2718015 Lance-Corporal Cecil Wilfred BENSON, 1 Irish Guards: PoW

Date of Enlistment: 4 June 1934

Army Number: 2418015
Rank: Lance-Corporal
Name: Cecil Wilfred Lake BENSON
Unit: Irish Guards

Date of Birth: 14 March 1920
Place of Birth: Dublin

Date of Capture: 26 May 1940
Place of Capture: Rognan, Norway

POW Number: 23144
POW Camps: Stalag VIIIB, Stalag 344

 

Army Number: 2718015
Rank: Drummer, Lance Corporal
Name: C BENSON
Unit: 1 Irish Guards
GSM & Clasp: GSM, Palestine Clasp 1936 - 1939
TNA Reference: WO 100/503

 

WO 344-25-2

PART I
General Questionnaire for British Ex-Prisoners of War

1. No.: 2718015
Rank: Lance Corporal
Surname: BENSON
Christian Names: Cecil Wilfred
Decorations: -

2. Unit (Army): 1st Battalion IRISH GUARDS
3. Division (Army): 24th GUARDS BRIGADE

4. Date of Birth: 14 March 1920
5. Date of Enlistment: 4 June 1934
6. Civilian Trade: Student
7. Private Address: No permanent address: c/o Mrs MACKENZIE, ‘Mintings’, Clifton Road, Chesham Bois, Bucks, England

8. Place of Capture: Rognan, Norway
Date of Capture: 26 May 1940

9. Were you Wounded when Captured: No

10. Main Camps or Hospitals in which imprisoned
Camp No. Location From & To
Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf Germany 12 June 1940 - 3 March 1945
Stalag VIIB Memmingen Germany 8 March 1945 - 26 April 1945

11. Were you in a Working Camp?
-
Location From & To Nature of Work
Lamsdorf - Shoemaking

12. Did you suffer from any Serious Illnesses while a P/W?:
-
Nature of Illness Cause Duration
Dyptheria Neglect 5 weeks
Loss of Sensitive Reaction to Pain Hands Not Known April 1941 - September 1943

Did you receive adequate Medical Treatment?:
No treatment received for 2.


PART II

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?:
Yes, by German Officers who attempted to instill fear of execution, by evasive remarks, e.g. “The General does not want useless prisoners”, Rognan, Norway, May 28th, 1940.

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?)
-

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).
In Norway Lance Corporal Sullivan IRISH GUARDS and I loaded ammunition under guard. We managed, owing to guards laxity, to load half of each lorry, five in all, with empty cases and break sights of three mortars.

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 of Signature: 8 May 1945

 

Army Number: 2718015
Rank: Lance-Corporal
Name: Cecil Wilfred BENSON
Unit: 1 Irish Guards
Theatre: Norway
POW Number: 13144
Date of Capture: 26/05/1940
Place of Capture: Rognan
Camp: Stalag 344

 

Name: Cecil Wilfred Lake Benson . Date of Birth: 14 March 1920 . Place of Birth:... | The National Archives
Reference: WO 416/27/299
Name: Cecil Wilfred Lake Benson.
Date of Birth: 14 March 1920.
Place of Birth: Dublin.
Service: British Army.
Rank: Corporal.
Regiment/Unit/Squadron: Irish Guards.
Service Number: 2418015.
Date of Capture: [unspecified].
Theatre of Capture: [unspecified].
Camp Name/Number: Stalag VIIIB Lamsdorf.
PoW number: 23144.
Date of Death: [unspecified].
Number of Photographs: 0.
Number of Fingerprints: 0.
Number of X-rays: 0.
Number of Cards: 3.
Date: [1939-1945]