224485 Cpl. Gordon Leslie Hines British Army 235 Field Park Coy. Royal Engineers from:Doncaster Gordon Hines was called up for war-time military service on 16th October 1939 to Royal Engineers, army number 1184039. He joined A Company, 1st Motor Depot (believed to be based in Tyneside).
He was posted to Aldershot to join 50th Motor Division (later to become 50
th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division), 235 Field Park Company as driver on 13th of December 1939.
He was posted to France as part of British Expeditionary Force, on the 23rd of January 1940 part of British 2 Corps, 50th (Northumbrian) Infantry Division.
They were evacuated from Dunkirk during Operation Dynamo on 1st of June 1940, swimming out to waiting small boats.
Gordon rejoined 235 Field Park Company on 29 June 1940,and was appointed Acting L/Cpl 13th July 1940.
He was in hospital from the 1st to 18th October 1940.
He attended the 8th Corps Vehicle maintenance course from 10th of March 1941 to 31st ofMarch 1941.
He was then appointed Acting Corporal on the 15th of April 1941.
The unit embarked for Egypt on the 21st of May 1941 as part of Middle East Forces where they disembarked on the 10th of July 1941.
Gordon was appointed Acting Sergeant on the 19th of July 1941.
Embarked 25th July 1941 for Cyprus, disembarked 26th July 1941 and was in hospital from the 2nd to 30th of September 1941.
They moved from Cyprus to Palestine in January 1942 then moved to Syria on the 21st of January 1942. They made another move from Syria to Egypt on the 14th of February 1942. Libya was captured on the 28th of May 1942 and Gordon was posted as missing in Western Desert. He was
confirmed as a PoW on 30th of May 1942, in Italian hands.
He was held in Italy, Campo PG 65 at Gravina near Bari (holding camp) then moved to PG 53 near Sforzacosta on east coast.
He was transferred to Germany by train in July 1943 to Stalag IV-B 50 km north of Dresden, Germany, for three weeks, and given PoW number 221441.
He then transferred to Stalag VIII-B (later called 344) in Lamsdorf, Poland (then Silesia) on 9th of August 1943 and joined Working Party E769, Heydebreck, Poland (IG Farben chemical plant, Blechhammer South) on 23rd of September 1944.
The POW's from Gordon's camp commenced the "Long March" from E769 on 22nd January 1945, through Poland, Czechoslovakia and south west Germany.
They arrived at Stalag XIII-D, Nuremburg on 28th March 1945.
They left Stalag XIII-ID on 2nd April 1945 marching south from Nuremburg, believed to be towards Moosburg POW camp. It is believed that Gordon escaped from column and was hidden in farmhouse during American bombardment.
He was liberated by Americans on the 25th of April 1945 at Pietenfeld.
He departed in a car given by Americans on 27th of April 1945, and drove north through Wurzberg, Frankfurt and Coblenz to Aachen on the Dutch/Belgian border.
He transferred to Antwerp and Brussels on 30th April 1945 and boarded Lancaster bomber in Brussels and arrived in UK 2nd of May 1945.
On the 12th of July 1945 posted to 2 Div Transport Unit.
He was Posted to 1 Batt RAOC for UK service from 2nd May 1945 and was given release leave on the 26th January 1946. Before being discharged on the 13th of May 1946 going in the royal army reserves.
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