Dvr. Bernard Cashmore
British Army 19th Company Royal Army Service Corps
from:191 Millhouse Road, South Yardley, Birmingham
Bernard Cashmore enlisted on 3rd of October 1938 into to the Royal Army Service Corps. He had already served in the Dorsetshire Regiment for 7 years with colours and 5 years with reserves, a total of 12 years. Bernard sailed for France with the British Expeditionary Force on 5th of September 1939, just two days after the declaration of war. Eight months later, massed German forces invaded Belgium and France and by the end of May the BEF was retreating to the beaches around Dunkirk. Their famous rescue (code named Operation Dynamo) took place between 26th May and 6th of June 1940. Thousands of British and Allied soldiers as well as Bernard were cut off further south in France. The plan launched to evacuate these men was code named Operation Aerial. It was activated between 15th and 25th of June 1940. Bernard was safely taken off on 18th of June 1940.
After a period of re-grouping in England, Bernard was sent out to Egypt. He served from 27th February to 17th of March 1941. He was then posted to Greece, sailing from Alexandria to Piraeus. Bernard was captured and taken prisoner by the Germans at Kalamata on 29th of April 1941. He was transported to holding camps Dulag 185 at Corinth and then Dulag 183 at Thessaloniki on his way to Stalag XVIIIA at Wolfsburg Karnten Austria.
He was part of work parties at three working camps, the first one was Sollfield from 5th of July 1941 until 14th of November 1941, then Steindorf from 14th of November 1941 until 4th of April 1942 and the last one; Weidmannsdorf Klangenurt from 6th of July 1942 until 7th of May 1945. The type of work was railway work, roads and canals. Bernard remained a prisoner until the end of the war in 1945
