3529322 Gunner James William McGOLDRICK, MM, Royal Artillery att'd Special Service : POW, Guernsey

Army Number: 3529322
Rank: Gunner
Name: James William McGOLDRICK, MM
Unit: Royal Artillery attached Special Service


London Gazette : 11 July 1940
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34893/supplement/4266/data.pdf
The KING has been graciously pleased to approve of the undermentioned awards for gallant and distinguished services in action in connection with recent operations.:—
The Military Medal.
No. 3529322 Gunner J. McGoldrick, Royal Artillery.

 

Reference: WO 416/236/97
Name: James McGoldrick.
Date of Birth: 02/06/1920.
Place of Birth: Oldham.
Service: British Army.
Rank: Gunner.
Regiment/Unit/Squadron: 23 Battery, Royal Artillery.
Service Number: 3529322.
Date of Capture: 16/07/1940.
Theatre of Capture: Guernsey.
Camp Name/Number: Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf.
PoW number: 7391.
Date of Death: [unspecified].
Number of Photographs: 1.
Number of Fingerprints: 1.
Number of X-rays: 0.
Number of Cards: 2.
Date: [1939-1945]

 

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

1. No. - 3529322
RANK - Gunner
SURNAME - McGoldrick
CHRISTIAN NAMES - James William
DECORATIONS - Military Medal

2. UNIT (ARMY) - R.A. Attached Special Service

3. DIVISION (ARMY) - Commandos

4. DATE OF BIRTH - 2/6/1920

5. DATE OF ENLISTMENT - 19/1/1937

6. CIVILIAN TRADE OR PROFESSION - None

7. PRIVATE ADDRESS - 69, Hilton Crs., Asthon U Lyne, Lancashire, England

8. PLACE AND DATE OF ORIGINAL CAPTURE - Guernsey, 17/7/1940

9. WERE YOU WOUNDED WHEN CAPTURED? -

10. MAIN CAMPS OR HOSPITALS IN WHICH IMPRISONED
Camp No. / Location / From / Till
Front STALAG 131 St. Lo France August - December 1940
STALAG 6 B Upper Silesia 12/12/1940 - 5/3/1945
STALAG 13 D Nuremberg 13/3/1945 - 14/4/1945


11. WERE YOU IN A WORKING CAMP?
Location / From/ Till / Nature of Work
Gurchdorf Stafe Camp December 1943 - March 1944 Stone Quarry


12. DID YOU SUFFER FROM ANY SERIOUS ILLNESSES WHILE A P/W?
Nature of Illness / Cause / Duration


12 b. DID YOU RECEIVE ADEQUATE MEDICAL TREATMENT?



GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE PART II TOP SECRET

1. No. - 3529322
RANK - Gunner
SURNAME - McGoldrick
CHRISTIAN NAMES - James William


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).
Yes Lt. ?Termin 10/5/1940 ?, France
( b ) Were you lectured on escape and evasion? (State where, when and by whom).
Yes July 1940 by Lt. Col. SLATER, Plymouth

3. INTERROGATION after capture:
Were you specially interrogated by the enemy? (State where, when and methods employed by enemy).
-

4. ESCAPES attempted:
Did you 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?)
-

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 agains other Allied Prisoners of War? (Give details, names of persons concerned, camps, 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.
(NOTE: Form Q is a separate form inviting information on "War Crimes" and describes the kind of offences coming 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?
-


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 10/5/45
Signature J McGoldrick, MM

18.7.40 On Capture taken to Gov. house GUERNSEY questioned for 2 hrs by Doctor MARSE before German C.O.
19.7.40 Taken by plane to CHERBOURG to Div H.Q. questioned by General X accused of espionage and told would be shot, given 5 minutes to change my mind, told unless I gave full story of raid, place of embarkation and methods used, I would not be able to prove myself as a British troop and be treated as a spy and shot as such. Removed to Intelligence dept. St PLO. Further examined by two officers and N.C.O., was promised food after a little chat Having no food asked them to give me some. was told first answer questions and would receive as much food and cigarettes as I wanted. Refused to talk. Taken by car to S.S. Police H.Q. and after a struggle with 3 germans was locked in a small wardrobe about 4ft high, 3ft long and 1 ft wide for over 8 hrs. Then taken to St. LO prison camp and placed in cells. Remained there for 9 days, not allowed to speak to British and French P.O.W. Then back to GUERNSEY and placed in local jail. Taken from there each day to place of landing and questioned by Doctor MARSE, 2nd in Command along with other German officer. They were in possession of a great deal of information regarding unit, when and where formed, personnel and officers but they didn't know from where we sailed and what type of craft used. After a week was flew back to FRANCE and registered as P.O.W. at St. LO, Front Stalag 131.

 

See also:

• 3 Commando
• "McGoldrick J Gnr 3529322 MM RA; PoW Op Ambassador"
• Operation Ambassador - Wikipedia

 

That is really interesting. I wrote about the operation here OPERATION ANGER BECOMES AMBASSADOR- A BIT OF A DISASTER BUT AN IMPORTANT LESSON - Island Fortress but I hadn't seen this.