2734080 Lance-Serjeant Thomas Leonard OWEN, 1 Welsh Guards: POW

Date of Enlistment: 21 October 1935
Army Number: 2734080
Rank: Lance-Serjeant
Name: Thomas Leonard OWEN
Unit: 1 Welsh Guards

Date of Birth: 15 January 1917
Place of Birth: Swansea, Wales

Date of Capture: 29 May 1940
Place of Capture: North Dunkirk

POW Number: 13213
POW Camps: Stalag XXA, Stalag XXB, Stalag 357,

 

Name: Thomas Leonard Owen . Date of Birth: 15/01/1917 . Place of Birth: Swansea, Wales .... | The National Archives
Reference: WO 416/279/272
Name: Thomas Leonard Owen.
Date of Birth: 15/01/1917.
Place of Birth: Swansea, Wales.
Service: British Army.
Rank: Sergeant.
Regiment/Unit/Squadron: The Welsh Guards.
Service Number: 2734080.
Date of Capture: 29/05/1940.
Theatre of Capture: Dunkirk.
Camp Name/Number: Stalag XXA Thorn.
PoW number: 13213.
Date of Death: [unspecified].
Number of Photographs: 0.
Number of Fingerprints: 0.
Number of X-rays: 0.
Number of Cards: 3.

 

via Ancestry

PART I.
GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE FOR BRITISH/AMERICAN EX-PRISONERS OF WAR.

1. No. 2734080
RANK - L/SGT.
SURNAME - OWEN
CHRISTIAN NAMES - THOMAS LEONARD
DECORATIONS -

2. UNIT (ARMY) - 1st BN. WELSH GUARDS

3. DIVISION (ARMY) - G.H.Q. TROOPS

4. DATE OF BIRTH - 15/1/17

5. DATE OF ENLISTMENT - 21/10/35

6. CIVILIAN TRADE OR PROFESSION - SLATE QUARRIES

7. PRIVATE ADDRESS - GALLT Y RHEDYN, NEWBOROUGH, ANGLESEY, N. WALES, UK

8. PLACE AND DATE OF ORIGINAL CAPTURE - Nr. DUNKIRK, 29th MAY 1940

9. WERE YOU WOUNDED WHEN CAPTURED? - NO

10. MAIN CAMPS OR HOSPITALS IN WHICH IMPRISONED
Camp No. / Location / From / Till
[STALAG] XXA THORN 1st JULY 1940 - 29 JULY 1940
[STALAG] XXB MARIENBURG (WEST PRUSSIA) 29 JULY 1940 - 10th JAN. 1944
[STALAG] XXA THORN 10 JAN. 1944 - 18th MAY 1944
[STALAG] 357 THORN 18th MAY 1944 - 8th AUG. 1944
[STALAG] 357 FALLINGBOSTEL 8th AUG. 1944 - 9th APRIL 1945
Evacuated from latter camp 9th April [1945]


11. WERE YOU IN A WORKING CAMP?
Location / From/ Till / Nature of Work
WEST PRUSSIA 5th JAN. 1941 - 9th OCT. 1943 FARMING


12. DID YOU SUFFER FROM ANY SERIOUS ILLNESSES WHILE A P/W?
Nature of Illness / Cause / Duration
DYSENTRY / BAD WATER AND UNCLEAN FOOD ie BAD POTATOES / FARMING

12 b. DID YOU RECEIVE ADEQUATE MEDICAL TREATMENT?
NO


GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE PART II TOP SECRET

1. No. 2734080
RANK - L/SGT.
SURNAME - OWEN
CHRISTIAN NAMES - THOMAS LEONARD


2. LECTURES before Capture:
( a ) Were you lectured in your unit on how to behave the event of capture? (State where, when and by whom).
NO
( b ) Were you lectured on escape and evasion? (State where, when and by whom.
NO

3. INTERROGATION after capture:
Were you specially interrogated by the enemy? (State where, when and methods employed by enemy).
NO

4. ESCAPES attempted:
Did you make any attempted or partly successful escapes? (Give details of each attempt accurately, stating where, when, method employed, names of your companions, wherein when recaptured and by whom. Were you physically fit? What happened to your companions?)
YES. ESCAPED FROM WORKING CAMP ON OCT. 9th 1943 FROM STUHM W/PRUSSIA. I GOT ABOUT 20 MILES WEST OF THORN, BY GOODS TRAIN. I GOT RECAPTURED BY POLICE WHILE SEARCHING FOR WATER. I WAS PHYSICALLY FIT. (RECAPTURED ON 15th OCT. 1943.)


5. SABOTAGE
Did you do any sabotage or destruction of enemy factory plant, war material, communications, etc, when employed on working-parties or during escape? (Give details, places and dates.)
NO

6. COLLABORATION with enemy:
Do you know of any British or American personnel who collaborated with the enemy or in any way helped the enemy agains other Allied Prisoners of War? (Give details, names of persons concerned, camps, dates and nature of collaboration or help given to enemy).
NO

7. WAR CRIMES
If you have any information or evidence of bad treatment by the enemy to yourself or to others, or knowledge of any enemy violation of Geneva Convention you should ask for a copy of "Form Q" on which to make your statement.
(NOTE: Form Q is a separate form inviting information on "War Crimes" and describes the kind of offences coning under this title.)



GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE PART II TOP SECRET
(continued)

8. Have you any other matter of any kind you wish to bring to notice?
I WAS FORCED TO WORK IN SPITE OF GENEVA CONVENTION IN WHICH IT STATES THAT FULL RANK N.C.O.s HAVE PREFERENCE. (I APPLIED SEVERAL TIMES THROUGH BRITISH MAN OF CONFIDENCE).


SECURITY UNDERTAKING
I fully realise that all information relating the matters covered by the questions in Part II. are of a highly secret and official nature.

I have had explained to me and fully understand that under Defence Regulations or U.S.A.R. 380-5 I am forbidden to publish or communicate any information concerning these matters.

Date Friday 4th May 1945
Signature T. L. Owen, L/Sgt.