95480 Captain John Hervey KAY, Border Regiment & Long Range Desert Group: POW

Army Number: 95480
Rank: Captain
Name: John Hervey KAY
Unit: Border Regiment ; Long Range Desert Group

Date of Birth: 10 Dec 1917
Place of Birth: Poole, Dorset
Date of Enlistment: 21 Jan 1936
Date of Capture: 24 Oct 1942
Place of Capture: Dodecanese Group


London Gazette : 4 July 1939
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34642/page/4568/data.pdf
The undermentioned Gentlemen Cadets, from the Royal Military College, to be 2nd Lts. 1st July 1939:—
INFANTRY.
Border R.—
John Hervey KAY.

London Gazette : 28 February 1941
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35077/supplement/957/data.pdf
The undermentioned 2nd Lts. to be Lts.:—
Border R.
1st Jan. 1941: —
J. H. Kay (95480).

 

https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C17064408
Reference: WO 416/204/364
Name: John Henry Kay.
Date of Birth: 10/12/1917.
Place of Birth: Poole, Dorset.
Service: British Army.
Rank: Captain.
Regiment/Unit/Squadron: [Border Regiment].
Service Number: 95480.
Date of Capture: [unspecified].
Theatre of Capture: [unspecified].
Camp Name/Number: Oflag VIIB Eichstatt.
PoW number: 4322.
Date of Death: [unspecified].
Number of Photographs: 0.
Number of Fingerprints: 0.
Number of X-rays: 0.
Number of Cards: 1.
Date: [1939-1945]

 

View Record via Ancestry


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

1. No. 95480
RANK - LIEUTENANT
SURNAME - KAY
CHRISTIAN NAMES - JOHN HERVEY
DECORATIONS -

2. UNIT (ARMY) - THE BORDER REGIMENT (attd LONG RANGE DESERT GROUP)

3. DIVISION (ARMY) -

4. DATE OF BIRTH - 10/12/1917

5. DATE OF ENLISTMENT - 21/1/1936

6. CIVILIAN TRADE OR PROFESSION -

7. PRIVATE ADDRESS - THE MANOR HOUSE, FRIMLEY, SURREY

8. PLACE AND DATE OF ORIGINAL CAPTURE - 24/10/42, DODECANESE GROUP

9. WERE YOU WOUNDED WHEN CAPTURED? - NO

10. MAIN CAMPS OR HOSPITALS IN WHICH IMPRISONED
Camp No. / Location / From / Till
? LUCKENWALDE 15/11/43 - 1/12/43
OFLAG VII B EICHSTATT 1/12/43 - 25/4/45


11. WERE YOU IN A WORKING CAMP?
Location / From/ Till / Nature of Work
NO

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?
-


GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE PART II TOP SECRET

1. No. 95420
RANK - LIEUTENANT
SURNAME - KAY
CHRISTIAN NAMES - JOHN HERVEY


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. (I cannot remember details)
( 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).
NORMAL INTERROGATION

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?)
I have made 3 attempts
(1) I escaped from a train in BULGARIA in October 1943. I was alone. I was retaken 5 kilos from GREECE by Bulgarian Frontier Guards. I was not very strong owing to poor rations and cold nights, and continuous dampness of clothing * see over


Escapes (Continued)
from crossing rivers. On recapture I was placed in a Bulgarian jail until a German escort arrived.
(2) I attempted to escape from the camp column on the march on 14/4/45. An opportunity presented itself when the column was severely strafed by six American fighters. I was picked up ? by specially despatched Guards.
(3) In the above mentioned attempt I hurt my knee on a rock and therefore when the column was marched bald to the camp after the strafing, I decided to 'ride up' in the camp ? and not to march out when the column departed once more. Another officer and myself hid under the stage in the camp theatre. We stored food and water and remained in hiding for six days. It was pitch dark and offered only 18 inches of headroom. German police dogs failed to detect us. On the seventh day we revealed our presence to a party of French who had been place in the camp. We lived with them as Frenchmen until the Americans arrived on 25/4/45
J.H. Kay, Lt.




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 1/5/45
Signature JH Kay, Lt



* Captain Kay rang up in connection with the questionnaire sent to him.
He stated that he was wearing a boiler suit with his uniform & when allowed to descent at a station he got out of the station. He was at liberty 12 hours before he was retaken.
He made another attempt during transfer to Germany but was detected as he tried to climb through a small window.
W. Sprakes 28 Jan. 46.

 

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