Images of POWs, 1940

Who's the British officer at 10.16.54 I wonder? Looks pretty senior and the accompanying details indicate he's a general.

 

The legend in German describes the British officer as "englischer General mit roten Streifen an seiner Mütze", that is "the british general with red bands on his peaked cap".
The German officer is major general Edwin Graf von Rothkirch. He was the commander of 442nd Landesschützen Division ( z.b.V. 442). Their tasks were: securing roads, railroads, and river crossings, evacuation of prisoners of war by local defense units under the supervision of Div.Kdo. z.b.V. 442, control of refugee movements.
At 10:13:25 Abbeville is mentined, at 10:15:35 Rouan. 442nd Landesschützen Division advanced into France on the 3rd of June 1940 and was placed in the vicinity of Cambrai, Hesdin, Abbeville. Then, on the 14th of June 1940, the unit moved to the new area: Mauquenchy and Neufmarche to Doullens, Verneuil to Saint-Omer. So, somewhat about those days the discussed part of video could have been filmed.
Two more links as to major general Edwin Graf von Rothkirch. As ye sow, so shell ye reap...

http://www.specialcamp11.co.uk/General der Kavallerie Edwin Graf von Rothkirch und Trach.htm
File:Captured Edwin Graf von Rothkirch und Trach.jpg - Wikipedia

 

French POWs (from the video beginning and up to 10:01:49.)

Filmarchiv | Agentur Karl Höffkes

 

Only recently joined and I was looking through your photo collection with interest, particularly if you have any of POW's from the Norway campaign, my uncle (above) served with 1st Battalion the Green Howards. From reading his service record and books about the campaign, it looks likely that he was taken prisoner during the disastrous night move back to Otta, the battalion lost the best part of a company during the concentration phase when these men were apparently left behind. After capture he went to Stalag XXI A-D. Its difficult to work out which but was working in a glass factory prior to his release by the Russians in 1945.

 

English Prison camp in St. Malo. 1940.
Original photo from my collection.
Keith

 

Is that washing hanging out, but not on the Siegfried Line in the foreground ? I wonder if this was a British depot used by the Germans for prisoners or was actually a 'cage' built for future German prisoners ? CMP War Diaries mention that one of their first priorities on moving to an area was to set up a POW Cage.

 

As they are standard Nissen huts possibly this camp was built by the British for future German prisoners who probably never arrived there. BUT Is gefang crossed out? A 1940 RE article on UK army camp construction said Sept 39-May 40 Nissen hut production was sent to France as it was more easily transportable, small volume and easily erected by non skilled people. Camp could have been quarters for port companies, or a general base depot for transiting troops, like 1 GBD at Pornichet. I have not checked Kew for any details, if they exist. St Malo was a secondary BEF supply port taking in ammunition and general supplies.

 

washing hanging out, but not on the Siegfried Line in the foreground
Keith

 

John Winser BEF Ships before, at and after Dunkirk,43, says ships sent to St Malo on 17 June as part of Operation Aerial found no troops left to pick up in the port.

 

British pows 1940. Photo from my collection.
Keith

 

Pows from Belgium or France. Photo from my collection.
Keith

 

Pows . Could they be Belgium troops or French. Same spot as above photo. 1940 Photo from my collection.
Keith

 

S/Sgt pow with LW troops. Could he be RAF or Army. Photo from my collection.
Keith

 

From Soldiers of Oxfordshire Musem archives: a BEF 145 Brigade POW column 30th May 1940 outside Cassel. I think the church spire in background is Winnezeele.

My father, L/Bdr Eric West 140 Rgr RA, was captured in this Dunkirk rearguard battle.

 

Also from Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum archive (with thanks).

British POWs attending a wounded man, 30th May 1940 outside Cassel. Many more Cassel aftermath images on my 140 Rgt RA website here:

Cassel aftermath, 30th May 1940 onwards – 140th (5th London) Army Field Regiment, Royal Artillery

 

Labelled as 'French soldiers surrendering to German troops in Cassel 30-31st May 1940'.

