Hi all I wonder if anybody can assist with a few queries on a German POW who was at Camp 75, North Hill Laurancekirk? Willi Otto Karl Dorow, (1) Are there any central registers on POW of WW II in Britain? I mean: Did any governmental agency collect the data, so that they knew, where which prisoner had been and I can follow Willi's route through Britain exactly? (2) According to the reports , Canadian troops, who were wearing a polar bear emblem, captured him. Do r such military units existed or Willi was wrong and that was the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division from Britain? (3) Willi belonged to the 245 Infantry Division, 10. Grenadier-Regiment 936. Is it known, where they were brought to on 20th September 1944 at first? My father only remembered a "tent camp in London on a racecourse”. I found 9. Kempton Park Racecourse, Sunbury-on-Thames, Middlesex, England or 7. Winter Quarters Camp, Ascot Racecourse, Berkshire as possible locations. (4) are there any lists per barracks of the German POW at Laurencekirk? (5) Any information on the camp commander at Camp 75 - North hill (laurenkirk) the Irish commander Thomas Reilly?
Prisoners of war in British hands - The National Archives 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division Thge 49th initially wore its WW1 sign, the white rose of Yorkshire. In 1940 it was sent to Norway and then to Iceland where it adopted the polar bear. At first the bear had a bowed head but this was later raised to make it more aggressive 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division [British] 1939-1945 There were some Dorow living in the UK prior to WW2 For example UK, World War II Alien Internees, 1939-1945 Name: Marie Dorow Gender: Female Nationality: German Birth Date: 19 Dec 1867 Birth Place: Granger TD
Mearns POW camp: The lifelong bonds and 'many ghosts' of Northill - Evening Express 75(G.W.C.) North Hill Camp, Laurencekirk, Kincardineshire Sc Priswar, Laurencekirk Laurencekirk 128 Laurencekirk Lt.Col.T.Reilly, O.B.E. M.C. v/1453/2 TD
On 21.10.1944 the Grenadier-Regiment 857 supported by assault guns of the Sturmgeschützbrigade 667 and the heavy Panzerjäger-Abteilung 559 and a Jagdpanther of the heavy Panzerjäger-Abteilung 559 carried out an attack on Braken and Wuustwezel into the flank of the 49th British Division, which was however repulsed by the British. To the right of Grenadier Regiment 857, Grenadier Regiment 936 of the 245th Infantry Division, supported by the remaining parts of Sturmgeschützbrigade 667 and Heavy Panzerjäger-Abteilung 559, also carried out an attack on Braken at the same time, which was also repulsed by the British.
BBC - WW2 People's War - A German POW remembers They took us from camp Beverlo, near Leopoldsburg, to Edingen near Brussels, to Zedelgem near Brugge. One week before the war finished they brought me over here. They took me from Ostende to Tilbury, Tilbury by train to Fenchurch Street, on the lorry across to Waterloo, from Waterloo by train into Kempton Park race course. That was the big transit camp for all the prisoners coming from the continent TD http://foam.merseyforest.org.uk/wp-...ury-Hall-Camp-Second-World-War-Years-rev3.pdf There were about 20 camps in Cheshire including Marbury Hall Northwich, which was known as Camp 180, although it is also referred to as Camp 189. Marbury Hall Northwich was a ‘cage’ where Germans, Russians, Poles, Italians and Austrians were sent direct from Camp 9 (Kempton Park Racecourse) for further sorting.
Canadians also wore the Polar Bear` badge. badge, formation, Canadian, 2nd Canadian Division. Willi`s life in text and pictures Willi Otto Karl Dorow, prisoner of war at Camp 75 - Northhill Camp, Laurencekirk - Laurencekirk AB30 Kyle
Hi All, thanks for that, I gave some info to the local press about North Hill, and in turn the website was contacted by The son of Willi, so Aware of that article. So following up the details that are unclear. So from Itdan, it was the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division that would have captured Willi?
I have no doubt he went to Kempton Park. It was the main clearing centre in the south for incoming prisoners. The centre of the race course was a tented city. Here they were screened for their pro-Nazi or anti-Nazi sympathies. Some were briefly interrogated. Certain categories, such as SS were just automatically called Nazis. Men especially sought, such as rocket engineers, listed war criminals, and others of interest might be taken to Lingfield Cage of Southern Command. From here they were called up to London cage, where the in depth interrogations took place. After screening, shower, delousing, clothes laundered food, medical, possibly overnight stay, depending on train availability, or even within about 12 hours onward transit. I do not think the UK holds personal records any longer. I think they have been returned to Germany and data protection is far more stringent there I think. Commanders. London Gazette for preceding years might help?
49 Div was in First Canadian Army. Maybe where the idea they were Canadian with polar bears comes from.
Any idea how I can check the name of a boat that sailed, Harwich to Hamburg on Saturday the 3rd of April 1948 repatriating POWs?
