WW2 Bristol Blenheim RAF Man

[NickFenton]

Typically, following capture, these would have been the dates of transfers as per my Father. Sgt Barker would have been about 10 days behind in the early camps. Have you seen Sgt. Barker's POW liberation questionaire which would explain this?

Dulag Luft – 6th July 1941

Stalag IXc, Bad Sulza - 10th  (ICRC 14th) July 1941 to 29th April 1942.

Stalag Luft III, Sagan in the East Compound – 1st May (ICRC 30th April) 1942 to 18th June 1943.

Stalag Luft VI, Heydekrug, Barrack C5 – 20th ( ICRC 14th) June 1943 to 18th July 1944. Stalag Luft VI closed at this time with the advancing Russians on their way.

Stalag 357, Thorn, Poland – 19th (ICRC 18th) July 1944 to 8th August 1944. (Later this camp became known as Stalag XXA).

Stalag 357, Fallingbostal (Part of Stalag XI-B) – August 1944 to 7th April 1945.

8th May, The last of the POW’s evacuated from Fallingbostal are liberated on this day.

I know l have other details on Sgt. Barker at home so will see what l can find.

Regards,

Nick     

[ADM199]

Sgt W D Barker seems to have had promotion whist a P.O.W. as he is listed as W.O. in 1944 and 1945.

[NickFenton]

Established through Footprints that his POW number is 39292. He is therefore listed as being at Fallingbostal in hut C5.7.

The promotion was not unusual and they would have tried, if time allowed, to move him to an Officers Camp (Stalag Luft 3 again) but times were a little hectic. My Father received his promotion on 2nd May 1943 and was not moved on.

On this basis, l beleive that he was evacuated from Fallingbostal in August 1945 or remained there in hospital or hiding to avoid the march North.

Regards,

Nick

[ADM199]

Nick there is a very good Camp History for Luft 6 which is over 160 pages and very informative.

"A" compound appears to have been opened in June 1943 and by Oct was full so K compound was opened. The same month 80 Volunteers were tranfered to Luft 1 to serve as Batmen to the Officers.

Hut A12 was used to house known trouble makers and failed escapers.

During the Winter March there were several P.O.W. killed by a strafing Allied Aircraft at Gresse.
A list of Casualties was compiled by W.O. Mogg.

[David Layne]

Nick wrote,

 "The promotion was not unusual and they would have tried, if time allowed, to move him to an Officers Camp (Stalag Luft 3 again) but times were a little hectic. My Father received his promotion on 2nd May 1943 and was not moved on."

In my father's case (who was in the same camps) he recieved his commission shortly after being shot down in September of 1943.  He was not moved to Stalag Luft III until January 1945, just 5 days before Stalag Luft III started the Winter March.

[seahall]

Hi All.

Thank you for the extra information.

It is brilliant.

I will have to read his diary and see if any thing matches.

Thanks again.

Sandy

[seahall]

Nick I have this photograph also.

Sandy

[seahall]

Hi Again Nick.

I have been talking with Stephen today William Douglas Barker's son.

Have you seen Sgt. Barker's POW liberation questionaire which would explain this?

He does not know anything about his father's liberation questionaire.

Is this available to view anywhere please or can you direct me to the
source.

He contacted the Lost Bombers site today and wrote a short story of
how his father came to be a P.O.W.

If you would like to contact Stephen, just let me know.

Sandy

[seahall]

Oh I forgot Nick.

Stephen said his father started the march in April 1945.

Sandy