213657 Bdr Charles Thomas Wheatley British Army Royal Artillery Both my Granddad and his nephew were British POWs in Stalag 344. The nephew, Leonard Hurrell, worked in the administrative offices of the camp. My Granddad, Bombadier/Corporal Charles Thomas Wheatley (Royal Artillery) was handed over to the Germans by the Italians when he was transferred from Campo 59 in Servigliano, Italy to Stalag 344. Working in the offices allowed Leonard to read the lists of new prisoners. When he saw that his uncle, Charles was among the new prisoners in the camp, he requested that my Granddad was moved to his hut. Granddad arrived in the camp in late 1943.
Like many, my Granddad did not speak about the war and, regrettably, he is no longer with us. However, Leonard is still very lucid about the events of this period.
Currently, I am working on a personal project, a gift for my Dad. My Granddad kept a picture postcard of my Dad's christening. On the back, he detailed (as much as he could) the locations he was in during his war years (Dunkerque, Africa and the Middle East) and some dates. I have ordered a copy of the 1942 world map. I plan to flag the cities my Granddad listed and hope to provide information on the life in the camp and the forced march through Germany. If you feel you can provide any assistance, I would greatly appreciate it.
|