POW Repatriation Files and Nominal Rolls

Discussion in 'Prisoners of War' started by Drew5233, Mar 11, 2018.

  1. Drew5233

    Drew5233 #FuturePilot 1940 Obsessive

    Hi All

    Those of you who know me will know I'm way out of my depth with anything after June 1940 so I thought I'd ask the POW experts....

    Are there any files related to the repatriation of Prisoners of War after the war ended at the National Archives? Ideally would there be a War Office register or nominal roll of who was flown home and when etc?

    TIA
     
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  2. Tullybrone

    Tullybrone Senior Member

    Hi Andy,

    As far as I’m aware there is no surviving War Office register or nominal roll with details of repatriation flights currently available - if one was ever contemporaneously maintainedin 1944/45/46.

    I suppose the nearest thing to such records are the Casualty Lists which note individual POW release information under the heading “No Longer POW” with a link to the original Casualty List Number.

    However IMHO those lists are no indication of either the actual release date of a POW or their repatriation flight to UK but only the date the individual’s release information was processed and released by the War Office/ Regimental Records Office (I think my late father is on a list in late June 1945 but he had been back in UK since 12th May 1945 and his service papers are endorsed no longer a POW from 14th May 1945).

    As I’m sure you are already aware the POW liberation questionnaires don’t record the date of the repatriation flight although it could be approximately inferred by the date of completion of the questionnaire.

    Steve
     
    Last edited: Mar 11, 2018
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  3. Chadi

    Chadi Member

    Hi Thanks for your reply on this topic, my interest being that I was trying to found out how my dad came home( he was a pow in ww2), Andy had kindly assisted me with records in the past and I asked him about this subject, I was under the hope that that there may be records of flights and soldier lists etc, someone suggested operation exodus records. I know the date he arrived in the uk from his war record and liberation report, so would it seem that there is little chance of finding how he got home, what aircraft/ from - to location etc? Many thanks for any advice, Rob
     
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  4. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    I assume we are talking here about POW's being repatriated during 1945 from N W Europe having been 'set free' by British/Canadian/US troops???

    I have yet to find any detailed lists of any POW's transferred home by air, I would guess the POW's would be processed in some form and then flown home asap and further processed once back on UK soil.

    I am also working on finding the lists for POW's who were repatriated via Odessa, all these POW's being 'liberated' by advancing Russian forces - hence the 'difference' to the above, as these came home by ship via Eygpt/Italy/Southern France.

    AIR records at TNA might be worth a look, but I would guess the best source would be the old WW2 Dept of POW's but it seems their files are .......................................... somewhere

    TD
     
  5. Chadi

    Chadi Member

    Yes you guess right it's POWs from Europe, guess I'll keep looking and hoping many thanks appreciate your reply, Rob
     
  6. Enigma1003

    Enigma1003 Member

    Hi Drew, I assume that as you state 'after the war ended', you mean Aug 15th 1945 by the Japanese ?
    All the ships that bought the POWs home show the names of only the fare paying passengers (mostly civilians), but not the troops names. For example the MS Sobieski, arriving Liverpool on 23/10/45, merely states "Additional: Military 1209, RN 12, RAF 57, Dutch Military 2. Total 1280"

    Mike
    (edit; sorry was writing when above post went up ... didnt realise Europe, thought it was when war ended). Lest we forget?
     
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  7. Incredibledisc

    Incredibledisc Well-Known Member

    While not likely to be as detailed you could try searching local newspapers. They often posted reports about men being taken prisoner and when the war ended they would sometimes do a little follow up story. My great granddad was interviewed on his return and by cross referencing with service records etc I was able to infer dates of release, where he was liberated and that he flew home. Worth a look.
     
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  8. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    Chadi

    If you supply his name we could possibly find his last camp which may tell us what sort of journey he had, based on where that camp was located in Germany/Poland/Czech/Austria/ - or if you know those details post them if you wish to help the search.

    TD
     
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  9. Chadi

    Chadi Member

    TD he was John K Lester Queens Royal Regt 2/6 Batt, army no 6089356, pow no 3599, last camp stalag 8b Lamsdorf Poland, I have always been interested in finding out how he got home, according to his army record he arrived back in the UK on 16 th may 45, doesn't say where from/ how and he signed the liberation questionaire the next day, thanks for any advice,
     
  10. Chadi

    Chadi Member

    Many thanks it gives me another research route
     
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  11. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

    UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945
    Name: J K Lester
    Rank: Private
    Army Number: 6089356
    Regiment: Queen's Royal Regiment
    POW Number: 3599
    Camp Type: Stalag
    Camp Number: 344
    Camp Location: Lambinowice, Poland
    Record Office: Infantry and Army Physical Training Corps Record Office, Stanwell Road School, Ashford, Middlesex
    Record Office Number: 23

    So Camp 344 also known as Lamsdorf and Stalag 8B (VIII B)

    Lamsdorf - Google Search
    Evacuation and repatriation
    In January 1945, as the Soviet armies resumed their offensive and advanced into Germany, many of the prisoners were marched westward in groups of 200 to 300 in the so-called Death March. Some died from the bitter cold and exhaustion. The lucky ones got far enough to the west to be liberated by the American army. The unlucky ones got liberated by the Soviets, who instead of turning them over quickly to the western allies, held them as virtual hostages for several more months. Many of them were finally repatriated towards the end of 1945 through the port of Odessa on the Black Sea.

    If you use the search engine on this site there are many threads on 'The Long March' - many of the posters have relatives who kept diaries with names in them, its another route, plus there will be many books on the subject.

    He does not yet appear on any lists I have for Odessa repatriations - time will tell, at least the Australian service records online tell you if someone was at Odessa or not, makes life a whole lot easier

    TD
     
  12. Chadi

    Chadi Member

    Many thanks for this TD I have a couple of books on the long march to read, so he may have flown home, I'll look into the long march on this site you never know, thanks again.
     
  13. Tricky Dicky

    Tricky Dicky Don'tre member

  14. Chadi

    Chadi Member

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