best as I could I asked to be excused marching. I joined a party of other English, French, Serb, and Russians who were not marching. We were told that transport would be laid on for us. When the ambulance arrived I was hiding in some shrubs along the Riverbank at WIENERGAADEN, AUSTRIA and saw the rest of the party get on the ambulance, and on oxen transport and move on. When it got dusk I moved towards a barn, and in so doing contacted Cpl FRASER, Ptes. TAYLOR and MOORST. They told me that they thought there were Germans in a barn some 200-300 yards in our rear. These people turned out to be French men and women, we joined them. That night we slept out in the woods. The next morning, 5 April 45, we made for a
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hut to hold council A German and his wife brought us food, and stayed on with us. All morning we laid low, and several German soldiers moved by in the ? of the woods some 50 yards to our rear. Our party ws now joined by a Russian whom we kept to act as our interpreter. Towards non we could plainly hear small arms fire, followed later by about a company of German soldiers retreating in a disorganized manner towards the woods. At about 2 o'clock a small battle was waging over and around us, one artillery shell bursting very near the hut, about an our later our lookout reported a Russian soldier in sight. We sent the Russian down to explain to the soldier who and what we were. At about 1600 hrs we were with the Russians and marched with them whilst they cleared 3 more localities. Al this took place at WIEN GAADEN. FRASER, MOORST, TAYLOR and I were told to make our way to BADEN, from thence to WIENERNEUSTADT, by lorry to VESZPREM, by road to ODESSA, finally reaching British hands on the night the 2nd of May 1945, at ODESSA. We left ODESSA by British ship on 4 May 45 and reached "B" No. 2 Allied PW Camp NAPLES on 7 May 45.

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.)
NO

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).
NO

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.)



GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE PART II TOP SECRET
(continued)

8. Have you any other matter of any kind you wish to bring to notice?
NO


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 9th May 45
Signature LF Williams


1. Number 2327792
Rank Signalman
Name (BLOCKS) WILLIAMS
Initials LF
Unit Royal Signals
Private Address 10 McKERRELL ROAD, PECKHAM, LONDON SE15


2. If you personally witnessed the death, wounding, or serious illness of any other PW since the Armistice of SEPTEMBER 1943, please write below whatever details you can. If you know any information of this sort from some other reliable Source (e.g. the Partisan leader in your area), put this down as well, giving as many particulars as you can of your informant and any witnesses. If you do not know the full particulars of the PW concerned - i.e. his full name, unit, and last PW Camp - then give as many of these as you can, and any other details which may establish his identity, e.g. home town or personal description. If you know his Regtl. No., give that too. In the case of death, state place of burial and how the grave is marked, if known.

Whilst in VESZBREM HUNGARY, approx 15 April 45, I met an English speaking Priest
Rev. JOSEPH BODA, Pastor of the Reformed Church, VESZPREM, HUNGARY, who informed me that he had buried a pilot of the AAF, USA, and no official notification had been given because the Pilot had been shot down while the Germans held the town, and had died after the Russians had taken over, when communication with Buda-pest was impossible. I gathered that the Parson was afraid to report to the Russians.
I handed all particulars over to
A.S.M. EDWARD WALTON, ROAC [sic] (ex Stg 17A KAISERSTEINBRUCH who was I/c our party.. WALTON has the death certificate.