Lucca Hospital PG202

Hi Vitellino, I'm sorry I didn't reply - life got in the way and I'm just back researching now! My father in law was James Gordon Windridge, staff sargeant in the 11th Field Ambulance South African Medical Corp 1st S.A. Division. Army No. 2923. He was captured at Sidi Rezegh on 23rd November 1941. He arrived at PG52 Chiavari on 4th February 1942 and was moved to PG202 Lucca on the 10th June 1942. Then to Stalag 344 Lamsdorf on 24th September 1943 arriving on 29th. This was on his questionairre. I'm looking for any information about his journey from Bengazi as well as info on the camps.
Thanks
Sheila

 

Hello Sheila,

For PG 52 see my website powcamp52.weebly.com.

For Lucca hospital, see all the posts between your last one and this one. Geoff Muir is the 'expert' so send him a private message.

For Stalag 344 Lamsdorf try 'googling' it as there are several websites from which you can obtain information.

As to his journey from Benghazi, just 'google' BBC People's War Benghazi and something will come up.

Regards,

Vitellino

 

Sheila,
For a good description of what happened to POW after "Crusader" (Sidi Rezegh etc) go to NZETC for Official History "Prisoners Of War" Chapter 4 -I: "The Desert Campaign of 1941—Prisoners in Italian Hands"
I: The Desert Campaign of 1941—Prisoners in Italian Hands | NZETC
My fathers story follows this official narrative.

If you have any further info of James Gordon Windridge's transfer details between camps etc I would be very interested as these dates would coincide with my father's notes.

Regards
Geoff

 

Hi all. Have posted here before about my Grandfather Paul Peillon who was a stretcher bearer/orderly with the NZ 6th Field Ambulance and taken POW at Sidi Rezegh and went to PG66 then PG52 and Geoff you suggested he probably went to Lucca Hospital before repatriation (to Egypt first) 22.4.43. I am still trying to find out anything more about him.
Reading Barbed wire in the sunset, Edwin Broomhead talks of lists taken of the prisoners. Has anyone tracked these down. I would love to know if anyone has mention of my Grandfather. I am not sure if he ever sent letters home as there aren't any now.

 

The Telecommunications Museum in Chiavari has a book containing the movements of all prisoners into and out of Camp 52. I was there a fortnight ago and would have looked for you!

I have a contact who might go and look but he never answers emails. I will try the museum itself and get back to you.

Vitellino

 

Vitellino
That would be amazing. Thank you.
I would love to be able to contact family of other NZ 6th Field Ambulance personnel if I could to find out if they knew my Grandfather and what he was like.
Belinda

 

I can't remember if I have posted this before. Go to NZ Papers Past;
Papers Past | 62 NEW ZEALANDERS (Evening Post, 1943-04-26)
and the article about the repatriation of 62 NZ POW to Alexandria includes Paul Peillon.
Also go to NZ Official History:
I: The North African Campaigns of 1942–43—Prisoners in Italian Hands | NZETC
pages 226 & 7 for details of the repatriation journey, which would have been via Altimura rather than Lucca.
Hope this helps
Geoff

 

Yes thanks Geoff have seen these.

 

I am researching my grandfather William Hodson Atkins (British - Royal Artillary - 118397) who passed away in 2013. He was a prisoner in Lucca 202 following his capture in Libya (Battle of Knightsbridge) in May 1942. I don't have much more detail than that. The book "Once a Hussar" gives an interesting picture of the battle. Any information or advice for a newbie would be appreciated. I note some of the links sugegsted have now expired. I may visit Lucca in the summer. Mike

 

Hello Dutch Mike,

I suggest you send a private message to Geoff MNZ who visited the camp last July,

Regards,

Vitellino

 

W H Atkins is mentioned on 3 casualty lists:

Royal Artillery
118397 Atkins Lieut WH 107 Regt RHA
Casualty List No. 861 Dated 27 June 1942 - Missing 6.6.42 believed POW
Casualty List No. 880 Dated 20 July 1942 - POW
Casulaty List No. 1124 Dated 3 May 1943 - Previously reported POW now repatriated

Suggest you send off for his service records
Get a copy of military service records

 

Vitellino, Tony,

Thanks for your help. I will follow up in both. Mike.

 

Mike

Do you have his service records? looking at the Mercy Missions :

No 13 to Mersin, March 1943
Nos 14A, 14B to Smyrna & Lisbon April 1943

These would probably be the ones used for his repatriation, but which ones would br difficult to pinpoint unless there is some documentary eveidence as to ship names or place names.

Service records can be ONLY be obtained from here - Request records of deceased service personnel (as Tony56 has advised)

TD

 

Is this the correct gentleman?
Recommendation for Award for Atkins, William Hodson Rank: Lieutenant Colonel ... | The National Archives
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/43529/supplement/6/data.pdf
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/34787/supplement/770/data.pdf

The service number 118397 indicates a serviceman who first joined up with the Royal Army Service Corps. Not wishing to complicate the issue, but have also found this 1939 Royal Artillery Attestation for 928618.

Thought that after 1920 a soldier kept their original service number, so is this a different person with the same name, hopefully someone will explain!

 

Tony, thanks. The 1940 commission and 1965 honour are certainly him. The 1939 attestation I'm not so sure of. It would be borderline on age. Will be a while before I get a service record back to know for sure. Is that a signature from the attestation? Hand writing looks familiar.

Trickydicky, very interesting. Would be great to know which one but will be waiting a while for service record. Would love to get hold of his liberation questionnaire but not sure this will be in his service record?

Mike

 

Mike

Lib Questionnaires are not part of the service records - read about them here Escaped POW: Gunner Albert LEES, Royal Artillery

TD

or here - Rifle Brigade, Siege of Calais. Company Question

 

No, it is a list in numerical order from an RA register, all same handwriting.

 

Hi Geoff
I've finally received a reply from the Red Cross and discovered my father in law was shipped to Naples in January 1942 and was a patient in the Caserta Military Hospital for several weeks before being transferred to a transit camp PG66 in Capua. From there he went, presumably by train, to PG52 Chiavari where, according to his post war questionairre he arrived on 4th February, 1942. He was transferred to PG202 Lucca on 10th June 1943 (I originally thought it was 1942 as his post war questionairre was not clear). Three months later, after the armistice on 3rd September 1943, he arrived in Stalag 344 Lamsdorf on 29th September, 1943. He left there on 4th March 1945, he was in the medical corp so stayed behind when the Long March started to look after patients, arriving in Moosburg on 23rd April, 1945 and was flown back to England on 7th May. I have tried to trace his movements between Lamsdorf and Moosburg but so far no luck. I've read many books and Dr Thomas Henry Wilson with a group of patients and orderlies were the last to leave Lamsdorff before the Russians arrived 2 days later, I suspect he as with this group but they arrived in Mammingen and were liberated from there. he talked about the march so he must have travelled some way by train and then on foot to Moosburg - I'll probably never know!

 

Sheila,
You should find and read "The Po Valley Break" by HARRY ROSE-INNES. He was at Lucca Hospital 202 for some time as a patient and would have been there when your James Gordon Windridge arrived there and would have been on the same train to Germany. Harry escaped from the train.
Do you know if James was sent from PG52 to Lucca as a patient or in his medical role?
Cheers
Geoff

 

Tony56,
Did you intend to post a file for these casualty lists?
I click on the underlined items and nothing comes up.
I am very interested in No 1124 as it may include my father and I would like to see who else he was repatriated with.
Thanks
Geoff