Looking for Information on British/Commonwealth airborne medics in Rennes POW camp

I know one of the names on the list, Trudeau from 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, after he left Rennes on the 7th July 1944 was later to work at Bitterfeld working camp for POWs doing railroad work with many other paras.

Captain Nelson of 224th Parachute Field Ambulance was repatriated by the American army I don't believe many or any escaped from Rennes Hospital.

Does National Archives Kew hold any repatriation list, names of men who were repatriated during the summer of 1944? Unable to find any, hoping someone could point me in the direction.

 

Do you have the first name of Trudeau? I only have first initial D.

I am trying to compile a list of all the Allied POWs that passed through the Rennes Military Hospital and have been looking for similar information. If you come across anything please let me know.

Major Malcom Oxley, RAMC, was the Senior Medical Officer there and he had an Admissions and Dispositions listing of the patients at the Hospital when he was repatriated but I have been unable to find it so far.

 

Trudeau's first name is Dennis and he was caught on D-Day 6th June 1944.

Trudeau is actually an American not Canadian from the looks of things. There were a few Americans in the Canadian parachute battalion.

Augusta GA New Homes – Grovetown GA New Homes – Columbia County GA New Homes

"When the war started in 1942, Mayor Dennis Trudeau who was born in Minnesota enlisted in the Canadian Army because his family was based in Canada, then served in 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion which was attached to the British Airborne Division, dropped in Normandy on June 6, 1944, captured by the Germans and was a 10 months POW..."

 

It's been a while so an update is in order. I have found a total of 635 names of Allied POWs that were in the Hospital at Rennes at one time or another. 233 are British or Commonwealth soliders or airmen. I have found the list below of British or Commonwealth medical personnel that worked the Hospital.

Anyone have any additional information on these men or any others?

Thanks,

Code:

PVT Frank Arthur Booth 224 Para Fd Ambulance Co
FSGT Charles Clark British Intrepreter for Capt. Nelson - Spitfire pilot Nom de Guerre for Joseph VanMolkot a Belgian told Germans he was South African
PVT Aubry James Coggins 224 Para Fd Ambulance Co
PVT J. A. Conrod Canadian N. Nova Scotia Highlander arrived Stalag 14 Jun to hospital as orderly 29 June
PVT Walter William Dunster 224 Para Fd Ambulance Co
PVT Thomas Walter Ellis Chief of Kitchen arrived 19 June
PVT George Francis Fox 224 Para Fd Ambulance Co
PVT Geoffrey Ivor Ginn 224 Para Fd Ambulance Co
LCPL Frank Gleason (Gleeson) Stretcher Bearer
PVT William Reginald Godfrey 224 Para Fd Ambulance Co
PVT Aubrey Leroy Goulden Canadian N. Nova Scotia Highlander arrived Stalag 14 Jun to hospital as orderly 29 June Says same as Conrod story
SSGT Eric Charles Grisp (Crisp) 224 Para Fd Ambulance Co operating room assistant
SGT Arthur William Heath  224 Para Fd Ambulance Co
PVT Dennis Heaton 224 Para Fd Ambulance Co
PVT Denis Hill 224 Para Fd Ambulance Co Orderly
LCPL Walter Howard 224 Para Fd Ambulance Co Orderly
LT Douglas Arthur James Messing/Supply Officer Canadian Royal Winnipeg Rifles arrived 28 June has last 3 weeks EPS menu
CPL William Kirby From War Crimes report
PVT Kenneth Samuel Kingswell Matthews (224th Ambulance Co.) R.A.M.C. [Royal Army Medical Corps] arrived 10 June
CPL Edward Ramsey Patrick Milne 1st Ulster Rifles Orderly Lazarett 133 9 June Hospital 23 June
LCPL Robert John Morris 224 Para Fd Ambulance Co Orderly
SSG Paul William Barnes Musitano mentioned in Newcombe E&E Glider Pilot after healed stayed on in Hospital as Carpenter arrived around 10 June, became carpenter on 28 July
LCPL John Kenneth Naughton  Stretcher Bearer Sanitary Squad  British Pathfinder 22 Independent Co.
RFL R. S. Naylor From War Crimes report Canadian
CPT Douglas Hugh Nelson  (224th Ambulance Co.) R.A.M.C. [Royal Army Medical Corps] arrived 9 June
PVT Arthur William Neville 224 Para Fd Ambulance Co
PVT Victor Noel Newcombe 224 Para Fd Ambulance Co Orderly married French nurse arrived 15 June
MAJ William Malcome Oxley Senior British Medical Officer arrived 18 June (223rd Ambulance Co.) Had A&D records for EPS
Rank? Albert Peters From War Crimes report
Rank? Fred Quarmby From War Crimes report
LCPL Kenneth Robinson 224 Para Fd Ambulance Co
PVT Markham Newton Robinson 225 Para Fd Ambulance Co Orderly arrived Lazarett 133 9 June Hospital 13 June
PVT Graham Percy Rogers 223 Para Fd Ambulance Co Nursing Orderly
PVT William Edward Rowe 224 Para Fd Ambulance Co Orderly
PVT R. L. Saulnier Canadian North Nova Scotia Highlanders arrived Stalag 14 Jun to hospital as orderly 29 June Story same as Conrod
PVT William Scoot 223 Para Fd Ambulance Co Nursing Orderly
PVT Hugh Archer Finn Smith 224 Para Fd Ambulance Co Orderly
PVT A. R. Steen From War Crimes report Canadian?
SSG James Joseph Walsby British NCOIC - American E&E reports unfavorable behavior

