2719823 Guardsman Douglas BURNELL, 2 Irish Guards: PoW

Date of Enlistment: 5 January 1940

Army Number: 2719823
Rank: Guardsman
Name: Douglas BURNELL
Unit: 2 Irish Guards

Date of Birth: 25 December 1917
Place of Birth: Cheltenham

Date of Capture: 23 May 1940
Place of Capture: Boulogne, France

POW Number: 5763
POW Camps: Stalag XXA, Stalag XXB



See also:

• Long March POW Casualty 1945: John Antony Ronald Coulthard, Stalag XXA, Thorn

 

Name: Douglas Burnell . Date of Birth: 25/12/1917 . Place of Birth: Cheltenham .... | The National Archives
Reference: WO 416/51/143
Description:
Name: Douglas Burnell.
Date of Birth: 25/12/1917.
Place of Birth: Cheltenham.
Service: British Army.
Rank: [Guardsman].
Regiment/Unit/Squadron: Irish Guards.
Service Number: 2719823.
Date of Capture: 23 May 1940.
Theatre of Capture: Boulogne.
Camp Name/Number: Stalag XXA Thorn Podgorz.
PoW number: 5763.
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.: 2719823
Rank: Guardsman
Surname: BURNELL
Christian Names: Douglas
Decorations: -

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

4. Date of Birth: 25/12/1917
5. Date of Enlistment: 5/1/1940
6. Civilian Trade: Clerk
7. Private Address: 4 Ferngate Drive, Withington, Manchester 20, Lancashire, England

8. Place and Date of Capture: 23/5/1940, Boulogne

9. Were you Wounded when Captured: NO

10. Main Camps or Hospitals in which imprisoned
Camp No. / Location / From & To
STALAG XXB / MARIENBURG / 1940 - 1943
STALAG XXA / THORN, POLAND / 1943 - 1945


11. Were you in a Working Camp?
Location / From & To / Nature of Work
GOTENHAFEN / 17/7/1940 - 9/1941 / As Clerk and Interpreter in each case
DANZIG / 5/12/1941 - 12/9/1943
THORN / 12/9/1943 - 20/4/1945


12. Did you suffer from any Serious Illnesses while a P/W?:
Nature of Illness / Cause / Duration
Dysentery / Bad/Lack of Food / 3 Weeks
Did you receive adequate Medical Treatment?:
Complaint whilst on the Evacuation March from Poland





PART II
1. No.: 2719823
Rank: Guardsman
Surname: BURNELL
Christian Names: Douglas

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?:
Normal verbal 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?)
(1) Early 1940 at Gotenhafen - attempted to board a Swedish ship. Escaped while Guard was engaged in conversation. Recaptured by German Dock Guard.
(2) On the Evacuation March from Poland. Hid in the straw in a farm. By Polce Dog. Received thread of shooting. 9 rifle butt strokes.


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).
Engaged in Camp work the whole time.


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).
NO

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?
NO


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: 19th April 1945
Signature: D Burnell

Tony Coulthard died on the line of march from Poland at a barn near Dormitz. He was in an extremely weak condition from Dysentery, but the final blow (in my eyes) was a cold bath in the open, carried out by a Medical Orderly acting on orders from a German W.O. in charge of the column.

Hptm. Mackensen No. 1 Co. Landeschutz Batt. 714 was the officer responsible for the column.
Coulthard was buried in Dormitz by four of our men.

 

2719823 Guardsman Douglas BURNELL 2nd Battalion Irish Guards
25th December 1917 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire - 16th March 1988 Cheltenham, Gloucestershire aged 70


Guardsman Burnell (middle row, 5th from right) Stalag XXB Marienburg

Manchester Evening News Wednesday 29th October 1941