Cameron Highlander, Tobruk. POW PG10/PG68/PG55 1942/3

That's right, Mark. If you don't get your request in shortly after they open you have to wait another 3 months before they accept enquiries again.

Best of luck.

Vitellino

 

Sorry I've been away for so long! I'd be grateful for any help. I've got the documents from Glasgow and I'm intruiged that he joined the 15div signals after returning to UK ... seemingly prior to the end of the war(unless i'm mistaken).. Which we weren't aware of, and was sent back to 'NWE' (northwest Europe?) For a few months. We do have a photo of him in Hamburg in army uniform, but we assumed that was on his way back to being repatriated.... Any assistance on the abbreviations and handwriting would be most appreciated.... Rmkgf? X4 a list? Waiting for report from swiss red cross.

 

X4 List means he was on the list for 'unposted reinforcements' (i.e. waiting to be allocated to a unit).

If you upload good sized images of the documents (in full), I'd be happy to help decipher them and I'm sure others will be, too.

 

Thanks

 

First sheet--will do the other when time permits.

1) I've simply 'expanded' all abbreviations to full terms.

2) My geography for Scotland is extremely poor. I've just guessed at place-names, you'll have to correct them.

3) You should be able to track down the details of his capture. Reference to being on a 'casualty list' does not necessarily mean he was wounded. Cas/133/43 is also noted. He was almost certainly taken in the Fall of Tobruk along with his whole battalion: Axis capture of Tobruk - Wikipedia

Here's some good listening on 2 Camerons--the interviewee was luckily absent from Tobruk
COCHRANE, PETER (Oral history); This has a bit about Inverness: Hall, Harry Girton 'Pym' (Oral history)

3) Clearly you're going to need to check the Prisoner of War records to find out how on earth he ended up an internee in Switzerland and repatriated in 1944. An escaper? [Edit: looking at your much earlier posts, I see that you know this to be the case] There are Prisoner of War experts on this board, but I am not one of them.
________________________________________

13.3.40: Posted to HQ Company from Infantry Training Centre Inverness
Location: Tain; Unit: 5 Cameron Highlanders; Rank Private

24.4.40: Appointed Acting Unpaid Lance-Corporal

25.3.40: Attached 61 Anti-Tank Company Baddon??

15.5.40: Posted to No. 6 Independent Company
Location: Ballander??

15.5.40: Appointed Paid Lance-Corporal
Location: Johnstone

16.5.40: Granted: War-Time Proficiency Pay

14.11.40: Posted to No.34 Infantry Training Centre Inverness

5.12.40: Granted Leave (with Ration Allowance) Until 11.12.40

7.5.41: Disembarked In Egypt and proceeded to the Infantry Base Depot (No.13?)

7.4.41: Receiving? pay of this??? Unpaid Lance-Corporal

11.8.41: Rejoined Unit From Infantry Base Depot
Unit: 2 Cameron Highlanders; Location: Egypt; Rank: Lance-Corporal

6.9.41 LOCATION: MIDDLE EAST FORCES, CENSUS 1941

27.11.41: Admitted Hospital

Date illegible (14.12.41?): Discharged Hospital to Unit.

Date illegible (14.12.41?): Appointed Paid Lance-Corporal with ???

21.6.42: Missing - Casualty List 310/42

Confirmed Prisoner of War 'D'. Casualty List 390/42

31.12.42: P.O.P. (?) in North West Europe

15.10.43: Internee in Switzerland

26.11.43: Checked by Infantry Records Office Perth

 

Here's the second sheet (some parts I can't read, I'm afraid)

7.12.44: Permanently Attached to 11 Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders From "Y" List.

26.12.44: Posted to Depot Battalion of Royal Signals with effect from 26 Dec 44
Location: ???

28.12.44: Transfer from Infantry to Royal Signals in the rank of signaller with effect from 28.12.44 and from
11 Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders 27.12.44. on [?.?.?] permanently attached to that unit.
Location: Thirsk

10.1.45: Posted to 20 T.B. [Training Battalion]

24.4.45: Classified and mustered Assistant [ops?] K/L 'D' 3
Appointed Local Lance-Corporal
Location: Scarborough

8.6.45: Reclassified and remustered ??? K/L ? 3

4.7.45: Posted to Northern Command Signals and reverts to the rank of signaller on posting.

14.9.45: [Unit: 38 Division Signals] Taken on strength this unit from Northern Command Signals.

5.11.45: X (4) A [Unposted Reinforcements]: Embarked UK

6.11.45: Disembarked : North-West Europe.

Draft RMKGF. Taken on Strength X (iv) List

6.11.45: 53 Reinforcement Holding Unit and British Army of the Rhine

17.11.45: Taken on Strength 15 Division from X (iv) List & 53 Reinforcement Holding Unit

Medically Examined on 15/1/46: Medical Category A1

X 8a: Embarked North-West Europe for UK and Struck of Strength British Army of the Rhine.

Class A Release: 18/2/46