2717553 Guardsman John BYRNE, Irish Guards: 06/04/1948

Date of Enlistment: 1 December 1931

Army Number: 2717553
Rank: Guardsman
Name: John BYRNE
Unit: 2 Irish Guards ; 1 Irish Guards


Date of Birth: 31 March 1914
Place of Birth: Gorey, Co. Wexford

Date of Capture: 24 May 1940
Place of Capture: Boulogne, France

POW Number: 5868
POW Camps: Stalag XXA, Stalag IIIA, Stalag XXID, Stalag IIA

 

Name: Jack Byrne . Date of Birth: 31/3/1914 . Place of Birth: Gorey . Service: British... | The National Archives
Reference: WO 416/53/312
Name: Jack Byrne.
Date of Birth: 31/3/1914.
Place of Birth: Gorey.
Service: British Army.
Rank: Private.
Regiment/Unit/Squadron: Irish Guards.
Service Number: 2717553.
Date of Capture: 24 May 1940.
Theatre of Capture: Boulogne, France.
Camp Name/Number: Stalag XXA Thorn.
PoW number: 5868.
Date of Death: [unspecified].
Number of Photographs: 0.
Number of Fingerprints: 0.
Number of X-rays: 0.
Number of Cards: 2.
Date: [1939-1945]

 

General Questionnaire for British Ex-Prisoners of War
PART I

1. No.: 2717553
Rank: Guardsman
Surname: BYRNE
Christian Names: John
Decorations: -

2. Unit (Army): 2nd Bn. IRISH GUARDS
3. Division (Army): -

4. Date of Birth: 31st March 1913
5. Date of Enlistment: 1st December 1931
6. Civilian Trade: Shoe Maker
7. Private Address: 39 William Street, Gorey, Co. Wexford

8. Place and Date of Capture: 25th May 1940, France

9. Were you Wounded when Captured: NO

10. Main Camps or Hospitals in which imprisoned
Camp No. / Location / From & To
STALAG XXA / POLAND / JUNE TO AUGUST 1940
STALAG IIIA / BRANDENBURG / DECEMBER 1940 TO AUGUST 1941
STALAG XXED / POLAND / AUGUST 1941 TO MAY 1944
STALAG IIIA BRANDENBURG / MAY 1944 TO APRIL 1945
STALAG IIA ANNEBURG / APRIL 1945


11. Were you in a Working Camp?
Location / From & To / Nature of Work
FREISACK / September - December / Canal
KOSTAN / - - / Sand


12. Did you suffer from any Serious Illnesses while a P/W?:
Nature of Illness / Cause / Duration
TB Suspect -

Did you receive adequate Medical Treatment?:
Treatment never cleared up



PART II
1. No.: 2717553
Rank: Guardsman
Surname: BYRNE
Christian Names: John

2. Lectures before Capture
(State where, when and by whom)
(a) Were you lectured in your unit on how to behave in the event of capture?:
NO
(b ) Were you lectured on escape and evasion?:
NO

3. Interrogation after Capture
(State where, when and methods employed by enemy)
Were you specially interrogated by the enemy?:
I WAS INTERROGATED AND ASKED TO FIGHT FOR GERMANY AND IRELAND AT FRISACK CAMP.


4. Escapes attempted.
Did you make any attempted or party successful escapes?
(Give details of each attempt separately, stating where, when, method employed, names of your companions, where and when captured and by whom. Were you physically fit? What happened to our companions?)
I MADE ATTEMPT TO ESCAPE WITH TWO COMPANIONS. ONE HAD TO LEAVE US. HE HAD A BAD FOOT. HIS NAME WAS CORPORAL GALVIN. SERGEANT PATTERSON AND MYSELF WERE RECAPTURED BY THE POLICE. I MADE A SECOND ATTEMPT THE SAME DAY AS I WAS RECAPTURED. I WAS FREE FOR TWO DAYS AND WAS CAUGHT AT THE FRONT BY THE ARMY AT WITTENBURG.


