70735 Capt Alexander Rodger STEWART, Royal Army Service Corps: POW, died UK 14/05/1945

I've been absent from the forum for quite some time, so I hope it's ok if I ask for some help and advice in researching Capt. Stewart, who is a former pupil of Perth Academy and is commemorated on the school memorial.

Capt. Stewart is one of 16 former pupils of the school (6 from WW1 and 10 from WW2) who are buried in the local cemetery in Perth. As part of a virtual Remembrance Service, 16 groups of students will lay flowers at each of the graves and we would like them to have as much information as possible on all of the fallen.

Casualty Details | CWGC

I've attached his personal information and a couple of newspaper articles which I managed to find in the local library prior to lockdown.

I've also managed to find out that he was a POW in Oflag Camp No. VII-B, Eichstätt, Bavaria. POW No: 1120.

Is there any way of finding out which regiment/division he might have been assigned to as a Chemist with the RASC and also where and when he might have been taken prisoner?

A number of our former pupils were part of the 51st Highland Division captured at St Valery and spent the whole of the war as POWs in Germany and Poland. I wonder if this is a possibilty?

Many thanks,
Dave

 

That's great! Thanks very much dbf.

I'm not an expert, but If he was in the TA when war was declared and in the 51st Highland Division he would probably have been part of the BEF and captured at St Valery.

We took the great-granddaughter of a member of the 51st on the school trip last year and visited La Bassee where he escaped briefly on the forced march to Germany. I will pass this information on to her grandad and see if he can find any more.

Thanks again,
Dave

 

Looking through the casualty lists it seems that he would have been captured around June 1940:-
Casualty list No. 242 Dated 27 June 1940
Expeditionary Force / France / Missing Date not reported

Casualty list No. 274 Dated 6 August 1940
Expeditionary Force / France / Prisoner of war (previously reported as missing)

He was later taken ill:
Casualty list No. 1758 Dated 15 May 1945
Expeditionary Force / Western Europe / Wounded / Dangerously ill 10.5.45

Casualty list No. 1761 Dated 19 May 1945
Expeditionary Force / Western Europe / Previously reported wounded Date not reported now reported died of wounds 14.5.45

Casualty list No. 1804 Dated 10 July 1945
Correction to lists 1758 / 1761 should read:
Home / Previously reported wounded DNR now reported died of wounds

Lists give no more detail.

 

Thank you very much Tony56.

This must be the story of many others I suppose, but to survive for 5 years as a POW and then to die of wounds when you're almost home seems so sad.

Cheers,
Dave

 

Thanks to some newspaper cuttings I have received I now know a bit more of Alex Stewart's story. There are reports of his time as a POW, the circumstances of his death and his funeral.

Thought I'd post them just in case they are of interest to anyone.

Dave