 

My recent expedition to NARA in College Park, Maryland hit pay dirt. I found the Admissions and Dispositions record kept by the Allied doctors at Rennes. I have been validating the 658 US entries without much problem but the British and Canadians are causing me some problems.

I have names and service numbers for the 272 British, 88 Canadians and 1 New Zealander but no way to check the accuracy of that information. I have gotten validation of the 4 British and 2 Canadian dead information from Geoff's engine, another 123 British and 31 Canadians using E&Es and a War Crimes report with a partial German A&D record. Which leaves me 147 British, 55 Canadians and 1 New Zealander to validate. Of these POWs, 70 left the Hospital to enter the Stalags or escape/die enroute.

Any idea on where I could cross check the personnel information? My understanding is that the UK has no online database where I could go.

 

Any idea on where I could cross check the personnel information? My understanding is that the UK has no online database where I could go.

Hi Sirjahn,

To give you some idea of what you are up against here: The service files of all Canadian personnel are held by the Library and Archives Canada in Ottawa. But you, or anybody else, cannot gain access to them unless you can prove they have been dead 20 years.

If you write the LAC and send them your list of names they will only tell you where and when these men enlisted and where and when they were discharged. It is up to you to prove they have been dead 20 years.

In the UK, you will run up against the Data Protection Act of 1998 and they will not even give you that info.

Sorry that the news isn't any better.

Regards,

Dave

 

Well I have been hunting and pecking in the CWGC data and was wondering about the accuracy of some of the dates in there. I picked up a couple of POWs that the database says died before they got to Rennes. The POW data matches service number, last name and first initial to the A&D but CWGC says they died on 10/06/1944 but the A&D shows that one coming into Rennes 21 June and leaving 23 July not dead. Do they occasionally mix up the DD/MM format into MM/DD?

 

They shouldn't but sometimes there are errors in their scanning of documents.

 

sirjahn,

great work you are doing; I don't know if you have Major J.W.B. Marshall on your list who was 2 i/c for 8th Parachute Battalion was at Rennes and liberated from the Hospital.

John Marshall | ParaData

Regarding your search for confirmation, an avenue you have probably taken, the Red Cross Historical section must have some record and possibly the Rennes or Brittany archives, if there is such a place.

How many are you sure were still taken prisoner who were not liberated or died of wounds etc.

brithm

 

Yes I have Marshall referenced in a couple E&Es. I have been in contact with the ICRC in Switzerland without much luck. I followed up with the French Red Cross and they were a black hole never responding. I know from E&Es that the French Red Cross helped at Rennes but I can't seem to get any info on that.

From the A&D there were 655 US, 271 British, 88 Canadian, 1 New Zealander and 1 Netherlander that are on the report. 270 US, 122 British and 36 Canadians of those POWs moved out of the Hospital and into the Stalags. 30 US, 4 British and 2 Canadians died in the POW hospital. 1 British Officer was moved to a German Hospital near by and died.

Additionally the Hospital held a number of French Colonial wounded from 1940 (I estimate 30ish) that were treated by French Military Personnel who were on parole.

I have found that the Hospital Allied medical staff consisted of 38 US, 41 British and Canadians above that number of wounded. There were 57 French doctors, nurses and administrative staff working there as well.

 

My father's name appears on the list of medical personnel. Unfortunately he's long gone, but if you have specific questions my mother may be able to answer them.

