Searching for info about POW airborne division

Hello there. I want to find out as much information as possible about my great uncle, Edward (Eddie) Laughlan of the Royal Engineers Airbourne division. He was rescued in Dunkirk but then retrained as a parachutist and was captured and held in the Stalag ivc.
As many POWs, he found it difficult to speak of his experiences so we know little.
He has left me: a newspaper cutting of him being rescued from Dunkirk, a badge with a Pegasus on it, a leaftlet published by 'n.v.gooi en sticht, hilversum' entitled 'de zang der kerk' with Stalag ivc stamped on it; and small book published by kevelaer butzon & bercker with lraaf ons bidden printed on the spine.
Some of the lettering may be incorrect because the book has worn with age.

If you can give me any information about the book/leaflet, camp or the division he was in/ his number, I would be very grateful. If anybody knew him, that would be fantastic. I have been reading this website and it has been both fascinating and humbling to gain an insight into the heroism of the soldiers of WWII.
Kind regards,
Janine Murphy

 

A/Lance Corporal E J Laughlan, Royal Engineers, Army Number 1877495, POW Number: 225351. His last known camp was Stalag 4C at Wistritz bei Teplitz in Czechoslovakia. I hope this helps!

As for the book/leaflet contact Airborne Medic he may be able to shed some light on it?

 

Janine,
Hello and welcome to the forum.
It looks like our airborne members have already started to help you.

Is it possible to scan the books and pamphlets in order that forum members can take a look and offer help with the names etc.

I wish you well on your quest.

Regards
Tom

 

Regret not heard of this booklet but you hear of and find new stuff all the time.....last week found a book written in Englsih in 1946 by H B van der Horst called 'Paratroopers Jump Fury over Arnhem'...

However to try and give some sensible help....can't recall the name Laughlan with the 1st Para Sqn RE...so I feel the likley suspects left are 4th Sqn, 9th Company or 261 Field Park......have several names for 261 and he is not one of them....regretfully most of my books are in store at the moment so can a kind fellow mmeber look in Pronk and Faulkner-Brown??????

 

Hi AM & All,

Had a look in Faulkner Brown and couldn't find his name on that book... Will try the war diary see if we have any luck with that..

Cheers
TomTAS

 

Thank you for all the information so far. It is amazing how much detail you have discovered already. I am intrigued that the camp was in Czechoslovakia yet the prayer book is written in Dutch. Could the German soldiers have allowed Dutch Catholic missionaries into the Stalag?

I shall visit the family home on the weekend and should be able to scan on the book covers on Monday. I look forward very much to hearing your responses. Many thanks, Janine.

 

I've been through "The Shiny 9th" by Pronk but no luck I'm afraid.

Paul.....................

 

Thank you for all the information so far. It is amazing how much detail you have discovered already. I am intrigued that the camp was in Czechoslovakia yet the prayer book is written in Dutch. Could the German soldiers have allowed Dutch Catholic missionaries into the Stalag?

I shall visit the family home on the weekend and should be able to scan on the book covers on Monday. I look forward very much to hearing your responses. Many thanks, Janine.

When my stuff comes out of storage I will look in my list of wounded who were at Apeldoorn because if he was there it is possible he got the prayer book from one of the Dutch locals who donated items......

 

The POW number doesnt look like an Arnhem related POW number, could he be 6th Airborne, as he there have be also Dutch POWs there, maybe he got the book from a Dutch POW, and there is no such evidence at the moment that he was 1st Airborne Div

 

Regret no trace of a Laughlan being one of the wounded at Apeldoorn.....suggest you need to apply for your uncle's servcie record from the MoD as this will tell you which units he served in and then we may be able to help you more.....

 

Hi Janine and welcome to the Forum,
The best starting point has already been recommended. A Service Record which unfortunately will take some weeks to reach you. Then check at Kew to see if he made a Liberation Report in WO344/180/1. Both these are essential starting points.When you have these you know where else to look.

Red Cross Reports for 1VC are in WO224/13 and cover 1941 - 1945 so will fill any gaps regarding Camp structure and Administration.
It could be that he was held in other Camps prior to 1945.

Brian

 

Janine, I emailed one of my contacts at Duxford to see if they can shed anylight on this.

It is possible that whilst he trained as a para, that he was serving with a standard Engineer compamny at the time.

Phil

 

Janine, iv'e now heard back from the Guys at Duxford (Parachute Regt Musuem), and after checking, they cannot find any record of a Laughlan having completed parachute training according to the Ringway records and AAC transfer cards.

Where did you get the info that he trained as a Para ?. Could he just have been part of an airborne company?

Phil