My Grandad was a Prisoner of War (POW) and never spoke about his experience, apart from one comment that he was made to clear up bomb damage in Munich. I applied for his full Military Service back in August 2024 and I gather I am in for quite a wait! He was in The Buffs and went missing during attack on River Sangro, on 21st November 1943. In a previous thread on here, some years ago, I was given a copy of the War Diary which detailed the action he took part in. Is there any way I can trace his journey from the point of capture? I would imagine he was in an Italian Camp before being transferred (by train?) to Germany and Camp Stalag VII A, Moosburg (Isar). All I have is a postcard sent from Germany on 22nd December 1943 to his wife, informing her that he was a POW (copy attached). My mother also has a photograph taken of him in the camp. Would a Prisoner Record Card have survived somewhere, or did the Germans destroy the Camp's records prior to Liberation? I have done some research trying to find if he completed a Liberation Questionnaire, but it would appear there is no record online. If anyone can help me with more information, I would be extremely grateful.
Hello Kevin, Here is a partial reply to your answer. Italian prisoners of war camps were emptied after the Italian armistice of 8 September 1943. The prisoners were either sent straight on to Germany or escaped. Those escapers who were recaptured or newly taken prisoner were held in transit camps - sometimes more than one. No registers have survived from these camps. The postcard has the address Feldpost in the top left hand corner. According to Prisoner of war lists WO 392/21 - compiled August 1943 so doesn't inlcude your father - this was a transit camp somewhere in northern Italy. Have looked for it once without success but will have another try, Regards, Vitellino
I have found your grandfather's route in Italy, Kevin, assuming that those captured on 21st November on the Sangro stayed together, at least until they got to Germany. I inserted The Buffs 21 November 1943 into the Ancestry search engine showing liberation reports. These were compiled at the end of the war by the released prisoners but not everyone filled one in. I couldn't find one for your grandfather, for example. A list of names came up and I read all these men's reports. Private Harold Sharp's report gave details similar to what you told me about your grandfather - both were sent to Stalag VIIA Moosburg, for example. I have posted P.1 of his report below. It appears that the prisoners were taken to ex-pow camp PG102 at Aquila, which I have to assume was Feldpost 31979, before being sent on to Germany. You can read about this camp here. Regards, Vitellino
Thanks for the above, Temujin, but if I have understood Kevin's original post correctly he knew that his grandfather was in Germany. What he didn't know was his journey there after having been captured on the River Sangro. I hope I have answered that question, though I know that he might also have been held in other camps for a short while in Italy. However, given that Harold Sharp, who was captured with him, was in PG 102 at Aquila and was also in Germany in December 1943 I think it is fairly safe to assume that they were together at this time. I am very familiar with the Casualty Reports in the series WO 417 and they never show interim camps or even final camps, for that matter. I have also discovered that if there were indeed temporary lists for the transit camps they were nothing other than loading lists and to my knowledge these lists have never been found. The only way to trace the interim camps is from the liberation questionaires. Harold Sharp clearly states that he was in Aquila, which I know was PG 102, in Nov--Dec 1943. Kevin, I hope you are happy with my earlier reply. If not, please let me know, Best wishes, Vitellino (Janet Kinrade Dethick)
Thank you so much. Private Sharp's Liberation Report seems to match up with the one comment that he made, about being made to work in Munich clearing up Allied Bomb damage. The only piece of information I had from his sister, was that he was captured hiding in an out-house or shed. He was with another Private and they tossed a coin when the German's knocked on the door. The other Private lost and opened the door, promptly being shot in the arm. This led to an amputation. They remained firm friends through the war and after, I have pictures of him attending family weddings. I only knew him as Ron. But today I hunted through notes I took when speaking to an elderly relative some years ago. It would seem his surname was Herman (or Hermann)
My hope... is that Ron Herman may have left more of a trail of information, or passed his story on to a relative. I am currently hunting down the last place he lived. Someone must have known a guy with one arm who was a POW in WW2.
Update: I have traced him on Ancestry... Ronald Hermon. My family have confirmed he lived in Chappel, near Colchester.
Hi, You ought to apply to Swiss Red Cross 19th May 2025 for a copy of the information held in their files via this link - Requests for information about people held during Spanish Civil War or Second World War: Quarterly limit reached Check the site promptly at the given opening time and a pop up online application form will be visible. Complete and submit the form speedily as the application window can close within 90 minutes due to the limit being reached. It’s a free service and you can expect a reply by email within 3 months. You may be lucky and get a copy of the capture card postcard he completed on arrival at his first camp. The Red Cross document you will receive should list all the main camps where he was detained but doesn’t usually record any work camps or “interim camps” where he was held immediately post capture. Steve
Steve, I may be wrong but I am under the impression that once the Germans had moved in to the Italian POW camps the Red Cross inspection visits ceased with the except on the hospitals, for example, Al Celio in Rome. So, someone captured on the Italian front after 8 September, and held in one of the transit camps - Carpi di Modena, Laterina, Pissignano or L'Aquila - would be registered for the first time when he arrived in Germany. Can someone put me right on this one? Vitellino
With regard to Hermon, he is registered as having been repatriated in WO 417/83, dated 10-17 October 1944, no doubt due to his injury.
When I looked Ron up on Ancestry he had a marriage record of late 1944, I thought how could that be right? But that explains it. What is annoying, I have a Ancestry Worldwide Subscription and when I attempt to look at his Medals application it tells me I have to pay extra! I am waiting for my Grandad's Military Service from the National Archive which will confirm if he had medals issued. Because no one in the family has any recollection of ever seeing them!
Please keep us updated, Kevin. I am looking forward to learning what your grandfather's military service record contains. Vitellino
