6399273 Corporal John Edward STEPHENS, Royal Sussex Regiment ; HQ No. 1 Special Force: POW

Army Number: 6399273
Rank: Corporal
Name: John Edward STEPHENS
Unit: Royal Sussex Regiment ; HQ No. 1 Special Force, SOE

• Army Number Block Allocations
• Royal Sussex Regiment 6390001 - 6446000

 

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

1. No. - 6399273
RANK - CPL
SURNAME - STEPHENS
CHRISTIAN NAMES - JOHN EDWARD
DECORATIONS -

2. UNIT (ARMY) - HQ No. 1 SPECIAL FORCE (LATE ROYAL SUSSEX)

3. DIVISION (ARMY) -

4. DATE OF BIRTH - 3/11/21

5. DATE OF ENLISTMENT - 18/11/36 (T.A.)

6. CIVILIAN TRADE OR PROFESSION - LABOURER

7. PRIVATE ADDRESS - 126 COLLYER AVE., BOGNOR REGIS, SUSSEX.

8. PLACE AND DATE OF ORIGINAL CAPTURE - FROBOSA [FRABOSA?] (ITALY) 12/12/44

9. WERE YOU WOUNDED WHEN CAPTURED? NO

10. MAIN CAMPS OR HOSPITALS IN WHICH IMPRISONED
Camp No. / Location / From / Till
STALAG 383 JAN - APRIL

11. WERE YOU IN A WORKING CAMP?
Location / From/ Till / Nature of Work
NO

12. DID YOU SUFFER FROM ANY SERIOUS ILLNESSES WHILE A P/W?
Nature of Illness / Cause / Duration
NO

12 b. DID YOU RECEIVE ADEQUATE MEDICAL TREATMENT?
NO


GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE PART II TOP SECRET

1. No. - 6399273
RANK - CPL
SURNAME - STEPHENS
CHRISTIAN NAMES - JOHN EDWARD


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).
MONOPOLI (ITALY) UNIT SECURITY OFFICER
( b ) Were you lectured on escape and evasion? (State where, when and by whom).
CAIRO UNIT SECURITY OFFICER

3. INTERROGATION after capture:
Were you specially interrogated by the enemy? (State where, when and methods employed by enemy).
TURIN IN DECEMBER BY AN S.S. COMMANDANT WHO TRIED TO ACCUSE ME OF BEING A SPY IN CIVILIAN CLOTHES.

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.)
-

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).
=

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 coming 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?
-


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 13/5/45
Signature J Stephens, Cpl

 

Name: John Stephens . Date of Birth: 03/11/1921 . Place of Birth: [Bognor Regis] . ... | The National Archives
Reference: WO 416/344/346
Name: John Stephens.
Date of Birth: 03/11/1921.
Place of Birth: [Bognor Regis].
Service: British Army.
Rank: Corporal.
Regiment/Unit/Squadron: [unspecified].
Service Number: 6399273.
Date of Capture: [unspecified].
Theatre of Capture: [unspecified].
Camp Name/Number: Stalag VIIA Moosburg.
PoW number: 144104.
Date of Death: [unspecified].
Number of Photographs: 0.
Number of Fingerprints: 0.
Number of X-rays: 0.
Number of Cards: 2.
Date: [1939-1945]

 

Do you know which Battalion of Sussex, could it have been 2nd?

 

This is all I have, from the POW questionnaire: Late Royal Sussex
Beside his enlistment date, he states T.A.

 

Its just my wild speculation ,
SOE :-maybe parachuting behind enemy lines.
2nd Sussex Battalion became 10 Bn. Para .Regt.
If he was with at 2nd that time he would have carried out parachute training thus leading to SOE .
My imagination running away with itself .