WW2 POW

[JeannieTel]

I would appreciate any guidance regarding POW repatriation logs.  My grandfather RSM William Thornborough was a prisoner of war, I think in Stalag XX-A in western Poland.  He was definitely in one of the camps with Airey Neave but I am pretty sure it was not Colditz.  Can anyone please direct me to where I could find any information?
kind regards

[old rowley]

Airey Middleton Neave was held for a relatively short period at Stalag XX-A from Feburary 1941 to the April '41 when, with Norman Forbes, he escaped. Re-captured by the German's as they headed for the Russian held lines near Itow in Poland, Neave and Forbes were returned to Stalag XX-A and were then moved to Oflag - 1V - C otherwise known as Colditz in the May of '41. If you are interested you can find out more about Neave's escapes in his book "They have their exits" which you should still be able to obtain from your local library. The book may not mention William but it may give you an idea of what it was like for him at Stalag XX-A.

old rowley

[themonsstar]

1981723 ( this number was issue out to the R.E.) P.S.M. W.Thornborough. Gn.How. PoW Number 13174. PoW Camp 383 (Hohen Fels).


If you look at the link it will show you a map, Hohenfels is in B3:

http://./forum/index.php?topic=1002.0


This link will give you some info on how to find info on PoWs at the NA, Kew:

http://./forum/index.php?topic=1118.0

[JeannieTel]

How fabulous!  thank you very much indeed.  I am amazed at the speed of your responses.  My grandfather was mentioned in Airey Neave's book apparently although I havnt read it myself. 
I will check out the references to Hohenfels.  thank you again.

[old rowley]

"My grandfather was mentioned in Airey Neave's book apparently....."  and most certainly he is. He is mentioned on page 35 twice and on page 36 once. Neave describes him as "....Company Sergeant-Major Thornborough of the Green Howards, clean uniform and shinning boots...." and "........under the command of the genial Sergeant-Major Thornborough all was order, smartness and light..."
A book well worth getting even if only to read and re-read the pages that has your grandfather mentioned on.

Old Rowley

[JeannieTel]

a few words quoted by someone I have never met from a book I have never read - and I am in tears!!  thank you so much Old Rowley, I am soooo buying that book!  I have read and re-read those few words in your email a dozen times already!  This was the Grandad I knew - his shoes were always polished to a mirror-shine (and therefore so were ours) and he wouldnt stand any nonsense even from us little girls looking up at him in awe and wonder....... 

[scrimnet]

Rootschat working at its best....

Well done lads...

[ADM199]

There is a saying "That information Shared is information never lost"

Savannah Publications have recently re-published Prisoners Of War. Naval and Air Forces of Great Britain and the Empire 1939 - 1945. This has been out of print for quite some time and almost impossible to find second hand.
All three original Volumes are now available.
These are printed from the original Files at T.N.A. WO392/11 to WO392/19 which gives P.O.W. Lists as of 1945.
The lists as they stood in 1944 start at WO392/1 to WO392/10
The same series also gives lists of P.O.W. Italy as of 1943.
These seem never to have been Published commercially.

The Best lists of P.O.W. Japan come from the same series- WO392/23 - WO392/26.
These four Files contain lists as of 1945 and include the Last Camp where held, date of capture and date of demise if died in captivity.

All the information required to find a P.O.W. are in these sources. Sometimes a Local Library will have, or be able to obtain the Printed Volumes if it is not convenient to visit Kew.

There are no such catalogues of Escapers and Evaders although the 1939 - 1945 Reports are Filed by year.
Those who Escaped into Switzerland from Italy Post Armistace are Catalogued Alphabetically which makes finding a Report much easier.

Perhaps you know that someone did Escape and no Report seems to be available. If this is the case it is always worth looking in the Liberation Reports in WO344 which are Listed Alphabetically as some Escapers appear to classed as being Liberated.

[MBarlow]

Hi,

My grandfather was RSM William Thornborough who was in stalag - 3 during WWII.  My mother had the book which spoke of him.  He was married to a Jessie Thornborough nee Slater before being missing presumed dead during wwII.  I understand he was captured at dunkirk.  After returning from the war he and my grandmother separated as she had remarried as he was presumed dead.

To my knowledge he had 3 surviving children, Barbara, Geoff and Peter.