 

Zoom,

I have a large number of questions about mundane things at the hospital. So any insight from your mother would be helpful. My father reported catching and eating rats because the rations provided by the Germans was so limited, 600 calories a day in June and early July building to about 1000 calories mid July. I have the POW menu for the last 3 weeks of captivity which verifies this low calorie count. The Germans gave them limited medical supplies so they ended up washing and reusing the GI bandages to supplement the paper ones the Germans gave them. So any stories about getting supplies and making do would be great.

Additionally any stories of everyday life in the hospital or acts of bravery would be great. Stories of what happened during early August as they were bombarded and liberated and what happened afterwards.

Who was your father in my list? Did he mention any other British or US personnel as being helpful or hurtful?

So just about anything you can get out of your mother would be great.

Thanks

 

Okay Thanks to the information and photos provided by Zoom I have a bit more information and would like some help identifying British Medics at Rennes. I have inserted a photo group of the shots provided by Zoom with tentative identification of some medics and would like help indentifying the rest. I have included the list of known enlisted medics at Rennes not NCOs or Officers under the assumption that NCOs hang together and Officers hang with other Officers. There is also two Americans there if you can ID them too.

About 15 of the names are from the 224 Para Fd Amb Co. and I have gone to the ParaData site and found a company photo from December 1944 to match some of the faces to names.




PVT Leslie G. Allwood
PVT Frank Arthur Booth
PVT Leslie Herbert Chamberlain
PVT Aubry James Coggins
PVT J. A. Conrod
PVT Walter William Dunster
PVT Thomas Walter Ellis
PVT George Francis Fox
PVT Geoffrey Ivor Ginn
LCPL Frank Gleason (Gleeson)
PVT William Reginald Godfrey
PVT Aubrey Leroy Goulden
PVT Dennis Heaton
PVT Denis Hill
LCPL Walter Howard
CPL William Kirby
PVT Kenneth Samuel Kingswell Matthews
CPL Edward Ramsey Patrick Milne
LCPL Robert John Morris
LCPL John Kenneth Naughton
RFL R. S. Naylor
PVT Arthur William Neville
PVT Victor Noel Newcombe Albert Peters Fred Quarmby
LCPL Kenneth Robinson
PVT Markham Newton Robinson
PVT Graham Percy Rogers
PVT William Edward Rowe
PVT R. L. Saulnier
PVT William Scoot
PVT A. R. Steen

 

I now have lists of personnel that entered into the US 35th Evacuation Hospital that was sent to Rennes to specifically handle the wounded PWs. But in the lists of personnel there does not appear to be any British or Canadian wounded comparing the names and service numbers from the Rennes A&D to the those lists of the 35th Evac.

Was there a British medical policy or procedure that would account for this situation? It seems to me that being treated by the nearest medical facility would take precedence over shipping those wounded to the British Sector for treatment. If so where would the PWs have gone for treatment?

 

SirJan
I think I will be able to help you with regiments and service numbers for some of the Canadians who were at Rennes Hospital.

 

Thanks for the offer. Below is my list of Canadians that I have no unit association. If it says Canadian PW Listing it means that the individual was on a listing from the Canadian MOD as having been in Rennes but moved on to the Stalag system. Forgive the formatting. If there are two names together I can't tell which one is the right one.

Dale
LTC USA (Retired)

Code:

