Casualty Clearing Station/ Mil Hospital Locations - Krombeke

Discussion in '1940' started by Jonty Steel, Jan 21, 2021.

  1. Jonty Steel

    Jonty Steel Member

    Dear all,

    I hope you are all well and I hope you can kindly assist in some information,

    It would appear that my late Father was captured on May 30th 1940 at Krombeke a Casualty Clearing Station just north of Poperinge on the French /Belgian border, as it is south of Dunkirk it makes sense that he was captured before Dunkirk fell.

    For sometime(going by a 1980s letter of his) he attended various military hospitals at Ypres, Calais and Aalst(near Gent) until the end of 1940 before being sent to several German POWs. Finally he was repatriated in October 1943. My brother and I have recently catalogued and read their war correspondence but being under self imposed censorship there is not too much-if any-interesting information on the build up before capture.

    I managed to find the links to the War Diaries at Kew but with them currently closed I have had to park this aspect of research at the moment.

    What I am trying to work out now is does anyone know the location of where the CCS was in Krombeke or where I would find this information? My brother and I would very much like to visit Krombeke whenever that is possible again.

    Also if there are any records of the similar Military Hospitals at that time in Ypres, Calais and Alost near Gent These are all the places he was at from capture until end of 1940/ early 1941


    I have tried contacting the Museum of Military Medicine but they do not have this information within their archives. I have applied for my fathers records via the Army Personnel Centre in Glasgow but I think due to the pandemic there has been some delay in getting this out, so my research alas has come to a dead end at the moment.

    Any help that will aid my brother and I to piece together a fuller history of what happened to him will be most appreciated.

    Kind Regards

    Jonty
     
  2. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    Welcome Jonty
    We have BEF experts on here
    A couple of forum members also offer a War Diary Copy service at a reasonable rate from Kew

    If you shared his name and regiment you might find a member has the relevant diary.

    Regards
    Clive
     
  3. CL1

    CL1 116th LAA and 92nd (Loyals) LAA,Royal Artillery

    for your interest


    There was a CCS at Krombeke (utilising the church and the school if anyone's interested) that cleared out on 29th/30th May 1940. I believe that most of the burials in Dozinghem cem. originate from here (hence the dates). Maybe L/Cpl Hill made it this far before dying? (Which, as the day after he died, his unit was at Watou, may not have actually been as far away as is immediately apparent)
    2nd Dorsets, killed Festubert, buried Belgium

    29th May 05.00 More of the wounded were loaded onto the Hospital Ship 'Paris' ?(see photo). It was now impossible to return to 10 CCS at Crombeke. At Crombeke the following personnel from 6th MAC were taken Prisoner - Maj. H.R. Fosberry RAMC, Lt The Earl of Cardigan RASC (who later escaped), 2nd Lt D.J. Hale RASC and about 15 other ranks.


    10 CCS moved to Crombeke on 23rd May 1940 and 'B' Section of 6th Motorised Ambulance Convoy under Lt Bath RASC was despatched from Hollandshaw Wood at 04.00 on the morning of 26th May to evacuate 10 CCS wounded to Dunkirk. 'A' Section was despatched to assist the evacuation at 06.50 from Hollandshaw wood under 2nd Lt Edward Lynch RASC with Lt Almond RAMC and Sgt. Sadler RASC. The whole of 10 CCS wounded were evacuated to Dunkirk from Crombeke at 12.00 on 26th May.

    More wounded were brought into 10 CCS from Messines (which was being badly shelled on 26th May). Then 6th MAC stationed at Crombeke were ordered to evacaute 11 CCS at Woumen at 23.00 on the 26th. 'B' section 6th MAC was sent from Crombeke to Woumen at 06.30 27th May to evacuate their wounded.

    By 15.00 on 27th May 10 CCS was full of wounded again 'D' Section evacuated the 200 wounded overflow to Stravele.

    On orders 6th Mac then went to Abele. On arrival at 18.00 on 27th, they were informed that 10 CCS was again full of wounded and they were ordered to return to Crombeke. At 22.00 they arrived after bad bombing and road congestion had made it difficult to move.

    They awaited the return of 'B'section ambulances from the evacuation of 11 CCS at Woumen.

    28th May at 06.00 approximately 35 of their vehicles returned from Dunkirk. At 08.30 they had to take the Ypres Furness Road to Dunkirk. However the road became congested for 3 or 4 miles when they reached Adenkirke, so they took a side track inland in the Moines direction passing some infantry positions when they were heavily bombed and straffed, blowing up two ambulances killing one of the drivers T. Lane RASC and badly wounding Dvr Hodgkins RASC and re-wounding many of the wounded they had on board. About 15 of the wounded were in a poor state and one of them died. They then passed through some artillery lines and back on to the Dunkirk Road. At 19.30 they were back in Dunkirk getting the wounded onto ships.

