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General => Armed Forces => World War Two => Topic started by: angelasindyreid on Tuesday 11 November 08 12:20 GMT (UK)
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My Grandfather HORACE WILLIAM ROBERT MITCHELL went missing in North Africa approx date november 1942, we have a copy of a letter he sent home stating he was captured by the Italians and we know he was later transfered to STALAG 8 we think B, he was in the 2nd battalion of the Hampshire Regiment.
He once told a story of escape meeting up with the americans and with their help liberated the POW Camp. He returned home to Britain in May 1945. Does any one know anything about this time?
He was awarded the 1939/1945 Star, African star & 1st Army Clasp ( what is this ) and the War Medal 1939/1945.
His nick name was SMASHER MITCHELL as he was a boxing camp
Any info on this time in the war would be greatly appreciated. Thank You
Angela Reid
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Hi Angela
That 1st Army Clasp was awarded to those who had been soldiers who fought with the 1st Army between 8 November 1942 and 12 May 1943. The 1st Army took part in Operation Torch on 8th November 1942, with the 2nd Battalion of the Hampshires landing at Algiers on 21st November.
However, by the first week of December the Battalion had been caught by an enemy attack and surrounded. Though it tried to escape back to allied lines it lost a lot of men and it is probably that that was when he was captured.
If he filled in a POW Liberation questionnaire it will be in, I belive, the National Archives file WO 344/221
K
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:D Thank you so much, that is great information, I will look at that section in the National Archives, I don't know much about army numbers where would I be able to find more information on the 1st Army? ???
He was in the 7th Battalion before the 2nd of the Hampshire Regiment.
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Hi Angela
The 7th Batt was a home based battalion which did not enter combat until after D-Day.
The First Army, in WW2, was specifically created for the landings in North Africa, and so one won't really learn much about them before his capture (which was early in the campaign).
However, a good introduction to the subject is Desperate Venture: The Story of Operation Torch by Norman Gelb. Now, if I could just find my copy I will look up any details.
K
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that is great have been on wikipedia and found some great information regarding the 2nd battalion's involvement,
it was rather early that he was captured he was reported missing on the 3rd of december so fits in with the move into TEBOURBA where they encountered heavy shelling.
Still no further with his POW story but am still digging.
thanks for all information as he never talked about the war at all only this story once to my mum when he was drunk .
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Hi Angela,
my records show a Pte H W Mitchell 5506347 of the Hampshire Rgt as
being a P.O.W. in Italy . The Camp was PG 82 Lanterina.
Brian
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Hi Angela,
my records show a Pte H W Mitchell 5506347 of the Hampshire Rgt as
being a P.O.W. in Italy . The Camp was PG 82 Lanterina.
Brian
Angela,
the same man was in Stalag 344 Lamsdorf (P O W No. 30547) which had originally been designated as Stalag 8B. With the rank of Pte. he would have been in one of the many work Camps based on 344.
Did he ever mention anything regarding the whole Camp being put on a long march of several days in early 1945.
Brian
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hi there thank you very much my mum and uncle will appreciate this very much, what record have you looked into to find out his number ? we have a telegram from him which states he is being treated well, but nothing else so we did not even know his number! , he never mentioned the long march, am i right in thinking that would have been the death march? he only ever mentioned it once to mum late one night shortly before he died, his wife - my nan - did not know of this story at all.
i now can identify his war record form the national archeives.
oncew again thank you very much
angela
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Hi,
there is a File at the National Archives that lists all P.O.W. in Italy as of August 1944. The P.O.W. in Germany information comes from a Text Book.
During early 1945 there were many such"Death Marches". It was a futile attempt by the Germans to stop the P.O.W. from being released.
He may have made a report when he was released and if so it will be at T.N.A. in the Document class WO344.
Brian
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Hi,
there is a File at the National Archives that lists all P.O.W. in Italy as of August 1944. The P.O.W. in Germany information comes from a Text Book.
During early 1945 there were many such"Death Marches". It was a futile attempt by the Germans to stop the P.O.W. from being released.
He may have made a report when he was released and if so it will be at T.N.A. in the Document class WO344.
Brian
Should be WO344/221 but obviously needs looking at as not all P.O.W. made a report when Liberated.
Brian
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hi there guys, i contacted the national archives for a quote about file wo 344/221 but they found no reference to a Horace Mitchell, but will try again ! thanks anyway, does anyone have a copy they could pass on to me?
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Hi Brian
Can I ask you for the NA file number for the PoWs in Italy as of Aug 1944. Cheers Roy
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The War Diary for the 2nd Bn covering Nov 1942-June 1943 is WO175/499
The Bn landed in Algeria 22nd Nov 1942.
Moved up to Tebourba 29th Nov 42.
They started to take over from the 5th Bn Northants on the 29th Nov.
The Bn put out patrols out on the 30th Nov. X Company patrols made contact with the enemy.
1st Dec 42 the Bn attack the enemy the casualties for the attack were.
W Coy Nil.
X Coy 7 other ranks killed, 18 other ranks wounded.
Y Coy 12 wounded.
Z Coy 1 Officer wounded, 3 other ranks killed & 15 other ranks wounded or missing.
From this info I would say Horace, was with Z company which had 15 other ranks missing
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Hello Angela
This may not mean much but my Father-in-Law 'George Moore Cooper' served in North Africa under 'Operation Torch' as a gunner in the Royal Artillery.
He was in the 31/11 LAA, which stands for the 31st Battery, 11th (City of London Yeomanry) Light Anti-Aircraft . As a unit of the 1st Army, it would been involved Operation Torch and the subsequent operations in North Africa.
He received the Africa Star with 1st Army clasp, I think he went on to Italy sometime in July '43
the campaign in North Africa took place sometime in February/ March.
Pel
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Hello, I am new to this forum and was attracted to this thread as I am researching my fathers war history. He was in the 5thBtn. 128Bgd Hampshires, wounded and captured at Sidi nsir and eventually finished up at Stalag V111C via two Italian POW camps.Rather than clog up the thread with multiple questions, is there anyone who would be prepared to exchange emails on this one as there are a few gaps I would like to fill.
Regards to all, I shall be watching the WW2 threads from now on.
David
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I'm new to this forum, so please bare with me. This post is with regard to Stalag V111C, Konin Zaganski, Poland. . My father Harry (Tug ) Wilson, Bombardier, 4268774, Royal Artillery, was a POW at this camp from, I believe, 1942. I have very little information, other than my father worked in the stores & he left me the key to the stores with two "dog tags" stamped "Stalag V111C"
Colin...
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Welcome to the Forum;
I have a Gnr H Wilson 4268775. listed as a POW in Italy in August 1943.
The Camp was PG 53 Sforzacosta near Macerata. The last visit by the Red Cross on Sept.3rd 1943 indicates that the Camp had received a further intake of POW from PG 65, 66 & 132 which by this time were closed. So it is possible that he could have been transfered to PG 53 before the Red Cross visit.
Both in 1944 & 1945 there is a Bdr. H Wilson 4268775 listed as Stalag V111C.
No POW No. is given in both entries.
Brian
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Thank you for that Brian...My father died in 1986 and until the other day I'd never thought about Stalag 8, then, out of the blue, my ex-wife sent me the information, including his army number which I never knew.
Colin....
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Good luck with the research. It may become an obsession be warned LOL...
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My ex-wife sent this photo this evening....she thinks it could well have been taken at Stalag 8. My father, H.Wilson,Bombardier,4268774,Royal Artillery, is bottom left in the photo.
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What a nice thing for her to do... :)
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She's a nice lady and we are still good friends.... http://www.cravenindexes.co.uk/about.asp
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Skipton wow :D I have a friend who lives in Skipton and she does research about WW2 wonder if Judith knows you... That would be spooky.
Dee
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No, I live in Doncaster, the ex & my son live in Cononley & Cowling respectively, just outside Skipton. I'll ask Josie if she knows the lady in question....
Colin....
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Hi,
New to the site but came across this when search for CHARLES JAMES LAWRENCE s/n 5496331 2nd Battalion Hampshire Regiment was also transferred to an Italian POW camp after the first battle of Tebourba, was it also PG 82 near Lanterina? Any help or information to * MANY MANY THANKS
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At some point he was in PG 66 Capua.
The records for POW Italy are very flawed. PG 82 was near Lanterina and he could have also been in this Camp.
Some Prisoners of the Italians were in as many as four Camps in a short period of time.
Hi,
New to the site but came across this when search for CHARLES JAMES LAWRENCE s/n 5496331 2nd Battalion Hampshire Regiment was also transferred to an Italian POW camp after the first battle of Tebourba, was it also PG 82 near Lanterina? Any help or information to MANY MANY THANKS
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Hello. I am new to the site. I was searching for information about my great uncle Frank Schaaf. I believe he was a P.O.W. at Stalag 8 in January of 1944 or 1945. Correspondence states that he was declared missing in action in France and I was looking for any information I can find about him. He died before I was born and I would like know about his war experience. Thanks.