Rank	SVC No.	Name	          Diagnosis	         Comments	        Arrived	Departed
PVT	F/3563	Aucsin, F. N.	Right leg amputation		23-Jun-44	
PVT	D/116732 Baker, H.	GSW left leg		27-Jul-44	
RFL	H/41578	Bast, C. J.	Shrapnel left calf 	On Canadian PW listing	13-Jun-44	16-Jun-44
PVT	L/105890 Bell, T. C.	GSW right arm	On Canadian PW listing	21-Jun-44	26-Jul-44
CPL	E/22604	Berube, L.	GSW chest and right arm	On Canadian PW listing	4-Jul-44	12-Jul-44
PVT	F/60008	Bishop, L. N.
                Bishop, R. W.	GSW right thigh	On Canadian PW listing	13-Jun-44	5-Jul-44
WO	C27452	Blair, W.	Shrapnel right buttock		5-Jul-44	
RFL	H/4727	Burdett, C. W.	GSW right foot, GSW left leg		23-Jun-44	
PVT	F/13201	Carfan, L.	Shrapnel left arm, hand, knee and shoulders		27-Jun-44	
PVT	D/71612	Clarke, A.	GSW right leg		27-Jul-44	
RFL	H/20794	Cook, Albert	Amputation right leg	Pelle's Room	27-Jun-44	
PVT	114015	Cuima, M.	GSW, shrapnel both legs		27-Jul-44	
CPL	H/40932	Cullen, J.	GSW left chest		4-Jul-44	12-Jul-44
CPL	F/44999	Diggins	        Shrapnel wound of left side of head	On Canadian PW listing	11-Jun-44	12-Jul-44
PVT	D/82026	Ducat, R.	Shrapnel head, both arms, right leg		27-Jul-44	
PVT	B/155389 Dunford, C.	Shrapnel back		27-Jul-44	
PVT	D/76949	Dunlop, J.	Shrapnel right arm		27-Jul-44	
PVT	F/36126	Dunn, R. L.	Perforating wound right hand	On Canadian PW listing	16-Jun-44	12-Jul-44
PVT	H/41640	Dutiaume, H. J.	Shrapnel left arm and left leg	On Canadian PW listing	21-Jun-44	12-Jul-44
PVT	M/7513	Evans, K.	GSW fracture ankle, shrapnel shoulders		29-Jul-44	
RFL	L/28201	Ewalk, W. J.	GSW right arm	On Canadian PW listing	24-Jun-44	1-Jul-44
PVT	F/56085	Fisher, A.	Fracture left leg		27-Jun-44	
PVT	D/123434	Fortier, H.	Shrapnel back and leg		27-Jul-44	
PVT	D/71284	Franstein, A.	GSW head, right shoulder		29-Jul-44	
RFL	H/41207	Garnett, S.	GSW shoulders		16-Jun-44	12-Jul-44
RFL	H/121061 Georgeson, W. E.	GSW left thigh	On Canadian PW listing	13-Jun-44	16-Jun-44
PVT	F/49719	Glennie, A.	Amputation 3rd right hand finger, fracture finger left hand		4-Jul-44	
PVT	D/82981	Goodale, C.	Shrapnel left leg		27-Jul-44	
PVT	F/45199	Gordan, D. B.	GSW right Femur 		23-Jun-44	
CPL	F/49723	Gourley, C. O.	Shrapnel right shoulder, chest and neck	On Canadian PW listing	4-Jul-44	12-Jul-44
PVT	K/50624	Hunchak, J.	Shrapnel left leg		27-Jul-44	
PVT	G/23117	Kelly, L. J.	GSW Left Chest	On Canadian PW listing	11-Jun-44	5-Jul-44
CPT		Kemp, J.	GSW fracture right leg		27-Jul-44	
PVT	B/755186 Kennedy, J.	GSW jaw		27-Jul-44	
PVT	N/33820	Knupp, A.	Shrapnel right leg		27-Jul-44	
PVT	C/118592 Knuth, H.	Shrapnel left shoulder		27-Jul-44	
PVT	A/102829 La Foret, G. A.	GSW right elbow	On Canadian PW listing	4-Jul-44	12-Jul-44
CPL	B/70269	Labrick, M. P.	Amputation right arm		23-Jun-44	
CPL	H/17354	Lavalle	GSW back		19-Jun-44	
PVT	D/62856	Leclair, ?. P.	GSW right leg		23-Jun-44	
PVT	D/82582	Leduc, A.	GSW back		27-Jul-44	
PVT	F/44824	MacDonald, M.	Fracture left shoulder		4-Jul-44	
CPL	F/60362	MacIntyre, A.	GSW right foot		21-Jun-44	
CPL	D/83061	Mason, S.	GSW back, shrapnel face		29-Jul-44	
PVT	A/102942 Masse, R. J. U.	Abrasion to calf, patella twisted	On Canadian PW listing	16-Jun-44	28-Jun-44
PVT	D/81969	McAran, B.	GSW right arm and chest		27-Jul-44	
PVT	A/104355 McConnell, P. F.	GSW right buttock	On Canadian PW listing	4-Jul-44	12-Jul-44
PVT	F/78406	McCulloch, H. E.	Shrapnel left Auxilla	On Canadian PW listing	11-Jun-44	12-Jul-44
F/SGT	R/193475 McGowan, R.	Fracture Right Humerus	RCAF?	13-Jun-44	12-Jul-44
PVT	L/106403 McIntosh, M. H.	GSW right foot and left leg		23-Jun-44	
CPL	H/41725	McLean, H. C.	GSW back, right thigh	On Canadian PW listing	16-Jun-44	12-Jul-44
PVT	F/55254	McNeill, J.	Buttock and leg shrapnel wounds	On Canadian PW listing	13-Jun-44	12-Jul-44
PVT	D/81403	McWilliams, D.	Shrapnel left leg		27-Jul-44	
PVT	F/50310	Melanson, D.	Amputation 2 fingers 		4-Jul-44	
F/SGT	R/194196 Minet, J.	Superficial burns of face	RCAF?	16-Jun-44	18-Jun-44
PO	J/19712	Murphy, N. P.	Injury to head and back (Crash)		25-Jun-44	30-Jun-44
PVT	D/135610 Myhill, G.	GSW right leg		27-Jul-44	
PVT	F/2907	Peters, E.	Shrapnel right leg	On Canadian PW listing	4-Jul-44	12-Jul-44
PVT	F/50021	Pyke, N. W.	Shrapnel left leg and arm, fracture right arm	On Canadian PW listing	4-Jul-44	12-Jul-44
SGT	D/83195	Raulston, M.	GSW left leg		27-Jul-44	
PVT	D/139988 Raymond	Shrapnel left foot		23-Jun-44	
PVT	D/139263 Rice, Jack A.	Shrapnel in right temple	On Canadian PW listing	13-Jun-44	11-Jul-44
PVT	F/87703	Richards, R.	GSW left chest, multiple shrapnel		4-Jul-44	
FO	J22382	Ross, J. W.	Facial burns	RCAF?	23-Jun-44	12-Jul-44
PVT	D/81395	Royston, F.	GSW right leg		27-Jul-44	
PVT	F/89974	Sampson, S. A.	GSW right Femur, penetrating wound right hand		23-Jun-44	
CPL	F/45467	Sceetes, G. L.	GSW left leg		23-Jun-44	
LCPL	K/15360	Shelford, H. M.	GSW left foot		21-Jun-44	12-Jul-44
TPR	H/26744	Speight, S. L.	Burns face and legs		23-Jun-44	
LCPL	F/29968	Stevenson, W. S.	GSW left shoulder	On Canadian PW listing	15-Jun-44	5-Jul-44
PVT	M/38838	Swanlund, A.	GSW right arm, shrapnel left hip		27-Jul-44	
PVT	G/19498	Sweeney	Amputation right leg		19-Jun-44	
PVT	G/4430	Wade, L. A.	GSW right arm and back	On Canadian PW listing	23-Jun-44	
PVT	F/52101	Wardrope, A. R.	Shrapnel right shoulder, left head	On Canadian PW listing	13-Jun-44	16-Jun-44
PVT	D/135646 Weeks, H. J.	Shrapnel in buttocks	On Canadian PW listing	13-Jun-44	18-Jun-44
SGT	F/30033	Wilson, R. H.	Fracture right ankle		24-Jun-44	
						

