246425 Pte. Reginald Stevens British Army 7th Btn. D Coy. Royal West Kent Regiment from:Barking, Essex My father Reginald Stevens (known as Reg) was born in Barking, Essex on 23rd March 1919.
He was called up during the latter part of 1939 and reported to the Verne Citadel Barracks, Portland, Dorset on 1st December 1939. A good friend of his there, and later as a prisoner, was Reg Hamilton who came from Surbiton, Surrey.
Early in April 1940 he was transferred to Blandford Barracks, Dorset and assigned to the Queen's Own Royal West Kents, 7th Battalion. Later that month they moved to Gravesend and then to Southampton where, on 21st April, they embarked on the ship S.S. Bruges bound for Le Havre. Then by train to Elbeuf near Rouen where they spent about 3 weeks there. At this time there is mention of them being in Le Manoir near Alizay and Bailleul.
On 19th of May 1940 they were encamped in a small village about 4 miles from the town of Albert. A German attack took them completely by surprise and they dispersed into small groups. He was captured about 5 miles from Amiens on Tuesday 21st May and taken to Amiens civilian prison where he spent 2 or 3 nights. He was then set to work in a Red Cross Hospital cleaning and digging graves. There was an RAF air raid during this time and he assisted moving wounded soldiers to the cellars (a very harrowing job).
Not long after this they had to march to the Belgian frontier and finally boarded a train for Trier. On the 9th of June 1940 he entered Stalag XXA at Thorn (Torun) and was there until 1st of March 1941 when he was moved to Stalag XXB at Marienburg in Poland.
Five long years of manual labouring on farms and roads finally came to an end when he was liberated by American forces on Friday 13th April 1945 close to the town of Stendal in Germany. Towards the end of April he moved to New Brandenburg airport and after a week was flown home to Wing in Bedfordshire. He moved to barracks for rehabilitation including new clothes, 3 months double ration cards and travel passes. Finally in May 1945 he arrived back home in Barking and met his parents and sister after an absence of 5 years and 5 months.
At the end of July 1945 he reported to Colchester Barracks for ex-POW rehabilitation and weapons training with a view to being sent to the Far East where the Japanese were still fighting. The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki ended the conflict therefore his Far East adventure never took place.
He left the Army later in 1945 and returned to his old job in Holborn, London. After a long and mainly very happy life my father died in December 2000 aged 81.
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