2719064 Lance-Corporal Thomas COLLEY, 2 Irish Guards: POW

Date of Enlistment: 4 May 1939

Army Number: 2719064
Rank: Lance-Corporal
Name: Thomas COLLEY
Unit: 2 Irish Guards

Date of Birth: 6 May 1920
Place of Birth: Castleford
Residence as at 20 May 1945 : 29 The Croft, Castleford, Yorkshire

Date of Capture: 26 May 1940
Place of Capture: Boulogne, France

POW Number: 3426
POW Camps: Stalag XXIB, Stalag XXID, Stalag VIIIB

 

Army Number: 2719064
Rank: Lance-Corporal
Name: T COLLEY
Unit: 2 Irish Guards
Theatre: France 1940
POW Number: 3426
Date of Capture: 26/05/1940
Place of Capture: Boulogne

 

WO 344-68-2


PART I
General Questionnaire for British Ex-Prisoners of War

1. No.: 2719064
Rank: Lance Corporal
Surname: COLLEY
Christian Names: Thomas
Decorations: -

2. Unit (Army): 2nd Battalion IRISH GUARDS
3. Division (Army): 20th GUARDS BRIGADE

4. Date of Birth: 6 May 1920
5. Date of Enlistment: 4 May 1939
6. Civilian Trade: Pork Butcher
7. Private Address: 29 The Croft, Castleford, Yorkshire

8. Place of Capture: Boulogne, FRANCE
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 21B Poland June 1940 - May 1941
Stalag 21D Posen Poland May 1941 - June 1941
Stalag 8B Lamsdorf Germany June 1941 - January 1945

11. Were you in a Working Camp?
Location From & To Nature of Work
Sternberg July 1941 - July 1942 Straw Pressing
Jagerndorf Dec 1942 - June 1943 Cloth Factory
Orpeln August 1943 - January 1945 Forestry

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

Did you receive adequate Medical Treatment?:
-


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?:
-
(b) Were you lectured on escape and evasion?:
-

3. Interrogation after Capture
(State where, when and methods employed by enemy)
Were you specially interrogated by the enemy?:
Only after recapture on attempted escape March 1941 in Stalag 21B
August 1943 in Stalag 344 8B
Normal interrogation

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?)
November 1940 free for 7 days in Poland.
Companions P. BAR??? (C.M.P.) and EDWARDS (WELSH GUARDS)
All recaptured June 1943 free for 20 days in Germany.
Companion GREEN, (A.I.F.)
Methods normal, physically fit.

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?
The treatment of British Prisoners of War in FRANCE 1940 by German authorities.
The treatment of British Prisoners of War in GERMANY 1945 from January onwards, after the invasion of Russian Armies.

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: 20 May 1945

 

Name: Thomas Colley . Date of Birth: 6/5/1920 . Place of Birth: Castleford . ... | The National Archives
Reference: WO 416/72/318
Name: Thomas Colley.
Date of Birth: 6/5/1920.
Place of Birth: Castleford.
Service: British Army.
Rank: Lance Corporal.
Regiment/Unit/Squadron: Irish Guards.
Service Number: [2719064].
Date of Capture: 23 May 1940.
Theatre of Capture: Boulogne.
Camp Name/Number: Stalag XXIB Schubin.
PoW number: 3426.
Date of Death: [unspecified].
Number of Photographs: 1.
Number of Fingerprints: 1.
Number of X-rays: 0.
Number of Cards: 2.
Date: [1939-1945]