Inspired by the amazing detective work on the thread regarding McLeod (initially thought Stanley but actually Douglas Carmichael McLeod) I'm also trying to trace relatives of another crew member of 297 Squadron Whitley Mk V EB297 Flight Sergeant (Air Gunner). GIBBS, MICHAEL RALEIGH. (POW). I have his POW report and know he was born 18 May 1922. Nakuru , Kenya I next find him in the Peerage here: Person Page It looks as if he died before 1952, and his wife Susan Mary Jocelyn Semple remarries , James Angus Graham, 7th Duke of Montrose, However we have a daughter of their marriage in Kenya Jocelyn Gibbs
I trust you have seen this: Susan, Dowager Duchess of Montrose | HeraldScotland "The Dowager Duchess is survived by her children Jocelyn, Kirstie, Donald, Calum and Lilias, as well as 14 grandchildren and four great grandchildren."
Thanks harkness, yes I had seen that. Trying to find these people i.e a phone number or address , is a tad harder, while they appear in many trees on ancestry, its mostly people who seem to enjoy mapping out the royal tree, rather than having any direct contact. They also tend to be ex-directory I have emailed the estate of the Duke of Montrose, possibly they will pass on my request
Never seen the notes at the bottom of a record like these before - hmmmmmm UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 Name: M R Gibbs Rank: Warrant Officer Army Number: 791148 Regiment: Royal Air Force : Officers & Other Ranks Nationality: S. Rhodesian POW Number: 27565 Camp Type: Stalag Camp Number: 344 Camp Location: Lamsdorf, Poland Section: Royal Air Force : Officers & Other Ranks Notes: Exchanged identity with Tpr. J. Clarkson, R.T.R., 878811, Stalag 344, 25951 TD
Hi Tricky, Quite a few recorded - usually with ardent officer escapers or scroungers. RAF Officers were initially excused duty on work parties so if your escape plan relied on being outside the wire, then to exchange identity with an Other Ranks who had the duty was a must. Scroungers found more opportunity to aquire outside the wire so again a few traded identity with ORs. The final group was "the confusers" who hoped that if they traded identity an later escaped then any pictures/identity details released from authority may be for the man they had swapped with. Ross
So... two years on one of the people you refer to jives11 is responding. I am Lilias Bell, nee Graham. My mother was married to Michael Gibbs prior to marrying my father but we have very little information - she destroyed her diaries of that time. I have recently visited Lamsdorf (now Lambinowice) and also read a book by Jack Hardie of New Zealand (From Timaru to Stalag V111B) which fills in more details on the comments from Ross and Tricky above. Can give more if still interested.
Hi, Welcome to the forum. As the OP hasn’t been on the forum since June 2018 I have sent him a personal message to alert him him to your post. Steve
Thank you Steve, Lilas and I actually corresponded back March 2018 , but my alias here perhaps hid my real name of jonathan Ives I do appreciate you messaging me on this matter too Thank you
Hi Jonathan. That is nice to close the circle. I much enjoyed my trip to the museum in Lambowice (Lamsdorf) in September last year. We learned a lot. As mentioned I also read a memoir by Jack Hardie who was also a POW and found a photograph with a "M Gibbs" who was not Michael. I wondered if this was a time when they were "running interference" to confuse the Germans if anyone escaped. Interesting fact - Air Force were not "excused duties" on work parties - they were kept securely within another fenced enclosure to ensure they could not escape. Air force were deemed a greater escape risk because they knew how to navigate by the star - and as you know Jonathan, they were often manacled.