From Soldiers of Oxfordshire Museum archive (with thanks).

 

British Cassel Garrison (145 Brigade) POWs outside Winnezeele 30th May 1940. In this image the German officers are identified (to follow)

From Soldiers of Oxfordshire museum archives, with thanks.

 

This image- somewhat incredibly- is labelled 'Brigadier Nigel Somerset' (tallest officer at head of column) in which case the image would be just outside Hondschoote.

Somerset was captured with his 145 Brigade HQ staff (and a German they had taken prisoner during their breakout from Cassel) in the morning of 30th May 1940.

Here's an account of his immense coolness under fire from his personal diary:
The Breakout (part 1 of 2) – 140th (5th London) Army Field Regiment, Royal Artillery


'...My only idea now was to try and find an open route to what I thought would be the DUNKIRK bridgehead, and if possible arrange for guides to return and direct as many of the Bde HQ who were coming on. For the next couple of hours we made unexpected and excellent progress across country avoiding roads, tracks, houses or even enclosures as much as possible. I began to get quite optimistic and thought perhaps we had broken through the inf cordon near WATOU and that this was all needed. Then I remembered the artillery fire earlier in the previous evening and didn’t feel quite so optimistic.

In one or two of these houses we saw lights and heard voices and these were obviously Germans so we passed them as quietly as we could with drawn and ready revolvers. On another occasion we heard track vehicles on the road, and we gave them a wide berth. Presently we struck a wide canal, full of water, and for a few moments we thought it was the YSER CANAL, but it was only a large ditch and quite shallow and we waded across it without difficulty. About this time it was beginning to show signs of getting light and I knew that if we encountered the enemy we should not be able to put up much of a show once they could see what we consisted of

We next crossed a main road which we took to be the road WATOU-HONDERSHOOT and our hopes began to rise higher again, especially as we heard no firing or signs of activity anywhere. The next thing we came upon was a motor car and beside it were some figures sleeping on the ground. At first, thought they might be Belgians, or French troops, but we approached them with our revolvers at the ready and found they were German soldiers asleep in their flea-bags. When they woke up and saw us they quickly held up their hands. We disarmed them and tried to question them as to the Germans positions. They were quite truculent and one who spoke English said we were completely surrounded and which ever way we went we were for it or words to that effect.

I realised we couldn’t leave them where they were, and that the only thing for it was to take them along with us. I hoped that the Germans were trying to bluff us, but their very confident bearing should have warned me, and we should have gone back. It was getting light however and I felt every minute was precious. I decided to continue on our original compass bearing – it had done us well so far and in any case it seemed as good as plan as any other…’

‘It was now nearly light – more Germans were collecting and I saw no prospect of being able to move. The only person at hand other than the German POW was my IO who was cowering in a ditch some yards to my right. It appears the Staff-Captain was crawling away down the ditch to my right. Having decided escape was impossible I told the German lying on me to call out and surrender, but it took some time before the sentry and his party who had now collected understood the situation and told us to come in while he covered us.

Shortly after this the rest of my party were forced to surrender and were brought in together with the wounded. I was then told to sit down by AFV which was in the corner of the hedge only about 5 yds from where I had come to originally in the light. In the meantime the local commander – a Major – arrived in a very excited state and rushed up to me with a drawn revolver accompanied by a man with a hand-grenade ready to be thrown. He was shouting ‘swinen-fleish’ and I discovered he was accusing me of shooting my German prisoners. Fortunately I had got my pipe in my mouth and tried to look as particularly unconcerned, or I feel sure he would have fired as he was quite out of control. I explained that British did not shoot prisoners and that I had no intention of doing so, whereupon after some more cursing he put up his revolver and departed shouting ‘you bloody fools’.

We were then marched off to the Regtl HQ which was in a farm some 500x away. I was somewhat relieved to see as light broke, that the whole countryside was alive with German troops with ATk guns at many places and numerous AFVs and I realised that to break that cordon would have required an enormous force with modem weapons. Unfortunately in the first salvo at us by the German sentry – five of my HQ were hit including my driver who subsequently lost a leg…’