L/Cpl. Joseph Thomas "Topper" Brown
British Army King's Royal Rifle Corps
from:Poplar/East Ham
Prisoner No.10625 Joseph Brown was my father and joined the King's Royal Rifle Corps as a Rifleman in January 1938. He survived WW2 to live another 38 years. He was captured at Calais on 26th May 1940 and did not return to the UK until liberated by U.S. forces in April 1945. He was discharged later that year as medically unfit for further service.
We do know that he was, like many others, sent on work details to the mines of Silesia, and also to Auschwitz. This was only known to me through my mother as I was growing up, as Dad never spoke about it directly to me or my brother.
I have photographs and letters he sent home and to his brother-in-law Frank Storey who was serving in the Royal Navy. The overwhelming feature of these is humour which no doubt helped him and many others through dark days and protected those at home from the worst of their experiences. There is a photographic card sent to him at Stalag VIIIB from some lads who made it back home - Ronnie and Mac. They are possibly musical as the photo shows them strumming mandolins! Another photographic card from them is signed to Topper from Smudge. Their uniform suggests they were serving with a Scottish Regiment. There is another one of a group sitting at a table playing cards and drinking which looks like an entertainment they may have put on. On the reverse is written 'Rifleman J Davey. Schliefe. 24th of December 1941.' I also have several outdoor group shots of prisoners, which I presume were official photographs taken for propaganda purposes.
