2734173 Guardsman Archibald Ernest James SQUIRES, 1 Welsh Guards: POW

Date of Enlistment: 17 September 1936
Army Number: 2734173
Rank: Guardsman
Name: Archibald Ernest James SQUIRES
Unit: Welsh Guards

Date of Birth: 22 March 1918
Place of Birth: Llanelly, Carnarvenshire

Date of Capture: 29 May 1940
Place of Capture: Near Dunkirk, France

POW Number: 10694
POW Camps: Stalag XXA, Stalag XXB

 

Name: Archibald James Squires . Date of Birth: 22/03/1918 . Place of Birth: Llanelly,... | The National Archives
Reference: WO 416/340/443
Name: Archibald James Squires.
Date of Birth: 22/03/1918.
Place of Birth: Llanelly, Carnarvenshire.
Service: British Army.
Rank: Guardsman.
Regiment/Unit/Squadron: Welsh Guards, "HQ" Company.
Service Number: 2734173.
Date of Capture: 29/05/1940.
Theatre of Capture: Dunkirk.
Camp Name/Number: Stalag XXA Thorn.
PoW number: 10694.
Date of Death: [unspecified].
Number of Photographs: 0.
Number of Fingerprints: 0.
Number of X-rays: 0.
Number of Cards: 3.
Date: [1939-1945]

 

View Record via Ancestry

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

1. No. 2734173
RANK - GUARDSMAN
SURNAME - SQUIRES
CHRISTIAN NAMES - ARCHIBALD ERNEST JAMES
DECORATIONS - NONE

2. UNIT (ARMY) - WELSH GUARDS

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

4. DATE OF BIRTH - 22/3/18

5. DATE OF ENLISTMENT - 27/9/1936

6. CIVILIAN TRADE OR PROFESSION - LABOURER

7. PRIVATE ADDRESS - PONTNEWYDD HOTEL, PONTNEWYDD, NEWPORT, MON. ENGLAND

8. PLACE AND DATE OF ORIGINAL CAPTURE - Nr. DUNKIRK 29/5/1940

9. WERE YOU WOUNDED WHEN CAPTURED? - NO

10. MAIN CAMPS OR HOSPITALS IN WHICH IMPRISONED
Camp No. / Location / From / Till
[STALAG] XXA THORN POLAND JUNE 1940 - AUG. 1940
[STALAG] XXB MARIENBURG W. Pr. AUG. 1940 - MAR. 1945


11. WERE YOU IN A WORKING CAMP?
Location / From/ Till / Nature of Work
MARIENBURG W. Pr. AUG. 1940 - JAN. 1941 LABOURING
DANZIG JAN. 1941 - MAR. 1945 LABOURING


PART I (Continued).

12. DID YOU SUFFER FROM ANY SERIOUS ILLNESSES WHILE A P/W?
Nature of Illness / Cause / Duration
-
12 b. DID YOU RECEIVE ADEQUATE MEDICAL TREATMENT?
-


GENERAL QUESTIONNAIRE. PART II. TOP SECRET

1. No. 2734173
RANK - GUARDSMAN
SURNAME - SQUIRES
CHRISTIAN NAMES - ARCHIBALD ERNEST JAMES


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).
NORMAL INTERROGATION

4. ESCAPES attempted:
Did yo 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?)
Escaped from DANZIG on the 14/2/45 to a working party 25 miles S.E. of DANZIG with the object of being nearer the RUSSIAN Lines. I escaped from the Working Party on the 16th/2/1945 with other POWs with the help of Russian civilian Pol?? Hi in a dugout in a forest for 21 days. When liberated by the Russians I was ill from the lack of food. 5 of my companions were recaptured by the GERMANS. Don't know what happened to the other two. Liberated by the RUSSIANS on 9/3/45
PTE. HANRETTY J. (R. SCOTS REGT)
PTE. DOMENEY F. (B.W. REGT)
PTE. WILLIAMSON H. (R. NORFOLK)
PTE. RYE E (R. NOFOLK REGT)
PTE. MASON J. (B.W. REGT)


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.)
The night before I was liberated I damaged 3 German Lorries beyond repair, and I set fire to a barn where a German Company H.Q. was established.


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).
-

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.)


8. Have you any other matter of any kind you wish to bring to notice?
-


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 7/4/45
Signature A. Squires

 

See also, Escape Companions:

• 3059540 Private James Joseph HANRETTY, Royal Scots: POW
• 2044360 Private Walter James MASON, 1 Black Watch: POW
• 5772261 Private Harold Octavius WILLIAMSON, HQ Company, 7 Royal Norfolk Regiment: POW