Stalag XV111-A (Stalag 18A)

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by ozzy16, Dec 27, 2017.

  1. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    Hi,

    Currently researching a POW from the above camp (Howard Russon) he was there from 1941-1945.
    While waiting for his service record (I predict mid Feb-2018) thought I would read up on the activity within the camp.
    There is a book written by Ken Willmott who himself was in the camp from 1941-1945.

    In Captivity 1941-1945. printed in 1996, the isbn no 0952977206.
    e.bay is'nt showing anything,and Amazon are saying out of stock. (£5)

    also,

    Forty men- Eight Horses, written by Douglas Arthur.

    The above title means, the Germans could get 40 POW's or 8 horses in a railway carriage.

    If any members own the above books which may be sat on shelves collecting dust and would like to move them on.Do drop me a line (PM) happy to negotiate.

    regards.....Graham.
     
  2. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  3. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    Cheers TD,
    Just the job,will have a look later.
    I Have to go out again.

    many thanks mate, Graham.
     
  4. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    With kind permission from Ian Brown and his excellent website (Prisoner Of War Stalag XV111-A)
    A red cross report from the camp.
    Graham.
    RC2.jpg RC3.jpg
     

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  5. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    For some odd reason page 1 didn't load.Here it is. Graham. RC1.jpg
     
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  6. alieneyes

    alieneyes Senior Member

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  7. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    Cheers Dave,
    I will check them all out.
    Apologies for the mix up in page 1.Normally editing a post is simple and straight foreward.But I just couldn't get page 1 to load up to where it should be,gave up in the end.(never had that problem before) probably my fault somewhere.
    Just a quick note ref: Ian Brown's website ( Prisoner of War) corresponded with him over the weekend.It's full of pages of eye-witness
    accounts of life within the camp,maps,photo's of POW's and much more.(excellent website)

    nb, will give you a shout when I start working on that Lancaster Bomber Pilot.

    all the best...........Graham.
     
  8. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    Had a listen to McCann's version yesterday.
    Thought the part about handcuffs worn by the Canadians was hilarious, and the searches, for radios one of which was hidden in the bottom half of a water bottle hanging on the barrack room door,ingenious.
    He talks about how easy it was to bribe and then blackmail guards. (great stuff)

    Graham.
     
  9. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    Should of done this in post 3.
    Here's the link to Ian Brown's, Stalag XV111-A

    Prisoner of War
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2018
  10. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi Graham,

    Thanks for posting the website link. I noticed this segment -

    Dr Margit Berner from the Natural History Museum in Vienna has access to almost 5000 photographs of POWs taken at Stalag 18A when they arrived in July 1941. The photographs have no names attached, just the POW number. If you are searching for a photo of a relative, then you need the POW number. If your POW number is below 5000, then you have about a 1 in 2 chance that the photo you seek is in this set. With that in mind, you should contact Dr Berner (margit.berner@nhm-wien.ac.at).

    As my father was in a Stalag 18B work camp at Mistelbach 1944/45 I emailed Doktor Frau Berner to ask if there is a similar photographic archive for 18B. I’ll post further once I get a reply.

    Steve
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2018
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  11. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    Cheers Steve,
    I have sent an e.mail to Dr Berner on the 30th Dec, however I haven't received a reply as of yet.
    I'm looking for pictures/information on POW 6997 Howard Russon. He was there 1941-1945.(Dvr RASC no T/214547.

    regards......Graham.
     
  12. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Just found this extract from my diaries:

    Monday 30th July 1945
    Taken off fatigues to do interpreter for Lt.”Dutch” Holland. Out in the dingo
    to the end of the boundary area. Crashed plane on hillside. Beer at roadside Gasthos
    at dinner time
    Tuesday 31st July 1945
    Out with “Dutch” again, this time to the Burgomaster at Hohentaun.
    Collected three crates of books from ex-Stalaag XVIII. Back early for Road Block
    guard. Truck broke down.


    Ron
     
    Last edited: Jan 6, 2018
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  13. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    Hi Ron,
    Precious diaries,
    Was the camp empty during your presence ? or were the POW's still awaiting evacuation ?

    regards.......Graham.
     
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  14. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Graham

    Empty and quite ghost-like !

    Will add some more detail tomorrow

    Ron
     
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  15. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    Cheers Ron,
    I can imagine the eerie feeling you must of felt.
    I'm just about to put the cricket on and suffer more misery watching the aussies give us a lesson on how to play cricket.
    Hope we can sneak a draw somehow.

    many thanks...........Graham,
     
  16. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Graham

    Some more memories of Stalaag XV111, while I think of it.

    As you are probably aware, Greece in April 1941 was a complete disaster for the 4th QOH with most of the Regiment finishing up "in the bag", including Clive Dunn of Dad's Army and the man who was subsequently to become my CO in Trieste, Loopy Kennard.

    When I originally went to the camp to pick up books and documents I did not know that it had in fact been the POW camp for men who had served in the 4th QOH, being a mere Trooper at the time nobody bothered to tell me !

    70 odd years later I can still smell the carbolic soap that stunk the huts we inspected !

    Ron
     
    Last edited: Jan 7, 2018
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  17. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    Hi Ron,

    You just cant beat solid witness accounts of what went on.(absolute gold dust)
    I thought your encounter with Glive Dunn amazing.Did you ever catch up with him during his role in dads army?
    Yes I did read up about Greece and Crete and how some troops were left behind and then being captured.
    I noted you set up a road block and your truck broke down.Was this road block to try and catch any evading Nazi's or to protect the
    integrity of the camp for investigators ?

    best........Graham.
     
  18. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Graham

    I deeply regret that even if Clive Dunn ever re-joined the 4th QOH after his release from being a POW I certainly never met up with him .

    Regarding the road blocks, these were certainly set up to catch SS men trying to escape North.

    If you are interested in what happened in Greece, you can buy a cheap copy on Amazon of my late OCs book "Loopy, The autobiography of George Kennard"

    Best regards

    Ron
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2018
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  19. ozzy16

    ozzy16 Well-Known Member

    Cheers Ron,
    I will check that book out and catch up with you later. (ref: my observations of its content)
    One final thing, did you ever catch any of those ss men ?
    BTW, happy new year with many, many, many, more to come.

    all the best ..........Graham.
     
  20. Ron Goldstein

    Ron Goldstein WW2 Veteran WW2 Veteran

    Graham

    If you are talking of me personally then the answer is no, but if you are talking about what we as a Squadron/Regiment did then we were very successful the most famous being Globocknik : The Death of Odilo Globocnik www.HolocaustResearchProject.org

    If you want chapter and verse then tomorrow I will go to the Regimental Diary (that Andy kindly supplied me with) and post some on this threas.

    Good night

    Ton
     
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