 

My late father, Private Hugh Smith, was amongst the 224 PFA personnel captured on D Day. In his papers is a faded copy of the photo in the top left of this montage, marked 'Rennes POW End of July 1944' with the names in his hand on the reverse as (top row) Fox, Godfrey, Dunster, (bottom row) Ginn, [Smith], Rowe, Newcombe. In a letter to his family written on 9 August 1944, shortly after the end of his captivity he wrote " ...we were put to work looking after wounded allied prisoners in a hospital. The work was hard and long but it passed the time and kept us free from boredom. Our food was poor but all that the Germans could manage. Our guards treated us very well personally. The work went on day and night until last [censored] when the war caught up with us and we were relieved by the Americans. In a couple of days they had taken the wounded off our hands." My father, together with Rowe and Newcombe rejoined their unit and later took part in the Rhine crossings of March 1945, ending the war in Wismar on the Baltic.

 

Thanks for that update of the information. I will update my records. Do you have any more information on H. Smith, like any other stories about the hospital?

 

Dale,

A few RCAF.

McGowan's first name was Robert. He came from Durham, Ontario. I can't tell you his unit because RCAF did not put squadrons on the casualty lists.
Ross, John Weber. Casualty lists have him from NS, NJ and unknown. Ross was from Somerset, Pa. Mrs Ross was from Westfield, NJ.
Murphy, Norman Peter. London, Ontario.

Regards,

Dave

 

McGowan was in the 425 Squadron and Murphy was in the 403 Squadron.

I have a Jake W. Ross on my list is that your John Weber Ross? He was in the 439 Squadron.