Lennard Goss....pow

My father in law, lennard goss..was a prisoner of war in germany, he would never talk about where or when , and he was saved by a german doctor who treated his wounds, he was brewing up in a mortar hole, in north africa, with 4or 5 others and the hole received a hit, only 1 other got out and len received a nasty head wound and shrapnel in other places, I would love to be able to tell his story to my grandchildren. where do I start?
barb

 

Hello Barb,

The Register shows only one L. Goss so I presume it is your father-in-law!

His PoW number is not listed the camp is given as 4B = Mulhlbeg [Elbe]. He was a Pte in the Queen's [R. W. Surrey] Regt. 6098819.

Hope this helps.
Regards
Arthur

 

Hi

4B = Mulhlberg [Elbe]

Regards
Arthur

 

Sorry,

4B = Muhlberg [Elbe]

Regards
Arthur

 

thank you so much for your swift reply, now i have a starting point.

 

Hi Barb,
with your father in law having the Rank of Pte.he would have probably just been registered at 1VB. Did he mention being in a Work Camp.
23rd of April the Stalag 1VB Association will be planting a tree of rememberance at The National Memorial Arboretum.

 

you will have to help me with more info, am a beginner and do not know the shorthand, just registered at 1VB....where, what is this? and the lookup of the name on a list of pow's is that public? can i login to see for myself? He did not mention being in a work camp...Why? looking forward to learning
barb

 

Hi Barb,
Stalag 1VB or 4B was a camp for N.C.O.s. where some other ranks were Registered as P.O.W.and given an identifying disk with this number. Those of a lower rank were sent to what were called Work Camps. Just for instance I have a friend who worked in a Brickyard,after first being registered at 4B. The N.C.Os.were confined to the main camp at Muhlberg which is close to the river Elbe. The main camp was liberated 23/4/45 (St Georges Day)by the Russians. Unfortunately when the Camp was Liberated the inmates broke into the Camp office and destroyed quite a lot of the records.
Does your Father in Laws Service Record give any details of his captivity.

 

I need to get his service record, would that be through the veterans agency?

 

Barb,
yes thats correct. It is all explained on the site. There are a couple of forms to fill in and post to Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow. The last I heard there was a charge of £30. A few years ago when I sent for my Fathers the charge was £25, so it could have gone up again.

 

Barb

Apply here Service records - Army

 

Barb,

The Veterans Agency hold the German POW records, if you ask then nicely they might send you a copy. My Grandfather was processed at Stalag IVB and when I recieved his POW records it contained a photo of him with his POW number.

Veterans Agency
Norcross
Thornton-Cleveleys
Lancashire
FY5 3WP

Tel: 0800 169 2277

Veterans Agency. Supporting ex-Servicemen and women

Good Luck !

 

Thanks guys, will get it done.