2017606 Driver Sam PRESSON, Royal Engineers: POW killed in Auschwitz bombing raid, 20/08/1944

Hi

I am trying to find out more information about a Sam Presson who was a Royal Engineer who was killed during the bombing raid at E715 Monowitz on August 20 1944. He was buried in the CWGC in Krakow, my Grandad was part of his burial party. Thanks

His Army number was 2017606 and he was a driver.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2193840/samuel-presson/

 

There is plenty of knowledge and expertise here.

We always recommend applying for the Service Record. It is the definitive account of his service. Yes, it can take time and regularly has good and disappointing responses. A very short note (copied from Clive): you will need his date of birth and death cert available here for £7 https://www.gro.gov.uk/gro/content/ Link for service records
Select the service - Apply for a deceased person's military record - GOV.UK

It is vital you add - either in the title or text - his full name, Date of Birth, Service Number and if known their unit. Members can check their resources and do some online research. Others may be looking now and in the future for them; we regularly have people join who have found a post or thread about a relative.

It might be worth checking if there is a local newspaper article about him. Most public libraries have access to the British Newspaper Archive when in the library, not online.

On your current information he has not appeared here before today.

It helps to add a ‘tag’ when you create a thread, only you can do this. It is for the formation / corps involved or a theme like intelligence. Searching tags can identify threads, otherwise it takes a bit longer.

Some help via PM next; which is a now four pg. PDF. Also available on: WW2 Soldier Research - Tips and Links for New Researchers (update) Plus: How to Start a new Thread / Edit Post / Upload Image

You could search online for the raid, I expect a search here will be about other activities there!

See this article which refers - in part - to the raid: Why wasn’t Auschwitz bombed? | WWII History & Holocaust Tragedy

 

May be of interest from FMP

 

Again from FMP

 

FMP

 

Hi
That is really interesting, thank you. Can I ask what FMP is please?

 

Find My Past

 

Hello,

Samuel Presson was transferred from PG 53 to Germany on 21 July 1943, ahead of the Armistice.

See https://campifascisti.it/documento_doc.php?n=2646

Many of the men sent to Germany from three camps - PG 82 Laterina, PG 73 Carpi (Fossoli) and PG 53 Macerata had an engineering background as their expertise was needed.

After a complaint from the Foreign Office via the International Red Cross this movement was halted in August 1943. I wrote in my book Twixt the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea (the story of the crew of HM Submarine Saracen) that

FO 916/692: On August 24th the Swiss Minister communicated the text of an Italian note dated August 18th which admitted that between July 20th and 22nd, i.e. before the fall of Mussolini, 2,400 prisoners had been transferred to Germany. The note gave a formal assurance that, after the date of our representations to the Italians on August 3rd, no further transfer had taken place and that there was no intention of affecting any such transfer in the future. This was confirmed in a further Italian note of August 20th.

Vitellino

 

FMP may give the original archives reference in their online records. I don't know. It is important to have this reference. By searching for a series reference in an archive catalogue ( probably The National Archives at Kew ) an enquirer might be lead to research files which have not been digitised, and exclude what has been found online - thus saving a lot of time. ( When FMP first started the User Forum at Kew did question the "losing of the original file reference" and the then Keeper did say Kew would do better in future. But he left. )

 

In searching for "Stalag" and a number, and possibly a letter at the National Archives do separate searches for Roman and regular numbers. Kew tends to use the number that appears on the original record - and if there is a letter code it could be listed e.g. "20 A" or "20-A", although "Discovery" should pick both up. For example, in searching for "Stalag" in series WO 311 ( war crimes investigations ) both Stalag XX and Stalag 20 are used. Files were created either by Judge Advocate General or Adjutant General - AG3(V/W) - "V/W is short for violations of the customs and uses of war { began as AG3(W/C) for war crimes, but that was soon changed.}

At Imperial War Museum it is possible that Stalag numbers are usually Roman numbers.

There appear to be two "sound" files which may be relevant to the OP's research: just search for the number in "digital only", "Second World War" at IWM: extracts from IWM narrative of the contents of the tapes are given here:

IWM reference: 16353 - "US Army Air Force bombing camp, 8/1944-12/1944;"

IWM reference : 22065 "US 15th Air Force's bombing of camp and deaths of POWs, 20/8/1944; story of burial of POWs killed in air raid and how bodies were reburied post-war; contrast between Auschwitz-Birkenau and Auschwitz-Monowitz Concentration Camps; "

 

Again from FMP




Casualty Lists - Other Ranks 739 - 755
1942 Feb 05 - 1942 Feb 24
WO 417/38
[No WO/Archive reference given for the previous cards.]

 

Thanks. FMP is free to use at Kew, or used to be - but it did keep interrupting me with an advert for me to sign up. Has its uses - I have seen FEPOW Pow cards found in WO 345 handled from the original boxes by idiots who found their "card" out of 900 or so - then put the card back randomly. Next person might find the same card - if they go through the whole 900 or so - or worse, having two boxes open at once - absolutely against the rules, but someone on here had to go through EVERY box and eventually found his grandfather's card.

 

Is this available online via Discovery?

 

Limit search to "The National Archives" : box to tick is further down the form:



This gets these results ( no files online ): three files in WO 311, one in WO 309. FO = Foreign Office: series has many files on war crimes, "AIR" = RAF files a possibility.

You could vary the "exact word" search, perm various combinations.

Excluding "name" does not bring up records of individuals.


WO 311/937
Description:
Death from medical neglect of British prisoners of war at Friedland hospital, Stalag VIII B, Lamsdorf, Poland, February 1941
Date: 1944 Jan 01 - 1945 Dec 31
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Former reference in its original department: MD/JAG/FS/20/8
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description
Access conditions: Open on Transfer
Record opening date: 15 May 2008

--

WO 311/946
Description:
Shooting of Private J Callender at Working Camp 580, Saturn Mine, Czeladz, Poland (attached to Stalag VIII B, Lamsdorf), 17 March 1944
Date: 1945 May 01 - 1945 Jul 31
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Former reference in its original department: MD/JAG/FS/21/8
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description
Access conditions: Open on Transfer
Record opening date: 15 May 2008

---

WO 309/1987
Description:
Alleged murder of Captain P H Griffiths (escaped prisoner of war) en route from Stalag VIII F, Marushtrubau, Czechoslovakia, to Sagan, Poland, 8 March 1944
Date: 1945 Dec 01 - 1946 May 31
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Former reference in its original department: BAOR/15228/2/C.2013
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description
Access conditions: Open on Transfer
Record opening date: 06 March 2007


---

WO 311/1075
Description:
Shooting of British prisoner of war at Working Camp E546, Ottmachau, Poland (attached to Stalag VIII B), 8 June 1943
Date: 1945 Jun 01 - 1948 Feb 29
Held by: The National Archives, Kew
Former reference in its original department: MD/JAG/FS/22/181
Legal status: Public Record(s)
Closure status: Open Document, Open Description
Access conditions: Open on Transfer
Record opening date: 15 May 2008

 

Stockport County Express 14th September 1944​