Checking through my paybooks and doing some googling I found a file onlinehttp://www.anzacpow.com/__data/assets/pdf_file/0015/22740/3853_Anzac_European_Freemen_10-4-14.pdf which seems to show Private Mason as a POW (row 2053) but it has very little info on him compared to others and had an entry Returned to AL (returned to Allied Lines? at a guess) 6 April 1943 - also has a note P under POW and Germany - so possibly a POW of the Germans, there isn't an obvious key so I'm having to guess. From his paybooks there is no real gap in entries - could he possibly have been captured and then fairly quickly been liberated by the advancing allies? hence explaining the lack of gaps in the paybooks and also the lack of detail Any thoughts welcome Alistair
Hello Alistair, If you look down the Anzac pows document you have downloaded you will see that the date 6 April 1943 is recurring. If you check in the right hand column you will see that in some cases serious wounds are mentioned, such as amputations or gunshot wounds to an eye. The new Zealanders in this chart with the word German in the 'FM ' column had probably been captured by the Germans on Crete and from there sent to Germany, Pte. Mason included. I have checked out a few of the Australians who appear with the date 6 April next to their name by consulting the online Missing, Wounded and Prisoner Of War Enquiry Cards held in Melbourne Archives, and it appears that some were repatriated via Alexandria in Egypt. You would need to 'google' repatriation New Zealand POWs from Germany to find out what Pte. Mason's route home is likelhy to have been. Regards, Vitellino
Hi, thanks for that, I hadn't considered repatriation, I'll dig out his books (I think it's 1 service book and 3 pay books) and check all entries more thouroughly in case they show up medical downgrading or an early discharge. Alistair
He doesn't appear in WO 392/4 - NZ POW's held by the Germans in Germany 23 March 1943 was a repatriation to Port Said - REPATRIATED BRITISH PRISONERS ARRIVE IN PORT SAID [Allocated Title] Repatriated British prisoners arrive at Port Said in the British India cargo-passenger ship SS Talma Looking for one a little later (April 1943) TD
A couple of scans - on the cover at the top left there is a small note that may be "repat" so potential repatriation - on the inside page there is a note "POW pay", there is also a big gap between November 1941 and May 1943 when there are a flurry of entries, so potential capture (around Crusader) and repatriation. There continue to be regular entries in the book until late 1945 so he seems to have still been in the Army. Alistair
This is him, I’ll need to dig deeper to see if I can find any more on him Thanks again (especially for the repatriation pointer) Alistair
He may never have been sent to Germany, then, but have been held in a military hospital in Greece - still a prisoner of the Germans. Check out the New Zealand on-line history of men taken prisoners in Crete - I have read it but don't have the link. As to the date 6 April, I should be a bit cautious. I have found more than one error in the Anzac document regarding indivuals. Vitellino
For Info: IX: Repatriation of Sick and Wounded Prisoners of War and Medical Protected Personnel | NZETC In April, May and June 1943 three further similar drafts of protected personnel were repatriated from Italy. The medical personnel numbered 5 officers and 138 other ranks, while sickness cases also returned were 4 officers and 33 other ranks. In Egypt hospitalisation and medical boarding was arranged for all invalids. TD
I was wondering if he was a medic, no obvious signs he was wounded but there was another clipping that mentioned he was captured when his dressing station was overrun, which I read as the one he was serving in not being treated in. I’ll check the NZ paper archives to see if I can find his capture Alistair
Just to add that wouldn't have been repatriated from Italy in '43 as he was a prisoner of the Germans. All prisoners held in Italy up to the Armistice were prisoners of the Italians.
Alistair, Alfred Mason was indeed protected personnel as he was with 2NZEF 7th Ambulance. See his Auckland War Memorial Museum online cenotaph record. Recently I visited the NZ Archive and found an exercise book labelled "Prisoners of War - Repatriated - Medically Unfit - Protected Personnel" and he features in the hand written record. From this he was held in PG57 in Italy and probably repatriated via Alexandria in April 43 and returned to NZ on 21 August 1943. I suspect the "W" in the last column may mean wounded but I am not sure, as I am only just starting to analyse the info.
