Hello everyone I wondered if anyone had any information on the above 2 POW camps in Italy and Germany? My late father was a POW in both of them during WW2. I have only just started researching but have been amazed at what I have discovered so far. I have discovered a brilliant site for camp59 survivors https://camp59survivors.wordpress.com/ and found that my late father wrote 2 poems whilst a POW in Servigliano in the in-house magazine. I am not sure whether he escaped from the camp in September 1943 following the Italian Armistice and was then recaptured and sent to Torgau in Germany, or whether he had been moved to Germany before September 1943. I have accessed the Forces War Records site but gleaned very little information. I have googled the Torgau POW camp and found out what I can but I need to go to the next stage. If there is any link on this site concerning the 2 camps I would appreciate someone pointing me in the right direction. My late father was a Lance Corporal G A Crawford. I would welcome any help and information from anyone including sites that have proved useful. Thank you for your help. Regards SueC
Hi Sue, There are a couple of possibilities for you at the British National Archives. Firstly, there is a Red Cross file concerning the camp at Servigliano: http://discovery.nationalarchives.gov.uk/details/r/C168950 This cannot be accessed on line unfortunately, so a visit might be in order. Secondly, many POW's completed a liberation questionnaire after the war was over. If you father completed one of these, it would at least tell you which camps he was held at and for how long. This is the WO344 series at the National Archives, which are collated alphabetically. These documents can sometimes tell you more about the POW's time and are between 1 and 4 pages long depending on the individual. Here is an example;
Hi, you should be able to get full chapter and verse from Red Cross in Switzerland (I obtained my Dad's records in 2012) but they are not accepting new enquiries at the moment. They are part way through a digitisation process to make WW2 records available online for free - same as WW1 records went online August 2014. Project due to be completed in 2016. Keep a regular watch on their site. Good Luck. Steve Y
Thank you so much bamboo 43 and Steve. I will use your advice and see what I can uncover. Rather poignant as today is a special day. SueC
I assume this is your father: UK, British Prisoners of War, 1939-1945 Name: G A Crawford Rank: Trooper Army Number: 7925716 Regiment: Reconnaissance Corps POW Number: 262996 Camp Type: Stalag Camp Number: IV-D Camp Location: Torgau, Saxony Record Office: Royal Armoured Corps and Reconnaissance Corps Record Office, The Drill Hall, Barnet, Hertfordshire Record Office Number: 3 TD
Hi Sue, my father and his brother were captured in N. Africa Dec 24, 1942 with the Big Red One. They escaped due to a blown out wall before the armistice and we free for about 6 months before being recaptured. They thought the Italian blew the wall out since the armistice was near. Then on Sept 13/14 everyone that was left escaped with some being recaptured immediately and others getting away for a while. The web site you mentioned is great and a prof. was very helpful to me Dennis Hill hilld@indiana.edu. Maybe he can help with additional info. My father's history is on that site due to Dennis and there is a deck of cards there on display with my father's name Henry Kane. Sorry I don't know anything about Stalag 4D. My dad and Uncle went to 7A and then to 2B. Very difficult to find information about 2B maybe because the Russians got there first in Poland. I would advise you to use all the forums possible. Including Axis Forum • Axis History Forum Good hunting, George
I agree with George, Dennis is a really nice guy and very helpful. But it looks like you already know that!
As Sue hasn't been on the forum since July 2015 I've sent her a PM to alert her to today's posts. Is she returns she may find below link helpful. Steve Y Requests for information about people held during the Spanish Civil War or the Second World War
