Army Number: 2719919 Rank: Guardsman Name: John Cecil BUCKNELL Unit: 2 Irish Guards Theatre: France 1940 POW Number: 6651 Date of Capture: 26/04/1940 Place of Capture: Boulogne Camp: Stalag 344 TNA Reference: WO 344
WO 344 PART I General Questionnaire for British Ex-Prisoners of War 1. No.: 2719919 Rank: Guardsman Surname: BUCKNELL Christian Names: John Cecil Decorations: 1939 - 1943 Star 2. Unit (Army): 2nd Battalion IRISH GUARDS 3. Division (Army): - 4. Date of Birth: 10 September 1920 5. Date of Enlistment: December 1939 6. Civilian Trade: - 7. Private Address: 11 Hedl-Y-Felin Rhiwbina, Cardiff, S. WALES 8. Place of Capture: Boulogne, FRANCE Date of Capture: 26 May 1940 9. Were you Wounded when Captured: No 10. Main Camps or Hospitals in which imprisoned Camp No. Location From & To Stalag 20A Thorn, Poland, 1940 - 1940 Stalag IIIA Friesack, Berlin 1940 - 1940 Stalag 21D Posen, Poland 1941 - 1942 Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf, Germany 1942 - 1944 Stalag 20A Thorn, Poland 1944 - 1945 11. Were you in a Working Camp? Location From & To Nature of Work Briesen, Poland 1940 - 1940 Farm Ratleor Ob S? 1943 - 1943 Leather Factory 12. Did you suffer from any Serious Illnesses while a P/W?: - Nature of Illness Cause Duration - Did you receive adequate Medical Treatment?: - PART II 2. Lectures before Capture (State where, when and by whom) (a) Were you lectured in your unit on how to behave in the event of capture?: Yes, in England, British Officer, 1940. (b ) Were you lectured on escape and evasion?: - 3. Interrogation after Capture (State where, when and methods employed by enemy) Were you specially interrogated by the enemy?: No 4. Escapes attempted. Did you make any attempted or party successful escapes? (Give details of each attempt separately, stating where, when, method employed, names of your companions, where and when captured and by whom. Were you physically fit? What happened to our companions?) Seven escapes from different camps. I was sometimes away for days - sometimes weeks. 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 against other Allied PoWS? - (Give details, names of person(s) concerned, camp(s), 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. - [hr] [n.b. I don't have the last page, so this section remains blank] 8. Have you any other matter of any kind you wish to bring to notice? SECURITY UNDERTAKING. I fully realised that all information relating to 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 of Signature:
PERSONAL INFORMATION Name: BUCKNELL, John Cecil DOB: 10th September 1920 Place of Birth: Camberwell, London Residence: as at 1945 - 11 Hedl-Y-Felin Rhiwbina, Cardiff, S. WALES Parents: Ellis Bucknell and Annie E Bucknell nee Summerton Died: 2007 1st Quarter, aged 87, Leeds, Yorkshire Wife: Doreen C Bucknell nee Phelan; married Leeds 1957, 1st Quarter Photo: SERVICE Army/Personal Number: 2719919 Rank: Guardsman Regiment/Battalion: Irish Guards, 2nd Battalion As at 01/09/1939: Enlisted: December, 1939 Discharged: Promotions: Aquittance Roll: Soldier's Will: Pre-embarkation list, May 1944: Ref Army Casualty List (WO 417): 2719919 Guardsman Bucknell J 1940 Irish Guards 2719919 Guardsman Bucknell J 1940 Irish Guards 2719919 Guardsman Bucknell J 1945 Irish Guards The Times Casualty List: Published 16th July 1940, Missing - Guardsman Bucknell J. Published 16th October 1940, Previously reported missing, now reported Prisoner of War - Guardsman Bucknell J. PRISONER/MISSING Prisoner of War Number: 6651 Date of Capture: 26th May 1940 Place of Capture: Boulogne, FRANCE Camp Details & Dates: Stalag 20A Thorn, Poland, 1940 - 1940 Stalag IIIA Friesack, Berlin 1940 - 1940 Stalag 21D Posen, Poland 1941 - 1942 Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf, Germany 1942 - 1944 Stalag 20A Thorn, Poland 1944 - 1945 POW Liberation Report: see below Missing Personnel File Details: MEDALS Campaign Medals: 1939 - 1945 Star Medal Roll Details: REFERENCES War Diaries: Reports: Report on Evacuation of Boulogne: 20 Guards Brigade Report on 2nd Bn Welsh Guards at Boulogne Archive Files: WO 417 WW2Talk: 2nd Battalion Irish Guards. Publications: Accounts: Recollections related to the Irish Guards at Boulogne, 1940 Newspaper: Websites: Irish Guards: Prisoners of War - WWII Open Resource Group
Irish Guards Liberated Prisoner of War Interrogation Questionnaires WO 344 PART I General Questionnaire for British Ex-Prisoners of War 1. No.: 2719919 Rank: Guardsman Surname: BUCKNELL Christian Names: John Cecil Decorations: 1939 - 1943 Star 2. Unit (Army): 2nd Battalion IRISH GUARDS 3. Division (Army): - 4. Date of Birth: 10 September 1920 5. Date of Enlistment: December 1939 6. Civilian Trade: - 7. Private Address: 11 Hedl-Y-Felin Rhiwbina, Cardiff, S. WALES 8. Place of Capture: Boulogne, FRANCE Date of Capture: 26 May 1940 9. Were you Wounded when Captured: No 10. Main Camps or Hospitals in which imprisoned Camp No. Location From & To Stalag 20A Thorn, Poland, 1940 - 1940 Stalag IIIA Friesack, Berlin 1940 - 1940 Stalag 21D Posen, Poland 1941 - 1942 Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf, Germany 1942 - 1944 Stalag 20A Thorn, Poland 1944 - 1945 11. Were you in a Working Camp? Location From & To Nature of Work Briesen, Poland 1940 - 1940 Farm Ratleor Ob S? 1943 - 1943 Leather Factory 12. Did you suffer from any Serious Illnesses while a P/W?: - Nature of Illness Cause Duration - Did you receive adequate Medical Treatment?: - PART II 2. Lectures before Capture (State where, when and by whom) (a) Were you lectured in your unit on how to behave in the event of capture?: Yes, in England, British Officer, 1940. (b ) Were you lectured on escape and evasion?: - 3. Interrogation after Capture (State where, when and methods employed by enemy) Were you specially interrogated by the enemy?: No 4. Escapes attempted. Did you make any attempted or party successful escapes? (Give details of each attempt separately, stating where, when, method employed, names of your companions, where and when captured and by whom. Were you physically fit? What happened to our companions?) Seven escapes from different camps. I was sometimes away for days - sometimes weeks. 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 against other Allied PoWS? - (Give details, names of person(s) concerned, camp(s), 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. - [hr] [n.b. I don't have the last page, so this section remains blank] 8. Have you any other matter of any kind you wish to bring to notice? SECURITY UNDERTAKING. I fully realised that all information relating to 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 of Signature: