RootsChat.Com

General => Armed Forces => World War One => Topic started by: headlands on Saturday 05 February 11 15:13 GMT (UK)

Title: Prisoner of War Camps 1st WW
Post by: headlands on Saturday 05 February 11 15:13 GMT (UK)

I have a great uncle, Frank Brown of Durham Light Infantry 1/7 Bn who died a prisoner of war 29 July 1918 and was buried in Glageon cemetery

I wonder if anyone has any idea which POW camp he would have been in? I'd be grateful for any information/suggestions. Thanks.

Title: Re: Prisoner of War Camps 1st WW
Post by: gortonboy on Saturday 05 February 11 15:25 GMT (UK)

There is no record of a Prisoners of War Camp (Kriegsgefangenenlager) under the name of Glageon. The CWGC states: "The Communal Cemetery was used for the burial of German soldiers and Allied prisoners from September, 1914, to August, 1918; the Extension was then begun, and was used until the following October". On the cemetery plan the extension between August and October is larger than the original commune's cemetery. Note the CWGC description does not state it was a prisoners of war camp. It states Allied prisoners were buried there, but if you search the internet for Glageon POW you see the CWGC information repeated with the suggestion of there being a camp there.

Title: Re: Prisoner of War Camps 1st WW
Post by: headlands on Saturday 05 February 11 23:15 GMT (UK)

Thanks for your information. I have been looking for Frank for some time now, I thought there might have been a POW camp near where he was buried but have never found it. His family had not heard from him for some time and put a message in the local paper asking if anyone returning from the Front had news. Later the same paper had the information that he was alive but a POW. I suppose this could be wrong information.

Title: Re: Prisoner of War Camps 1st WW
Post by: mmm45 on Sunday 06 February 11 10:23 GMT (UK)

The Red Cross in Geneva has an archive of POWs im not familiar with it but have heard it can be time consuming and expensive but its a good chance there are some records there.
http://www.redcross.org.uk/What-we-do/Finding-missing-family/Other-organisations/Missing-people-in-World-War-I-and-II

Ady

Title: Re: Prisoner of War Camps 1st WW
Post by: chrisgrant on Sunday 06 February 11 22:17 GMT (UK)

The definitive list of POW camps is in the Pope-Hennessy book  readable online here  (http://www.archive.org/details/mapofmainprisonc00poperich)

You will not find contacting the Red Cross very constructive!

Title: Re: Prisoner of War Camps 1st WW
Post by: headlands on Monday 07 February 11 20:56 GMT (UK)

Thanks everybody for your interest and your help. My search will continue for Frank and I'll hopefully discover how and where he died. Thanks again.