Hi, I am trying to piece together my late grandfather's war history... Like so many he had been through harrowing times and was very reluctant to discuss his experiences. He passed away some years ago and so we only have the odd thing my mum heard over the years.. He was a L/Cpl in the above regiment and like so many others became a POW at St Valery En-Caux on 12/6/1940, ending up at Stalag V111b.. He returned home on 13/5/1945.. One thing we are trying to find out is how he ended up being awarded the MM as the citation has never come to light.. We applied to the usual places but no record of the citation remains.. He mentioned to mum being captured in a wood but not much else, but she remembers him turning up after the war ended really skinny and ill looking.. I'm only now realising why as he had just finished a long walk back west.. He was 4532749 L/Cpl Arthur Hopkinson.. POW 18149..
Hi, If you want information about his time as POW use this link and apply to ICRC Requests for information about people held during the Spanish Civil War or the Second World War: Quarterly limit reached They will accept enquiries again from 15th Jan - a downloadable form will pop up o.n the site that day - but be quick as it usually closes to new applications after 48 or 72 hours. Annoyingly you don’t get an acknowledgement from ICRC that your application has been received but you ought to get his papers within 8 to 12 weeks. In respect of his Army Service you’ll need to apply to MOD Glasgow for his service file via this link - Get a copy of military service records: Apply for the records of someone who's deceased - GOV.UK You may be lucky and find the citation for his MM is in his file. Cost £30 + death certificate. Good Luck Steve PS Other members may be able to assist re the unit War Diary.
UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 Name: A Hopkinson Rank: Lance Corporal Army Number: 4532749 Regiment: Royal Norfolk Regiment POW Number: 18149 Camp Type: Stalag Camp Number: 344 (Another reference number for Stalg VIIIB - Lamsdorf) Camp Location: Lambinowice, Poland Record Office: Infantry Record Office, Warwick Record Office Number: 21 TD added Searching TNA records for "military medal 4532749" turns up nothing - so not sure about MM - one way would be to ask the MOD medals dept to see what was issued to your relative Veterans UK MOD Medal Office Innsworth House Imjin Barracks Gloucester GL3 1HW Freephone (UK only): 0808 191 4218 Telephone (from overseas): +44 125 386 6043 Email: DBS-Medals@mod.uk
Thanks for the replies, we have found his medal being awarded via the Gazette at the end of the war and we have his medal but not the citation.. Knowing him he probably got rid of it, the medal was left in a drawer until my mum rescued it.. How would it be possible to find out which company he was attached to? I have a copy of the war diary from the 7th battalion
Thanks for reminding me. I've just checked Kews records online and I got 14 returns, but none of them match your chap unfortunately. Search results: wo 373 hopkinson | The National Archives
