2733470 Guardsman John Ralph GIBBS, 1 Welsh Guards: POW

Date of Enlistment: 1 June 1932
Army Number: 2733470
Rank: Guardsman
Name: John Ralph GIBBS
Unit: 1 Welsh Guards

Date of Birth: 13 November 1909
Place of Birth: Swansea

Date of Capture: 24 May 1940
Place of Capture: Near Cassel, France or Arras, France

POW Number: 7608
POW Camps: Stalag XXA, BAB 20

 

Name: John Ralph Gibbs . Date of Birth: 13/11/1909 . Place of Birth: Swansea . ... | The National Archives
Reference: WO 416/137/94
Name: John Ralph Gibbs.
Date of Birth: 13/11/1909.
Place of Birth: Swansea.
Service: British Army.
Rank: Guardsman.
Regiment/Unit/Squadron: Welsh Guards.
Service Number: 2733470.
Date of Capture: 24 May 1940.
Theatre of Capture: Arras [France].
Camp Name/Number: Stalag XXA Thorn (Poland)
PoW number: 7608.
Date of Death: [unspecified].
Number of Photographs: 1.
Number of Fingerprints: 1.
Number of X-rays: 0.
Number of Cards: 3.

 

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PART I.
GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR BRITISH/AMERICAN EX-PRISONERS OF WAR.

1. No. 2733470
RANK - Guardsman
SURNAME - GIBBS
CHRISTIAN NAMES - JOHN RALPH
DECORATIONS -

2. UNIT (ARMY) - 1st Battalion H.M. WELSH GUARDS

3. DIVISION (ARMY) - H.Q. Protection Battalion

4. DATE OF BIRTH - 13th November 1909

5. DATE OF ENLISTMENT - June 1st 1932

6. CIVILIAN TRADE OR PROFESSION (OR EXAMINATIONS PASSED WHILE P/W) - Bricklayer apprentice trained
Qualified to General Foreman or Clerk of Works.

7. PRIVATE ADDRESS - Bay Tree Cottage, Murton, Bishopston, Swansea, South Wales

8. PLACE AND DATE OF ORIGINAL CAPTURE - May 24th 1940 at near Cassel

9. WERE YOU WOUNDED WHEN CAPTURED? - Yes, six shrapnel wounds.
Attended by a Belgian doctor in the field after capture.


10. MAIN CAMPS OR HOSPITALS IN WHICH IMPRISONED
Camp No. / Location / From / Till
-

11. WERE YOU IN A WORKING CAMP?
Location / From/ Till / Nature of Work
STALAG XXA THORN July 1940 - August 1940
W POLAND August 1940 - Feb. 1941 Demolition
as BAB 20 THORN AND MARIENBURG Feb. 194- [?1941] - March 1942 Loading & Unloading
Heydebreck March 1942 - Jan. 1945 Construction


12. DID YOU SUFFER FROM ANY SERIOUS ILLNESSES WHILE A P/W?
Nature of Illness / Cause / Duration
Tenosynovitis, Right Wrist / General Conditions / up to present day
12 b. DID YOU RECEIVE ADEQUATE MEDICAL TREATMENT?
No adequate treatment available for this disease.
Unable to secure proper dental treatment.



GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE PART II TOP SECRET

1. No. 2733470
RANK - Gdsmn
SURNAME - GIBBS
CHRISTIAN NAMES - JOHN RALPH


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

3. INTERROGATION after capture:
Were you specially interrogated by the enemy? (State where, when and methods employed by enemy).
Questioned but not specially interrogated.

4. ESCAPES attempted:
Did you make any attempted or partly successful escapes? (Give details of each attempt accurately, stating where, when, method employed, names of your companions, wherein when recaptured and by whom. Were you physically fit? What happened to your 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.)
Yes at Heydebreck omitting to reinforce and removing iron bars from concrete, filling pipes with sand at the petrol plant, burying in sand pulsometers and other electrical equipment used at the Water gas factory.


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 agains other Allied Prisoners of War? (Give details, names of persons concerned, camps, dates and nature of collaboration or help given to enemy).
C.S.M. HOMER Rifle Brigade, the conduct of this N.C.O. is not all it may have been. Also
C.S.M. LETTS letting men go out to work in 1940 who were in no condition to do so, when he could have prevented a good deal of suffering.


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.
(NOTE: Form Q is a separate form inviting information on "War Crimes" and describes the kind of offences coning under this title.)



GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE PART II TOP SECRET
(continued)

8. Have you any other matter of any kind you wish to bring to notice?
The constant devotion to duty and gallantry of M.O. Capt. JAMES OF BAB 20 during Air Raid at Heydebreck and Bayreuth. I demand that some form of decoration be granted this officer as an appreciation of the services he rendered and the number of lives he undoubtedly saved by his foresight.


SECURITY UNDERTAKING
I fully realise that all information relating 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 April 30th 1945
Signature J. R. Gibbs

 

See also:

• 127676 Captain William Oswald JAMES, MBE, Royal Army Medical Corps: POW