New Zealand Artillery

Thanks that would be great Brian


All arranged Philip,should have the History Sheet in a week or so. Gnr Louisson was a P.O.W. in PG57 Gruppignano,Italy before transfer to Germany.

Brian

 

Thanks Brian, its seems that we probably get the picture of what happend to him

 

Anyone who maybe can tell me how he ended up in The Neterlands, or where in NZ I could ask for info about him?




Hi Philip,
I have Gnr Louissons Service History Sheet which confirms that he died as a P.O.W.
The reasons given for his death were Cardiac Failure + Malnutrition and Dysentery.

So it looks as though the poor man was starved to death.

Brian

 

As he was Jewish would he have been treated any differently as other POWs or worse?


Not according to the dozen or so Jewish Ex P.O.W. I know. The late Bill Cohen(97th Fld Rgt) told me that as soon as it was obvious he was in the bag he buried all his identification as a precaution. He gave his Mothers maiden name to his captors. Bill told me that both the authorities and Family were quick to catch on.

Brian

 

Owen, Best I can do at this hour, hope it's OK. There are other Louissons who turn up on the search, but with vague info, ie initials only. Interestingly one travelling from Wellington NZ arrival 17 Apr 1907 Sydney, NSW, and from London arrival 16 Nov 1910 Sydney NSW, is named as Hon. Chas. Louisson. Not Cecil the father then.

Gunner CHARLES LOUIS LOUISSON 22793, New Zealand Artillery who died age 33 on 18 April 1945
Son of Cecil and Lucy Maria Louisson, of Auckland City, New Zealand; husband of Alice Louisson, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
Remembered with honour NEDERWEERT WAR CEMETERY


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<TABLE class=p_resultTable cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TH>Name:</TH><TD>Master C Louisson</TD></TR><TR><TH>Arrival Date:</TH><TD>6 Jun 1916</TD></TR><TR><TH></TH><TD></TD></TR><TR><TH>Ship Name:</TH><TD>Matsonia </TD></TR><TR><TH>Port of Arrival:</TH><TD>San Francisco, California </TD></TR><TR><TH>Port of Departure:</TH><TD>Honolulu, Hawaii </TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Transcription:
Castle & Cooke, Ltd
Passenger Manifest.
Am. S. S. Matsonia, sailing from HONOLULU
31st May 1916
No. 111 Mrs L. Louisson
No. 112 Master C. Louisson

==========
<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0 width="100%" border=0><TBODY><TR><TD style="WIDTH: 8em" vAlign=top align=right>Name:







</TD><TD vAlign=top>Charles L Louisson</TD></TR><TR><TD style="WIDTH: 8em" vAlign=top align=right>Birth: </TD><TD vAlign=top>1911 - New Zealand







</TD></TR><TR><TD style="WIDTH: 8em" vAlign=top align=right>Departure: </TD><TD vAlign=top>Auckland, New Zealand</TD></TR><TR><TD style="WIDTH: 8em" vAlign=top align=right>Arrival: </TD><TD vAlign=top>23 Jul 1926 - Vancouver, British Columbia</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

Transcribed:

List or Manifest of Alien Passengers

S.S. Niagara, Passengers sailing from AUCKLAND, N.Z., July 6th 1926
LOUISSON, LUCY, 42, Female, Married, Occupation: Home Duties, Race or people: Hebrew, POB: Thames, NZ, Temp. Absence Abroad issued Auckland, NZ, Last permanent address AUCKLAND, N.Z

LOUISSON, CHARLES,L., 15y 7m, Male, Single, Student, Race or people: Hebrew, POB: Christchurch, NZ, Temp. Absence Abroad issued Auckland, NZ, Last permanent address AUCKLAND, N.Z

There was a man with the same surname living at Mansfield Towers,Thorndon. Wellington NZ. until he passed away a few years ago.

Gnr.Louissons Mother is listed as deceased and his Father living at 18 Jull St. Napier.

Brian

 

A pitty it would have be nice to trace a relative of him

 

Nederweert War Cemetery is "home" to a number of Commonwealth servicemen who died as a PoW. There is also the New Zealander named Goldfinch, who was shot down over Libya in 1941. He ended up as a PoW in Germany. Also one Indian. They all died as PoWs. After the war the US Grave Registration recovered their bodies from the PoW camps and initially buried them at Margraten. Later, when Margraten became soley a US cemetery, the commonwealth graves were relocated to Nederweert.

Good thread. Well done Philip (and everyone else) on the research!

Also, in reference to another mention in this thread; At Margraten there is a number of US soldiers buried who died at Berga; a german forced labour/Concentration camp. As to the question if all PoW were treated the same; no, many (Jewish) PoWs did end up executed, in concentration camps or forced labour camps. I think the number of US dead in Berga alone runs in the few 100's.

Not unthinkable that he was one of those at Berga.

 

This was just a fascinating thread to read. I am impressed with the depth of resources drawn on here. I echo Stevins Well Done Everyone.

 

In fact, going through my own files I came across this:

So Sweetzer's six remaining guns went into action in defence of the Fourka Pass. Here they suffered more than air attack; for the enemy brought up artillery and made liberal use of mortars. Tanks also appeared and were engaged by tanks with Lee Force. As the engagement was warming up word came that all other troops were safely past Lamia and this final rearguard could withdraw. The injudicious dissemination of these orders to men engaged with the enemy (though not, again, to Sweetzer) caused something of a panic as infantry raced to their vehicles. In the midst of the storm the six guns of 33 Battery attracted much fire and could not reply to it. The anti-tankers responded splendidly and two of them were decorated later for what they did here: Lance- Sergeant Harper77 (MM) and Second-Lieutenant Hill78 (MC). One gunner was not decorated but rebuked for indifference to danger that amounted to foolhardiness. ( Gnr C. L. Louisson.) "

From the NZETC site, quoted from the book "2nd New Zealand Divisional Artillery"

 

Sorry, I just saw that Owen already posted the above remark....

 

I am the grand daughter of Charles Louisson and I came upon this discussion. Thank you for this. Especially seeing the ship records as we have old photos of this trip.

 

Hi CLouisson,
Welcome to WW2Talk. Its great to see an old topic like this prove to be useful for a family member after so many years.

Kind regards,
Andy