    29th May 05.00 More of the wounded were loaded onto the Hospital Ship 'Paris' ?(see photo). It was now impossible to return to 10 CCS at Crombeke. At Crombeke the following personnel from 6th MAC were taken Prisoner - Maj. H.R. Fosberry RAMC, Lt The Earl of Cardigan RASC (who later escaped), 2nd Lt D.J. Hale RASC and about 15 other ranks.

    No 6 MAC evacuated 600 wounded from 10 CCS, 700 wounded from 11 CCS, 1100 from No 6 CCS Railhead and Dunkirk and took some of 2nd MAC's detachments and evacuated a further 600. Making 3000 wounded altogether.
    No 10 Casualty Clearing Station, Lille (1940)



    2nd Dorsets, killed Festubert, buried Belgium

    Award Major. W.R. Henderson, RAMC OBE POW


    Home - Scarlet Finders
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2021
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  4. Jonty Steel

    Jonty Steel Member

     
  5. Jonty Steel

    Jonty Steel Member

    How silly of me not to include my fathers details
    Major Geoffrey Carter Steel RAMC(Anaesthetist)
    Dog Tag No 99100
    As it was the beginning of WW2 his rank might have still been Lieutenant
    Thanks Jonty
     
  6. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Looks like he might still have been a Lt in 1945
    UK, British Army Records and Lists, 1882-1962
    Name: G. C. Steel
    Military Year: 1945
    Regiment: Royal Army Medical Corps-Supplementary Reserve
    Rank: Lieutenant

    I dont have Fold3 access which would show more - but all the records from 1940 - 1945 show him as Lieutenant

    He doesnt appear on the databases I have as a POW though

    TD

    https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34680/supplement/6241/data.pdf
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2021
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  7. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    There are several files at TNA of capture at Krombeke - as an example

    Prisoner of War Card
    Name: Richard Forbes . Date of Birth: 30/8/1915 . Place of Birth: Newcastle on Tyne .... | The National Archives
    Reference: WO 416/124/242
    Description:
    Name: Richard Forbes.
    Date of Birth: 30/8/1915.
    Place of Birth: Newcastle on Tyne.
    Service: British Army.
    Rank: Lieutenant.
    Regiment/Unit/Squadron: Durham Light Infantry.
    Service Number: [unspecified].
    Date of Capture: 30 May 1940.
    Theatre of Capture: Krombeke.


    Unfortunately there isnt one for Geoffrey - only a divorce petition in 1936 - Divorce Court File: 2012. Appellant: Elizabeth Daphne Steel. Respondent: Geoffrey Carter... | The National Archives


    TD
     
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  8. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    He is mentioned in the Casualty Lists:
    List No 252 Dated 11 July 1940 - Missing, dated not reported, rank A/Maj
    List No 305 Dated 11 September 1940 - Reported POW, rank A/Maj
    List No 1281 Dated 3 November 1943 - Reported repatriated, rank corrected to T/Maj

    There is however no POW details.
     
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  9. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Then that will be this repatriation Disabled PoWs repatriated in Prisoner Exchange – World War II Today.

    TD

    This file in TNA may be of interest assuming he was on board
    Repatriation of prisoners of war from Germany, 19 October 1943 | The National Archives
    Reference: ADM 358/1844
    Description:
    Repatriation of prisoners of war from Germany, 19 October 1943
    Date: 1943 Jan 01 - 1943 Dec 31
    Held by: The National Archives, Kew
    Former reference in its original department: CW(C) 552/43
    Legal status: Public Record(s)
    Closure status: Open Document, Open Description
    Access conditions: Open on Transfer
    Record opening date: 19 October 2012
     
    Last edited: Jan 21, 2021
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  10. Tony56

    Tony56 Member Patron

    Can we assume that this is he?
     

    Attached Files:

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  11. Jonty Steel

    Jonty Steel Member

    Hi Tricky Dicky,
    Thanks for your research.I have fathers dates and locations of the various POW camps from his letters to my mother if that is any help.
    Yes he did produce plays when a POW.Have a pic of him talking about this with other guests on the BBC.
    Only have sketchy details of his repatriation late 1943 when he accompanied back sick POW's.The family story is that he helped contaminate sputum in TB tests to get back certain POWs to England.
    We know about his first marriage and through a researcher have discovered a wonderful branch of our family in Canada.
    Let me know if I can be of any further help.
    In the meantime thank you
    JontySteel
     
  12. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    I have no intention of going any further - I was posting those details in a bid to help you fill in details to help you, but it seems not required

    In this matter as far as I am concerned you can be no further help to me

    TD
     
  13. Jonty Steel

    Jonty Steel Member

    Well TD if that's the end so be it.!!
    You have been of help to me and my brother..
    Goodbye Then.
     
  14. Jonty Steel

    Jonty Steel Member

    Hi Tony,
    As a novice to this forum I missed that it was you that discovered a poster of my Father's POW theatrical exploits so many thanks for that.He did tell us that there was a professional "theatrical in one of the camps who was very sniffy about my fathers amateur work.
    Again many thanks
    Jonty
     
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