5. Sabotage.
Did you do any sabotage or destruction of enemy factory plant, war material, communications, etc., when employed on working-parties or during escape?
(Give details, places and dates).
-

6. Collaboration with enemy.
Do you know of any British or American personnel who collaborated with the enemy or in any way helped the enemy against other Allied PoWS?
(Give details, names of person(s) concerned, camp(s), dates and nature of collaboration or help given to enemy).
-

7. War Crimes.
If you have any information or evidence of bad treatment by the enemy to yourself or to others, or knowledge of any enemy violation of Geneva Convention you should ask for a copy of “Form Q” on which to make your statement.
-

8. Have you any other matter of any kind you wish to bring to notice?
-

SECURITY UNDERTAKING.
I fully realised that all information relating to the matters covered by the questions in PART II are of a highly secret and official nature.
I have had explained to me and fully understand that under Defence Regulations or U.S.A.R. 380-5 I am forbidden to publish or communicate any information concerning these matters.


Date: 2nd May 1945
Signature: John Byrne

 

See also:

• Quarterly Historical Reports: 1st Bn IRISH GUARDS, January 1947 - March 1949

From

• Quarterly Historical Reports: 1st Bn IRISH GUARDS, January 1947 - March 1949

An account of my father's:

At ARMAGH BARRACKS I 'fell in' with a 'Tabs' BYRNE. There were a couple by that name, one was from Tyrone, but he was from Dublin - I think.
He was a pre-war Guardsman about 6' 5" and everything that goes with that.
He was taken POW in 1940 and did 5 years as a prisoner.

When he came to us he was put in the bunk next to me and the was a great fella. He married an ATS girl from Dublin and she died of cancer. That hit him awful hard. He went out to Palestine and got killed there.

But when he joined us in Armagh he was getting his gear out next to me, and he took out this oil painting. It was about 2' by 2'. I don't know where it went to, but it was breath-taking.

The 1st Battalion came back from Palestine in 1938 or so [1st tour] and they went to Paris. The painting - they were marching on the Champs Elysees. Their red tunics on, immaculate.

I said to Tabs, "Boy I'd love a copy of that"
He said, "That's one thing I'd never part with"

 

Army Number: 2717553
Rank: Guardsman
Name: J BYRNE
Unit: 1 Irish Guards
GSM & Clasp: GSM, Palestine Clasp 1936 - 1939
TNA Reference: WO 100/503

 

http://www.veterans-uk.info/afm2/certificate-hi-res.php?SerialNo=X14496
Surname: BYRNE
Forenames/Initials: John
Rank: Gdsm
Service: Army
Service Number: 2717553
Regiment/Corps: IRISH GUARDS
Date of Birth: 31 March 1913
Age: 35
Date of Death: 06 April 1948
Cemetery Name: Haifa, israel
Cemetery Address: PALESTINE
Grave Section: Plot F
Grave Row: F
Grave Number: 13
Included on Armed Forces Memorial: Yes
Included on Roll of Honour: Yes

Roll of Honour - Databases - Palestine 1945-1948 - British Casualties - Search Results
Surname: BYRNE, John
Rank: Guardsman
Service No: 2717553
Regiment: Irish Guards
Date of death: 6 April 1948
Age at death: 35
Died how: Killed as men of the 12th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery, were withdrawing from a large camp which the Army were evacuating near Pardes Hanna, north of Hadera, when attacked by Jews. The sentry and three other members of the guard were held up against the guardhouse wall, shot in the back, and killed. The wireless mast was then destroyed and shots fired into the camp, killing one more soldier and mortally injuring the commanding officer. The attackers were believed to be part of the Irgun.

Buried or Commemorated: Haifa War Cemetery, Palestine
Bur or Com Ref: Plot F Row F Grave 13
Place of birth: Gorey, Co. Wexford
Biography:
Born 31 March 1913